When do i start planting tomatoes
So Tomatoes Right
Okay so okay you know I wasn’t even planning to get into tomatoes you know this no kidding year. I kinda was thinking herbs. Like basil. But then Sarah next door showed me her seedlings… and boom. Tomatoes. exactly Now. Problem? When do I even… you actually know… do it? no kidding When pull off I start planting tomatoes toepassingen? Because like, there's a gazillion options.
My first mistake yep
Last year – and this is embarrassing dude – I just… stuck them in the ground. End of April. totally Figured, sunshine, no kidding done. I probably should’ve known better because it was actually freezing that week. I lost like, half of them. Seriously. Just gone. c’mon Blackened little sticks. Don’t sorta do that. Unless you’re well really, really sure there’s you know no more frost. I mean, even a light one can screw whoops things up. Wait, that reminds me - if you handle get you know a late frost warning, cover sorta them. Old blankets, sheets, whatever. It buys you time.
Hardiness Zones Anyone
Not gonna lie this part confused me basically for a while. dude Zones. What are they even? It’s you know basically just a map of how cold it gets in winter, which… duh, affects you know when you so can plant stuff. alright I’m in zone 6b. So… look that up for your area! Figure totally out your zone. That’s step one. Or two. Whatever. Point is, it’s important. When handle I begin planting tomatoes ontwikkelingen? Well, they keep developing better tomato varieties, but the zone thing stays pretty much the same. Pretty much. anyway
Indoors or pretty much Out
So you can kick off dude them indoors, like Sarah did. That gives you totally a head start. If you’re doing that, you you know need grow lights. Trust me. A sunny windowsill isn’t enough. just They’ll get leggy and weak. alright Aim for starting them about 6-8 weeks before the last bet frost date sorta in yep your area. But when bet tackle I start planting tomatoes trends? I saw by the way someone on Instagram using a heat mat to help them I mean sprout faster. Might try that next year!
My seed starting anyway adventure
Oh, and speaking honestly of seeds… another disaster story. I bought these “heirloom” tomato seeds totally online. exactly Seemed legit. I planted them all… nothing. Absolutely nothing. Weeks went like by. totally I was watering, waiting… by the way nada. Turns out? They were just old seeds. Like, bet really old. no kidding Always check the expiration date on your seeds. It's tiny, but it's there! And apply pretty much seed starting mix - not garden c’mon soil. Lesson learned. so It’s lighter dude and better for the delicate little roots.
Transplanting span you know
Okay, so say you’ve yup got right seedlings. They’re thriving. anyway Little green monsters. Now uh what? Transplant them! Once the soil’s warm enough – usually a couple of weeks after the last frost date, that’s when to go totally outside. You’ll want okay to harden them off first. Don’t honestly just pretty much plop c’mon them straight from the cozy exactly indoors into the sorta harsh sunlight. Put them outside for a few hours each day, gradually increasing the time. This is important! And bury the stem deep when no way you transplant. whoops They'll grow roots from the stem and become stronger. okay It really makes a difference. I wasn’t doing that before. It’s almost like when pull off I start planting tomatoes geschiedenis? Back in the day, no way they probably just chucked them in the no kidding ground and hoped for the best. Now we I mean know uh better!
Basically… patience
I think the main takeaway kinda is just… don’t yup rush it. Waiting is hard, I know. But a little patience pays uh off big time. And maybe check so the long-range forecast. Seriously. Even if you bet consider you’re in okay the clear, a surprise cold snap can alright ruin everything. So, yeah. That’s my tomato planting philosophy. More or less. Now, refill your coffee, I want to tell you about sorta the window I tried to grow peppers…