Excited about my tomatoes - what now?

For the first time in my life I've actually got some tomato seeds to germinate so forgive the (possibly premature) excitement.

I planted 2 (Alicante) seeds in each compartment of '12 cell' modular seed trays which have been on my windowsill and the 'plants' are now about 1" tall but I'm concerned they're getting a bit leggy. During these nice warm days I've been putting them outside, in a shady spot with a propagator cover over them and bringing them back in at night (my husband reckons I'd read them a bedtime story given the chance!).

That aside, I'd be grateful for some guidance on what to do now.

Bearing in mind they're still only at the cotyledon stage, should I prick them out now into individual pots or wait until proper leaves appear?

I've been told that when I do prick them out, they should be 'buried' almost up to the base of the leaves to encourage as much root growth as possible and I presume this is correct?

and

Having done that (assuming the time is right), would they be OK in my unheated greenhouse?

 

I personally would wait for the first true leaves to appear before pricking out. Potting on to a depth of the first leaves will indeed encourage more root growth.

As for being ok in your greenhouse, mine have been out in the greenhouse for the last 6 weeks and are thriving!

 

I would put them in your unheated greenhouse during the day, rather than outside. That's where they are going to live, and the warmer days there will make them grow faster (plus they won't have any stress from drying out in the wind). (Hopefully your greenhouse isn't miles away?!)

Pot them on when you are ready. From a seed tray I would do them any time from seed-leaves to first true leaf (well, sometimes do it later when I'm lazy!) but first-true-leaf is what the books say.

From a module cell the soil will all fall off the root it the seedling is very small, so I'd be inclinded to leave them until the roots are established enough that you can just push them out of the cell and they come out intact with a little rootball.

You can bury all seedlings (well, the ones with two seed leaves - dicotyledon types) up to their seed leaves, which always helps if things are leggy, and some things throw out a tall initial stem anyway. Tomatoes will root from even higher up their stem, so its OK to plant them "deep" - but no point if you would be sacrificing energy-producing leaves on a small plant, but you can do that later (when you next pot-on) if the plants are leggy.

Pot them up into about a 3" pot, then 5" and then they can go into final pots, grow bags, or the greenhouse border.

 

Many thanks Kristen, that's brilliant - the greenhouse it is then. I think I may do that for a few days (just to get them used to the idea) and possibly repot them over the weekend.

PS - Any idea what sort of bedtime story they prefer?

 

They can stay in the greenhouse if the overnight temperature stays above 10C. That probably means you only need to bring then in when the forecast is for 8C (to be on the safe side) or below.

A Max/Min thermometer will tell you how well your greenhouse keeps warm compared to the forecast :thumb:

 

I haven't done anything different with mine this year. Sown the same time, and the spring has been pretty mild - although the sunshine-hours have been well down.

My Melons are decidedly unhappy. I sowed a second batch which have overtaken the first, the Tomatoes got purple under-sides to their leaves - a sure sign of cold - and several of my Sweet and Chilli Peppers have curled up their toes - such that I will have to buy top-up-replacements from the garden centre. Not had to do that before ... so next year I'm going to be more careful with minimum temperatures.

 

Mine are still tiny. Just a couple of true leaves. Normally 3' tall by now. The melons have one true leaf only ... and I would say its been mild here. Such is the life of a gardener ...

I wonder if the fact that most of my seed is several years old could be the issue, I've been sowing it year after year ... and maybe there isn't much "reserve" in it any more.

Although the Cucumber seed is fresh ...

Cucumbers (30th April 2009):



This year's are still in 3" pots: :(

 

I actually took my 'babies' out of the greenhouse today, fortunately before it got to 37C! It's only April for heaven's sake.