You are trying to direct seed them in the garden?

Sorry but no, that won't work for tomatoes. All the variables that they require are just too difficult to control out in the garden.

Store bought seedlings can be transplanted directly to the garden of course but many of us grow our own seedlings from seed inside.

There is a detailed FAQ over on the Growing Tomatoes forum on step-by-step how to do it. I have linked it below. And you will find many discussions about growing tomatoes from seed over on the Tomatoes forum (linked at the top of this forum page) and on the Growing from Seed forum too.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: How to grow tomatoes from seed FAQ

THE NEW SEED-STARTERS
Handbook

http://www.green-seeds.com/pdf/seed_starters.pdf

great stuff..free-on line

CrAzY LaRrY

I started some Beefsteak tomatoes about mid February. The biggest one has a leaf span of 11 inches and a height of about 7 inches. I started a bunch of them at the same time but transplanted at different times. The average width is about 8 inches and the average height is about 5 to 6 inches. My question is am I going to have problem with transplant shock because the plants will be big by the time I can plant them outside and is there anything special I can do while they're inside to make them do well when I can finally plant them?

Goatster

It's no doubt too cold to start tomatoes outside in Zone 7b. Dave is right. You should think about starting your plants inside and setting the plants out when it's warmer. At this late date, I'd think about buying some tomato plants to set out by mid or late April! I HAVE started determinate tomatoes in a container outside in early July to have tomatoes in the fall, but they were short-season.

GG

No, there's nothing you can do while they're inside to prepare them, but check "hardening off" in the FAQs for how to prepare your plants to set outside. They can and probably would die if you don't. It takes about a week of gradual exposure to outside conditions. Think of it as going out in the sun for gradually-increasing periods of time to develop a "tan-tolerance" to guard against sunburn. Tomatoes must also be hardened off against wind and temperature damage, too, same principle.

Tomatoes can be started from direct seeding, I do it every season, but the soil does have to be warm. I am in So Cal Zone 9 so I can usually start my direct seeding by mid to late march. However it does take some time for the seeds to germinate. Another option for you would be to start your seeds indoors, you can pick up those little seed pod trays at lowes, homedepot or your local hardware/Nursery and start them in a window or under lights. Keep in mind if you start them under light make sure the lights are placed as close to the seed pods as possible, otherwise you will get very stringy plants.

Well, yea it's alot cheaper to grow from seed unless you kill then time after time!
I've tried starting from seed a couple of years in a greenhouse, or under glass, only to "forget" about them because it's still "winter" or raining or whatever!
I now stick to our "last frost day (April 15, tax day)"
Check the temps for the next couple of weeks, get a frost "kit" ready and head for the organic nursery! I've had so much more luck with that!
I still do some things from seed, but most from starts.
I figure I'm actually saving more by saving all those plants I would have killed! LOL
We will be replacing the old flimsy GH with a "sunroom" on our deck this year! Much more appealing to go into to do starts in the middle of winter!

I buy plants to get an early start but I like starting some from seed too. It's fun...the sprout freely and I really think I get a better and sturdier plant doing my own from seed...I just get a pot and toss some seed in and cover with a bit more dirt....when they sprout...I thin them if needed and then when they are sprouting the second or third set of leaves I lift each little plant out and plant it into a little pot...and it stays there till it can grow in the garden..I love starting things from seeds...and some things grow so fast that it just seems silly to me to go buy say a squash plant or cuke plant when the seeds sprout in two or three days and you get a nice sturdy plant instead of those greenhouse things.