Tomato potting on

Hi guys. Its my first year growing tomatoes. Do these need bigger pots yet?

Do i need to do antthing when i do this?

Thanks

 

Think the back two might be just ready to move up one size, into say those back outer pots, as they are still quiet small plants.

Don't forget there is the Tomato 2020 thread for all such questions and tips etc.
TOMATO GROWING THREAD 2020

 

They seem to be ready to move to larger pots, before the roots start circling.
A few of mine were that size 3 weeks ago, I moved them to 20cm pots and now they are 2 feet tall, I can see little flowers developing, so ready for the garden
I am sure more experienced gardeners will be able to give more advice about repotting, I can only suggest to be gentle and take your time, so not to damage the roots, of course.

 

In case helpful here's what I do when potting on

I only use same-brand-and-size pots for everything, 'coz I have loads to do and it streamlines the process, but folk might be using Yogurt tubs and other cartons as pots all of different sizes. Principle is the same.

I put a little compost in the bottom of the new bigger pot, then place an empty pot (same size as the plant is in) on top and check that the level is about the same for the two pots, if anything the inner pot should be a bit lower and not higher. If your pots are not uniform then stand the existing plant, in its pot, in there instead. The reason I don;t do that is all that handling of the plant, whilst filling the new pot, leads to damage and accidents and, in my case, takes longer on the 1,000's I do each year ...

Now fill all around the inner pot with compost. Only need to get about 80% of the way up the pot. Lift out the empty pot (after a few goes it will be full of fresh compost rather than empty!) or the plant if you used that.

Place one hand over the top of the old pot, fingers either side of the plant stem, palm hand flush with the top of the pot / compost surface. Turn the plant upside down and give the edge of the old pot a couple of sharp taps e.g. on bench-surface and the plant should "drop" out of the pot ... the aim is that it only drops the 1/2" or so into your waiting hand. If your plant is now on the floor you have done it wrong!

By the by, this is also a good way to check if the pot is full of roots - lift of the pot, inspect the roots, replace the pot, turn back right-way-up. If the roots have not filled the old pot it isn't ready for potting on, and will probably fall-to-bits if you try.

Take off the now-loose old pot, and turn the plant back right-way-up and place into the neat hole in the centre of the new pot. The old pot has a bit of thickness so there will be a bit of a gap, and the new compost was not firmed down, so I now lift the new pot and knock down gently on the bench to settle the new compost. I then add more compost until up to the level of the original compost surface.

Be careful about burying the plant deeper than it was before, most plants won't tolerate that (a few mm won't make any difference, but if (to pick a facetious example) you piled soil around a tree trunk it would likely kill it)

As it happens Tomatoes are quite happy to be buried deeper as they make new roots from their stem. People advocate planting Tomatoes deeper at each potting-on - I don't! It takes Tomatoes quite some time to form those new roots from the stem, meanwhile (unless using very tall "Tom pots") the plant has been put very low in the new pot with little compost under the rootball, so there is very little for the existing roots to grow down into. Roots can grow up as well, but that is not their normal behaviour ... so, again, "takes time". When I plant out my Tomato plants in the soil that is the time that I plant them "deep". Masses of soil in my borders, compared to my pots so easy to achieve at that time.