See Elimination of the adverse effects of urea fertilizer on seed germination, seedling growth, and early plant growth in soil. As far as I know, the only complete fertilizers without urea are those formulated for hydroponic use. Personally, I find that 1 gram/gallon of urea is beneficial to seedlings when added to 5 grams/gallon hydroponic fertilizer.

We never fertilize seedling until we repot them from the 12oz starting cups to the 2 quart pots when they are then 8 to 12" high. I use 1/2 strength miracle grow at that time, one time. I do fertilize with manure and 10-10-10 in the hole when planting to the garden and then give each plant a watering of 1/2 quart or more or full strength miracle grow depending on how wet the soil is. The plants are 18 to 24" high at that time. Potting soil has enough nutrients to sustain plants for six months. Fertilizing seeding can damage or kill them and is totally unnecessary.

This post has some info on our tomatoes.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tomato/msg1116545016871.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Mom's Garden Pics

There's a guide I found on "that other forum" written by Carolyn about starting tomato seedlings. Pertinent parts here:

"Now, have I said anything about fertilizing? NO NO NO. Do NOT fertilize. You
risk burning the delicate rootlets and the seedlings don't need it anyway.
They have the endosperm rich contents of the seed to grow on. Water your
seedlings as they need it, but sparingly, and when the second set of leaves
emerge it's time to transplant. The seedlings will usually be about two
inches high at this point.Experienced folks transplant at even a younger
plant age.And if you feel you MUST fertilize please use a very dilute
preparation."

Mom's helper,

Thanks for the input. What seed starting/potting mix do you use for your seedlings?

This is the tricky question, because some people claim fertilizing isn't necessary, but one finds out later these people are using Miracle Grow potting soil or some other mix with plant food already in it.

I'm starting mine in straight "organic" jiffy mix with nothing in it, and I'm curious if I need to fertilize or not.

If you use Pro-Mix it says right on the package that you must fertilize after the true leaves appear as it contains no fertilizer, and I think that is true because if you don't the leaves start turning a sickly pale yellow.
However as almost everyone has said, use a very dilute fertilizer so you don't burn your plants.

Tony

I have used Walmart brand (Expert Gardener) and miracle grow potting soil. I like miracle grow better because it is a finer mix. Either one will work fine. I bought miracle grow for this year..$10.48 for a two CU/ft bag. No fertilizer and do not over water as you have found in your above post but plants do like warmth and lots of light. The area where I raise our seedlings is usually 80*. Just keep your soil lightly moist and you should have good results.

tony-:

I would go with Carolyns advice any way any how.
As you may well know she has more experience with the tomato than any of us here could claim.

In your case I would not fertilize until you pot up and if so, as she suggests VERY sparingly.

I use nothing until germination and when they are strong-- still in the vermiculite, perlite, spag. moss mix---- I will use this solution when the mix becomes completly dry.

1 DROP of Superthrive
2 drops of Mushroom Stuff
2 drops of seaweed extract
In 1/2 gallon of water applied with baster

Basically these are all root stimulants. I do this as they may be in the medium for weeks until pot up when they get into their MG moisture control mix that has lots of the food the plants will need until going into the soil.

I concentrate a lot on the below suface level action.

Root stimulation and tap "damage" (during pot up process) Cold treatment after pot up, above mentioned feeding after germination, correct watering after set out, etc. etc. along with watching out for other knowledge to be gained.

Have fun and hope you have a good season.

After I transplant my seedlings into 3" nursery cell flats and they start growing, I dissolve one tablespoon of Tomato Tone fertilizer in a gallon of water. It does not have much nitrogen in it and part of that is not water soluble so they are not getting hardly any N, but do get the P & K. I use that every other week, the other weeks just plain rain water. I've always had very good plant-s with large rootballs but not long internode lengths.

Mike

I germinate and pot up using Sunshine seed starting mix. One year I used a weak fish elmusion solution to fertilize the potted up plants, but haven't bothered since. Once they're in the garden they're side-dressed with Tomato Tone at first flower set. After that it's water and sunshine ... nothing else.

No way you'll get a science paper or research from me but I'll share what I find works great after 20 years of growing tomatoes. First, my seed starter is soiless without any ferts and that's important as to whether or not you should fertilize and when. When I see the first set of real leaves shape, not the seed leaves, then I shoot a little liquid kelp/fish emulsion on them. Every few waterings I will repeat this until they go outside in the garden. My garden is full of compost and I seldom fertilize and if and when I do it's organic.

About

125ppm N
50 ppm P
70 ppm K

Don't feed them like a mature plant and don't starve them either.

I sprout all my seeds in miracle grow soil. I don't have to worry about anything. Easy.

I like easy.

If you examine the ingredients list on a bag of Miracle Gro potting soil, I believe that you will find that it contains "locally" obtained ingredients. That implies that the quality will vary with manufacturing location. I have had bad results using Miracle Gro potting soil bought in the Chicago area.

Last year, I used a home made mixture of 2/3 peat moss and 1/3 perlite (by volume) without lime and it worked fine, but, note that my fertilizer solution contained calcium. I buy peatmoss on sale at Menards for about $5 per 2.2 cubic feet. Perlite is $10.23 per 4 cubic feet at http://www.bfgsupply.com/UserFiles/2008Catalog/5_Soil.pdf. That is cheaper than any premix you can buy.

I start all my tomatoes in 2-cup size deli containers in a sifted peat-vermiculite-worm cast mix. The worm castings improve germination rate. After a week or so when the 2nd set of leave form I transplant them into 4-cell packs. Each plant gets about tsp of straight worm castings. The growth is phenomenal with the worm casts. As a science experiment for school, my wife and I tested germination of bean seeds with and without worm casts. Have a look:

I use Miracle Grow mixed at 1/4 strength and give it to them when the first true leaves emerge. I do that about every two weeks. I do this because I use peat moss as a seed starting medium.

Not that I agree, but somebody in this forum named Carolyn claimed that potassium nitrate speeds germination of tomato seeds and thusly recommended soaking the seeds in the "blue stuff."

cough, cough...aaaahhhhumm. ;)

Thanks for the input everyone.

Dave I'm glad you clarified definitions. I'm not sure when a seedling graduates to a plant. I'm growing some plants for market as well so it was helpful to hear what you do for your plants.

Timmy, Those numbers might be helpful but I'm not sure how to use them. What's the timespan...per day, per week?

I always just pot them up into miracle gro potting mix. The slow release fertilizer seems to work well on them and they grow fast and well. Once in the garden I don't feed them, unless it's some organic amendment like compost.

Carolyn was speaking of waking up old seeds. I did not get the idea she recommends the blue stuff for all seeds.

Using a 20% N water soluble dry fertilizer. 100ppm N is 6.8oz mixed per 100 gallons water.

Or .68 oz in 10 gallons.

Or .07 oz in 1 gallon.