Tomatoes are one of our absolute favorite crops to grow at home. They originally come from South and Central America. Due to their origin, this tropical plant loves moisture, plenty of warmth and light, ideally all year round.
To give the plants enough time to develop in our latitudes, they are grown on the windowsill or directly in a greenhouse. You can find out how to sow tomatoes and what you need to bear in mind when growing tomatoes in this article.
Depending on where you want to grow your tomato plants, you can choose a suitable variety. Tomatoes differ greatly in their growth habit: there are bush and vine tomatoes. You can find out Which Tomato Variety Is Best for Your Garden, Greenhouse or Balcony in this article.
Like most fruiting vegetables, tomatoes are not sown directly, but grown indoors. The right time to start growing tomatoes on the windowsill is from mid-March to early April. You can start growing tomatoes in a greenhouse from mid-February.
You can start growing tomatoes on the windowsill from mid-March to early April at the latest. Tomatoes need a lot of light and warmth to germinate. If the ratio between heat and light is not right, the plants will go to seed. This means that they shoot up in search of light. The result is unstable and susceptible young plants. For this reason, it is important to create optimal germination conditions. This is often not possible on the windowsill before March without an additional plant lamp. However, if you have a greenhouse, you can even start growing in mid-February. But here, too, it is important to provide the plants with additional light.
You should therefore choose a suitable sowing date depending on the variety, location and individual requirements. As a hobby gardener, it often makes more sense to start a little later. As soon as there is enough light, the tomato plant can quickly catch up on growth.
To increase the germination of the small seeds, place them in lukewarm chamomile tea for 6 hours. Tomato seeds have a velvety, slightly hairy coating that acts as a natural germination inhibitor. Soaking stimulates germination and your seedlings will thrive more reliably. A chamomile decoction also helps to increase resistance to diseases. This is particularly effective against mold growth.
Then place 2 to 3 seeds per pot about 0.5 to 1 cm/0.2 to 0.4 in deep in the soil. Place them in a bright place and make sure they are watered regularly. In the beginning, it is sufficient to spray the seedlings twice a day (morning & evening). They now need between 24 - 28 ° C/75.5 - 82.4 ° F until they germinate. A cover or glass helps to achieve these temperatures. This creates a mini-greenhouse and your seeds should germinate within 7 - 14 days.
With our garden planner, you can easily plan a colourful mixed crop. Good and bad neighbors are displayed directly and you get tips on crop rotation!
Plan Your Bed NowIf you have a greenhouse, you can start growing on the windowsill in February and then plant the young plants in the greenhouse 2 to 3 weeks after pricking out. If you want to grow them directly in the greenhouse, it is better to wait until mid-March. However, this depends on the conditions in your greenhouse. If you have a heated greenhouse with additional lighting, there is no reason not to start growing directly in the greenhouse in February. The only important thing is that it is warm and bright enough for the seeds to germinate.
Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse works in the same way as growing them on a windowsill. The seeds should germinate in seedling pots with nutrient-poor soil before you can plant them in the ground as young plants. As tomatoes are heavy feeders, you should prepare the soil with compost beforehand.
Pole tomatoes are ideal for making the most of the space in your greenhouse. These varieties have a long main stem and therefore tend to grow upwards. They therefore appreciate a support and climbing aid. Smaller plants, such as basil, can be planted underneath vine tomatoes. As the soil in a greenhouse tends to dry out, you should apply a layer of mulch . This helps to retain moisture in the soil and also provides new nutrients.
Good luck with your tomato cultivation! If you have any questions, problems or comments, please write to us at [email protected]. Would you like to receive helpful gardening tips all year round and plan your own beds optimally? Then register here or download the Fryd app for Android or iOS.
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Cover picture by AndreasGoellner on Pixabay
Marie is an agronomist. She is particularly interested in the sustainable and organic cultivation of vegetables and other plants. In her own garden, she gained experience and likes to try things out to learn from nature. She is particularly interested in the values and principles of permaculture, in order to contribute not only to the well-being of nature, but also to the well-being of people and future generations.
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Ground frost, cold nights and little sun during the day - time to sum up my gardening year: I concentrated on container planting on the patio, I also cultivated two raised beds there. The carrots and radishes have thrived very well, regardless of the variety. Kohlrabi suffered from the cabbage white butterfly. With the cucumbers, I had to contend with downy mildew during the hot period and powdery mildew during the rainy period. Vorgebirgstrauben were very successful, Marketmore were mediocre and unfortunately I had little success with Diva and other smooth varieties. With tomatoes, the small Supersweet were outstanding, San Marzano, Montfavet, Matina, Ranger quite ok and Marmande and the small bush tomatoes of various varieties were disappointing. I wasn't happy with the beetroot either, but the spring onions and garlic did well. Strawberries disappointed me, but pineapple cherries bore abundantly. All the lettuce varieties were more or less successful due to the weather, as were the various herbs. Zucchinis on the compost were mediocre, watermelons and pumpkins were very poor. In 2026, I will switch back to smaller pots of 15 and 30 liters and plant blueberries in the 80-liter pots. I didn't have good experiences with the planting bags, firstly they were difficult to move in the 30 and 60 l sizes, and secondly I couldn't really regulate the water balance well. What is your conclusion?
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When is the best time to preplant tomatoes?
Mid-March to early April is ideal for growing on the windowsill. In the greenhouse, you can start as early as mid-February.
How deep should you sow tomato seeds?
Tomatoes are light germinators. Tomato seeds are therefore only lightly covered with soil and sown 0.5 to 1 cm/0.2 to 0.4 in deep.
How long does it take for tomato seeds to germinate?
The germination period is usually 7 to 14 days at optimum germination temperatures of 24 to 28 °C/75.5 - 82.4 °F.
How do you go about pricking out the young plants?
About 2 to 3 weeks after germination, the young plants are transplanted into their own pots. Place them a little deeper in the soil than before to increase stability