Kitchen Garden Forum

what is the best time plant tomatos?

either growing from seed or from a ready grown plant??

thanks

In a heated greenhouse, a cold greenhouse or outside?

outside, but i can grow the seeds to seedling indoors.

Find out the last date for a frost in your area, typically the end of May, and plant after then.You will have to get the plants hardened off before you plant out, it might be necesssary even then to put some protection round them at night for a week or so, certsainly from the wind.

I have sown 6 tomatoe seeds in a propagator in a cold greenhouse. They have germinated and are now about an inch tall. i realise that I am early with the sowing, but i would like tp harvest some toms as early as possible without having any heat in the greenhouse. Has anyone any advice on growing the plants on as i have the feeling that if left in the propagator they will grow long and leggy, and if taken out and put on a shelf in the greenhouse will be in danger of loosing themm due to the cold temperatures especially at night. advice please welcome
Brenjon

Hello Dispic
I agree with Allan about planting out after the 'last frost date' for your area. To get your plants ready in time you'll need to sow seeds about six weeks before this. The important thing to remember is that toms absolutely don't like any sort of set back in their early stages such a spell of low temps. So even when you've eventually planted out, be on the look out for an unexpected cold snap and have some protection ready.


John

They must have a minimum temperature of 10 C./50 F.
If you cannot give this then wait until temperatures rise.

I usually start the first of my seeds off in a heated propagator in Feb. Transplanting them into my heated 'inner sanctum' of one of the tunnel tents. Then I proceed as you would expect with a series of sowings and plantings into an unheated tunnel and outdoors, with the hope of picking the last of the crops in December.

I don't have a greenhouse but usually plant my tomato seedlings outside mid May and cover them with 5 litre plastic mineral water bottles with the bottoms sawn off Even when I've been caught out by occasional late lights frosts this method has always protected them sufficiently to keep them going, and I wonder whether covering them up in this way, even in an unheated greenhouse will give them an extra layer of protection to proide a slightly earlier crop.