Topic: Survival of the fittest!

[Nora42]

On Feb 21st I helped kids at the Archer Academy plant tomato seeds. On the 7th March 20 leggy toms were planted into bigger pots up to their seed leaves. on 28th March the tomatoes were left outside under a fleece tent whilst school was closed for the eater holiday. I went to school on April 24th to find the 10 of the original potted on plants had survived. I watered them that day and went to school again today to find these 10 toms growing very happily - we have repotted them again as it will be a couple of weeks before they go into their final pots. the varieties are Super sweet 100, Marmande Money maker and sun baby and my question is do we all pay far more attention to our seedlings than we ought. The plants are really healthy - thick stems and green leaves and considering they had hardy any water over the Easter hols I am amazed.
We live and learn

Nora

[saddad]

Most plants have a break point, once past they are almost indestructible!

[Plot 18]

Perhaps you were lucky, and they were in a sheltered position; fleece would certainly have helped keep them warmer.

If I had done that with my seedlings, here, with the recent minus temperatures/hard frosts  - I'm sure none would have survived. When I moved trays of tomato seedling indoors for the night, I missed a tray - by the morning they were blue, from which they rarely recover. 

So you have to have some idea of the plant's requirements and your local conditions - and not make silly mistakes 

[Nora42]

Hi , your all quite right I forgot to say the school is in North London and we escape from hard frosts most of the time. the tomatoes were in a raised bed which must have helped but I am astonished as we have had no rain here for weeks and weeks.
Nora

[johhnyco15]

On Feb 21st I helped kids at the Archer Academy plant tomato seeds. On the 7th March 20 leggy toms were planted into bigger pots up to their seed leaves. on 28th March the tomatoes were left outside under a fleece tent whilst school was closed for the eater holiday. I went to school on April 24th to find the 10 of the original potted on plants had survived. I watered them that day and went to school again today to find these 10 toms growing very happily - we have repotted them again as it will be a couple of weeks before they go into their final pots. the varieties are Super sweet 100, Marmande Money maker and sun baby and my question is do we all pay far more attention to our seedlings than we ought. The plants are really healthy - thick stems and green leaves and considering they had hardy any water over the Easter hols I am amazed.
We live and learn

Nora

indeed i left out my tomato plants for the last week and they look far better than the ones i have either indoors or in the greenhouse in fact i took a pic to post today to say the same thing and here it is i hope