Hi, I think they will be fine to sow later or you can plant them in pot and place them in your garage when cold weather comes. I have Grandpa Ott's that have self-sown and one is flowering now! Of course we haven't had very cold weather here. I also noticed that Emma's gift is popping up on the lawn.

I think you are okay with starting your tomatoes when you did. Just don't over-fertilize to get rapid growth; keep them in appropriately sized containers (you may have to transplant them twice, once into larger cells and then into quart pots); and if you simply MUST put some of them out before April, you can protect them from frost with a cover (I use big black plastic pots). Check with your county extension agent to see when the usual last frost date is for your area. For us here in Central Texas, it's March 15. You're going to have a magnificent tomato harvest!

If you knicked them I would think (but don't know for sure) that you should probably start them now. Besides drying out the embryo is susecptible with an open seed coat. Maybe it's possible to store them in a sealed baggie of soil or moist sand in the fridge? I have no idea what zone you are in but they can go out when it warms up. The seeds germinate super fast, sometimes it only takes a day. You can keep the seedlings in pots inside with good lighting. If they get too long you could always pinch them back until it's time for them to go out.

Sometimes it takes time to find the missing piece of information and when you find it, it means you must change your plans. I read whatever came into hand through the WWW, and initially understood the seeds are harvested in the fall, and are sown in the spring. My idea is to order the seeds earlier, as they come from another country, and give time for any sign of pests and diseases to be visible through the nylon bag before opening the envelope (sort-of quarantining the seeds. I also order the seeds from commercial growers, not private collectors, as the former have better phytosanitation facilities. Wild-collected seeds are excluded as well) And suddenly, the missing piece of information just came within reach right after receiving the seeds: The seeds have to be sown immediately after harvest. As I searched for more information, and find out that: "seeds which have a very short limited shelf-life need humidity and proper aeration during storage". So, I took them out of the nylon bags, put them over moist towels embedded with hydrogen peroxide, and put them in the fridge - NOT THE FREEZER! This is said to extend the shelf life. I periodically open the lids to aerate the seeds and return them to the fridge. Now it's beginning of February. Sowing season in my country is around end of April, beginning of May. And, I have no climate control - including heating. Current temperatures may drop down to 11C (51.8F) at night and just over 20C (68F) during the day. The seeds seem viable for the time being: They have swelled and show no signs of rot. So, can I afford to wait till March/April (seeds purchased in January), or shall I rush to the nearby store and get my heating kit?