Do not leave your plants outside overnight until the night time temperatures are above 50 degrees. If you purchase tomato plants from a commercial grower, it's a good idea to ask if the plants have been hardened off.
You don't leave them outside at night unless it's a few weeks past their typical last frost date, and at least 10C at night. Also, since your tomatoes are greenhouse-grown, they need to be gradually hardened off.
How Cold Can Tomatoes Tolerate? Tomato seeds won't germinate when the soil temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Tomato seedlings suffer cold damage in temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Some tomato varieties are bred to be more cold-tolerant and can set fruit when it's below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Generally, it's a good idea to wait until nighttime temperatures are consistently above 45°F before you plant tomatoes outside.
temps in the 40s are not going to harm your tomatos unless it is a constant temp in the lower 40s for days on end. If the temps dip into the mid 30's then you should cover them to shield them from the wind.
Each plant has a different threshold when it comes to dealing with the cold. Some plants can survive outside even when temperatures hit freezing. Others need to be brought indoors when temperatures reach the mid-40s.
So will peppers survive 40 degrees? To sum it up, most peppers won't necessarily DIE from 40˚ F temperatures, but their growth can be stunted, and they may be slow to recover so it's best to keep them warm if possible.
In extreme heat, tomatoes in containers will need to be watered daily. If it's dry on top of the heat, then you may need to increase it to twice daily.
It is important to remember that tomatoes are warm weather plants and will not grow in temperatures below 50°F (10°C). The soil should also be warm enough – ideally 60°F (16°C). In general, 'if you're growing tomatoes from seeds you can sow indoors any time from March to the end of May.
Most tomato seedlings are ready to move from the seed starting trays and into a larger container when they are three to four inches tall and have three or more sets of leaves. They should be transplanted into a larger container at least four weeks before planting outdoors so the root system has a chance to develop.
So, yes, it's been cold at night around Southern California, but folks, 45 degrees is a still a long way from the freezing temps that can burn our tender tropicals and other plants, like a multiday cold snap in 2007 that severely damaged crops in Central and Southern California.
Option 1: Insulated Plant Protector
An insulated plant protector (sometimes known as a Season Starter™) is a ring of vertical plastic tubes filled with water to form a warming enclosure around an individual tomato plant (or another warm-season veggie like a pepper).
Peppers may also be grown very successfully in containers. Peppers thrive when temperatures are warm. Being sensitive to the cold, planting should be delayed until the danger of frost is past in the spring. Ideal temperatures are 70°F to 80°F during the day, and 60°F to 70° F at night.
Another temperature to keep in mind: tomato plants will not survive in temperatures below 35 degrees Fahrenheit, and will not thrive at temperatures below 50 degrees. Gardeners can use a frost date calendar to note their region's average dates of last frost in spring and first frost in fall.
Seedlings that have been raised under indoor lights need to be hardened off before planting outside. About 10 days before you intend to plant them in the garden, move the seedlings to a shady location outside. Leave them in the shade for several days, and then move them to a spot that receives morning sun.
Fresh, ripe tomatoes will last from two to five days on the counter at room temperature. A refrigerated ripe tomato can last up to two weeks.
TOMATO WATERING TIPS
Water in the morning to the keep the soil moist through the heat of the day. Always water at the base of the plant — watering from above invites disease. Check tomatoes growing in pots often since they dry out quickly. Be consistent — fluctuations in water supply lead to cracking and blossom end ...
You can preserve summer tomatoes by bringing 'outdoor' plants inside at the end of summer to save them over the winter. Older plants will gradually stop producing, so you can't save them forever, but it's possible to at least extend the harvest. However, you can also harvest indoor tomatoes throughout the year.
Depending on where you live, you might want to expose your tomatoes to morning sunlight, to afternoon sunlight, or to a combination of the two. Morning sunlight provides high-intensity light without excessive heat, therefore you should consider morning exposure if you live in a region with a hot climate.
Overwatering generally makes the plant look almost like it's rotting, as in drooping and turning soggy brown. My guess is it is having Nitrogen problems. Any type of vegetable fertilizer you buy at the store should work fine.
In general, determinate tomatoes tend to do better in pots, so look for those. It's also possible to grow indeterminate tomatoes in containers, of course, as long as you provide enough support and soil volume.
Single Planting: Planting one tomato plant per 5-gallon bucket is typically the simplest method. This ensures plants have enough space and nutrients to grow and are easier to manage. Double Planting: If you wish to increase yield in limited space, consider planting two tomato plants per 5-gallon bucket.
First, it's good to know which plants are sensitive to temps around 35 or 40 degrees F. These are common tender plants that will need some protection. Hanging baskets: begonias, calibrachoa, gerbera, impatiens, vinca, euphorbia, and scoparia.
Expect 5-10 large bell peppers per well-grown plant, and 20-50 hot peppers per plant. Storage: Peppers don't stay fresh and crunchy for more than a few days, even in the refrigerator, so use them while they are in season. Small chiles can be dried if laid on cookie sheets in an airy place.
Tomato plants can suffer from chilling injuries when temperatures are between 0 °C to 5 °C . Pepper plants can also suffer from chilling injury if temperatures stay between 0 to 10 °C (32 to 50 °F ) for a long time. This injury may appear as puckered leaves and stunted growth.