Several studies have found little difference between transplant age (2-16 week) and total output over the season. smaller is probably better. it would be an issue of larger plants being rootbound.

You can still plant them deep and just not backfill as much right now.

Thanks.. good to know.

I like your suggestion of planting deep and then backfilling some more later. So it's generally agreed that planting deeper helps in the long run?

upper 40s at night is not a problem right?

I will probably plant the tomatoes tomorrow then.

Am going to repot the peppers and eggplants and hold off 1-2 weeks unless I hear otherwise.

I'm in CT zone 6a and I have no intention of planting out until closer to the end of the month. Some years I try to get my plants in the ground by May 15th, depending on the weather, but it's been too chilly this year and I am not chancing it. We just had a frost 4 days ago. The day time highs are only in the 60's and we are not forecast to hit 50's at night until maybe this weekend, and even then, just barely and then getting chilly again next week. If your tomatoes get chilled, they'll sulk. If you have wall o'waters, they will help. Your eggplant may sulk until temps are much warmer if you plant them too early. They, as well as your peppers, like it in the 70's and 80's, not the 40's and 50's we are forecast with. Of course, you are zone 6b, but I can't see you being that much warmer than us. I'd wait myself.

I am in zone 6 here in coastal MA. Given the weather so far this year and the long term forecasts, none on my tomatoes are going in until Memorial Day. I have a hundred plants which I carry out every morning and bring in every evening. I don't leave them out all night until the nightime temp is around 50 degrees. With precautions, good soil preparation, and an eye on the sky, my stocky little runts always end up outperforming the neighbor's giant plants put out earlier.
I have trouble starting peppers but just potted up my Ancho seedlings after getting their first true leaves. If they have true leaves, I would not advise repotting again at this date. Put them in the ground in June and watch the wx.
Victor
Hope this is helpful.

What's the problem with rootbound? All my tomato plants are rootbound when I plant them, it helps hold the rootball together. Just gently tease the ends of the roots out, takes maybe 45 seconds. As a result I never get transplant shock because of all the roots the plant already has. I also use big four inch square pots, and try to only plant plants eight to fourteen inches tall. This allows me to plant them deeper than a shorter plant.

The problem is they aren't root bound in 4X4" pots like yours they're rootbound in 2X3" cells in a six pack. I doubt transplanting them now and then again outdoors in 10 days will be very good for them. I could leave them in the six packs but I just don't see them growing much more given how crowded they are and how rootbound they must be.

As for the weather, I am sort of an amateur meteorologist and am quite confident that there won't be any cool spells in the next 10-12 days. Mostly average temps and then above average by the end of the week. I doubt any night goes below the upper 40s and most will be 50+. North and east of here the weather is much cooler the next week+ because of a cutoff low to our NE. So yes in northern CT or eastern MA I would definitely wait 10 days.

So I think I will plant most of the tomatoes and maybe keep some inside. I've got 27 but only have room to plant about 18 anyways.

I'm really hoping that by Thursday of this week I can leave my plants out (on my sheltered porch) overnight. They are getting top-heavy with foliage and it's a miracle that with my dog's "help" (following at heel), I haven't tripped and dumped them going back and forth! The forecast gives me some hope.

You'd be surprised at how much they grow in 10 days if potted up. They will be set back worse by leaving them in those cells IMO. I'd pot them up and do all the time. Even for a week on occasion.

What's the problem with rootbound? All my tomato plants are rootbound when I plant them, it helps hold the rootball together. Just gently tease the ends of the roots out, takes maybe 45 seconds. As a result I never get transplant shock

Rootbound plants is not a desirable goal. Rootbound plants are stressed plants that are nutrient deprived and are already water dependent. The lack of any transplant shock isn't because your plants are rootbound.

I agree with TAZ - if your plants are already rootbound then transplant them even if it is for a week or two. They will be much healthier for it.

But as to transplant size, IMO 6-8" is the ideal size for transplanting. Much better than the foot tall plants any day. Less stressed, more tolerant of the transplanting process, quicker to adapt, quicker to develop fibrous roots, more flexible, less likely to be injured but recovers quickly if it is, easier to handle and plant, etc. Granted a 12-18" tall plant can be successfully transplanted but that doesn't mean they are the ideal. They should be avoided whenever possible.

Dave

I got a couple in cells I potted them in larger cups and they are sending out roots. It worked for me...

Karen

Which one would you rather plant in the garden? The larger plant was potted up about 10 days ago.

Other plants done at the same time already have roots twirling around the bottom of the cup. I will be planting more this evening and get a picture or 2 of the roots.

Carolyn might disagree. Fourth post down.

Here is a link that might be useful: Not Potting Up

My fibrous roots are growing in soil or should I say soilless, thats the idea of potting up. The idea is to get them in the larger pot or ground before the roots become pot bound IMO. When roots become an impervious ball growing around the inside of a pot (because they follow the path of least resistance which would be between the soil and pot) they can only grow inward and upward because that is the only place for them to go. This is the true meaning of root or pot "bound" IMO and plants can't recover "fully" from it IME. That doesn't mean they won't grow or produce well, just not as well.
Last year my root bound plants didn't do as good as others but I'll plant a couple again (sigh!) just to document the results.

I don't recall too much difference between planting rootbound plants vs. non-rootbound, but planting larger plants into my garden is a must. They need to have sufficient stem thickness to handle wind on their own; Every time I've tried smaller plants the winds rips them to shreds (even with hardening) or birds peck them apart; Apparently, blackbirds like a few young tomato leaves in their nests - they leave the larger leaves alone, however.

In general I pot up at least once, this year I didn't pot up at all. All have been in the ground for a while and are really taking off with the good weather we've been having. I guess since I didn't pot up, they could've been called root bound, but the roots didn't seem all that crowded to me.

For the last 3 years, I've planted my own seedlings which I start outdoors ("winter" sowing). Needless to say, they're not very mature when they go in the ground.

Right now there are several varieties, and only one of those varieties has its first true leaves; the others are still at the cotyledon stage. They will be going in the ground over Labor Day weekend (the 28th) regardless of where they are in growth. Maybe they will be 4 inches tall by then.

Also for the last three years I've ordered plants online from different vendors, as well as purchasing a few from the local farmers' market. They too, go into the ground around May 28th. All the plants are transplanted over the same weekend. So, we have a mix in levels of maturity at transplant time.

By around late July or so, it is virtually impossible to tell by looking at them which plants were transplanted as 4 inch seedlings and which plants were transplanted as 12-18 inch seedlings/plants. The ones that were more immature at transplant set fruit around the same time as the more mature transplants.

You wouldn't expect this, but it works out that way. There is some sort of catch-up mechanism going on.

Is it because larger plants get quite rootbound, causing them to take longer to settle in when they're transplanted? I honestly don't know, although there has been some research to support that. But, some of the container-started seedlings seem a little rootbound too and have to be untangled from each other. Sometimes I'm too lazy (or run out of time) to pot them up in a larger pot before transplanting. I untangle them and throw them in the ground.

There may be a psychological advantage in transplanting more mature plants; they look like progress has been made. And, there's a practical component, too -- they're taller so you're less likely to make a mistake and step on them. Also, they are less likely to be attacked by cutworms or mice if they're taller and thicker.

I don't think they shorten the time until harvest, though. At least not by very much. With the exception of cherry varieties and a few other early varieties, they all seem to fruit at about the same time.