Yet another Tomato question.

[Mimi]

Was just planting some sweetpeas in Root-trainer' pots.(Thank you Eric) and had a thought.  Would tomatoes benefit from growing in them ??? I know that tomatoes have adventitious(sp) roots so if I planted one low down in a root trainer pot would the plant now grow a better root system, as it grew up and I put in more compost.




ooooo wrong forum... sorry dan. ::)

[Mimi]

[john_miller]

Yes.
Wrong forum? You have your tomatoes outside already?

[tim]

Why wrong - they start under glass?

Trainers? Don't know, but don't believe that you would gain anything - for the extra hassle?

PS Just seen John's comment - so I'm wrong again!!

[john_miller]

No, Tim, not wrong again. I made a very simple answer to the question (got to cut down on my essays!) but didn't add my other thoughts, which are the same as yours. Ina may take a contrary view though.

[Mimi]

No John of course they are not outside yet, my tomato seeds have only just gone into trays.  I was just pondering, as I did say in my original  posting, while I was planting some sweetpeas.

[john_miller]

I hope I didn't offend Mimi. I just think it is sad that you even have to apologise in advance in case someone (and I don't mean Dan, or anyone else in particular) takes you to task for posting in the 'wrong' forum.

[ajb]

Hi Mimi, I start my toms off in trainers. Then when I pot them on I plant them a good few cms deeper and the new roots they grow anchor them nicely. They aren't in the trainer long enough to really make it worthwhile topping them up, although if the compost level drop as they are watered I do top up the compost.

[Mimi]

Not at all John. ;)
Many thanks Shug.  Was just my brain cell chugging away and wondering.  I have also noticed that if a tomato plant is bent it well produce roots at the bend too.Eeeeeeeeeee its wonderfull all this growing stuff.  ;D

[tim]

My reasoning - for what it's worth - was thus:

The 'norm' is to sow in plugs or trays, & pot on into 4" pots, up to their necks, at  the first true leaf stage.
Assuming you are using 5" root trainers, your roots are far too long to go into a 4" (3 1/2" deep) pot, but are nowhere near the planting out stage. And root trainers have precious little compost in which to grow on beyond the seedling stage.
Trainers also have the great disadvantage that they cannot be kept moist on  capillary matting, as can everything else.
For s/peas, s/corn etc - fine, because the plantlet goes straight out from the trainer, but I still see nothing to be gained with toms.

[rosebud]

Thanks for the tomato info Tim , i shall use that .

[Multiveg]

Started off my tomatoes in trays, however they are behind/in front of (depending on perspective) glass ::)