planting out tomatoes

[weekendwellies]

My tomatoes are getting way too big for the window ledge now.
Do you think they will be ok planted out now on the allotment?
It has walls from the backs of houses all around the site so its almost a walled garden really, if you have a really good imagination and it faces south.

[tamsin]

Umm, I would maybe pot them up and leave them out in the day and bring them in at night. It's a lovely day today but doesn't mean it we won't still have a few chilly spells and it's a bit difficult bringing them in once they are in the ground.

[Liza]

I would make sure you harden them off first, mine have been in raised beds in my walled back garden for a week now and are doing fine but lowest temps are around 8.

My runners, french beans and sweetcorn are in my blowaway.

[Flummery]

I'd still say it's too soon. Lots of people, perhaps spurred on by early sowing threads, now have moster plants on their hands that they can't yet put out. I always (sounding like a miserable old bat) say only do it if you can cope with them UNTIL THE LAST FROST DATE in your area. Mine is mid May - I suspect yours is the same. Mine are still doing the daily trip to and from the greenhouse. They have maximum light in the day so they are not growing leggy, and they have some warmth at night in the house. Up till last night, even in an unheated greenhouse we were at or near freezing (colder than that outside, down to -3 mid-week.)

[OllieMartin]

I have 6 tomatoes outside in growbags, they've been uncovered for the last 10 days and are looking fine and healthy.
If the varieties make any difference they are:
Red Cherry
Gardener's Delight
Sweet Million

[Flummery]

You've been lucky. A few miles from you we've had hard frost on the garden plants last week.

[OllieMartin]

Yes, I probably have been.
I just took a gamble that there wouldn't be any hard frosts as the weather's been so nice here lately.
Hardly seems worth covering them over again now. They sweat so much if I do and the nasturtiums they're planted with get burnt leaves as they touch the polythene.

[Liza]

Last frost here was end of March and the last rainfall over two weeks ago ! Just had a 20 min shower but not enough !

Night time temps 8 to 10 for next week.

I must admit, for the previous two years had my runners out end of march but a bit late this year with the cold weather.

I think you know " your area" after a few years and use your instinct, but mother nature can catch you off guard sometimes ! Only plant out what you can afford to loose .