Use these tips on how to transplant cherry tomato seedlings if you started your seeds indoors or bought seedlings from your local garden center.
How to Transplant Cherry Tomato Seedlings
Whether you grow seeds from start into seedlings or buy seedlings from your local store, you will need to transplant them from their original container. There are a couple of things to remember when transplanting cherry tomato seedlings to ensure a great growth season and strong plants. You will know when your plants are ready to transplant when they have 1 to 2 leaves and are 3-4 inches in height
How to Harden Off Your Cherry Tomato Seedlings
Hardening off is an important step to acclimate your cherry tomato seedlings to the outdoors. It can require some extra time but is well worth it to ensure strong plants.
1. First, find an area that has some filtered sunlight such as a porch that is covered. Make sure that your plants will be protected from the elements such as wind.
2. The hardening off process will take approximately a week. On day one, bring your plants out for a few hours while the sun is out. Take them back inside when the sun goes down.
3. On days 2 through 4, keep them out a little longer, still bringing them inside and not leaving them overnight.
4. On days 5-7, leave them in their containers all day and overnight. Just make sure there isn’t any frost of extreme temperatures or weather in the forecast. Frost is a tomato plant’s worst nightmare because they are from warm environments.
How to Prepare Soil and Transplant Cherry Tomato Seedlings
Once you have hardened off your seedlings you are ready to transplant them into your vegetable garden.
1. Cherry tomatoes, like all tomatoes, really like to be deep set when transplanted. Make sure to dig holes at least 6 to 8 inches deep to put your new tomato plants in.
2. Ensure that the spot you plant your cherry tomatoes has a lot of light. Cherry tomatoes thrive in direct sunlight for longer periods of the day, but not all day. This means at least 8 hours.
3. When removing cherry tomato plants from their seedling containers, gently shake the roots off. Be careful not to pull the seedlings from their pots to roughly or you will break the root systems.
4. Cherry tomatoes can be spaced between 1 foot and 3 feet apart depending on if you are choosing to use a stock or not. If stalking, they can be placed closer together, around 12 inches.
5. Put your seedlings deep enough to ensure they will be wind resistant and deeply rooted.
6. Place new soil around your seedlings firmly, and water.
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