Heading into the Fall season isn’t really known as the best time for planting and growing tomatoes. But with a little ingenuity and some large windows that let in good sunlight, you can have your tomatoes year-round. In fact, growing tomato plants inside your home can actually turn out pretty well. And if you love tomatoes as much as we do, it’s kind of a no-brainer.

And now that we’ve established that it’s possible, the next question is: how can you grow tomatoes indoors?

What You Need

To start growing tomatoes in your home, you need to start by stocking up on the gardening supplies you’ll need. Let’s start with seeds. There are about 47 varieties of tomatoes, and in order to grow indoors, you’ll need to choose a tomato that’s small. The rule of thumb is that if you have to slice it to eat it, it’s not ideal for an indoor garden.

This limits you to around 13 varieties that will grow well inside:

  • Micro Tom
  • Patio
  • Red Robin
  • Small Fry
  • Orange Pixie Tomato
  • Totem
  • Tiny Tim
  • Siberia
  • Pink Ping Pong
  • Silvery Fir Tree
  • Yellow Pear
  • Tommy Toe
  • Baxter’s Early Bush

Now that you’ve chosen a variety, it’s time to get planting. Use starting soil initially in a small pot to germinate the seeds. This process should take around a week, but can be as short as 5 days or up to 10 days. To help that process, place the pots in warm places. An ideal situation is a warming mat, but the top of a radiator or another appliance that gives off heat can also work well. Just make sure that once the plants germinate, you move them to a different location.

With small tomatoes, you can go through them relatively quickly – easily half a plant’s worth in one meal. To help minimize the damage, and keep plenty of tomatoes throughout the Fall and winter season, plant multiple seeds two weeks apart to keep a steady stream flowing.

Back to the germination process, though. Once the plants produce a seedling, move the pot to a place where there is at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. Keep an eye on its growth, and when it reaches around three inches, you’ll need to re-pot the plant in a larger planter. And two weeks after moving it to a larger pot, you’ll want to begin fertilizing the plant.

You may need to add a trellis a few weeks in, if the plant starts to grow tall quickly. Keep it in sunlight for 6 hours a day, and water regularly. If the plants seem like they’re not getting enough sunlight, you may need to look at additional artificial light sources to create a perfect environment for growing your tomatoes indoors.

Do you grow any fruits or vegetables inside your home? What are your gardening tips for having a great crop? Share your tips in the comments!

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