Tomatoes

Start tomatoes indoors 6-8 weeks before your frost free date. Sow seed .5 cm deep and keep warm and moist. Seeds will germinate in 5-10 days at 21-24C. Move seedlings into 10 cm pots and give them a rich mix with lots of compost. Keep soil on the dry side. Harden plants off before planting outdoors by exposing to outdoor conditions a few hours at a time for 2-3 days. This will toughen them up for life in the garden or field. When transplanting seedlings into the garden bury the stem so there are only 2 sets of leaves showing above the soil surface. The plant will root all along the buried stem creating a strong root system and healthy plants. Indeterminate varieties are best staked. Determinate varieties do not need staking.