11emily
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Question About Indoor Winter Tomatoes

I'm interested in growing some tomato plants indoors this winter, but I'm new to all of this and don't really know where to start. I've been reading up on grow lights, types of tomato palnts, etc. Does it matter when I start growing? Which will turn out better: starting from seed, or buying a plant? Is the grow light necessary, or will window light suffice? The only patio variety I can find is determinate- are indeterminate patio plants an option? What is the best kind/size of tomato to start with?

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nes
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Location: Rural Ottawa, ON

This is something I'm trying to sort out myself but window light is not sufficient because you're not going to get enough hours of daylight, you'll have to supplement with artificial light.

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rainbowgardener
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Tomatoes are difficult to grow indoors unless you have a pretty professional set up. They need full sun. That means a window doesn't come close to getting it, but even with grow light you would need a bunch, like two or three fluorescents that are on at least 16 hrs a day, if not more.

Then they get huge. A five gallon bucket holds one tomato plant and it gets six feet tall. Or growing it indoors with no easy way to stake it, you could just let it sprawl, but still it takes up the same amount of room, just horizontally instead of vertically.

If you are going to try it, determinate patio varieties would be better re not getting so huge.

Here's a nice little article about growing tomatoes indoors, so it can be done:
https://www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organic-and-hydroponics-gardening.com/how-to-grow-tomatoes.html



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