How Many Tomato Seeds Per Hole? (Explained)

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Tomatoes are something we are all familiar with, as they are one of the most popular plants grown around the world. There are a lot of health benefits and tasty flavors that these tomatoes have to offer, although they can be planted without much stress and require minimal effort by farmers before they are harvested.

Tomatoes are very useful to mankind, and many people would want to go into farming for these, but do you know how many tomato seeds per hole? Knowing how many seeds of tomato to plant per hole or the distance between each hole will help you grow a successful tomato farm.

We recommend you plant 2-3 tomato seeds per hole for a successful tomato farm and watch your plant thrive well.

In this article, we will discuss how to determine how many seeds of tomatoes you should plant per how and the different factors to consider while growing tomato plants!

How Many Tomato Seeds Per Hole?

The standard number of tomatoes per hole is two; let me explain why. Normally when growing tomatoes, every one of these seeds has a 25% chance of failing, so with two seeds in the hole, the chances of both failing at the same time drops to about 6.25% and gives you a higher possibility of seed growth.

So, planting three seeds per hole will also be beneficial because the chances of failing are further reduced to 1.56%; awesome. Although, if you are planting larger varieties of these tomatoes, you should avoid overcrowding and plant less; just two of these seeds would suffice.

Even if planting three seems more beneficial, the chances of overpopulation increase at that speed rate, so instead, two would balance both the germination rate and the population perfectly.

So, in summary, plant two seeds of tomatoes per hole in your farm, garden, or even flower pot, and if they both eventually survive, you pluck out the weaker sprout.

See Also: Can Tomato Plants Recover from Frost Damage?

Factors To Consider When Growing Tomato Seeds

1. Where To Grow My Tomato Seeds

First of all, you would need to plant your tomato seeds around areas where they would get full exposure to sunlight.

You should sow these seeds deep into the soil at about two feet, and if you live in an area where sunlight and warmth are not particularly intense, you have to pay more attention to this section of the problem.

You can plant these seeds against a wall or even a fence, but you shouldn’t plant them near a hedge as this would cause the soil to dry up.

So, if you live in cooler places like London, you would want to plant your tomato seeds in a greenhouse or under the cover of a polytunnel because these seeds wouldn’t germinate properly without proper sunlight.

If you do not want to plant directly into the soil, you can plant these seeds in a small plastic bag filled with sand and keep them by your window until they germinate. Once the shoots begin to reproduce more true leaves, you can now transfer your plants outdoors or to a bigger pot.

When planting these seeds in a flowerpot, you should ensure that they are about 45cm away from each other so that when they start growing eventually, there will be enough space for the plant to germinate fully.

Lastly and most importantly, the fertility of the soil matters a lot too. Before planting, you should ensure that you add enough manure and ensure that it is well-rooted to the soil.

2. When To Start Growing Tomatoes

The best time to start growing your tomato seeds is from late February to around early march, whether growing directly outdoors or in a flower pot. When sowing outside, you can still plant down to the need of march or early April. Any of these dates would work.

If you sow your tomato seeds inside, you should make sure that they’re lined up against the wall and facing south, and you can also use a heated propagator to maintain the warmth of the soil.

So, when you finally have planted your seeds, and they now begin to germinate a bit, you can have to start keeping them warm until the temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or even higher.

3. Good Varieties of Tomatoes Seeds

So now that you have either decided that you want to start growing tomatoes or prepare them to make use of them from hones, you need to know what variety is good for you and the bad ones.

Some perfect choices for indoor growing;

And on the other hand, here are tomatoes that are a bit bigger than the ones mentioned above; these tomato species include;

  • Beefsteak
  • Roma
  • San Marzano
  • Glolietta

Salad works well in many local and international dishes, whether you like it sliced, chopped, minced, or even round.

See Also: How to Keep Grass Out of Flower Beds

How To Plant And Grow Tomato Seeds

One of the first things to do is to get your supplies ready. Your supplies are what you need to be able to plant your tomato seeds effectively. If you learn how to do this, you will discover that planting tomato seeds is much easier than you think.

