Cordon Tomato Plant 'Ailsa Craig'

Tomato Plug Plants

Once your plug plants have been delivered, remove them immediately from their packaging. Place them in a shallow dish of water for a few minutes to soak the plug of compost. Ideally, these should be potted on immediately or if not, within a day or 2, keeping the plugs indoors in a warm and sunny place and ensuring the compost plug does not dry out. You may need to turn the plugs around as they will start to grow towards the light.

Potting on Tomato Plugs: When you are ready to pot the tomato plugs on, lift them by their leaves, not the stem, as these bruise easily and can cause disease to enter and kill the plants. Pot into 9cm pots filled with potting on compost by making a hole big enough for the plug to go into. Plant so the seedling leaves are still proud of the surface. Tap to settle the compost and give them a good water.

9cm and 13cm Tomato Plants

Upon receiving your Tomato Plants: Remove the pots immediately upon receipt and give them a good water. If particularly dry, plunge them into a bucket of water until no air bubbles are seen from the compost. Keep them in a warm place and keep well-watered until ready to plant.

These plants are larger and more mature than plugs and are ready to be planted straight away but will still benefit from hardening off before their final planting.

Hardening off:

Once your potted on plants reach approx 15cm (6in) tall and they are ready to plant out in their final location, the first step is to harden them off before moving them outdoors permanently. This involves simply placing them outdoors during the day and back undercover at night to allow them to get accustomed to the lower temperatures. Once they have been hardened off for a week your plants should be ready to plant out in their final location.

Final planting:

Once the final frosts have passed, your tomatoes can now be planted in their final position. Choose decorative patio pots, hanging baskets, tomato grow bags, greenhouse borders or in the garden borders. Best to use peat free tomato compost or general purpose compost. Choose a sunny but sheltered spot away from strong winds. Ensure you pick the varieties to match the container used as some will grow up to 5ft tall.

Water your compost before planting. Make a hole the size of your pot and plant up to the same level as the original pot. Water in well to settle the compost around the root ball. If growing cordon varieties try to put the supports in at the same time as the planting, so not to disturb the roots later. Tomatoes are thirsty and hungry plants, give them a good water and always keep moist. Start feeding with a high potash feed once the flowers appear and keep feeding at least once a week depending on the growth.

Guide To Plant Sizes

Plug Plants

A wide range of our varieties come in plug size, including Tomatoes, Chillis, Peppers, Cucumbers and Courgettes. Grown in individual cells with a bio-degradable membrane that will break down in the soil, no need to remove before planting. Pot and grow on to form larger plants that can be planted later in the season. Protect from frost if necessary.

9cm Plants

Our 9cm plants are larger and much more established than our plug ranges, meaning they are ready to plant out straight away. These will establish quickly and produce flower and fruit much quicker than smaller plugs. Protect from frost if required.

13cm Plants

A substantial plant with many already developed flowers or even early on set of fruit if the season has been early. Great for filling in gaps or plating into patio containers.

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Seedlings need a fine Young Plant Compost.

Plug Plants need a Potting On Compost.

Established plants can use a Peat-Free Vegetable Compost or use a Tomato Grow Bag.