Tomatoes going outside?

[Serendipity]

A couple of tomato questions if I may.

I have about 20 early sown tomato plants (February) which are still in their 3"s but standing about 14" high. They need repotting this weekend but I noticed this morning that a couple of them have their first flower buds appearing.

I was going to re-pot into 7" pots before planting next month in to their final pots (Asda black flower buckets). Should I still do this or would I be better off planting straight in to the flower buckets? This takes me on to the next question, which is:

If planting straight in to flower buckets then I don't have enough room in the house for them and therefore some of them would have to be moved outside in to my plastic mini greenhouse. Will they survive or is it still too cold for them? I do have some sheets of fleece, would this be enough to protect them at night.

Help please, I'm confused!

[Creemteez]

I have a similar situation, so yesterday I bit the bullet and potted on six of my strongest growers into 7" pots.
I've stood them on the bed that is awaiting my runner beans and covered the whole lot with a cloche. Last night was very mild down here even though it was quite clear, so all being well they should be ok.
I think I'd be a bit more wary if I were as far North as you are, but if you pot them on you could always bring them in at night, then they'll be tough little beasts when the time comes for them to take their final positions.
You pays your money and you takes your choice, I'm afraid!

[selfraising]

I am further south than you Serendipity but mine have gone into my placcie gh and have been in there for the last week and a half and are only about 6 inches high. I had to do this for lack of space indoors. When there is frost forecast, I cover the gh with a blanket. Just keeping my fingers crossed at the moment. The peppers have also gone in there now

[maytreefrannie]

I got mine out today!!!

Just the tomatoes - I put the Tumbling Toms and the (hopefully, one day) taller tomatoe plants outside all day and brought them in for the night, hoping to move them out to the placcie growhouse in a few days, with some way to keep heat up at night - I like the blanket idea, Serendipity, that might do the trick.

They're all still only a few inches high, but I reckon they don't get enough sun inside.

[starloc]

I put some of mine outside today ,

They got too big for the house, i ran out of canes and places to stck them in the pot, the next lot of seedlings are catching up and need some room,

I havent put the covers on the greenhouse/polytunnel yet , for tonight i have covered them with frost fleece, i tied wires accross the wall at the back and tied the plants onto them to replace the canes

I put them out this morning and they looked a bit unhappy as they got a bit bashed as i carried them , and i think the sun and wind was a bit much for them after the 80% humidity and growlamps in the grow room, they looked a bit happer this evening, so i made sure i frost fleeced them tonight.