Monty Don shares gardening hack to help tomatoes germinate from seeds

Gardeners' World: Monty Don shares tips for planting seeds

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Gardening expert Monty Don is known for his appearances on BBC’s Gardeners’ World. He often shares tips and tricks to help amateur and more seasoned gardeners shape their outdoor space. In a video last year for BritBox, Monty Don shared an expert tip for growing tomato plants from seeds.

As spring fast approaches and more Britons spend time at home, many are now going outside to try their hand at gardening.

Tomato seeds need to be sown in March or April or around two months before the final winter frost.

Those with greenhouses can even sow tomato seeds earlier if they’re feeling confident.

For those looking to grow their tomatoes from scratch, Monty has shared a unique tip that some gardeners may not be aware of.

He began by explaining what type of container he prefers to use when growing tomatoes from scratch.

He said: “Now start with a container of some kind.

“I like to use seed trays. Put some compost into it. This is peat free.

“Now, I’ve chosen a variety called gardeners’ delight so the best thing to do is to put the seeds into your hand rather than trying to sprinkle them direct because you want to space these out as well as you can.”

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Monty then explained that if you press down on the surface of the compost, it helps push the seeds into the soil.

He said: “I find if you just gently press down like that on the surface, it pushes the seeds into the compost, and you get really good contact and that definitely helps germination.

“Then, lightly sprinkle a little bit of compost over the top.”

Next, he revealed how to water the plants so they get the best amount.

Rather than pouring water onto the seeds, Monty suggests placing the tray or pot into a bath of water.

He said: “Just put them either in a sink or a tray of some kind with an inch or two of water and just sit them in like that and leave it for about 10 or 15 minutes and it’ll act like a sponge and absorb the moisture.

“When it’s fully soaked put it somewhere warm.

“You should see the seedlings emerge in something between seven and ten days.”

For those who can’t get hold of store-bought tomato seeds, you can always plant seeds from fresh tomatoes.

Just remove the seeds from a rips tomato and soak them for around 14 hours in water.

You should then dry them with a paper towel and plant them within seven days.

Monty Don’s American Gardens can be streamed on BBC iPlayer.

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