The fastest growing tomatoes are:
- Siberia = 48 to 55 days (not commonly available)
- Sub Arctic = 49 to 62 days (heirloom)
- Early Girl = 52 to 62 days (hybrid)
- Early Wonder = 55 days (heirloom)
- Prairie Fire = 55 to 65 days (heirlom)
- Siberian = 55 to 60 days (heirloom)
- Glacier Heirloom = 55 to 65 days (heirloom)
- Stupice = 55 to 68 days (heirloom)
During the 2009 Season, we matched up Early Girl Tomatoes against the Jetsetter Tomatoes
and the Jetsetter produced ripe fruit a little bit faster, but
the Early Girl was a great producer. For the 2010 season, we
wil be matching up the Siberian against the Stupice for speed,
production and disease resistance.
Since it is more fun to start your tomatoes from seed, and
because you can't always rely on your local nursery supplier
for the cultivar you want, we'll show you how to start your
tomatoes from seed, which is more fun anyway.
Know your hardiness zone and the last day of frost:
1. Tomatoes are usually transplanted when they are 6-8 weeks
old. To know when to plant your seeds, you need to know when
the last day of frost is for the area you live. If you don't
know, try doing a Google search for "last day
frost -------" and fill in the blank with
the nearest major city. Be aware of the fact that this is only
an estimate based on averages over a long period. There is no
guarantee and you could still get a surprise late frost. In
the area where I live, the last day of frost is April 1st. To
play it safe, I hold back from planting for two more weeks or
on tax day, April 15th. This date then tells me when to start
my seeds by counting backwards 6 to 8 weeks, which is Feb 15
to March 1st.
You will also need to know the Growing Zone or Hardiness Zone
for your zipcode which can be found here, or with
a more exact map here.
There are many ways to start tomato seeds but we'll show you
this one since it's easy and the germination rate is 96 percent.
The simplest way to start your seeds is with peat pellets and
greenhouse domes like the two pictured below. These are sold
about anywhere that seeds and vegetable gardening supplies are
sold.
 
In the first
image, the peat pellet as it comes compressed. The
one on the right has been hydrated with water and
expands on it's own. |
Four hydrated
peat pellets in their tray with tomato seeds visible
in the top two. I use the tip of my pocket knife to
pull back the soil 1/4 inch. One seed in each pellet
is enough. |
  
The peat pellets
in their tray. Trays come in many different sizes. |
The clear plastic
top acts like a greenhouse by keeping the seeds/pellets
warmer than room temperature. Condensation will also
build up on the inside. The "climate" inside
is "warm & muggy" even if you are starting
in Feb. |
In 7 to 10 days,
your tomato seeds will sprout. Germination rate with
peat pellets is pretty good, and it's only necessary
to plant one seed in each pellet. |
The greenhouse tray must then sit in your window
that get's the most light. If you you live in the Northern states
that don't get enough Sun during the first 8 weeks, you may
need to get a growlight. However, if you are just a beginner,
you may not want to invest that much money at first.
|
