. I wanted to share with you for customers that are new to starting their own plants from seeds some of the things that I do to guarantee success every year.
. When you order from Bliss Family Heirloom Tomatoes, you are getting seed that has been harvested the previous tomato season and no older than that. I have committed to making sure that you are getting the freshest seed possible and even though most tomato varieties have a shelf life of up to 10 years or more, I want to make certain that your seed is as viable as can be because every year the germination rate will go down little by little until your seed is no longer viable and able to be started.
. Your conditions you start your seed in are very important to begin with. I always use a seed starting mix that is formulated for just that. It has no fertilizers or large chunks of bark that can hinder germination of your seeds. It doesn’t take very much of this and it doesn’t have to be very deep, because you only need to plant your seeds about a 1/4″ deep! Any deeper than this will cause stress on the seedlings as they germinate and try to reach the light and though they may eventually make it to the top of the growing medium, it will take a lot longer and many things can happen to them in their struggle to reach the surface.
. I use a cold frame with heated cables buried in the soil that keep the temperature warm even when it is freezing outside! I generally start about the last week in February in Indiana and I have never had a problem with getting the seeds started and flourishing.
. When the seeds first come up, they will have two leaves on the stem, when they get a third leaf, that is when I transplant them to larger 4″ pots and move them to my greenhouse until they are ready to go in the ground.
. Make certain that you keep an even temperature around your seedlings at all times and never over water them! Many people have great success getting them started, but then they overwater them and they enter a condition called Damping Off due to the excessive moisture and the seedlings will rot and die!
. I hope this helps you in your seed starting adventure, a lot of success comes through trial and error, but it is important to never give up and if something your doing isn’t working out, try something else. Eventually you will find what works best for you.
. Jimmy Bliss