[Totty]

Hi all.
 I have the benefit of an electric heater in the greenhouse which will be on from late december for onions etc etc, i also have some rooted sideshoots from some F1 tomatoes, which are expensive to buy as seed. Can i keep them indoors until the greenhouse is warm enough, then just keep them going until spring and then watch them romp away?
 This would give an earlier yield, possibly more yield due to longer growing season enabling more than 5 or 6 trusses to fully ripen, maybe the benefit of taking sideshoots from the best plants would result in a greenhouse full of clones of last years best plants and of course saving money on seed?

Totty

[mumofstig]

there's only one way to find out   

Will you be keeping the greenhouse just frost free, for the onions, or above 10...the absolute minimum for toms IMO? The difference in fuel will costly, and it may be cheaper to buy seed than up the temperature 

[Yorkie]

Apart from toms needing 10deg minimum, they will also probably get quite drawn and leggy with insufficient light length in the day.

[Totty]

I actually have a growframe ( like a 4ft high cold frame with shelves) inside the greenhouse. The heater will be in there and after the start of january ill be hoping to keep it around 10-15 degrees in ther. The greenhouse itself is totally lined with bubble wrap.
 I had thought the lack of sun may cause them to get a bit drawn, but maybe if i can get them to grow, and produce sideshoots, i can root these and have smaller but stockier plants growing as the days start to get longer.
 Maybe i could let the cuttings get going indoors until after Christmas as i have a windowsill that probably catches all the daylight during the winter??

Totty

[sunshineband]

Despite the low temps last winter and 'frost free' in my greenhouse at home, a seedling tomato plant (from a fruit that fell on a pot of soil) not only lasted the whole winter but gave us a good crop of tomatoes in the summer 

Why don't you have some of your cuttings indoors to be on the safe side though? 

[mumofstig]

  Those self seeders do sometimes make me wonder how hardy they really are 

Some varieties are definitely hardier than others, in my experience.

[sunshineband]

I'm hoping for a repeat performance in the coming winter