How To Grow Micro Tomatoes From Seeds Through The Winter Months

Living in an area with four seasons gives you the gifts of the first spring flowers, summer abundance, brilliant fall foliage, and snowy winter landscapes. But for those of us in chilly zones, the short growing season often has us hankering to bite into home-grown produce in January. Don't wait! There are plenty of fruits and veggies you can grow in a house or apartment, and micro tomatoes are one of them. Reaching heights of no more than 2 feet, a few micro tomato plants on window sills or under lights won't take up lots of real estate. Starting these dainty plants indoors is also a savvy way to grow delicious tomatoes without a yard.

Since your teeny tomatoes will stay indoors, there are no dates to adhere to when starting your micro tomatoes from seed. And without the threat of inconsistent weather or animal pests stopping by, your chances of a decent crop are higher. From your favorite source, pick up some seed varieties, like 'Terenzo', 'Tiny Tim', 'Lizzano', or 'Micro Tom.' You can explore other available varieties by searching online for micro dwarf tomato seeds.

To give your tomatoes sufficient light, you'll need a south- or west-facing window that's draft free and sufficiently insulated to keep the plants warmer than 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If your windows don't let in enough light, you can get your seedlings going under grow lights or even some conventional bulbs. Standard cool-white fluorescent lights are a good option; if you're using these bulbs, make sure they're at least 100 watts.

You can start micro tomato seeds in sterile soil, right in the pot where your plant will grow. For the smallest varieties, a 1-gallon pot will offer enough room, while bigger plants will do better pots up to 3 gallons. You may want to err on the side of caution and plant in large pots — it's safer for your plant to be in a container that's too big than in one that's too small. Press seeds a 1/4-inch into the soil and water them lightly. Cover the tops of the pots with plastic wrap or a clear plastic lid. You can speed up germination with this tomato seed starting hack using wet newspaper.

Once your seeds have sprouted, it's time for the light to shine on them. Most seedlings grow better under artificial lighting than with light from a window alone — especially on the darker winter days. There's no need to shell out a small fortune for a grow light system. Nearly any will do; an adjustable desk lamp or shop lights hung from chains are easy, inexpensive solutions. Keep the bulbs 3 to 6 inches from the plants and thin your sprouts once they're 3 to 4 inches tall, leaving only the largest seedlings.

It's good to slightly overwater your tomatoes. Give the seedlings a weekly feeding of a 1/4-cup of half-strength all-purpose fertilizer. When your tomatoes set fruit, it's wise to stake them in their pots to keep the plants vertical. About three weeks after flowering, you should be ready to enjoy your winter tomato harvest.