Grr when is it going to warm up - a tomato question...

Hi all

I have been waiting for the weather to get warm before I plant my tomatoes out, but to no avail (it's a high of 15c today in Wigan - brr). I have an outdoor bush variety called 'the amateur' (a heritage variety) which apparently will be ok outdoors in the English summer, but I'm nervous about planting them out especially as the nights are quite cold at the moment (6 or 7c). I'll need to do it soon as they're a foot tall with their first flower buds on, and my window is getting very crowded (I've got ten of the blighters!).

My question is, should I go for it and plant them out during this cold-ish spell or should I wait a week or two to see if the weather improves? I've been trying to acclimatise them by leaving them outdoors during the day, but I'm still not very confident as it's my first year of growing them! Will outdoor varieties be okay with cold nights as long as there's no frost? I read somewhere that tomatoes can't take temps less than 10c.

Thanking you in advance!

paddy

 

I think you have got to bite the bullet paddy.

Hardening off is the key, and as you've been doing that they should be OK.

You could try planting out just a couple and see how they go for a week.

 

As Pete says Paddy; you should be safe enough now. Our Gardener's Delight toms have been planted outside for the past month and they are looking very healthy and we are a couple of hundred miles north of you.

 

A type you may wish to try for next year is a Thompson and Morgan seed called Sub-Artic-Plenty.

It's an out of doors bush tomato. Excellent cropper and can withstand quite cool weather. Small but sweet toms.