My opinion, which won't be shared by everyone, is that transplants should be put into the ground just as their roots are about to hit the limits of their container.

I don't like to do the potting up because it makes extra work and I find that I'm either apt to lose a few plants at every transfer or that they plants will sit there and sulk from the transplant shock -- wasting the growing time.

So I try to time my starts so that the plants are the right size to go into the garden when the garden is ready to receive them.

However, what constitutes the right size is also a matter of debate. I'd rather have a smaller plant -- not tiny, but in the 6-8inch range -- because the watering demands for a large plant while it gets its roots established can be very large.

Thanks no doubt I started to early and it has created alot of extra work. My main concern is whether or not I should spend anymore time and energy caring for them or just cut the cord and start new ones. It would be hard because they look great but if they will not produce well then it needs to done.

i usually plant out in ground between april 15-30 and i just started my seed germination about 5 days ago...i am like iam3killerbs where i don't like my plants to get too big in the cups. i find they do better for me when they are about the same size...6-8 inch range.

Through experience I have found that if you want June tomatoes in Northern New Jersey you have to put plants in the ground that already have baby "pea" tomatoes on the plants. The more the merrier. I used to buy 8 inch plants and put them in the ground end of May and would get tomatoes in August. Then I found a garden shop that had 2+ foot tomatoes with flowers (and a couple of peas) in the middle of May and was able to get my first tomatoe by the 4th of July (quite early in North NJ). But alas they were not heirlooms. So I decided to do it myself a few years back and here is my timeline (I like to follow holidays to keep my mind straight):

Christmas: start seeds
Tax Day: put outside using cloche method (plastic covered hoop structure) - at this point the plants are 3 feet tall in 1 gallon pots andare full of flowers and many pea tomatoes

Memorial Day: First ripe tomatoe

Do a gardenweb search on Readheads and you can find a bunch of pix including my 5 year old who loves to help.

Do not fear the mongers who talk about stunting and getting way too scientific, etc. Its all about having a hobby you like and watching the plants grow under the lights. Yeah, you have to pot up a couple of times, stake them under the lights, use a fan for circulation, etc but the benefits far outweigh the work.

Run your hands thru the leaves in January and you can smell the tomatoes, get ripe tomatoes a full month before 4th of July, get close to a thousand tomatoes from 20 plants (depending on the year).

My biggest problem is deciding what to do with the extras along the way. Today I have 75 plants (7 varieties) that are 5 inches tall and I can only plant 20.

If anyone in North NJ wants some let me know at tmorgan99@verizon.net

lets go JETS (next year)

Tom

There is no such thing as planting too early if you can provide the proper growing conditions for your plants. Period!

For the more casual grower without a greenhouse, coldframe and light system then starting too early can and often does become a factor.

Bama, If you can provide plenty of light and keep your plants from becoming overly root bound/leggy you will be fine. You started early because you want fruit earlier. That is exactly how you do it. More work, yes, but you have done nothing wrong, so don't let others make you feel like you have. Keep them going and learn from this experience. You can always re-seed if things get out of hand.

Redheads makes a very valid point...Planting 6-8" seedlings at the end of May means waiting to August to get any fruit. The same holds true here.

The way to early fruit is giving the plant as much growing time (measured in days) before you plant it in the ground. Last year...

Seeded... Feb 4th

Planted in ground... (inside unheated *double-coverage* green house) April 19th *(Elliot Colemans idea)*

Harvested...May 25th, equals 110 days from seed to first harvest. So 74 days growing in a pot, then waiting 36 days after transplant to pick first ripe fruit.

What does it all mean??? Nothing I guess. Simply that it can be done.

These plants were far from stunted, continued to harvest til frost and I hope this inspires you to keep them seedlings going!

Thanks so much everyone I will definatly see these plant's on through. No matter what I will learn some valuable lessons and hopefully like you others get a few early tomatoes! !

