Topic: Turning your tomatoes

[cestrian]

I've been doing a bit of digging to try and find out how to maximise my tomato yield this year. I came across a tip online that said after you have hardened your plants off and you are about to plant them in position, lie them on their side for a couple of days until the last few inches turn upward. Then plant the whole plant except for the last few inches that have turned upward. The theory is that this will give it a bigger root system, which should give more nutrients to the fruit further down the line.

Has anyone ever tried this?

[rugbypost]

Will give it a go no harm in trying R

[davyw1]

Something i have never heard of but i think i would be carefull and make sure the stem does not touch the ground. There is a method where you do the same but plant the roots,and lay the stem along the top of the soil the suckers that are on or just under the soil will root and then grow on into full tomato plants

[GREGME]

Sorry just a bit confused and want to get the most out of the tip- what is meant by the 'last few inches'- the growing tip ? - and how could you then not plant that after its turned to grow upwards ?

[Jeannine]

Yes I know what you mean, I have mentioned it several times on the forum. It is called trenching.

If your plants become straggly due to lack of light dig a trench the depth you would normall plant a transplant but as long as you need to lay the plant on it;s side. Then cover the plant  over leaving just the strong green few inches showing. That bit will be layed down but after a couple of days it will stand itself up.

Under the ground the plant will put out roots all along the stem, look at the hairs on a stem, they are potential roots, and yes the palnt will grow strong.

Never chuck out your stragglies, look at the tops that bit is always good.

Laying them on their side for a few days is just a variation of the same thing.

Questions..get back to me

XX Jeannine

[GrannieAnnie]

I've been planting ours deeply for a couple years, sometime just in a deeper hole, or sometimes laying on their side. Both ways seem to work. At the same time I add some ground up egg shells to the hole to add calcium which wards off blossom end rot.

[pumkinlover]

I've done the burying  straggly plants before but did not know you could go so DEEP!

thanks for the egg shell tip GA, any tips on getting the chickens to lay the eggs!!

[Jeannine]

I have trenched 30inch plants  and only left 6 inches atop XX Jeannien

[Hi_Hoe]

Nice tip.

Never heard of it but may just give it a whirl!!

[small]

Another tip - lightly brushing the tops of seedlings, daily, is supposed to discourage them from straggling, that is produce shorter-jointed plants....I do it but I haven't tested it scientifically, anyone else?

[davyw1]

One of the best methods for growing tomatoes is Ring Culture, The reason being the deeper you can get your plant the bigger root system you will create.
On the stem of a tomato plant you have nodes (spelling ?) these give out roots so the deeper the plant the more roots you will get.

Trenching tomato plants (Laying the plant along the trench and lightly covering) is a great method if you are short of tomato plants as the suckers will root and grow on into tomato plants wick can be split and transplanted

[cestrian]

One of the best methods for growing tomatoes is Ring Culture, The reason being the deeper you can get your plant the bigger root system you will create.
On the stem of a tomato plant you have nodes (spelling ?) these give out roots so the deeper the plant the more roots you will get.

Trenching tomato plants (Laying the plant along the trench and lightly covering) is a great method if you are short of tomato plants as the suckers will root and grow on into tomato plants wick can be split and transplanted

Sorry davyw1! What is ring culture?

WRT trenching or turning your toms, I wanted to do this to get a high yield from one plant. I thought that you should strip the lower branches before covering the plant. I wouldn't have expected suckers to shoot up as new plants once it was burried.

[davyw1]

From A previous thread scroll down you will find pictures

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,51192.msg529942.html#msg529942

[GREGME]

thanks friends makes more sense now- plant=bury !does this not also mean more spacing required though ?

[davyw1]

thanks friends makes more sense now- plant=bury !does this not also mean more spacing required though ?

Spacing depends on how much room you have and the amount of plants you want to put into it.
You should space your plants out so they are ventilated, lack of venilation is one of the causes of blossem end rot, but if you have to put the plants close together you can always remove leaf stems between the plants. you should remove the leaf stems below the first truss anyway.
Note ventilation in this case does not mean having the door and windows open it means allowing the air to flow arround the plants

[GrannieAnnie]

Some people on this site tie the stem to a post and heavily prune the leaves. Was it TeeGee? I cannot remember. The plants were in a greenhouse and maybe each was in a growbag. I've never tried heavy pruning. Always afraid it would stunt the growth. But some know better than I. It appeared the plants could be closer together with shorter branches.  Wish I could remember who posted that photo...