Thanks but it still seems like you are keeping tomato plant thru the winter, "overwintering," which I have never heard being done. At least in the Northern climate. Good if it works.
Yes, I’ve managed to keep tomato plants through the winter, most successfully the two plants this last winter. But that is a separate issue from the seedlings, except that I used the same light, which seemed to be ok for the overwintered plants, but appears to be not sufficient for the seedlings.
Ours is not a “Northern climate”, but we are zone 7 with 1st frost around Oct. 25, so obviously tomato plants do not survive the winter outside! The best I’ve ever done was one warm fall and with lots of covering @ night - some plants survived and produced outdoors until Thanksgiving. However, I’ve found that bringing a potted plant or two in before cool weather weakens them is best. They usually don’t produce anything in the winter, but, I have a “mature” plant or two ready to go “out” in mid May. Potted grape or cherry varieties seem to work best. Usually the plant has to be trimmed back of course, to move it in, and that’s also best done a little ahead of time. Not all plants “make it” — how much of that is a function of variety and how much is inadequate care / conditions I don’t know yet. This one plant this year looks good & has actually survived two winters. But I failed to write down the exact variety the 1st year & have forgotten what it was! (#2 this year is definitely a volunteer from last spring.) Some careful gardener I am — usually in too much of a dang rush — because I’ve been on here too much, probably? (Wry smile...)