Potting on - Again!

[Balconygardener]

Hi, everyone - sorry to bang on about this, but...

My tomatoes and courgettes are another week further on. Based on last week's (much appreciated) advice, the courgettes are staying in their current 3 inch pots until they have a few more leaves. This week, I'm worried about the toms!

I'm not sure what counts as a leaf - I know, it sounds daft, but when the plant puts our a little 'branch' that has several baby-leaves on it, does the branch count as a leaf, or is it the individual baby-leaves on it?

The main reason I am worrying is that the largest of my plants isn't standing up straight any more, it's listing over to one side, and I know when I re-pot them I need to plant them up to the lowest leaves, which wil support it. But I don't want to move them too soon in case I lose them.

To be honest, I never thought I would have got this far without them dying on me, and now that they look so healthy, I really don't want to mess it up. They are my babies! Pics attached for reference.

On the bright side, I can't believe how much they have grown in a week, they even smell like tomato plants now!

Thanks in advance.

[shirlthegirl43]

A good indication for when to pot tomatoes on is to look at the bottom of the pot - if there are roots growing out of the pot base, it is time to pot into the next size up (or two sizes if not a big difference in pot size)

[Two_Sheds]

What Shirley says ^

Your toms look like mine, some are a bit bendy due to the light coming from one side (the window). I do turn them twice a day (if I remember)

[Nykied]

I read somewhere that, if your plants are growing towards the light, give them a quarter turn each day.

[tamsin]

I'd pot the double ones up into the roughly same size pots but one in each. Also plant them a little deeper when you repot so you are burying some of the stem (toms will root from the stem) - that will help where they are a little long. Do you have aluminium foil behind them - that helps reflect the sun and stop them leaning. It might also help to stand them on something to lift them above the frame of the window so that's not shading them. They look like they are doing great though

[smallblueplanet]

What tamsin said ^

If they are still a bit floppy after repotting/dropping down then put in a stick.

[Suky]

Also are they bush, cordon or trailing. My garden pearl trailing toms want to start trailing already and they are not much bigger than yours

[Balconygardener]

They are Tumbling Tom. The packet said bush, but the name suggests otherwise. If anyone can confirm that would be good, as they will be going in pots on my balcony, and if they will trail, I can stand them up on a ledge instead.

I don't think the one that won't stand up is bending to the light - it's actually fallen away from the window. Maybe Suky is right and it's just started trailing early?

They look like they are doing great though

Thanks, tasmin - I'm really pleased with them!

[tamsin]

Tumbling toms definitely tumble, here are mine in hanging baskets last year (just one plant in each):

[Balconygardener]

Thanks, tamsin - I missed the 'last year' bit in your post at first and felt even more inadequate that usual! The look fab, if mine do even half as well as that, I will be thrilled!

[tamsin]

Lol! My ones for this year look just like yours

[Elaineb]

They do look fab!!! I have 4 tumbling tom plants about 3" high but lots and lots of healthy growth, How big do they have to be before potting into a hanging basket, and is it a good idea to keep the basket in the greenhouse until they establish. At the moment mine are in the tom greenhouse with the rest.

Cheers xxxx E

[tamsin]

Need to be inside until after the last frost. If you've got space to keep them in the baskets inside then you can pot them up when ever you like. I'll keep mine in flower pots until after the last frost - mid-May ish here before planting out. They grow really quick once they get started.