What kind of soil do i buy, like a bag of Miracle Grow from Wal-Mart? As others have stated, don't use Miracle Grow or any other mix that has fertilizer in it. Newly sprouted seedlings don't need extra food, and fertilizers will only encourage funguses to grow and they can kill your seedlings. Get something labeled "soilless seed starting mix" or something like that, and don't feed your seedlings until they've been up for some time and/or have started putting on their first true leaves. Also how often do i water the seeds? Keep them moist until they sprout. Then, let just the surface of the soil dry out to avoid funguses, but don't let them completely dry out (as in all the soil dry). Do i keep them inside or outside? You can start a lot of seeds outside. It's called winter sowing and there's an entire forum here on the Gardenweb dedicated to that method. But they'll sprout later than ones you keep inside. I have a sunroom that is not heated, would that be suitable? In cold or warm room? Your sunroom will probably work if it gets bright, all-day light. I don't know the minimum amount of hours of light seedlings need ~ anybody else know? More light the better though. If they get tall and skinny/lanky, you'll know they need more light. And if they're in a cold room, they'll grow slower, so start them eight or more weeks ahead of your last frost date to compensate. Just make sure the room doesn't get below freezing temps, and preferably not below 45 degrees or so ~ they won't necessarily die if they're that cold (-45), but they don't much like it. Also do seeds go bad? i would like to use them for a couple yrs. Tomato seeds can last four or five years without much lowering of viability provided you keep them in a cool, dry place without many fluctuations in temp and humidity. If you put them in a jar and in the fridge or freezer, they'll keep even better and longer. Just be sure to let the jar reach room temp before opening it so any moisture in the room air won't condense on the seeds. Moisture fluctuation one of the main killers of seeds ~ that and temp fluctuations. Good luck! If at first you don't succeed, figure out why and definitely try again.

Check out the FAQ here for beginners. Here is a link that might be useful: Growing from Seed FAQ's and How-To's

Well, I am quite thrilled to read these great responses! I live in Zone 7, but our Winter is still long. The zones just refer to the extremes in temperature, not how long it lasts. I have noticed volunteer tomatoes come out earlier than I would choose to plant out. So, I can watch for that as a sign. I do not have any trouble with legginess of my tomato seedlings. I have a picture window that faces full-South, and shelves there (for seedling starting in Winter) outfitted with shop-lights. I read somewhere that it is important to use fresh bulbs (fluorescent tubes) as the light diminishes over time. I do not get new ones every year, but if one seems to put out less (judging by the plants), I use that on my alpine strawberry seedlings or something else that doesn't mind. I want to start even earlier because I'd like to keep tomato strains true when I grow them out. I plan to grow out severl this year, and if one flowers first for a week, then they are in the clear, and I can mark those fruits, and then not really worry about the rest. I guess what I mean is that an early & staggered start will allow me to focus on each plant as it comes into bloom, selecting from that, and moving on to the next one. I do have some limitations (medically), so it would be easier to focus on them staggered rather then so many at one time. It may not work out the way I hope, but I figure it is a good experiment for this year. By choosing good varieties for this (my un-familiarity with varieties hurts my experiment here) I can better insure success. The funny thing is that I don't really eat tomatoes--except in spaghetti sauce. BUT, everyone else loves them, and I find there is a group involved with tomatoes that have a zeal for the plant like no other vegetable/fruit. A great deal of home-breeding is going on, and I find it the most fascinating thing. Tomatoes provide a great opportunity to study genetics at home, and to look very intensely at varietal development in plants. I guess I am hooked for a reason not common to most, but I am hooked. So, I will try my experiment this year, and see how it works for me. I am thankful at the varieties/categories I see mentioned. When mentioning "use determinate or dwarf" plants, how can I find out which is which? I have consulted some websites, but is there a thorough tomato base out there? Keep the posts coming! Happy Holidays, Robin

Thank you! We just had major rainstorms this afternoon so may wait until Saturday to start. I assume on weeks where major rain as occurred, you can simply water enough to apply the right amount of fertilizer and water more deeply when water is actually needed? I think I saw on another post, some recommended a couple of liters of fertilizer "water" per 20 gallon container and closer to 1 liter for 7-10 gallon. Does that sound about right? In the past, I have been much more laid back about fertilizer regimen, but want to pay better attention this year, and hopefully get better yields. Thanks again for the info! Valerie