>>1804724>Like, physically black or well shaded?a dark material, or anything thick enough to block light from coming through so the roots will grow (better?, I think it makes a difference)...ie. a clear glass or plastic cup would be less ideal
in the middle right of my pic, you can see a disposable black 4 cell plastic tray piece sitting in a pot (no holes) with water....that's one thing I used, and it worked pretty well....keeps the roots from getting intertwined and helps them stay upright
>I had a ton come up from last year's dropped/rotten tomatoes, tooI had a number of volunteer plants last year I believe, though I don't think I've seen any yet this year
>pic related is probably about when you want to plant them, although really you could do it anytime after the roots start to grow 