Tomato Question!

Hello all!

Today I picked up a handful of different tomato varieties from a friend. They're all pretty big, maybe around 1/2 to a foot tall already?
We live in CO, the weather is warming up but the nights are still chilly. The plants are all in planters that can be moved around, should I be moving them into the garage at night and outside in the morning till the nights start to warm up? That seems like it's gonna be a good while...

IceStorm said:

Hello all!

Today I picked up a handful of different tomato varieties from a friend. They're all pretty big, maybe around 1/2 to a foot tall already?
We live in CO, the weather is warming up but the nights are still chilly. The plants are all in planters that can be moved around, should I be moving them into the garage at night and outside in the morning till the nights start to warm up? That seems like it's gonna be a good while...

Click to expand...

Tomatoes can handle fairly cool temps, i leave mine out at 40s often. It also depends on how they have been kept, if in a heated greenhouse for instance you might want to wait.

We see reasonable garden advice telling us to wait until nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50⁰f.

I will say something about conditions for me to deal with here at home. The "normal daily minimum temperature" is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit for the entire month of May. That would mean in mid-May, half the mornings would normally be in low 40's or even cooler.

Most years, I would be waiting until mid-June to set tomatoes out following that advice and there is nothing wrong with it. Setting out mid-May, I choose less-than-80-day to maturity varieties and am prepared to cover plants with buckets or tarps if conditions become too chilly. Choosing later transplanting dates or later maturing varieties, I would be taking the chance of having no ripe tomatoes for the season.

Steve

they may tolerate cooler temperatures but they're not really going to grow much until it gets warm enough. i don't plant the tomatoes here until towards the end of May, if you are at a higher elevation with risks of frost you may want to wait a bit longer or perhaps you only have a few plants and will be able to cover them. your local environment may also be a factor if you get morning shade or have more sunlight, etc.

IceStorm said:

Hello all!

Today I picked up a handful of different tomato varieties from a friend. They're all pretty big, maybe around 1/2 to a foot tall already?
We live in CO, the weather is warming up but the nights are still chilly. The plants are all in planters that can be moved around, should I be moving them into the garage at night and outside in the morning till the nights start to warm up? That seems like it's gonna be a good while...

Click to expand...

First, PLEASE put "CO", and specify, mountains, high planteau or plains, with your avatar.
We simply canNOT remember where you live each time that you post.
Secondary, even in IL, where we will get a hotter summer than you every year, it isn't a good idea to put your tomatoes out until June 1st. THEY.ARE.TROPICAL plants and you will stunt their growth if you give them a cold.
THEN, get out your spade and bury them up to the top leaves. They will root along the stems and they won't dry out as quickly.
YOU live in an arid climate and you will be constantly watering them if buried too shallow.
Save your grass clippings if you Don't treat your lawn, and you can mulch to burial tomato hole with them.
The grass clippings will heat up as they break down and tomatoes love this.
I always put fresh horse manure in my tomato planting holes bc of this.
We always like mulch and fertilizer for the magical price of FREE.