Suzanne D. wrote:
I usually plant tomato seeds in peat pellets, then pot up to 2" peat
pots, before finally transplanting them outside.

This year many of my young tomato plants died, so I started a new batch
in peat pellets. The plants all have four new true leaves; some have
six or eight. It is about time to pot them up to the larger pots, but I
am wondering if it would be okay to simply put them out in the ground
now. I know that first transfer helps to develop their roots, but I
wonder if they would still be okay without that intermediate step.

I live in southern Utah, zone 7 or 8, where it is currently about 90
degrees in the day and 65 at night (around 40 C day and 20 C night).
--S.


I transplanted mine year straight from the seed flat into the
ground. I put a 4 or 5 inch piece of 4" PVC sewer pipe around them
to protect them from the wind and sun for a couple of days; they did
just fine.

bob