Bravo to all these encouraging posts. It is a fair amount of work to get earlier tomtoes in whatever region you live in but isn't the reward worth the extra effort?

The 3 key issues are light, heat and space. The earlier that you can comfortably provide for these, the sooner that you can be picking tomatoes.

I usually start too early as well and plant in mid-March with protection.

The left over seedlings go to friends and they don't plant until mid-May or later; which means I tend to these plants until it's convenient for the moochers to take them. I end up with annual headaches when I run out of space.

If I allow a plant to get leggy, I just plant deeper. One year, I planted a 2' tall Black Cherry that was starting to bear fruit. I also heard the stem snap when I was too rough. I trenched and planted deeply and it provided the best fruit ever.

My goal is fruit by June and the only way to achieve that is to start seeds way too early. Like others have said, it add loads of work and stress, but come summer and fall, the effort is always worth it.

Its always good to hear the success stories! Keep up the good work. To me its a labor of love not to mention the looks I get when I'm giving away fresh tomatoes and no one even has them yet. Now that is priceless. And then all the nay sayers, you'll stunt the plants, reduce production etc, etc, etc. Simply not the case, or its so little I never noticed. The stunting part could'nt be further from the truth. Some of my plants must have been 12' long. The Dwarfs were completely covered that the braches snapped off with support! Next year I'll take better pictures for sure.

It's really not worth the loss in overall production to get a few early fruit. I encourage all of you that have planted seeds too early to plant more at the appropriate time and then you will know what reaping the rewards actually means. It's kinda like not listening to your parents then when you grow up you say to yourself "I sure wish I had listened to them earlier". Most of us telling you to "wait" and "plants will be stunted" and "production will suffer" have learned this over decades and don't base it on beginners luck or a year or two of growing. I'll take 50-60 lbs off one plant over the entire season over 10 lbs early on any time.

Walls of water will get you a few weeks head start. They are sold by other names. I got 3 for $11 at a garden center recently but the others I have were found on sale. They last for years if you remove them after cold weather has passed. I don't think planting all your tomatoes early is necessary, but those first ripe tomatoes are worth a bucket of them in late July. It depends on your purpose. I always have way more tomatoes than I need and give them away. I am not selling them or stocking up my freezer, so I don't have to do the most efficient thing. Winter drives me crazy so I always plant something too early.

I have trouble timing the weather right, so I don't bother. I start the seeds in a staged fashion. Every week or two I start a few. That way if the spring comes early, I have plants ready. If frost kills those, I have follow up plants that don't miss a beat.

I agree with Tom and the others, there is no such thing as planting too early. Two years ago my mil planted in January using some brandywine seeds from the tomatoes I had given her the fall before. Instead of starting all my own seeds I took cuttings from her large plants, dipped them in root starter and away they went! Now I realize why I never ordered brandywine seeds last year. This year I will go back to saving my own seeds again.
Keep those plants, leggy or not, root bound or not they are good plants and have a lot to offer. Personally I know you are going to love the crop you get from them =)

Sure rooted cuttings would do fine! Not the mother plants though.

I have learned to plant a little later, more like mid-March, because I do not have the facilities here to care for plants for a super long time before they get planted out, but I guess I would if I had a greenhouse etc. As it is I transplant once or twice, and I am now growing about 500 tomato plants each Spring. My own get placed in beds in early May with protection if needed, and the rest get sold off and/or given away - they are small but bushy and bright green when they leave here, usually just starting to bud, so I am happy with how this timing works in this zone. I have planted earlier in the past but as others have commented it is just a whole lot of extra effort to keep everything fertilized and repotted on a consistent basis, and if the weather does not cooperate I am very challenged with the light/space issue. It might be a good experiment for some reading this thread to try just a couple super early plants to limit the work/frustration. A last comment I would offer is that I have gotten tomatoes by July 4 here in years where the weather went my way, even with those smaller and younger transplants. Just my two cents.