HelpfulGardener.com

Hi,

Well I planted some cherry tomato seeds about 8 days ago and they germinated about 4 days after I planted them so they are looking pretty good and I'm wondering if it's time to transplant the little seedlings to an individual pot. Oh and do I use compost or as long as they're still growing I just use potting soil?.

This is how they look.

[img]https://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r389/evo_flo/IMG00517-20100804-1405.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r389/evo_flo/IMG00519-20100804-1406.jpg[/img]


Thanks

Cheers.

OK, at the very least you need to wait until they have 2 real leaves each before transplanting them to their own pots - that way they'll be strong enough to weather being separated and replanted.

For the garden, wait until they've got their first flower buds open, then transplant into the garden and pinch the flower buds off. This is the method I use, and my tomatoes are very vigorous with few problems.

I'd get them started on compost as soon as they're large enough to transplant - tomatoes are pretty heavy feeders when they're getting started, and fairly rich soil at the beginning of their lives is a good idea.

Great!. One more question: I have these seedlings in a DIY paper towel mini pot, do you think I can have them in there until they grow those real leaves or is it too small.

Should be fine.

Awesome, thank you very much, this forum is so helpful.

Agree to wait until they have at least one pair of true leaves, maybe two pair if they aren't too crowded and shading each other. And then maybe move them into separate pots, not the garden yet. Once they are in separate pots, you can work on getting them adapted to sun, wind, heat, etc gradually.

In the meantime, don't add any fertilizer (if they are in potting soil it probably has Miracle Gro or something already in it). You want them to work on establishing roots, not getting tall and spindly. You are looking for short stocky very green little plants. All the light you can give them is good. The less light they have the taller and spindlier they will grow.

Every time you transplant them, bury them deeper than they were before. Tomatoes grow roots all along the stem if the stem is buried, so that helps them develop bigger root system.