Dividing tomato seedlings

[cjp1953]

Mine have grown with thick stems,I have the shop light down touching the tops of the plants.This has caused some leaf damaged where they touched the bulbs even though the bulbs are only warm to the touch.I had them outside one day last week but then the weather got too cold to be outside.This weeks weather is much warmer.They were out 2 hours today and I will increase the time by an hour or so each day until next week.Then I will leave them outside overnight and plant on the holiday weekend..Right now they are 6 to 8 inches tall but very thick looking plants.

[dirtdobber]

No worries I had a few in each cell this year and also some singles and the ones I separated and transplanted into individual cells looked better than the ones that sprouted individually, they are now in the ground 18" tall stalks as big around as my thumb and blooming. The best looking maters I have ever grown! I will never buy store bought seedlings again!

[cjp1953]

Sounds like you seedlings are doing great!Mine have been outside hardening off in the sun and shade.Our weather is warming up this week with highs in the low 80's in the day and lows around 56 to 60 at night.I put a trap over my garden to warm up the ground during this warm spell and will plant out next Monday or Tuesday.Hoping by then the soil temps are over 60 degrees.

[dirtdobber]

yeah I was concerned we had a week to a week and a half that the highs where in the upper 60's and lows in the 40's I think that is what made the plants so stocky!!!! I noticed the volunteers where doing alright in the cool temps so I put my plants out. I have learned in the past 3 years that tomatoes are pretty hardy! I gave up on some last year that looked bad so I just left them in the back with no attention until I noticed tomatoes hanging on almost bare stalks....they didn't taste the best but the plants did produce with no water except the rain we got.

[cjp1953]

Today my wife and I spent the day in Amish country here in Ohio.We started in Kidron and made our way down to Sugarcreek and back up to Berlin.I noticed that many Amish women were planting in their gardens.I'm only 45 to 50 miles from Holmes county.I planed on putting my garden in next week as the temps are staying in the 80's during the day and 60's at night.Rain is in the forecast early next week.Might get my tomato plants in this weekend.Have been hardening them off this week and the last two days they have been getting full sun and look very good.They are spending the night outside tonight and will stay out until I plant.The Amish planting is a good sign that garden time is here.This is the best time of the year,next to eating those tomatoes right out of the garden,