How to Repot Tomatoes

Homegrown tomatoes started from seed indoors produce fruit earlier in the season than those seeded directly in the garden bed. By planting the seeds inside you can get a head start on the growing season by starting the plants in spring instead of summer. The seeds are usually sprouted in trays to begin with, but they need individual pots once they become larger so the plants don't compete with each other for water and nutrients. Tomatoes also require repotting into a larger container if you plan to grow them in a container garden.

Pots
Potting soil

Instructions

- 1
  Fill a 3- to 4-inch pot with potting soil, after the tomato seedlings have produced their second set of leaves. Prepare a separate pot for each seedling you are repotting.
- 2
  Lift the seedling from the seed flat by the topmost leaves. Plant the seedling in the new pot so it sits 1 inch deeper than it was growing at in its previous location.
- 3
  Water the newly repotted seedling with warm tap water until the soil is evenly moistened but not soggy and wet.
- 4
  Repot the seedlings a second time into 6-inch diameter pots once the seedlings are about 8 inches tall. Plant the seedlings 2 inches deeper than they were at previously. Tomatoes produce roots along the buried stems, so planting deeper encourages the plant to produce a larger and more healthy root system.

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