What to do with my lonely Tomato?

[gixxerific]

As some of you know I have a tomato (Isis Candy Cherry) that I planted somwhere around Dec just to watch it grow, not really thinking it would make it this far. But I have since repotted it and it is doin pretty good. But it is getting too big for my indoor grow area. I have to place it just right so it's not touching the lights (don't worry they are fourescent, minimal heat).

So would it be okay to bring it upstairs and put in a window for a while, hopefully till it goes outside? It would be a West or North facing widow but still a decent amount of light. It is cold in the basement and for the amount of time it has been growing is not really doing too much.

Thanks, still trying to figure out this indoor stuff.

Dono

[applestar]

Try putting it near, but not too close to, your best uncovered south-facing window, possibly with supplemental CFL light, and draw the window covering closed across the window during the night to keep out the coldest air (don't let the leaves touch the window or get trapped between the window covering and the window). Mine (an unID'd volunteer -- looks like some kind of cherry tomato) has a 3rd fruit starting to grow. I really thought that the 2nd cluster wasn't going to produce. 1st cluster has 2 green 1" fruits and 2 of those 1/4" babies that may or may not start to grow after the first two are harvested. The upper cluster only has the 1 fruit but it's grown to about 3/8"

It's all for fun so I didn't provide the very best lighting setup or anything like that, and pretty soon, I'll be too busy to worry much about this or the sw. peppers (one 1-3/4" diameter, two 3/4"d, and two 1/2"d fruits) or the jalapeno which is still prolifically blooming and fruiting. I have two clamp-on lights with CFL's on them from the sides (plus the overhead kitchen incandescent light that stays on until lights out but that's hardly anything extra), and they've been getting most of the coffee filter/tea bag rinse water as well as the vermicompost and bokashi leacheate fortified water; oh! and they have two worms in each pot.

[Kisal]

I have never grown tomatoes indoors, but I don't think a north window would provide enough light.

[applestar]

Oh, I didn't see the bit about West or North. Go with West then, the sun will be setting farther and farther west now, West window will be warmer, and brighter, since setting sun is stronger than the rising sun.

[Ozark Lady]

Yep west window. I have my kitchen sink facing west, and the window above it has flowers on it.. The African violet is actually touching the glass, and it continues to grow and bloom. The begonia beside it, has been almost killed over and over, until I put it on the shelf too. Now it is growing touching the glass also, and soon will be too large to remain there.
I do have plants growing in a north window, not touching the glass, and they are not growing with as much enthusiasm. Of course, these are houseplants... except for the sweet potatoes.
My sweet potatoes did nothing last year. So, I potted them up and brought them inside, they have been a houseplant all winter. Not growing great, but alive...

[gixxerific]

I'll try west window it's worth a shot and as said this was more or less an experiment so who knows.

I can put it in a south facing window here and there, when I'm home (which seems like always now ). But as I said before those are the kids rooms and that won't fly when they are home being that they 3 and 8. I would have a potfull of tom on the floor.

[rainbowgardener]

Agree with all of the above, but even in the west window, if you can add some supplemental lighting it will do better. Any ordinary lamp will do fine. I have a floor/pole lamp with about 5 separate gooseneck heads on it that I bought very cheap at a big box store, that I use for a lot of the plants that come in for the winter. It's full of compact fluoro bulbs aimed at the plants. Makes a big difference in getting things through the winter. I don't even leave it on all the time, just a couple hours in the AM and a couple hours in the PM to compensate for short, grey winter days.

[gixxerific]

Thanks for the help everybody. My main concern was that since it was under lights for so long wasn't sure if it needed a sort of hardening off before becoming a temporary houseplant.

It seems to be doing alright so far even sprouting new leaves. It figures we haven't seen the actual sun since I moved though.

[GardenGeek]

Hey I just came across this post and read the problem you were having with your growing tomato plant. Let me give a vote that all the information you are getting over here was great and you can go with it without giving it a second thought.
And do not worry about sun, this year we all are facing same problem with it..no matter where we live.
Bu hopefully soon we will see Real sun

[gixxerific]

It's doing good and still getting more new growth. This is an Isis Candy Cherry. If it ever warms up it's gonna find new home outside. I hope it doesn't get too root bound in there. I do have a bunch of bigger pots now if that becomes the case.

Looking at the link above it say's +-15,500 seeds an oz. you can buy an ounce of seeds here. Now I can see planting 100, 200, even 400 plants but 15,500.

[applestar]

Gixx, that's very sturdy looking tomato plant. You must have been giving it good light down in the basement. If you keep it going, keep up-potting it, and like hendi_alex does, start take it out to enjoy the sun during the day as soon as the sunlight gets strong enough (temp in sun is higher than general temp) and you'll have the first home-grown and ORGANIC tomatoes in the neighborhood! Look up alex's posts from last year -- he gave pretty detailed accounts of how he does it.

[gixxerific]

Thanks it is doing better than I thought it would, I have plenty of pots now to pot up. I wish I knew exactly when I planted it, but it was sometime in December. Been growing in the COLD basement all this time.

[gixxerific]

First off how do you remember all this stuff. I don't think I found what you are talking about, but I did see a post about cold frames. Whenever I did have seedlings I always brought them outside when it was nice. That's where I would want to be not inside under a light all year (hint hint).

I was on my way to the trash today with a glass door from an old entertainment center when i stopped. "This would make a great cold frame" So now I have to build a small cold frame.

[Duh_Vinci]

Now that is recycling! Dono - that is one healthy plant Sir! Good looking, thick and nice, deep color!

Regards,
D