How to grow tomatoes- Part 1

We were told that tomato seeds are the only ones, of the ones we purchased, that we cannot plant directly into the ground of our garden as they are too fragile. Instead, we need to germinate them indoors (yea I said germinate, check ME out) until they become sturdy little sprouts, and only then can we transplant them to the outdoors. So, these were our steps for growing tomatoes:

1. Start with a series of small containers that can be functioned into a seed starter tray. You don't have to buy anything fancy (we ended up buying a proper seed starter tray but only because we happened to be at Home Depot and there was one staring us in the face). Dixie cups or egg cartons work just as well. Just make sure they are somewhat porous to allow for drainage, or you can poke a few small holes at the bottom.
2. Fill each container about 3/4 of the way full with seed starer soil.
3. Create 1/4" deep little indents into the soil.
4. Drop 1-3 seeds into the indent and GENTLY cover with soil. (I had trouble with the "gently cover" part which is why I'm emphasizing it here).
5. If you're growing more than one type of tomato (we are- Heirloom and Cherry) this is a good time to notate somewhere which container is growing what.
6. Water! The soil should stay moist, but not sopping. We had to water twice a day in order to keep the soil moist. A spray bottle of water is the best tool for this so you don't accidentally dump a ton of water on your delicate little seeds.
7. Keep the containers somewhere warm, about 75 F (above the refrigerator is actually a great spot).
8. It should take a week or so for them to sprout. Once you see little sprouts, move them to a place where they can get LOTS of sunlight. And don't forget to water!!