Topic: Leggy seedlings

[ina]

Hahaha, don't take me too seriously, I'm no expert.

I read this method in a very old gardening book. The reasoning behind it is that the more roots, the better able to take up nutrition. Tomato plants grow roots out of the stem when it's burried. So, this guy just kept putting the plant in, deeper and deeper, pulling off leaves as he goes, leaving maybe only the four top leaves on. When it's time to be planted in the final growing place you do it as I described earlier.

I have always done it like that so I don't know if it really is better but you should see the root system when I pull them up in the fall!

Now look what you made me do!  I hunted down that book and scanned the picture. I'll do even more, I'll quote part of his text under the piture.



Let me tell you about my own method for planting tomatoes. because our northeren growing season is so short, and because this particular crop takes such a long time to mature. I have to start my tomatoes indoors about six to eight weeks before the last killing frost. The seeds are planted in shallow pans called flats.

...........I always transplant them deeper than they were growing ..................I leave only the top leaves showing above the soil. All but these uppermost leaves are picked off before transplanting. The buried section of stem begins to grow tiny root hairs. Before long, the stem will have become a tangle of healthy roots capable of supporting a rugged plant. ............again, I take off all exept the very top leaves and set the plant in a two-queart milk carton, putting the ends of the roots right at the very bottom of the carton. By the time these plants are ready to be set out in the garden, they have a stem the size of my little finger and a root structure as deep as the milk carton is tall...........

He goes on explaining that after planting in the garden the roots are only two and a half inches below the soil surface, the heat-loving tomato plant gets extra warmth early in the season. It will grow faster than having it's roots deep in the cold earth. Don't mulch until they have been in the ground for about four or five weeks because mulch insulates the soil so it stays cold longer and hinders the growth of the plant.

The author is an American gardener by the name of Dick Raymond.


Edit: Whoahahaha! I forgot, I can't write the word D-i-c-k here. Thingy hahahahaha, cracks me up!!!

[budgiebreeder]

Thankyou Ina very interesting reading.

[ina]

You're welcome

[tim]

- all well founded info. All one then needs is patience?  = Tim

[ina]

Not at all Tim. At least you can start early and keep transplanting, makes you feel like you're doing something gardening when there's no gardening to be done hahaha. -ina

[mysticmog]

Here here DD - patience is a virtue but so is having stuff growing...

All seedlings now planted nice n deep and ready to make loverly big root structures...

Sorry but I just couldnt kill them...so cruel and heartless after they made the effort to show their faces (and very long bodies).

Interesting to see so much differing opinion though...

[tim]

Not really - look how many ways there are to boil an egg!! = Tim

PS - MM - you will keep the photo up-to-date, won't you?

[The gardener]

Thanks DD for that explanation.

I knew that the deeper you planted them the better the root system, and similarly about earthing them up to encourage a bigger root system.
After all they are of the potato family so similar culture is expected.
I hinted about this with my first reply, i.e. plant deep, and the possibility of potting on before they go into final quarters.
The thing that threw me was pulling off the leaves

thanks again!

[mysticmog]

Yep Tim, gonna be grainy n all cos of ickly low resolution camera, but will update when they do something interesting...

[mysticmog]

Ha ha!!  For all those who doubt me tomato growing enthusiasm, here is proof that they still alive...(this was 2 weeks ago - have many loverly leaves now)



And me cabbages are ok, but flaggin, so maybe you were right afterall  ;D

[ina]

Way to go Mistic! Keep those pictures coming, by golly we're going to save those seedlings yet.

[teresa]

MM congrats they look good.
tlc thats all they needed hee hee

[Lil]

Hi Mystic
You keep going with them!!!!  ;)

I am in exactly the same boat as you with the little babies...They are mighty tall, but have transplanted them deep and they are blooming.
I am gonna sow some more toms tho in march

I have sowed the at beginning of Feb in past years and they have been bloody marvelous, and I can't say I have noticed any difference between those sowed later, but the buzz from sowing early is brill, and you still get decent toms out of it.  
This is only my experience but it works for me!! ;D