Topic: toms - out after flower?

[aquilegia]

Why do we have to wait for the first flowers to form before we put toms out?

Would they be ok in my mini-greenhouse before the flowers form? (they are currently on the kitchen and living room window sills).

As usual - I really need the extra room and I want my kitchen back!

[derbex]

Mine have been in a cold greenhouse for weeks, some are now starting to flower. So I think yours would be ok. You might need to harden them off a bit before they permanently go out there.


Jeremy

[tim]

DB - how big are yours, & when did you sow?

Aqui - this has been discussed elsewhere, & it seems that the old doctrine no longer applies, & tends to reflect the g/centre stunted, flowering-in-desperation type plant.

I have never achieved flowers before planting out at - say - 8". Mine are a leggyy 10+" this year & no sign of flowers. = Tim

[derbex]

Tim,

now you've got me I'll have to go and look it up -at least a couple of months ago, they are probably about 6" tall and due to be potted on/planted in the greenhouse bed. The Alicante are taller than the Gardeners delight that were sown at the same time (FWIW) -although a later sowing of GD are taller due to being shaded by a cucumber on the same window for a weekend -they shot up.

The flowers are only on one plant at an early stage -you can just see the yellow petals but they're not open yet.

They have been in the greenhouse since they were in modules.

Jeremy

[Mrs Ava]

Half of my toms are in the greenhouse now, and I have to say, they seem a lot happy!  The ones in the conservatory look a touch yellowish to me, in fact a couple really are yellow  :'( but the ones in my house of green are lovely and glossy and dark green.  I am keeping an eye on the weather and have lashings of fleece and bubble wrap at the ready, just in case of a frost, but mine are now all in big pots and will stay that way until I plant them out at the end of May....if I have any room left on the plot that is! :-\

[tim]

We talk about size of plants for planting out. Of course, it's the root ball that matters. Size of plant does not always relate to root size. And there's no point in putting things out until you have roots filling the pot. I reckon! = Tim

[derbex]

I agree with the roots filling the pot -all the soil drops off otherwise :)

I'm probably a bit cavalier with mine, I tend to just bung them in when they've out grown the 1st (3.5") pot.

I also tend to think that the unheated, greenhouse will keep a moderate frost off the plants, although I sometimes wander out with a scrap of fleece.

They seem to do ok, I let a Sungold go the year before last and it took over one side of the green house (10'?)
and cropped from around June into October.

Still so far, so good as the man said when he jumped off the Eiffel Tower!

[tim]

Yes, JB, 'some' frost - but I've lost so much as late as end May, that I reckon that waiting a week or so is not a bad ploy?

I think that your No2, in part, answers your No1. But there's more to it.
To me, it is pointless putting something into - say - a 3" pot, and taking it out before it has used all the goodness therein ,& is trying to get out. But before the roots start turning brown.

And DO remember, folk, to water well before transplanting? = Tim

[ruud]

I put my toms always very early outside,but they stay than in there pots.So i can put them inside when the wetter is to cold or to wet.So i am not waiting till i get my first flowers,they are already outside.The flowers will come anyway.

[philcooper]

Back at the original question, I think it's acombination of when they've filled the pot and the weather's good enough - if the weather stays bad that means potting on until it is.

Conversely if the pot's full and the weather's goo and there's flowers or not - plant out

Phil

[tim]

Too true - I'm sure I've said this before, but I've never achieved flowers before planting out, except on ailing plants. = Tim