Tomato seedlings

[tropicalfnv]

Every year I sow tomato seeds indoors around late Feb in a small seedling pots, transfer to 7-8 cm pots when seedlings are 2-3 cm tall. By April the plants are quite healthy with lots of deep green leaves and about 10 cm tall. I move them outside for a few weeks to help climatisation and then finally transfer them to the veg patch in May when the plants are about 15-20 cm. They generally grow well but I do notice that the early flowers always fall out and I only get a harvest late September.

I am look for advise on how to improve my regime to get a bigger and earlier crop. I think that perhaps I am re-potting too often or I start sowing seeds too early. Any advise would be gratefully appreciated.

[Scarlet]

May is early to plant tomatoes outside - even if you don't have a frost the low night time temperatures can cause the plant stress. This can slow the plant down. Try planting out late May or early June

[jacob]

Where are you topicalfnv ?

(You'll see that most of us have a location in our profile; different tactics for me in Fife, than in a sunny garden in Dorset.)

[SlugLobber]

I never grow tomatoes outside, although I appreciate many do! I tend to seed in the pot that I will plant out from, so the pots are about 15 cm diameter. They're sown in the conservatory (so I walk past them all the time and don't forget to water!), then put out in the greenhouse for a few days before planting in their final spot. If you want to plant out in May, then I'd invest in some polytunnel sheeting and rig up a makeshift greenhouse. I did see somewhere online a 90 degree polytunnel, which opened out from a wall or fence. My sowing time varies, but it's normally late Feb/early March. They're planted in the greenhouse in April, door closed until it's proper hot in there (technical term )!

[redser]

Also, what type of seeds are they? Some do better than others outdoors, yours might be better suited to a greenhouse.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I grow Tumbler outside on a south facing wall but they don't go out until early May, if the temp drops below 10C at night it will knock them back.

Last year which was cold it ran seeds planted 10/03 to 3" pots 02/04 to 6" pots 18/04 into hanging baskets in the GH 25/04 first fruit 18/05 out off GH last day of May due to the cold.

Potty

[tropicalfnv]

Iam in North London.

Where are you topicalfnv ?

(You'll see that most of us have a location in our profile; different tactics for me in Fife, than in a sunny garden in Dorset.)

[tropicalfnv]

Thanks for all your feedback.
It sounds like that transplanting 3 times is not the problem but the issue may be that I move the seedlings outside too early. I will wait until June this year.

[Storming Norman]

Hi, I am in s london and I always have my toms out in the garden and the lottie in early may without problem. However I do put a 2 cut down litre drinks bottle on a stick over the plant for 2 weeks to allow them to acclimatise slowly and keep them out of the wind. Variety is important, sungold seems to respond best to this.