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What's the best way to re-pot these tomatoes?

alexemmersonukalexemmersonuk Posts: 171
in Fruit & veg
Hi all - sorry for the very silly question, but I am very much a beginner and terrified to hurt this poor little plant! 

My little boy's school sent us some tomato seeds as a project last month, we planted them and I never really expected them to do well, but here they are looking pretty good. 

I posted the photo on the school forum and lots of mums were commenting that they need repotting very soon. 

I have never grown anything before, let alone repotted it. 

Would someone be able to talk me through it - or point me in the direction of a trusted tutorial? 

I am particularly looking for things I may not think of (however obvious they may seem to you) that I should avoid or that could potentially hurt the plant. 

What size / type of pot should I repot into? 

These were grown from seeds indoors (planted 8 May), can they go out pretty soon or will they be too cold? 

Once they are in the new pots, do I have to treat them any differently than I have done so far? 

Also, if I do everything right, when do you think I'll be able to see a tomato? I can't believe I might actually pull this off!!! haha! 
Growing a pink garden, one plant at a time....
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  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    You'll need to carefully separate the plants, trying to minimise root disturbance. It might be tricky if the roots have grown into each other, just do your best. If it's a solid mass of roots it might be easier to cut the rootball with an old knife (heresy, but might do less damage than trying to untangle them if they're thoroughly intertwined). Put each one in its own pot with fresh compost. You can plant them deeper, up to the first leaves, and they'll grow extra roots from the stem where it's buried. If you don't have bigger pots they can be put in ones that size and then out into growbags or bigger pots later, or into the ground if you have space.  I would keep them inside for a while until they get settled in (normally in June they'd be fine outside but it's pretty chilly here at the moment).
    Once they've started to flower and you see the first tiny green tomato forming, then you start feed them with tomato food - cheapo brands are fine.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    edited June 2020
    They are pretty resilient plants, so it's fairly easy:
    First, get 5 pots of a similar size to the one they are now growing in and some compost ready, then gently tip-out the entire contents of the pot onto a tray or similar and you should be able to separate the plants fairly easily.  If you have to gently tug them apart, do so by holding the leaves, never the stems.
    Plant them in their new pots a little deeper than they are now, so that the soil comes up to where the base of the first 'true' leaves are joined to the stem.  Don't worry if the new pots aren't deep enough to do that as you can bury them deeper again when you plant them into their final pots.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi @alexemmersonuk - they look nice and healthy - so that's a good start!
    Unfortunately, they should have been put into separate pots a bit sooner, but don't worry.
    If you can water the pot, so that the compost is nice and damp, you should be able to separate them. It might not be possible to get them all apart, but if you can even manage to get them in twos that will be ok. 
    You'll then need pots a suitable size - that will depend on whether you can separate them or have them in twos. You would then move them into those with more compost in the pots, and you can bury them a little deeper too. Up to those bottom leaves, which are long and narrow. Just be careful that they don't get too scorched by hot sun while they're next to the window, and just turn them each day too, so that they don't lean too much. 
    They're still a bit small, so if you can do that, and keep them inside just now until they're a bit bigger, that will help them. They'll grow quite quickly, so it won't be long before you can put them outside, if you're in a suitable part of the country for that. Once you get that far, we can guide you along to the next stage   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    @BobTheGardener is more optimistic than I am about how much root there'll be! I hope he's right :)
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    @JennyJ it does depend on how loose the compost is and how much root there is. :)
    The good thing is even when the roots are damaged somewhat (which is bound to happen), as long as there is some and they are buried deeper, they will grow new 'adventitious' roots from the stem, although they may look very sad and need tlc for a few days. :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    We posted at the same time @BobTheGardener :)
    I think even with a bit of damage, at least  a couple of them should be viable
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Happens all the time, doesn't it @Fairygirl :)
    Yep, I think 4 look like they'll separate ok but the little one might not. :'(
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Your eyesight's better than mine @BobTheGardener - I thought there only was four!

    Even getting a couple from that would be a good result though :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    What a great success!  I currently have two sunflowers that were grown by my six year old as a sent-home class project.

    Leave them where they are for a week or so after transplanting, and then you can start hardening them off for outdoors.  Do you have a sunny space you can plant them in a flower bed?  Or a patio where you can put them outside in pots?  They will also need supports of some type, depending on the variety.  Do you know what kind of tomato seeds they sent you?  
    Utah, USA.
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    Well done so far.......... follow the above advice and they will be producing tomatoes in no time 
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