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Planting out tomatoes
Jonesk
Posts: 205
in Fruit & veg
Hello all,
I live in North Wales and sowed my first batch of tomatoe seeds in Feb this year. They are F1 Tumblers (Hanging basket/pot variety). I'm glad to say they have done brilliantly and already have some good sized fruit on them 
However, they are huge! Already trailing further than they're pots so I've got them teetering on the windowsill weighted with stones! They go out during the day and have done for many weeks and I bring them back in at night.
Is it time to plant them out yet? They really have outgrown they're allotted space!
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I am in the midlands & night temperature have been dropping below 7c this week 5c one night. I think this is to cold for tomatoes
I agree with Pansyface...way too cold for tomatoes. I was sowing my tomatoes last month and will hopefully harden off late May and plant out early June.
Jonesk, can't believe you already have fruit on your tomatoes
Hi Jonesk. If you're struggling fro space, you could invest in one of the little plastic growhouses just so that you can get them outside. That's where mine are - they went out there at the weekend. I'm in Scotland and they're quite happy. They'll stay undercover as the weather here is far too unpredictable to leave them outdoors
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
There are two types of tomato being Urbikany & Latah, (bush type), that I planted outdoors last year on 27th April. They are supposed to be for cooler climates and, me being in Lancashire I decided to give them a try.
They both crop early and went on yielding well into Oct
Can be bought here: (www.realseeds.co.uk)
I planted my tomatoes out last Monday (11th May). I knew it was a bit early but they were over a foot tall and looking great (I live in south Devon). The forecast said nighttime temps would be about 9, which is just about Ok. Then on the late forecast he said there might be FROST! So there I was at 10.30 pm, out there with a torch, throwing fleece over my plants, worried I would lose them all.
It didn't go down below 5, and my plants have been unprotected since Tuesday morning. I have to say they are looking very happy and green and healthy so far.
The same can not be said for the few French beans I put out at the same time. Big mistake. Luckily I have some more in the mini-greenhouse.
Jonesk - are your tomatoes in hanging baskets or just pots?
I was just thinking that as long as you can arrange some hooks/brackets inside you should be able to move hanging baskets in and out fairly easily depending on the overnight forecast.
I have erected a wooden rail in my conservatory to hang baskets* on S hooks until they are mature enough to go outside - just make sure whatever you use is suitable for the weight of the baskets!
*It's actually part of a much larger framework I erected to support my tomatoes in the conservatory, there is a longitudinal beam down the centre which I am using for baskets although later in the season I will run strings across from each side beam to train the tomatoes across the top if/when they run out of room to grow up!