Needed Supplies 

  • Your tomato seeds
  • Covered trays
  • Good soil for planting
  • Water
  • Hand trowel
  • Grow lights
  • Heat mat( this is highly recommended)
  • Soil thermometer
  • Moisture meter

Step 1

The first and very step you need to do for you to get the soil prepared, use soil that is ideal for planting, soil that contains the required minerals that will support the effective growth and development of your Tomato Seeds. 

Step 2

The next important thing you need to do is to decide how many seeds you intend to plant, and you can refer back to the subheading at the beginning of this article to know how many tomato seeds per hole to plant; it is imperative.

Step 3

After you’ve got the first three steps correctly, the next thing to do is for you to plant the seeds. As you know, tomato seeds are small, so you need to plant them not too deep into the soil to ensure faster and more healthy growth.

Step 4

The 4th step is to cover the planted seed; you have to cover it sufficiently to avoid animals or pests feeding on it; then, you press down the soil so that the tomato seeds are in contact with the soil to ensure a good germination process. 

Step 5

The second to the last step is one of the most important, which is for you to water the soil effectively; water it until the soil is damp but not saturated; this way, you have set the pace for the effective growth and development of your plant.

Step 6

Cover the trays and keep them warm; it is better to use a plastic dome lid or large bag, as it will help sufficiently to hold moisture and preserve heat which is needed during the germination process. 

As we’ve stated earlier, you need to choose a warm location. An excellent location helps significantly to influence the proper growth of your tomato seeds. 

The best temperature range is 65° to 85°, and a soil thermometer is ideal for determining the temperature of the soil, which will help you know if it’s perfect for planting tomatoes.

How To Effectively Care For Tomato Seeds

Most farmers can easily plant tomato seedlings and make them germinate faster. Still, they usually encounter a lot of difficulties when it comes to caring for their tomato seedlings, and this has drastically reduced the output of the farmers. 

For you to care effectively for your tomato seeds, you must provide the right amount of the following

  • Light
  • Water
  • Fertilizer

1. Light 

Immediately the seedlings start growing, they require at least 14 to 16 hours of light every single day, most farmers cannot fulfill this condition, and this makes the tomato to be laggy. 

2. Water 

The second thing to consider is that you keep the soil moist at all times but don’t allow the soil to be saturated; you can checkmate the amount of water in the soil using a moisture Gauge. 

3. Fertilizer

You don’t have to start adding fertilizer immediately, which is the mistake most farmers make; you can begin adding fertilizer 3 to 4 weeks after planting; we recommend you use compost fertilizer.

Related Questions

How Long Does It Take for Seeds to Germinate

The last time you are likely to see your expected springs are from your area, and it takes about 6-8 weeks, so therefore, expect to see the amount that would germinate at that time.

Should I Soak My Tomato Seeds Before Planting Them?

Although it is not compulsory, soaking your seeds before planting them would make them germinate quicker and stronger. The water does the trick by softening the seed and, in turn, cutting the germination time down to just a few days.

Can I Put Multiple Seeds Per Hole?

You shouldn’t exceed three seeds when planting your tomatoes. If more than one germinates, you would be expected to snip off the extras from the soil because if they are left, they would disturb the soil and increase the chances of the death of both stalks due to the struggle for survival.

Planting more than three seeds per hole would waste your seeds and kill the ones that would germinate.

Can Seeds Grow Just on Top of Dirt?

Yes, you can throw your seeds on the soil without digging, and they will thrive perfectly. But in cases of grass seeds, the ones just thrown on top of the soil are more likely to grow poorer than those put inside the soil.

How Long Does It Take Tomatoes to Grow from Seeds?

Growing tomatoes take about six to eight weeks before they start germinating properly. So, if you start planting your seedlings too early, it can result in overgrown seedlings, and you wouldn’t want that, would you?

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