Beginner help please - tomato seedlings

adbarnes

Hi,

I need some advice please.  

I should preface this with the fact that I know nothing about growing veg.



I have several tomato seedlings growing in my greenhouse in these small cardboard seed pots.  They seem to be growing but think they are overdue going into something bigger.

My question is, what is the best next step?  Should I plant them in bigger pots? or plant them compost bags? I'm guessing I should leave them in the cardboard pot when I replant them?

Thanks

Fairygirl

I'd pot those into slightly bigger pots - preferably with more depth than width. That means you can bury them up to those bottom leaves, which are just the seed leaves, and they'll get a good sturdy root system going.
I personally wouldn't leave them in those pots. I don't think plants grow out through them as readily as many folk say, but others may disagree   
They're too small yet to go into anything big, especially a growbag or similar 

Dovefromabove

Hi @adbarnes and welcome to the forum 

That looks a nice sturdy plant so you've made a good start ... I would put plants like that into bigger pots ... about twice to three times the size, using good multi-purpose compost.  I would give them a really good watering first so that the cardboard pot is really wet, then I would plant it deep so that the cardboard is completely buried and the compost comes up to the bottom set of leaves ... the stems of tomatoes will grow extra roots when they're buried, so that makes for bigger better plants.  

I use those cardboard pots, and I find that as long as they're kept moist the roots have no problem in growing through them, but if they get dry the roots struggle, which is why I say give them a good soak before planting.  Then of course they'll keep moist as you'll water the compost around them.

If we're saying anything you don't understand please don't hesitate to ask ... we were all beginners once 

JennyJ

With those cardboard pots I usually leave the bottom part where the roots are already growing through but tear off the top part. Don't know why really, it's not very logical, and probably makes no difference if you plant them deep, up to the leaves.

adbarnes

Thanks for the replies, very helpful. 

Would a pot this size suffice?


Should I do similar for lettuce and cucumber seedings?

Thanks again.

Skandi

Can I just say that plant IS NOT a tomato!  Did you plant any sunflowers?

adbarnes

  I knew I should labeled everything.  This must be the plants that my kids planted 

Nanny Beach

Skandi,that's exactly what I was thinking 

adbarnes

Ok, I think these are the Tomatoes?

JennyJ

Yes!

Dovefromabove

Ah yes … well spotted @Skandi … another time I should’ve had my specs on … embarrassing 😳