Overwintering Tomato Plants

I have two tomato plants that refused to grow in the spring,so after buying some more plants from our local GC emptied the contents of the seed tray with these one inch seedlings into a bucket of old compost which was destined for the garden as a mulch.I never got round to doing it but noticed that these little seedlings started to grow.

They are now about a foot high and still growing together in the bucket down the side of the shed.If I repot them into their own pots and put them in a self controlled heated greenhouse,I would like to know what are my chances of them surving the winter and through to next year to get a crop off of them.Would it work out more expensive to try to keep them going or would we be better off destroying them and starting again in the spring...

We are away for xmas so they would be left to their own devices when the electric fan heater kicks in when the temperature drops under a certain level.They will be sharing the greenhouse with tender plants so they will not be having the heat all to themselves.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated,but it would be nice to have an early crop for Mr Kandy next year if at all possible

 

Hi Kandyfloss. Fancy my advising a gardening guru, and I've no doubt some real expert will tell me I am wrong anyway.

I've never been very knowledgable on the tomato front but my old dad was. In fact I think he was a genuine tomato expert.

From what I remember, you haven't a chance. It's not just the heat, it's the light levels that are equally important. And over the winter the light levels in UK just aren't good enough to stop a tomato plant from going dormant. And as far as I remember, as annuals, they will not kick in again next spring. Maybe someone will contradict me in which case have a go, and then the expert and I could have a small wager on the side. Maybe a litre of martini? (Sorry, private joke).

 

great question kandyfloss
i have a couple of 3/4 ft beef tomato plants on the go with toms on and they are growing very well im hoping that they will go red but they need to grow alot more yet so i think i might loose them :( they are in the conservatory so i will just leave them untill they ask to be put in the bin.