subject: Buying Tomato Seedlings [print this page] Don't let the local nurseries tempt you into buying your tomato seedlings early. They will have their supply in well before the first day of Spring. But for most of the United States, actually most of the Northern Hemisphere, it is much too early.
You will find that early planted tomatoes and and later planted will mature and produce at about the same time. Neither get growing until the soil gets warmed up. The nursery hopes you don't know that!
If you leave the seedlings in the nursery until at least 2 weeks after the last frost, they will do better. Should there be an unexpected frost, or worse, freeze, lots of seedlings will be lost. Their chances for survival are much better in the nursery than in your garden. Unless, of-course you have your own green house.
In America the tomato plant is the largest seller of all plants. (I wonder who counted!) The nurseries will put stock out as soon as they dare to give themselves a long selling season. They don't mind if you buy so early you lose them. They are prepared for you to come and buy some more!
And they will offer you lots of variety. Tomatoes are of two types, but, many varieties with-in those types. You know the types, hybrid and heirloom. Heirloom is the old standbys. The ones your Grandmother served you with sugar, or maybe salt, like a real treat. And indeed they can be. They can be counted on for flavor, every variety. In fact, my Grandfather used to save his own seeds, every year.
The other type your nursery will have are hybrids. Most of the tomatoes you will find in stores are hybrids. They have been developed to withstand the time and travel between harvest and your grocery cart.
When you let hybrid tomatoes ripen on the vine you will find they are not at all like the red rocks from the corner grocery. They are delicious in a home garden because you can let them ripen on the vine as a tomato wants to! Delicious!
Once the frost is at least 2 weeks gone, and the soil has had time to warm, plant both hybrid and heirloom. You will have a bumper crop of great tomatoes. You neighbors will love you cause you will have more than you can eat!
by: Carolyn Collins
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