Starting Tomatoes from Seed on the Windowsill

Nothing beats the feeling of sowing the first seeds of the year while there is still frost on the lawn. For me, that means tomatoes on the kitchen windowsill.

This year's varieties

• 'Gardener's Delight': the reliable cherry tomato
• 'Black Krim': dark, smoky, ugly and delicious
• 'San Marzano': for sauces and passata

Method

1. Fill a small tray with seed compost and water from below.
2. Sow seeds 2 cm apart and cover with a thin layer of vermiculite.
3. Keep warm, around 20 °C. The top of the fridge works.
4. Move to the brightest windowsill as soon as the seedlings appear, and turn the tray daily.
5. Prick out into individual pots once the first true leaves appear.

Leggy seedlings mean not enough light. A cheap LED shop light has made a huge difference for me.