Transferring Small Plants to Growpots

Moving Small Plants to Grow Pots

Watch out for Frost

You cannot leave seedlings or young plants outside overnight until all danger of frost is past, which in most areas of the UK is estimated to be around mid to late May.

Later In The Season

If you missed the opportunity to grow from seeds, pop down to your local garden centre and purchase ready plants, which can be transferred into the tomato grow pots. 

Buying plug plants is much less time consuming, however ,you will have less choice over tomato varieties.

Knowing when plants are ready to move

The key reason for not moving plants outside too early is frost, however heavy rain and wind can easily break young plants which have not yet grown strong enough to handle the elements.

When it comes to weather in the UK, it can be unpredictable. Despite ‘global warming’ we often see high winds and heavy rain and sometimes even cold snaps in June, so it’s worth being diligent and monitoring the weather to ensure the best results for your young plants.

Perfect Time to plant outside

The perfect time to plant outside is late May / early June, after the last frosts of the spring.

Tomatoes are long-season, heat-loving plants that won’t tolerate frost. At this stage, (shown below), it’s too early to move them outside. 

Once the indoor grown plant has reached a point where it’s robust enough to be moved outside, you can set about moving them into one of our tomato grow pots. 

Choosing a spot to plant outside

Obviously, you need to choose a suitable sunny spot in your garden, sheltering it from high winds and heavy rain and don’t forget, if you have small children, watch out for the deadly football …. 

Harvest the Fruits of your Labour

You have watched and cared for your plants all summer and they have survived the unpredictable weather (and footballs) and it’s time to reap the rewards.

The ideal time to harvest your home grown tomatoes is between July and October

Satisfaction

There is nothing more rewarding than picking a ripe, homegrown tomato from your own garden, ready for eating straight away or using in a suitable tomato recipe. 

Tomato Plant Diseases

Tomatoes are susceptible to a number of diseases that may or may not be a problem in your area. To be on the safe side, I always grow at least one variety with resistance to verticillium and fusarium (designated by a V or F after the variety name).

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Related: Tomato Growpot Instructions, History of the Tomato, Growing Tomato from Seeds