when to put tomato plants in greenhouse

[alan4heidi]

We have been growing tomatoes for a good few years now ,but have difficulty in getting from the seed stage to planting out in the greenhouse, However we sowed the seeds of several different types this year on the first of march and they are now over 10 inches tall and looking quite good . when can I put them in our new 10ft x 8ft unheated greenhouse ??? the stems are not quite as thick as I would like them to be ..Any help welcome Heidi

[Mudsweatandtea]

I just put some sacrificial ones out today so here's hoping! They're in their final pots inside upright cold frames in the greenhouse... It worked last year and I wanted to see how they would cope before putting them all out in two weeks when we go on holiday (in addition to the massive amount of growth they've put on the past week!) We are in costal North East Scotland so still quite cool at nights so will let you know how they get on

[Mark_Riga]

depends where you are. It gets down to near zero at the moment in a poly-tunnel in Cheshire and some cold nights forecast here in the coming week. I would think mid April to early May depending where you are. If you have a good min/max thermometer, you could monitor what is happening. A couple of layers of garden fleece is useful for a late cold night.

[Scarlet]

Generally you want overnight temps to be above 10°c. Forecast is -1 for early hours Wednesday morning here in Wiltshire. Even if they don't get frosted the cold chill turns them Purple and they stall.
Mine usually go out overnight in the GH mid to end of May. I put them in the GH during the day and back in at night until then.

10inches seems very tall for just a months growth? Are they getting leggy? Maybe you could pot them on and get them in the greenhouse during the daytime.

[roitelet]

Not until after the 13 May. The 11,12,13 May are known here as the Saint Glacé. There is a scientific reason behind this. During that period the earth moves through a cosmic dust cloud which prevents the suns heat reaching the earth and it can be very cold in relation to the days either side.

Hope this makes sense.

[burnie]

Temperatures in my greenhouse are all over the place just now, from zero to over 20 and back again, I have not even sowed my seeds yet, I will not be putting tomatoes in the greenhouse before the beginning of May up here, I will be still picking in October if last year is anything to go by, more than enough of a season for our needs.

[Jungle Jane]

Mine have been going out in the day & in at about 5-6pm when it turns cooler. It is supposed to be getting cold some days they’ll have to stay indoors,it’ll probably get low like 5 or 6 degrees during the day,happens every year & the plants start overcrowding the windows.

[MyWifesBrassicas]

I'm risking mine on the wood chip hot bed, still maintaining a nice 40C at 10-15cm depth into the chips.
Got them covered by a mini greenhouse, if its going to freeze at any point, i'll throw an old duvet over the mini greenhouse, hopefully protecting them

[rary]

I have my tomatoes planted in the greenhouse some are in a hot bed and others planted in the soil but both are covered by fleece to protect them from any cold nights

[Paulie]

As others have said, it's wise to wait a few weeks yet. Mid-May should be okay; a bit later if you're north of me (Stoke). Here's a tip though: the great thing about tomato plants is that you can plant them into bigger pots and sink them deeper: the stems that you sink into the compost have the ability to produce new roots. I mention this as you say yours are ten inches tall and the stems aren't as thick as you'd like. This trick is great for your situation - the plants will develop a stronger root system and will be sturdier by the time you come to plant them out into your greenhouse.

Hope this helps,

Paulie

[Scarlet]

I mention this as you say yours are ten inches tall and the stems aren't as thick as you'd like. This trick is great for your situation - the plants will develop a stronger root system and will be sturdier by the time you come to plant them out into your greenhouse.

This also helps as they are so busy putting out root growth that their top growth slows down.

[Penellype]

I wouldn't be moving them outside this week - the forecast is for generally below average temperatures and frost is likely at night.

[alan4heidi]

Thank you all for your replies, I think we must have started the seeds a bit to early this year. so will transplant them into bigger pots and try putting them in the conservatory which should be a bit warmer.
And yes they are now 11" tall and a bit leggy. so will burry them a bit deeper. Bless you all Heidi

[Scarlet]

You can bury really deep - well past their seed leaves.

[MarkPelican]

I usually plant mine in the greenhouse at the end of May. If you're going to keep them in pots, try to make sure the pots are big enough. If they get "checked" by being potbound, it can take a while before they start growing again. (However, I have also heard that checking them encourages flower production so I don't know which is rght).