![]() ![]() When to transplant tomato seedlings to bigger pots outdoors That means you can start the hardening off process right around the last frost date in your region – provided your tomato plants are ready. T his process, called “hardening off,” helps prepare tomato seedlings for the shock of transplanting. Increase their exposure each day to help acclimate them to temperatures, sunlight, and wind. ![]() About 7-10 days before planting tomatoes outdoors, begin setting them outside in a protected area for a few hours at the time. ![]() Consult the calendar and calculate the optimum date to transplant tomato seedlings outside by adding 10-14 days to your region’s last frost date.īut before you move your tomato seedlings directly from their safe and comfortable indoor home on that magic date, prepare them for the adjustment. They do best when planted about 10-14 days after the last frost date so that the soil can warm further. What is your area’s last frost date? Tomatoes are heat lovers. But how do you know when to set out your tomato seedlings into your garden plot?Ĭheck your local extension or a region map. They’ve got multiple branches and leaves. You’ve transplanted your baby tomato seedlings to 3-6” transplant pots and over the last few weeks, they’ve flourished. When to transplant tomato seedlings outside But make sure your pot is no bigger than one gallon or else transplanting the seedling to the garden or to a patio container will be a significant shock. Choose a pot that’s 2-3 times the size of your tomato’s current home – like a 6” pot or a quart container. It’s time for something else – for transplanting tomato seedlings to a bigger container. Yet it’s not yet time to set your tomato plants outdoors. Your plant is root bound or it’s too big for your 3-4” pot. Let’s say your tomato seedling is no longer a seedling … it’s a small plant. When to transplant tomato seedlings a second time Let the seedling accumulate branches, leaves, and height in these individual pots before beginning the process of hardening off. Instead, you’ll almost always need to transplant tomato seedlings from peat pellets into a bigger pot in the 3-6” range. The largest size works best for starting tomato seeds.Īnd since tomatoes need lots of strong roots to be healthy and strong in the garden, it’s rare to place peat pellet seedlings directly in your garden. The pellets are available in three sizes: 36mm (1.4 inches), 42mm (1.65 inches) and 50mm (about 2 inches). Peat pellets are disks of dehydrated peat, held together by biodegradable fine mesh netting, that are used for starting seeds. When to transplant tomato seedlings from peat pellets If two tomato seedlings have germinated in the same cell or closely together, then use tines of a fork to separate stalks and roots. You may need a bit of ingenuity in the process. When tomato seedlings have 2 sets of leaves the second set is at least ½” long, it’s time to move them up to 3-6” transplant pots. The longer seedlings stay in trays, the greater the shock they’ll experience when you move them into their own “apartments.” Plus, if you’ve started plants in a seed tray without cells, then there’s a good change that tomato seedlings’ roots will intermingle. Tomatoes need that room in order to grow strong root systems. ![]()
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