Topic: Tom plants/seeds

[Borlotti]

Noticed at the allotment that one person had put their toms out.  They looked OK, bigger than mine.  Hopefully mine will be potted on soon.  It is still cold at night, be thinks.

[gavinjconway]

I planted 20 of mine in the GH at the plot over the weekend - hope they survive.. they are about 14" high now so planted them 2/3 in the ground to produce more roots..

[BarriedaleNick]

I've been caught out before with a late frost a few years back.  Planted everything out first week of May and went to Spain for a week.  Everything died and we are in London which is normally warmer.  Luckily my neighbours all chipped in with some plants here and there but I lost all my carefully grown varieties from seed.

Mine are all in the mini poly and I keep an eye out on the night temps but I still think it is too early for outdoor toms to go out!

[ancellsfarmer]

I have some that willhave to be planted out in poly tunnel this weekend. If they are held back, they will suffer. Going to try spacing them with house bricks which hopefully will act as localised storage heaters to hold some of the daytime peak temperature. Easily slid away later

[Borlotti]

The ones I saw on the allotment weren't in a poly tunnel, just outside in the soil without any protection. I have put a few runner beans out, hope they will be OK but have back ups. I still zip my plastic greenhouse up at night, and leave it open in the day. 

[squeezyjohn]

In my experience tomatoes put outside in April are 80% likely to be dead before any tomatoes come ... but maybe they've got a backup and are just hedging their bets that it will be no more frost.

Most of my tomato seedlings have succumbed to slugs unfortunately 

[pigeonseed]

Yes I wouldn't do it without polytunnel/mini greenhouse. The wind can be really cold still and they hate that.

[goodlife]

I've got good example of 'sods law'...

I pricked tomato seedlings about 4 weeks ago. Left overs were chucked with old seed compost in bucket and bucket is in garden...open for elements...and I can see all the 'not so tiny seedlings' alive and well there
And yet..last week, one morning we had quite sharp frost...my tomato plants were in GH..and they were bending over because of they got little too cold during night.. Luckily they didn't come to any harm but have straightened back to their glory..but it was close call.
Those seedlings should have been long dead but they've managed to grow a little and survive alive despite the 'great outdoors'?!
There must be lesson there somewhere but I fail to find it..

[Ian Pearson]

Goodlife, maybe the lesson is that correct hardening of plants can make a big difference to their cold tolerance. Also, I have read that plants grown in high nitrogen-available soil are more prone to frost/cold damage, so maybe your seedlings had used up the nitrogen from the compost, and had been lucky enough to experience ideal progressive hardening, while those in the greenhouse were pampered and soft, then were suddenly chilled.

[antipodes]

Me too, I noticed some tomato plants out in the open on someone's plot on Sunday!  I do think that it is a bit cold and the plants did look a bit poorly. We will see how they go. Mine are still in the dining room; but when I can I put them right next to the open window so they blow about a bit. I usually plant them out in teh first week of may but with some cover. 
I have managed to get some nice big roofing tiles and I will use them to shelter my courgettes this year. My neighbour does that and she puts hers out before me and gets good crops, so I will be a copy cat. They protect from wind which they hate I find, and surely reflect back a lot of warmth.

[goodlife]

Goodlife, maybe the lesson is that correct hardening of plants can make a big difference to their cold tolerance. Also, I have read that plants grown in high nitrogen-available soil are more prone to frost/cold damage, so maybe your seedlings had used up the nitrogen from the compost, and had been lucky enough to experience ideal progressive hardening, while those in the greenhouse were pampered and soft, then were suddenly chilled.

Umm..yes..maybe it is the poor compost that saved their 'necks'..hardening they didn't get but got chucked out straight away after pricking, prior being under lovely warm lamps. Those in GH are pampered indeed....I'm heading for some serious competition with 'grow the heaviest tomato' here is A4all..
So...the lesson is..be mean and they will survive 

[cornykev]

Too early yet, we have one of the mildest areas and my toms will be staying in the Summer House for another 2/3 weeks yet. 

[Borlotti]

Had a look at tomato plants on adjoining allotment, and I have been proved wrong, they look fine.  All my peas and runner beans have completely disappeared, but noticed runner beans out on another plot fine, but had been sprinkled with slug pellets.  Will try again, this time with slug pellets.  Bought a reduced cucumber plant from B & Q for 50p, looks a bit sad but hoping if I keep it in lean will do OK, no slug pellets in 99p shop so had to go to B & Q. Computer in for repair (again) so using OH's laptop, just getting used to the keyboard. (off topic) again.