tomato "issues"

[aquilegia]

How big are your tomato plants and what size pots are they in? And when do you sow them?

I sowed mine late Feb in modules. Potted them up into square 3in pots when they were big enough and they are about 2-3in high now. The roots seem to be growing really slowly and they've not come through the bottom of the pots yet. The one I bought from the shop is about 1ft high.

Will mine ever catch up or should I just compost them?

[aquilegia]

[Trevor_D]

The greenhouse ones were sown in February and they're doing fine: the ones at the allotment are planted out and growing well; the ones for home are ready to go and the only reason they're not planted yet is lack of room as we can't push the bedding plants & baskets on.

But the outdoor ones - sown beginning of April - are very slow. I've just started to pot on the very first into 5" pots, but the majority are still in 3'' pots and just not growing; three varieties (sown a few days after the main batch) still aren't big enough to prick out into 3" pots!

I think it's just too cold - at nights, anyway - even down here in the sub-tropical south.

[goodlife]

Are they looking healthy?...if yes..then don't bin them..they will grow...if they are in cool conditions they might be sulking and do not grow untill they get long enough period of time right temperature..are you keeping compost wet...if you let the compost to dry out (not totally) between waterings that should get your roots going..also try not to water afternoon as wet compost during night will keep plants cold and it is slow to warm up again in the morning... ;)

[goodlife]

First batch of mine were sown end of Feb and they are now in 8" pots and are about 10" tall with first flower buds just showing..later ones well anyhing from 1" to 6" tall and still in 3"pots..

[lottie lou]

Oh heck, I'm very late this year.  I have only just potted mine on into 3" pots.  Hope they catch up.  However the ones I planted in earlyFeb last year were the last the fruit that year.  Don't know if that means anything.

[Dadnlad]

Sowed all our toms early March in propagator
Have a row of Red Alert+Smadar (short early bush toms) in the ground covered with twinwall cloches that are looking fine (crosses fingers) ;)
Main toms are in big rootrainers in unheated g/h about 6-8" tall, roots not showing yet and wont plant out for another month ::)

[plainleaf2]

my last sowing are in 2 in cell at moment they will be transplanted next week to 4 inch pots.
my first sowing are in the ground and have been there since feb 10 in my early plant out setups.

[goodlife]

lottie lou....you are not late at all....some of us are early..I only sow so many varieties to get few earlier tomatoes ...I've  got plenty of plants which are only just grown their first true leaves..

[grannyjanny]

I sowed my seeds 2 weeks ago. I bought a sun baby& will take some cuttings, had some from jayb so I think this way the crops should be staggered. Hope so anyway ;).

[aquilegia]

thanks all. Good to know some of you only have little tomatoes too! I think I might have to sow mine later next year!

And thanks for all the tips Goodlife.

I just had another look at them and they don't look quite so bad as they did yesterday (I must be feeling more positive today!) I will give them a bit more of a chance.

Just had a thought - they are in my potting shed, whereas I've always grown them in the house before. I wonder if it's because it's cooler out there. They were in a heated propagator until it got warmer. Now they are not even in an unheated prop (they got too big!)

[Mrs Gumboot]

Just had a thought - they are in my potting shed, whereas I've always grown them in the house before. I wonder if it's because it's cooler out there. They were in a heated propagator until it got warmer. Now they are not even in an unheated prop (they got too big!)

MIne are on nice sunny windowsills (haven't got a greenhouse!) and they're romping away. Between 4 and 6 inch high and growing by the minute.

I'd be tempted to say bring them into somewhere warmer, but it might be better to keep them out there so they're not so tender and let them catch up in a month or so when it's warm enough to get them outside properly. Wiser heads will be along shortly I'm sure  ;D

I planted a couple of real runts out last year & they soon caught up so I'm sure all is not lost.

[caroline7758]

My worry is that mine are too big! Sown in March and some are now about 18" high even though they are in 4" pots and the roots aren't coming out the bottom, which I think may be due to them reaching for the light. Will this be a problem?

[Jeannine]

When you plant them plant them deep, right uo to the first real leaves, if you think you have dig too deep to do that make trench and lay them down bring the green part up to the end of the trench as you fill in,The plant will  be laid down when you are finished but it will quickly right itself, either way the buried stem grows roots along it's length XX Jeannine