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Heated debate: seed starting indoors vs direct sow for tomatoes in zone 6b

I used to start all my tomatoes indoors under lights for 8 weeks, but last year I direct sowed half and got bigger plants by July. Which way do you guys think actually gives better results for cooler climates?
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the_simon
the_simon15d ago
Caught right up by July"... that reminds me of my buddy Tom in zone 5b. He direct sowed his San Marzanos one year and ended up with plants so bushy he had to cage them twice. Meanwhile his indoor starts were spindly and took forever to harden off. I think people overthink the cold soil thing for tomatoes. As long as you wait till the soil hits 60 degrees and use a little black plastic to warm it, they sprint once they get going.
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olivia478
olivia47816d ago
Direct sowed mine in zone 5 and they caught right up by July too.
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