When do I start tomatoes indoors?

[wiswash]

Living in Wisconsin we have a frost danger til late May. If I want to plant tomatoes in garden about May 20 then when should I start my tomatoes seeds indoors. I want to give the 'maters a head start but I dont want them so big like bushes in my kitchen. Maybe about 8 inches tall at time of garden transplant would be nice. Sorry if this questions been asked before. I am kind of new to gardening and tomatoes especially. Thanks

 

[wsmoak]

These were planted Feb 2, here they are on March 2:

I think the usual guideline is to start them 6-8 weeks before you want to put them out.

I'm currently having to re-pot these into larger containers because I'm not ready to put them out yet -- so I'm suffering from the dining room full of bushes you're trying to avoid.

ETA: Just checked and today (March 23) they are about 14" tall in the 3" Jiffy pots.

-Wendy

 

[journey11]

My last frost here is around May 10th. I'm 2 weeks behind getting my tomatoes started and usually mine will be pretty big before I get them in the ground. You could start yours now or anytime over the next week or two, I would say.

 

[ORLANDO]

I think the most favorable time for growing tomatoes is the month of May in indoor . Which might give you better return of Tomatoes . You need to take care of it too .

Fashion I Party Wears I Mens Fashion
Latest Bridal I Attractive I Jewlary

 

[patandchickens]

Living in Wisconsin we have a frost danger til late May. If I want to plant tomatoes in garden about May 20 then when should I start my tomatoes seeds indoors.

Six weeks before is usually good -- although it depends on what temperatures you grow the seedlings at and whether you use a heat mat at any point. (Cooler = slower; but tomatoes generally do better if you grow them rather coolish once they have a pair or two of true leaves)

I would err on the side of earlier rather than later start with tomatoes, too -- because if they get too tall and gangly while waiting to go outside, you just plant them extra-deep (or at a 45-degree angle) with much of the stem buried (strip the leaves off the part that will be buried, of course) and just 3-4 pr true leaves showing aboveground, and the will grow extra roots from the buried stems and actually end up as very robust healthy plants.

You might seriously think about wall-o-waters too (or the red version, whatever its brand name is). They can let you put tomatoes out MUCH earlier which here in the north can make a big difference in your first tomato date and your total harvest. I trust them down to 20 F (they may be ok a bit lower than that, even, especially if you chuck a bedsheet over 'em).

So if you have any daily weather records for your house for the last few years, see when you no longer seem to get temps below the low 20s, count back 6 wks from *that*, and you can start a few seeds *then*.

Do make sure to pre-warm the soil if you do this, either by setting out the wall-o-waters a couple weeks early or (my preference) covering that part of the garden with clear plastic sheeting for a couple of weeks.

Wall o waters ROCK for getting earlier (and more) tomatoes in these colder zones, though!

Our last frost here, because this property is in a low cold-trap spot, is generally during the first week of June; but using wall-o-waters I can safely put tomatoes into the ground in mid to late April, and get considerably earlier harvest

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[vfem]

My last frost date is April 15th, I started mine the last week of Feb for one round of plants... then I started a second round of plants this week.

I have noticed depending on variety, I have some that are a good 8" tall, while I have some that are barely 2" tall at this point.

I transplanted about 4 of my larger variety seedlings, and will move those to the green house over the next couple of days... while the newer growth seedlings will probably never make it to the green house before I have to prep them for planting outside.

My suggestion for you, would be to plant indoors the first week of April. That way the first week of May you could get them slowly accustom to being outdoors one day at a time, and probably get them in the ground officially May 10th until there is a freak frost!

 

[silkiechicken]

I am so bad this year... last year was a total bust on tomatoes back home, so decided to take an early early early approach... and am not paying for it through the electricty bill at school... I'll get pics tonight. Good thing I have hydroponics food that I can keep feeding these maters with as they sit in their tiny pots...for another month to come....

Left for spring break and to reduce workload on my SO, had them set inside for a week and they grew way too fast.

 

[MuranoFarms]

I just started mine this week, for Pittsburgh. I got the dates off the farmers almanac site. You put in your location and it pops up a chart. Of course the link is in my computer and I'm using my laptop.....lol If you need the link I can get it from there.

 

[brandylorton]

I have grown the tomato indoor hydroponically. It is one of the most easiest plants to grow. Though some care has to be taken alongside the nutrients but overall it is a easy prospect to grow comparing to the other plants.

 

[SuperChemicalGirl]

I'm about the same time as you here in Maine. I usually bet on mid-May to plant my plants outdoors, though, and watch the weather closely until the beginning of June. I plant mine inside 8 weeks in advance, usually. I keep a fan blowing on them most of the time to make the stalks thicker and them more used to the wind we get here. I usually repot them a few times anyway as seedlings, as deep down as I can - they seem to love it.

I started mine 03.23 this year, indoors. They spent some time in an indoor grow box with seed mat and lights, then moved outside to the cold frame during the day and indoors at night (with the fan) until ready to transplant.

I think they looked decent going in. I have 3 wall o waters this year, 2 of the plants don't seem to be any different, the 3rd plant looks great.

Here's them in last weekend just so you can get a feel for how big they were.