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Tomato plants and frost

Glasgowgardener777Glasgowgardener777 Posts: 41
in Fruit & veg
Afternoon all,

question about tomato plants. I've probably started a few weeks too early with my tomatoes and now have 18 x 20cm tomato plants that I'm having transfer between my mini greenhouse and kitchen every morning and evening due to the low temperatures. Things are looking to warm up very slightly in a couple of days, so...... if the forecast air temp is 0c will they be safe in the (mini) greenhouse all night, knowing that the soil is always slightly warmer than the air?

What actually damages them, soil temperature, air temperature or both?

Posts

  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    Frost, flows like a bank of fog. I believe what causes the main problem at this time of year is the dew settling on the leaves and then freezing.  When there are prolonged periods of cold the ground freezes and that also kills the plant. At this time of year in England the soil temperature rises about 1 degree Celsius a week in normal circumstances. 
    AB Still learning

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited April 2021
    Hello and welcome to the forum 😊 

    My answer is, in my opinion it’s either and/or both.   It’s not just cold that’s the problem. It’s lack of warmth. They will sulk at temperatures below the mid teens for more than a short while. They will stop growing and it can take ages to get them going again. 

    Once our toms and squashes are too big for our windowsills we’ll be joining you in the morning and evening Hokey Cokey for several weeks ... probably  until the last few days of May when, if the weather cooperates, we’ll hopefully be able to leave
    them out in the little wooden grow house overnight until we dare plant them outside 🤞 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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