Tomato plants, next step?

Nel_Staffs

I was given 4 pricked out  seedlings of Moneymaker a few weeks ago. I've been tending them on an indoor windowsill  in an almost south facing position. They're now looking ready to be moved from the 2 small pots. Do I pot up individually? Do they need to stay indoors?  I have a cold frame if it's too soon for them to be outside in a permanent position on my South facing patio in a much larger pot?   Sorry for all the questions. I wouldn't have chosen them, but now they're here, I want to give them a chance to be productive!
Thanks in advance for any info. 😊

JennyJ

I'd say definitely they should be in individual pots. They're probably intertwined at the roots so some damage is unavoidable, but plant them deeper, right up to the seed leaves, and they'll make new roots from the buried parts of the stems which will strengthen them. Depending on your local climate, they might be OK in the cold frame, closed up and fleeced at nights if it's going to be cool, but harden them off gradually first. To start with put them out only during the day when it's warm, and somewhere out of the wind. For now choose a pot size that will give them a month or so growing room and that you can move in and out without too much difficulty. when they've filled those they should be able to go to their final places.

Fairygirl

Yes - get them into their own pots - ideally something with a bit of depth so that you can bury them up to the seed leaves 
They'd need to stay inside until the temps are suitable, and that will depend on where you are. To carry on thriving, they need overnight temps to be consistently in double figures. Your cold frame might be ok, as long as it has enough height for them, but you'd need to check the temps in it. It would be a shame if they got set back as they look great. They might need some little supports put in too when you move them on, just so they stay nice and upright.  I think those need the side shoots pinched out on them when they appear, but it's easy enough to check that via Mr Google.  

Don't worry about asking questions. It's the way we learn - I doubt I'd have had a clue about toms when I started gardening! 

Nel_Staffs

Thank you very much @JennyJ and @Fairygirl. I'm in South Staffordshire, but almost on the border with Shropshire. Fairly open countryside to the west. 
The toms will be moved to bigger pots today.  The cold frame isn't on soil, but against the east fence on our South-facing patio. Has plenty of height both from the ground or from the removable wooden shelf.
I've grown toms before, but I think of them as a bit of a faff 😉. If I had room for a greenhouse, I'd practically live in it 😁

Fairygirl

I know what you mean about them being a bit of  faff. I sometimes wonder whether it's worth doing them, but I like being able to pick fruit in summer and just eat them - a lot of them never make it into the kitchen 
It's not possible to have them outdoors here due to the climate - too inconsistent, and temps often too low at night, but I only grow about four or five plants in the little growhouse I have, and that's plenty for us from about July onwards. Now that I have it on soil, rather than using pots, it's more economical too.