Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: bendipa on March 25, 2012, 17:04

Title: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: bendipa on March 25, 2012, 17:04
My tomato seedlings have just reached the fist leaf stage. I was wondering if it is safe to leave them outside overnight, where the temperature can drop to 40°F at present? I forgot to bring them in last night which was quite cold, but they appear to be ok so far.
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: mumofstig on March 25, 2012, 17:06
They need to be over 10C at night. My greenhouse is unheated, so they can't even stay in there overnight  :(
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: bendipa on March 25, 2012, 17:19
Thanks for that. Mind you it was 40°F last night and they haven't keeled over or turned blue yet, so it seems they are tougher than I thought.
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: DD. on March 25, 2012, 17:21
I wouldn't keep treating them to those temperatures, you may have got away with it, on the other hand you've yet to find out if their growth has been checked.
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: lucywil on March 25, 2012, 18:57
If they are only at their first leaf stage I wouldn't put them outside at all yet, not even during the day
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: Totty on March 25, 2012, 22:31
On the hardiness scale i would put tomatoes at zero. They need to be mollycoddled right up until it is 10 degrees minimum when they can go in the greenhouse. My plants are out in a heated greenhouse but after i re adjusted it a couple of nights ago it got down to around 8-9 and a few look ropey now. Dont risk it.

Totty
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: DD. on March 26, 2012, 07:31
Another forst here last night.

I wouldn't trust even my heated greenhouse yet.
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: A Reyt Tayty on March 26, 2012, 11:18
*!
I set some tommy seed in an unheated greenhouse last week. Have I dropped one?
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: mumofstig on March 26, 2012, 11:46
yes!

No seed packet to read?  ::)
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: A Reyt Tayty on March 26, 2012, 11:56
Will they eventually get going, albeit very slowly?

If setting in an unheated g/house, when would you recommend?
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: DD. on March 26, 2012, 12:02
At the earliest, inside the house now, with a view to them going in there end of April/Early May.

I've jut sown mine, but do have a heated greenhouse in which to throw them into temporarily, if need be.

May be as well to hold off for another couple of weeks, in the mean time, bring indoors those that you have sown & keep fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: mumofstig on March 26, 2012, 12:03
I'd recommend indoors on a windowsill at least until germination. Outside is much too cold at night for germination, even inside a greenhouse.
You need a minimum soil temp of 16C....I can't think how late in the year you would be waiting to get those temperatures  :blink:
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: Stevens706 on March 26, 2012, 12:49
I noticed on Saturday that I have 2 self sown tomato plants growing in the greenhouse, from a fruit that must have fallen last year.
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: bendipa on March 26, 2012, 18:04
Well my tom seedlings survived that 40°F temp the other night and don't appear to have checked growth. Put them out in full sun today at 63°F, but will bring them in tonight as light frost is forecast. Chives are doing well too. What a great plant that is, ornamental as well as edible.
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: viettaclark on March 26, 2012, 18:15
I was impatient like you a couple of years ago and put my small tom plants outside where they promptly turned blue and didn't grow until the temps were much higher.
Now I wait until April/May to sow inside and they catch up anyway!
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: DD. on March 26, 2012, 19:35
Well my tom seedlings survived that 40°F temp the other night and don't appear to have checked growth.

You won't be able to tell in just one day whether growth has been checked or not!
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: A Reyt Tayty on April 02, 2012, 19:02
You know how I told you I set some tommy seed just over 3 weeks ago in an unheated greenhouse? Well, one or two of them are making an appearance today. :wacko:
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: DD. on April 02, 2012, 19:09
The worst is yet to come for them!
Title: Re: Tomato seedlings - Hardiness
Post by: A Reyt Tayty on April 02, 2012, 19:23
I'm expecting as much. I've done some more and kept them in the house, but just out of interest, I'm going to see how the ones in the greenhouse do.