Tomato going out

[Welsh Wizard]

Well, it's time. The January sowing of toms have gone outside overnight for the first time. Fingers crossed no late frosts this year please!

[Creemteez]

Ooooh, brave! My babies are still a way off yet, though still quite happy in the cold frame. Might pot 'em on at the weekend.
Are you providing any protection for them, just in case?

[BarleySugar]

I just checked my long range local weather forecast on accuweather.com, at the moment it gives 4C on 27th April, and 2C on 28th, so I'll be keeping an eye on things for a while yet.

[Welsh Wizard]

Just against a south facing brick wall of the house, so there should be a bit of shelter and warmth radiated onto the plants. Forecast looks ok so should get away with it I hope! The benefit of getting them out early is more daylight compared to the greenhouse, more space and lower humidity so less likely to get diseases transmitted from plant to plant, plus fewer pests I hope to get an early crop before any blight takes hold.

[Alice]

I agree with all your benefits of outside for plants WelshWizard. I don't know your frost dates for Oxford, but I couldn't leave my tomatoes outdoors here.

[rogesse]

you have to push the envelope - or tomato

Mine are out now but I have just heard a clap of thunder - perhaps I should go get them in.....

[Growem]

Mine indoor windowsill ones are spending tonight outside in my mini plastic greenhouse for the first time, so I know how you feel Welsh Wizard!

[rana]

Surely it is a matter of judging the overnight weather.

If it is cloudy or overcast, overnight temperatures should remain mild so the plants can be left out. If it is clear, temperatures could fall to damaging levels so bring them inside.

[Growem]

Of course it's just a matter of judging the weather. However, if I misjudge and they all die a horrible frozen death, I'm 6 weeks behind in tomato growing. Those who started in January are even more.

[JILLY JACKSON]

Mine are out as well,but i have 14 spare plants inside just in case!If all goes well,i can give my surplus away

[jackie j]

Mine have been in the plastic greenhouse for ages and are ok I will soon need to move them into something bigger. I do have a tomato plastic greenhouse that holds a growbag so might see where I can put it, dont really have space for it at home and too cold at the lottie as home is more sheltered,

[HayleyB]

Gawd you're brave, mine are out on the deck table during the day and are literally begging to come in from midday onwards, they're shivering their little wotsits off and all puckered. They sigh with relief as soon as they are back in for the evening and take off their woolly coats

[womble]

It's been ever so mild lately, we forget every year we have a late cold spell, I think alot of people are going to be caught out (hope you aren't though)
I'm with Hayley (not literally, although I live close to her) much too cold for mine outside yet, we've just had a few mild nights, but it will get colder again.

[butter fingers]

i left some of my toms out last week for a night but they were not to happy so back to the windowsill.i do put them out in the sun though and as they get bigger its the plastic green house and rotate around the windowsills untill big enough to start leaving outside ,then greenhouse and hopefully plant in to large pots.

[Flummery]

It's not been mild here! Under the influence of the North Sea we have had chilly fogs and overcast drizzle all Easter weekend and it's still grim now.

The reason I persist in taking my toms and chillies in at night and back to the cold greenhouse in the day isn't because I think they will get frosted and die (although they would if they did!) It's because I understand they don't actively grow at temperatures lower than about 10 degrees - and they've not had that here lately at night. I haven't had a frost in the greenhouse but I've had it at about 5 - 6 degrees of a night lately. I left one chilli out there weeks ago when I potted them all up at the true leaf stage. The ones that come in at night are several inches high and looking grand. That one, although not dead, still only has its 2 true leaves. It's life Jim, but not as we know it!