1. **Choose Your Seeds**: Select tomato varieties that suit your taste and growing conditions. Popular choices include cherry, beefsteak, and heirloom tomatoes.
2. **Gather Supplies**: You’ll need seed trays or pots, seed starting mix, labels, and a water source.
3. **Prepare the Soil**: Fill your seed trays or pots with a seed starting mix, leaving about half an inch from the top.
4. **Plant the Seeds**: Sow the seeds about 1/4 inch deep into the soil. Space them according to the seed packet instructions.
5. **Water Gently**: Moisten the soil with a fine spray or a watering can. Ensure the soil is damp but not soggy.
6. **Provide Warmth**: Place the trays in a warm location (around 70-80°F or 21-27°C) to encourage germination. A heat mat can help maintain the right temperature.
7. **Cover and Wait**: Cover the trays with plastic wrap or a humidity dome to retain moisture until the seeds sprout. Remove the cover once seedlings appear.
8. **Provide Light**: Once sprouted, move the seedlings to a bright location or under grow lights for 12-16 hours a day.
9. **Thin the Seedlings**: When seedlings have a couple of true leaves, thin them out by removing the weaker ones, leaving the strongest plants to grow.
10. **Transplant**: When seedlings are about 6-8 inches tall and the risk of frost has passed, transplant them outdoors or into larger pots.
