The well-known fruits of tomatoes (or tomatoes) have a very diverse shape, size, color and taste. Currently, many (up to several thousand) varieties of this plant are known in truck farming. Some of them have fruits that do not reach the size of a nut, while others may have relatively large sizes. There are individual specimens weighing up to 1 kg. Since tomato seeds are in their fruits, they naturally can also have different sizes. The smallest seeds are cherry tomatoes, the fruits of which are also quite small.
It is difficult in the conditions of such a variety of tomato varieties and agricultural firms that offer them, to give any specific advice on the purchase of seeds of a particular variety. Here, first of all, everything depends on the climate in which it is supposed to grow tomatoes, as well as on the purpose of breeding.
If you have at least a small piece of land at your disposal, you will certainly want to plant this plant. As you know, under household conditions, already grown seedlings of tomatoes are usually planted in open ground. Of course, ready-made seedlings can simply be purchased. But a true gardener will enjoy growing it on his own.
The most popular way for our gardeners who do not have a specially equipped greenhouse is to grow seedlings on the windowsill. For this, of course, you need the windowsill itself, special containers, soil and, of course, the tomato seeds themselves.
Sowing tomatoes for seedlings is carried out in the spring, usually in February-April. It all depends on the variety of tomatoes. So sowing seeds of tomatoes of late ripe tall varieties is carried out somewhat earlier than others, for this, the period from February to March is best suited. And already sowing seeds of tomatoes of low-growing early varieties is made from March to April.
Before you start sowing tomatoes, they must be sorted and discarded, that is, remove small and damaged seeds, as well as those that are atypical for seeds. Simply put, for sowing you need to select the most viable. Judging by their appearance, they should be large, full and intact.
There is another, more radical way to sort the seeds. It is necessary to place the tomato seeds for a couple of minutes in a weak solution (3-5%) of salt and stir it a little. Seeds that emerge in this case must be removed, as they are "empty", that is, non-viable. Naturally, after such a "bath" the seeds must be washed with clean water.
Sowing tomatoes will give more tangible results if their seeds are previously treated with special nutrients as well as disinfectants. This will certainly increase their germination and disease resistance. To do this, you can use a solution of potassium permanganate in a concentration of 1 to 100 or a solution of phytosporin, which is easy to purchase in specialized stores. Such seeds are ready for sowing. However, if you also treat them with, for example, heteroauxin, this will further increase the immunity of seeds and increase their vitality.
A procedure such as seed germination is not required for tomatoes. If the sowing of tomatoes is done correctly and at the right time, the seedlings will rise quickly and amicably. It should be noted that recently the market and agricultural companies have been offering tomato seeds wrapped in a special colored shell. This shell contains both a seed dresser and a growth regulator. Therefore, such seeds do not require pre-treatment.
Naturally, before sowing tomatoes, it is necessary to prepare special containers or containers for this, as well as the soil mixture, which you can make yourself or purchase in specialized stores.