It must nearly be time to transplant your tomato seedlings, so here are a few tips.
Firstly, before removing them from their cells, you want to make sure that the seedlings have produced plenty of roots. This is vital as they will need them when they are moved into a new home. If the roots are coming through the bottom of the cell and the soil they are in is held together by the roots, that means they should be ready for transplanting.
When transplanting into a pot, don’t go too big initially as large pots can hold too much water creating a soggy environment, which will not be good for the plant. A 75 – 100mm pot to start with should be ok.
When transplanting, try to avoid picking them up from the stem, as the young plants are still delicate. Try to push the soil up from below the cell, and pick the plant up by taking hold of the soil that pops out at the top.
And as always, plant the seedling into good quality potting mix, you want to give them the best nutrients so they can thrive. This is not an area to try and save in.
Once they are settled into the new beds, give them some extra love and attention with diluted liquid fertiliser.
And very soon you will be enjoying them with your meals.
Peter