Tomatoes too early?

hwalkerh

Hi

My mum grew some tomato plants from seed and gave me a couple but they are already about a foot tall and now i notice one has started to get flowers.

Is it too early for them to be flowering, especially as they are no way near fully grown.

thanks

Lotus-eater

No it's not really too early for them to be flowering, as long as they are not too leggy, they will be fine.
Depending where you are and where you plan to grow them in their final position, it may be time to move them to it.

Sally_A

If they are getting a bit leggy, put them into bigger pots and plant them deeper; tomatoes will grow more roots from the lower stem. I wouldn't risk them outside yet, but an unheated greenhouse with the door shut over night should be OK if you are in a warmish part of the country.

hwalkerh

They actually look really healthy and are bulking out well. I am taking them in at night and putting them out when it is good enough so fingers crossed they will be fine.
thanks

ginvzt

Mine are outside since Friday last week (still in pots), and seem to be surviving... They will go in bigger planters in a week or two. Inside they were just shooting up so much, I had to do something! (yes, they had plenty of sunlight, water, etc)

skelly01

Be careful with the greenhouse. I live in Central Scotland and lost all my plants that I had grown from seed last week due to the sudden frosts. They had all been doing so well in the greenhouse too. I got caught out as they needed watering so I did it and the frost got them overnight. If only I had left the watering to the following morning!! All my toms, cucumbers, courgettes and peppers gone.
Will need to buy some plants from the garden centres now as too late to start from seed.
Oh and now got the heaters back on at night in the greenhouse!!!

Primrose

If you have got any of those large square 5 litre mineral water bottles, you can cut the bottom off, plant the tomatoes out and pop the mineral water bottle over it with a bamboo cane poked through the hole to anchor it against the wind. (providing the tomato isn't too tall once you've planted it in an extra deep hole). These bottles are also useful for protecting courgettes, peppers, etc. if you HAVE to move them outside a little earlier than you would like because they're growing too fast.