The seeds will need a sunny window with at least 4 hours of direct sun each day, but preferably more. Don’t keep the soil soggy, however – the seeds may rot. Sprinkle water on the seeds whenever the top of the soil mix appears dry.Good seed-to-soil contact is important for germination.

Cover them with a ¼-inch layer of soil mix and the compress the soil with your fingers.

Pinch off the smaller, weaker of the two if they both sprout).

Fill the pots with potting mix to within a 1/2-inch of the top and place a pair of seeds on top of the soil in each one near the center of the pot (having two is good insurance in case one doesn’t sprout.

As for the container, cell packs (the tiny plastic pots grouped together in packs often used for flower and veggie seedlings) are OK for starting tomato seeds, but a better idea is to use a small pot at least 3 or 4 inches tall and wide so the seedlings can grow to a healthy size without their roots being constricted. ‘Soilless’ potting mix (available at any garden center) is the medium of choice for sowing tomato seeds, though you can opt for the more expensive ‘seeding mix’ if you want. And because they take three months or so to produce ripe fruit, most gardeners want to get the process started early. Tomatoes originate deep in the tropics temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit are their death knell. Tomato seeds are typically started “six to eight weeks before the average date of last frost,” as the seed packets so ubiquitously state. In temperate climates, it may be midsummer before the soil gets that warm, and by then it’s too late for tomatoes to grow and mature before the end of the growing season. Starting seeds indoors is optional with many vegetables, but tomato seeds need a constant soil temperature of at least 60 degrees, and preferably 80 degrees, to germinate. Tomato seeds are almost always started indoors – whether in a greenhouse or a sunny window ledge – and then transplanted to beds once they have at least a few leaves and an established root system. As with all things agrarian, timing, genetics and environment have to be in alignment to reap the rewards of your efforts. Growing tomatoes from seed isn’t hard, but there are a few things to be aware of. Growing from seed gives you the chance to experiment with some of these more unusual varieties.

Names like ‘Aunt Ruby’s German Green Tomato’ and ‘Missouri Pink Love Apple Tomato’ have been ascribed to varieties whose flavor and appearance are as eclectic and unexpected as their names imply. If you peruse a seed catalog, especially one geared toward heirloom vegetables, you’ll quickly realize that the selection of tomato transplants in nurseries pales in comparison to the variety of seed that are available.

Tomato seedlings