Pricking-out tomatoes

Although you can successfully plant the seedlings directly into the soil, we recommend that you pot them on first.

You will need one pot for every seedling – at this stage allow about 10% extra. Pots with a diameter of 13cm (volume 1 litre) are a good size. You can use the same compost that you used for sowing, but you may need to liquid feed the plants if you are growing them for several weeks in the pots.

Fill the pots to the brim as the compost will settle once it is watered. Make a hole deep enough to take the roots without curling. Plant them so that the cotyledons are just above the surface of the compost. Do not firm them in – water them in gently. Check them every day and give them a light watering as required. Make sure the leaves are dry before evening, as the seedlings are more likely to ‘damp off’ (rot) if they go to bed with wet leaves.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *