You should repot your tomato seedlings when they are 2 to 4 inches (5.1 to 10.2 centimeters) tall. The time this occurs will vary depending on the tomato variety and growing conditions. Once your tomato seedlings grow to a height of 2 to 4 inches (5.1 to 10.2 centimeters), you can think about repotting them to a larger container.
When should I repot my seedlings?
To be sure their seedlings have a good root system, many gardeners prefer to repot them a second time before setting them out in the garden. Wait until seedlings are six to 10 inches tall.
How to repot tomato seedlings?
Repotting seedlings in general is fairly straightforward. Just plop the plant out, put it in a new container, and refill with soil. But tomato seedlings are unique in that they like to be buried deeply. They have the ability to form new roots along their stems, so they can be repotted up to their lowest set of leaves.
When to fertilize tomato seedlings?
Tomato seedlings can be fertilized every 4 weeks during spring and then given a dose of fruit promoting fertilizer at the start of Summer. Allowing the plant to use up the nitrogen in the soil to shift the balance in Summer will help to promote flower and tomato growth.
The next thing we wanted the answer to was when to fertilize seedlings?
A good rule of thumb is to wait until the seedling grows its second set of true leaves to start fertilizing. The first leaves to emerge from a seedling after germination are cotyledon leaves. True leaves are the actual foliage of the plant.
One source stated however, when you have seedlings, you may want to help give them a healthy boost to get the growth off to a good start. The issue is, time is as vital as the fertilizer you use for your tomato plant, so in this guide, you can learn all you need to know.
This begs the query “What do you feed tomato seedlings?”
Some think that the first sets of leaves are called cotyledons, and to feed these, all the required nutrients are stored inside the seed for them to grow. (Read Soil For Tomatoes) However, once the second set of true leaves appear, you can then begin to start feeding the seedlings with a solution of diluted fertilizer.
Once you get results from a soil test, you could find you need low nitrogen yet higher phosphorous level fertilizer When you have tomato in your garden, the levels of fertilization depends on their stage of growth. While they need all the nutrients, the levels of each will vary at each stage of growth.
When are tomato seedlings ready to transplant?
Tomato seedlings are ready to be transplanted when they are at least 3 inches tall, and have their first true leaves, which are the second and subsequent sets of leaves that appear.
When your tomato seedlings have three to five sets of true leaves, it’s time to get them ready to face the world outside the house (or greenhouse). The process of hardening off gives plants a chance to slowly adapt to the outdoor environment in which they will grow, and it promotes stronger plants.
When tomato seedlings are three or four inches tall and have their second pair of leaves, it’s time to take them out of their crowded containers and put them into deeper, roomier ones. Any part of the tomato stem that’s covered with soil will develop roots, and a large root system is important for transplants.
How long should tomato seedlings be left out overnight?
After a week, leave the tomato seedlings outdoors overnight if nighttime temperatures stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave the plants outdoors overnight for several nights in a row before transplanting them into a permanent position in the garden.
When to harden off tomato seedlings?
Tomatoes are warm-weather plants and are very fragile at this stage of growth. Hardening off should be done on clear or overcast days (no rain), when daytime temperatures are at a minimum of mid-50 degrees, with little to no wind. Granted, those conditions can sometimes be difficult to come by in April! The process should be conducted slowly over a week to ten days. The rule of thumb for hardening off tomato plants is one hour outside on day one, two hours outside on day two, and so on until.
Should You harden off tomato seedlings?
Hardening off seedlings to acclimate them to outdoor conditions is vital for their survival, particularly for cold-sensitive species such as tomatoes. Hardening off tomato seedlings differs somewhat from hardening other types of plants.
Watch the weather closely – the best time to harden plants off is on wet or overcast days under cover of a greenhouse or cold frame. Overcast days don’t stress the plants with high afternoon temperatures and are unlikely to produce hard frosts at night.