Forum home› Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Opinion needed - should I harden these tomato seedlings now?

celcius_kkwcelcius_kkw Posts: 753
in Fruit & veg
Hi tomato peeps 

I’ve got some late sown tomato seedlings which are three and two weeks old and I will be growing them all in containers. I have limited number of small pots so what I was wondering is instead of pricking them out into small pots and repotting again when they’re bigger.. should I simply prick them out into the final pot they will be growing in? If so, should I harden them off first before pricking out or should I do the reverse.. transfer them to pots and then harden them off? I have limited windowsill space so I would not be able to keep all of them inside once I’ve potted them up.. 

Here are what they look like currently:



Are they simply too small to be hardened off and stay outside? 
«1

Posts

  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    Mine are the same size, they germinated outside though.  I would start hardening them off by putting them out during the day, bringing in at night for a week, then pot up and leave outside.......
  • celcius_kkwcelcius_kkw Posts: 753
    @Mary370 Hello fellow night owl.. ok I will start hardening them off tomorrow and pot them up next week.. it’s gonna be tricky as I will be working long hours this weekend.. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Depends where you are and what the temps are like.
    I can't grow them outside here - not reliable enough for overnight temps in summer. I could probably have risked it last year, as we had a lot of warmer weather,  but I grow undercover. 
    They are tiny plants. That second pic - they're only just germinated. Only just starting to get the first pair of leaves. I certainly wouldn't put them into great big pots  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    The top ones could be potted up separately in pots half as big again ( burying the stems at least half way up to the leaves) The lower ones need to get their first leaves as big as the top ones before potting on. All are a bit young for the harsh outdoor conditions at the moment,  it's not just cold that kills.😁
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Some of those ones in the first pix have got two in each cell. You'll either have to separate them, or chuck one  :)
    You can certainly move those ones on a bit though. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • celcius_kkwcelcius_kkw Posts: 753
    edited May 2020
    @Fairygirl I live in Liverpool.. weather’s not super warm but probably just a touch more stable than where you are.. 

    I garden on my balcony so I don’t have the luxury of a poly tunnel or green house.. they will either sit on my sunny windowsill (gets 6-8 hours of morning sun) or go out on the balcony which gets 8 hours of afternoon/evening sun. 

    I just managed get hold of some disposable coffee cups from my neighbour so I think I will pot up the earlier batch of seedlings in them today. :) the cups should be about the size of a 3inch pot.. 
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    By the time you split them up, you will have plenty for the balcony @celcius_kkw 😁 and maybe some to share as well. Which variety did you plant?
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Dont forget you can use milk bottles or 2ltr pop bottles with the tops cut off as well, they make good sized potting on pots.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    That's what I use for my toms and sweet peas @celsius_kkw. They're ideal as they're a bit deeper. I've run out of them now, but you can often re use them too  :)  
    It's the fluctuating temps from day to night that cause problems. Good luck with them  once they get going :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • celcius_kkwcelcius_kkw Posts: 753
    edited May 2020
    @purplerallim @Fairygirl  

    I’ve got gardeners delight, sungold, sweet aperitif and tumbling bella.. before you say it I know I have gone a bit heavy handed with the seed purchase.. 😝. I do actually have some milk cartons and bottles lying around.. the question is., how do you poke drainage holes in them? I haven’t got a drill unfortunately... I can make holes in the paper cups easily but not the plastic ones... 
Sign In or Register to comment.