
Carefully feed the roots right down into the hole then gently firm the seedling in. Lift each seedling carefully, only ever handling them by their leaves, never the delicate stems. Make holes in the potting mix with your finger, a pencil or something similar. Work with small batches of seedlings so they don’t dry out while their roots are bare. Try to retain as much of the original potting mix around the roots as you can. Carefully ease the seedlings out of the tray they were growing in then gently tease them apart. Start pricking out as soon as the seedlings are big enough to handle.įill plug trays or pots with good quality all-purpose potting mix.

This helps them get off to a good start.‘Pricking out’ means separating out seedlings growing together and transferring them into their own plugs or pots of potting mix.

Once the tomato seedlings are ready to transplant into the garden, choose a sunny location with good drainage. This process acclimates the young plants to increased periods of direct sunlight and wind each day. Tomato plants started in a protected environment like a greenhouse or inside your home will require a 7 to 10 day period of hardening off prior to transplanting into the garden.

In general, hold off transplanting seedlings until after the last frost date and when soil temperatures reach 60 degrees F. When to transplant tomato seedlings into the garden will vary depending upon your climate and growing zone. Tomatoes are a warm season crop and do best when day and night temperatures range between 60 and 80 degrees F. When repotting tomato seedlings, choose a well-draining potting soil and a 4 to 6 inch (10-15 cm.) deep container. Do this two to four weeks prior to planting in the garden. Unless the tomato seedlings will soon be transplanted into the garden, it’s advisable to repot any plants which are root bound or have become leggy.
#REPOTTING TOMATO SEEDLINGS FREE#
Tomato seedlings should have a bright green color, a hardy stem to support the plant, and be free of pests. Whether you start your own plants or purchase seedlings, the health of the tomato plants has a big impact on their future success.

Following these practices will ensure your tomato plants get off to a good start. But when it comes to transplanting tomato seedlings into the garden, there are a few basic do’s and don’ts. It seems every gardener has their own secrets for growing tomatoes.
