Cold & Seedlings - OK or Start Over?

ermentrude · March 4, 2015

First year planting from seed in earnest. Tried a few last summer for fall planting but failed.

I planted my tomato seeds on the 7th or 8th of February. They stayed in the house for about a week until they started germinating and then they went out into the unheated garage where I have a very simple setup. A little stand made out of PVC pipe, wrapped in foiled bubble wrap insulation, with a couple little grow lights overhead. I started 24 seedlings and am hoping for 8 plants - any others will go to friends.

Right after the seedlings went outside, we had the annual Charleston cold snap. I was distracted during this lovely time (had to put a cat down unexpectedly and then handled my parent's house closing for them). While my garage is not heated, it is well insulated and according to my unquestionably accurate car, it didn't get below 32. I kept watering during this time but they just sat there and did nothing.

This past weekend the temps started going up and magically my seedlings have their first set of true leaves coming in - almost a month after planting. I was planning to transplant into bigger pots this weekend but then started to worry, will the cold have hurt them somehow? Should I just start over? I know that it would be cutting it close, but I don't want to be without plants.

Worth1 · March 4, 2015

Just take care of them they will do fine and many times better than ones that stayed warm.
I have done this many times.
I even had one come up in a pile of dirt in November outside 3 years ago.

We would park the truck over it at night to protect it somewhat.
I never expected it to make it and I had no idea what is was.
It turned out to be an orange Russian and was one of my best producers.
That seed washed down about 60 feet and sprouted there because I remember tossing a bird eaten tomato on to the drive the previous summer.

Worth

jmsieglaff · March 4, 2015

I wouldn't start over. I put my tomatoes out into my cold frame each spring and they usually have a couple nights in the upper 30s/lower 40s in the cold frame. They don't grow much those cool days/nights, but otherwise grow nicely in the cold frame until they are ready for planting out. The plants flourish and produce nicely when planted out.

I don't know that you'll need to transplant them yet though. If they've been in a prolonged period of cool weather, they may not have grown much either above or below ground. If they are not getting uncomfortable in their current container, you don't need to be in a hurry to transplant them.

ermentrude · March 4, 2015

OK, well that is good to know it might not be that bad. I'll give them a little more time in their little egg trays and go from there...

jmsieglaff · March 4, 2015

If roots are encompassing a big portion of their growing space, then by all means transplant. It won't hurt anything to transplant early, but I was just saying don't fret over it if they aren't getting rootbound.

JamesL · March 4, 2015

You gave them a "cold treatment" which can be a very good thing....
http://www.kdcomm.net/~tomato/Tomato/start.html
Pot them up and watch'em take off.

March 4, 2015	#1
ermentrude Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Charleston SC Posts: 34	Cold & Seedlings - OK or Start Over? First year planting from seed in earnest. Tried a few last summer for fall planting but failed. I planted my tomato seeds on the 7th or 8th of February. They stayed in the house for about a week until they started germinating and then they went out into the unheated garage where I have a very simple setup. A little stand made out of PVC pipe, wrapped in foiled bubble wrap insulation, with a couple little grow lights overhead. I started 24 seedlings and am hoping for 8 plants - any others will go to friends. Right after the seedlings went outside, we had the annual Charleston cold snap. I was distracted during this lovely time (had to put a cat down unexpectedly and then handled my parent's house closing for them). While my garage is not heated, it is well insulated and according to my unquestionably accurate car, it didn't get below 32. I kept watering during this time but they just sat there and did nothing. This past weekend the temps started going up and magically my seedlings have their first set of true leaves coming in - almost a month after planting. I was planning to transplant into bigger pots this weekend but then started to worry, will the cold have hurt them somehow? Should I just start over? I know that it would be cutting it close, but I don't want to be without plants.

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March 4, 2015	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Just take care of them they will do fine and many times better than ones that stayed warm. I have done this many times. I even had one come up in a pile of dirt in November outside 3 years ago. We would park the truck over it at night to protect it somewhat. I never expected it to make it and I had no idea what is was. It turned out to be an orange Russian and was one of my best producers. That seed washed down about 60 feet and sprouted there because I remember tossing a bird eaten tomato on to the drive the previous summer. Worth

March 4, 2015	#3
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	I wouldn't start over. I put my tomatoes out into my cold frame each spring and they usually have a couple nights in the upper 30s/lower 40s in the cold frame. They don't grow much those cool days/nights, but otherwise grow nicely in the cold frame until they are ready for planting out. The plants flourish and produce nicely when planted out. I don't know that you'll need to transplant them yet though. If they've been in a prolonged period of cool weather, they may not have grown much either above or below ground. If they are not getting uncomfortable in their current container, you don't need to be in a hurry to transplant them.

March 4, 2015	#6
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	You gave them a "cold treatment" which can be a very good thing.... http://www.kdcomm.net/~tomato/Tomato/start.html Pot them up and watch'em take off.