It is not recommended to try to grow tomatoes from seeds obtained from random fruits. When purchasing tomato seeds, then follow our suggestions
Many gardeners care about the good taste of their tomatoes. Slowly matured in the sun, they enjoy an incredible flavor and aroma. In order to have a feast of such goodness, we must choose good seeds. This is not an easy task, but with a handful of practical tips it will be easier to accomplish. When purchasing tomato seeds, then follow our suggestions.
Index
Appearance of the seeds
The packages that you will find in stores unfortunately do not allow you to see their contents. The general rule that concerns all seeds, not just tomato seeds, is that the seeds should be of regular shape, they must not be crushed and covered with suspicious patinas. But let's remember the peculiarity of the surface of the tomato seed - the seed is covered with fluff and small tubercles. The seeds are never perfectly smooth and shiny.
Color may also vary. Tomato seeds can be of different shades from yellow to brown. Each single seed is rounded, slightly kidney-shaped and flattened. The size does not exceed a few millimeters. Before purchasing it is important to pay attention to the appearance of the package, which absolutely must not be damp or faded by the sun. Moisture is one of the worst enemies of tomato seeds. In fact, in the presence of humidity the seeds begin to germinate very quickly and contamination by pathogens occurs.
Better to buy than to cultivate
It is not recommended to try to grow tomatoes from seeds obtained from random fruits. Currently, most of the seeds available for sale are heterozygous, F1-type hybrids. These varieties retain the characteristics of both parents, are easy to grow and have a high level of yield. Varieties of type F1 have a greater germination capacity. The seedlings grow more vigorous, are healthier and more resistant to diseases and climatic conditions. Fruits obtained from hybrid varieties are tastier and abundant in nutrients. The crop of hybrid tomatoes keeps much better.
F1-type seeds cannot be obtained at home. In order to obtain a new F1 variety, several years of experience and careful selection are required. Fortunately, heterozygous seeds are not lacking in both traditional seed shops and online shops. In the shops you can buy many interesting varieties, of different colors and flavors at affordable prices.
Tomato seeds on sale in stores are available in packages containing already 0,5 g. Generally, however, packs of 1 gram are purchased, which contain on average 300-400 seeds. In this way, from a single package we can obtain a large number of seedlings at a very affordable price. Click here to see some interesting tomato seed varieties.
Before proceeding with the purchase
Before buying the seeds, you need to know where they will be grown - outdoors, under the plastic tunnel or in the greenhouse. According to the place of cultivation we can proceed to the choice of the most suitable seed. Some tomato varieties are more resistant to cold and have a greater capacity to grow in height, others are more sensitive, remain low, more compact in shape. Tomato seeds are increasingly available in stores to grow in plant containers. These are the perfect varieties for so-called urban gardeners who grow their seedlings on balconies and terraces.
