One of the questions we hear most often here in Illmitz every spring: when is the right moment to finally move tomatoes outside? The honest answer is - it depends on exactly where you're planting. We take our own young plants through this transition at exactly the right window every year, so we know the pitfalls first-hand.
The last frost date as your rule of thumb
The main thing to go by for outdoor planting is your local last frost date. In Central Europe, this traditionally lines up with the "Ice Saints" (Eisheiligen) in mid-May - in Austria, usually 12 to 15 May. Right up until then, late night frosts can still occur, and a single cold night can wipe out a young tomato plant completely. We never plant outdoors ourselves before this point, no matter how mild an early spring looks - one cold snap is enough to lose weeks of careful growing.
Balcony and greenhouse: planting earlier is possible
On a sheltered, sunny balcony or in a greenhouse, you can plant a little earlier than in the open ground, because the plants are better protected there from wind and cold. Even so, you shouldn't abandon caution altogether - a cold wind over a balcony railing or an unheated polytunnel on a clear night can still cause real damage.
In recent years, the traditional frost period hasn't been an issue for us, so we've been able to plant out considerably earlier. For the last two years, that's meant the last week of April, when we moved our plants into the polytunnel.
What if you're ready too early?
If your home-grown young plants are ready before the last frost risk has passed, the best way to bridge the gap is with larger pots and a bright, cooler spot - an unheated but frost-free room, for example. The key is not to stop growth completely, but also not to force it artificially while frost risk remains outside.
Our young plants are ready for exactly this window
This is exactly the timing problem we solve for you: our young tomato plants are raised and shipped here in Illmitz so that they reach you right at the correct point in the season - you don't need to think about sowing weeks in advance, or risk missing the window yourself. We've already taken care of that whole lead time for you, including sowing and potting on. What arrives with you is a plant that's ready to go straight into the ground once the frost risk has passed - not a seed that still needs weeks of care.
Our own shipping follows the season too
Because we know how crucial the right timing is, we plan our own shipping around it too: our young plants leave Illmitz only once they're sturdy enough for the journey and for your home - not before, for exactly the reasons described above.
