Can I plant these Toms out?

[fiskies]

Been caring for my tom seedlings now a few months and the last few weeks they've spent each day in the un heated blow away. My question is can I plant out the larger plants that are about 8 inches tall at present, I'll be planting them in pots in the blowaway where they'll be staying all summer. I've been checking my thermo in there and although we've had a few nights down to 3 or 4 degrees, it has stayed pretty much above 8 in the blowaway. I'm running out of room now and wanted to get these in their pots. I planted a smaller one in there a week or so ago and that seems fine and hasn't stopped growing, so do you think it will be alright.





One more question, how large to chilli/pepper plants need to get before putting them in their pots or does it depend on the weather, they'll be in the blowaway too?

[Shadylane]

Well we had a frost last night so I won't be leaving ours out yet. I know Zazen has been leaving hers out though for a while now. The cold won't kill em unless it drops to around 4, then you might be risking it. It will however slow them down. You could leave a few out and bring a few in just to hedge your bets.

As for the chillies - I believe they like getting pot bound, so leave them be until their roots are poking out the bottom

[Mr Purple]

Hi

I don't like to let tomatoes go below 10 degrees. Lower than this will effect growth. As mentioned above, the chillis don't mind being pot bound but only in their final pot.

David

[Alison]

Very very early to be putting them out. This is the main problem with early sowings, you have to find somewhere to put the every increasingly large plants

[zazen999]

Well we had a frost last night so I won't be leaving ours out yet. I know Zazen has been leaving hers out though for a while now. The cold won't kill em unless it drops to around 4, then you might be risking it. It will however slow them down. You could leave a few out and bring a few in just to hedge your bets.

As for the chillies - I believe they like getting pot bound, so leave them be until their roots are poking out the bottom

Only in an unheated greenhouse!

Not in the open ground

Fiskies - pot on once the roots show; and keep them all inside until at least your last frost date.

[Shadylane]

I thought Fiskies was talking about putting them in a blow away, not outside.

I'll be planting them in pots in the blowaway where they'll be staying all summer.

[zazen999]

But a blowaway is not an unheated greenhouse - it hasn't got the volume to retain the heat....

[Shadylane]

Still a lot better than being outside and if, as fiskies said temps are generally around 8 they should be okay; but, as I said, might be risking it if temps drop to below 4. Don't think what I said was that shocking

[zazen999]

Still a lot better than being outside and if, as fiskies said temps are generally around 8 they should be okay; but, as I said, might be risking it if temps drop to below 4. Don't think what I said was that shocking

No - but the thread is titled 'can I plant these out' and I just wanted to clear it up that I haven't been leaving any out...

[fiskies]

Sorry to clarify when I meant out, I meant in their permanent home the blowaway not outdoors. Like I said I have been checking and the lowest they've got to at night is 8 degrees over last couple of weeks, I think it helps it's right up against my house wall which is white and seems to love retaining heat.

[Flummery]

Well, I wouldn't. In mid May last year we had a serious frost (it was -4 2 nights on the trot) and the tops of my very sturdy and well hardened off tomatoes that I'd planted the week before were badly frosted off. It's not worth all those weeks of nurturing to have them damaged.

[zazen999]

Sorry to clarify when I meant out, I meant in their permanent home the blowaway not outdoors. Like I said I have been checking and the lowest they've got to at night is 8 degrees over last couple of weeks, I think it helps it's right up against my house wall which is white and seems to love retaining heat.

Sorry - but it only takes one frost [like this morning] and you will lose the lot....

If you want to take the chance then nobody's gonna stop you but I say 'don't do it!'

[Potstubsdustbins]

Got to agree with Zazen.

My toms are going leggy so I started potting on today up from 3" pots to 5" pots and planted them very deep. I now have four window sills full of toms but after this mornings frost thats where they will stay for a while yet.

As the chances of a deep frost recede they will go into my GH with a paraffin heater until all chance of frost has pasted. Then they will be put in their buckets and again planted deep.

Colin

[janeyo]

I say don't do it either! Took mine outside to pot on today and even though it felt warm and sunny this afternoon by the time I had finished they were starting to shrivel a bit... so I got them back inside pronto

[BigShot]

On the chili front, I got some good responses in here.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ies_56672.html
Have a read.

Hoping for an answer about how warm is warm enough soon, but for now I know it's too cold, especially with plenty of time left for cold nights.