Yesterday I finished pulling up my tomato plants. I'm always amazed at the roots these things grow when they are planted laying down in an incline trench, so I thought you would like to see them. The original root and potting soil was still intact but the next 6 or 8 inches of stem also made roots and all that supports a pretty big plant and lots of fruit.
Do you think you get bigger more productive plants this way?.
I always just plant deeper each time I transplant.
Starting with 2 inch soil blocks I go to 4 then 6 inch pots each time planting deeper than it was growing at untill I plant in the ground which I plant about four inches deeper.
Regards Ernie
Ernie, I do plant deeper when transplanting from small pots to larger ones since the potting soil is all the same temperature, but when I put them out into the garden the soil is warmer closer to the surface so I think they benefit from that instead of being set down into colder soil than they are used to. When you get ready to plant your tomatoes in the garden check the soil temperature at different depths by just plunging your hand into it. You may be surprised. Since the soil is warmed by the sun it makes sense to me to keep those roots up where it is warm. I don't mulch them anymore, one year I did that and they just stood there and did nothing for 2 or 3 weeks until I felt the soil under the mulch. The poor things had cold feet! Once the mulch was removed and the soil warmed they started to grow, but by then I had lost some time, and you know is important a two or three weeks is in a northwest garden. I picked all my tomatoes green that year.
MaryE you are dead on about the temp I ues a therometer with a long probe. I gave up trying to grow many toms outside because of all the problems trying to get them ripe on the vine. This year I had 16 in the green house and 21 in a hoop house with black plastic on the ground. I planted 3 out side with wall o waters and those black plastic water things. Those outside grew ok but I didn't get enough production out of them for honorable mention compared to the rest. I grew one plant without anything and I think I may have gotten six med size for the type toms from it.
Next year zero will go outside and I will try some down even though whatworked for me this year should be repetable.
The boss is threatening to give Gabby and Pete my dinner see ya later. Ernie
P.S. sorry no time to edit pork chops homade apple sause amber cup squash and green salid are calling
"P.S. sorry no time to edit pork chops homade apple sause amber cup squash and green salid are calling"
You Dawg, you! And here I sit, growling back at my growling stomach!
I've laid down many a mater plant, for reasons of lengthy stems and cold soil. My second planting of them can go deeper tho cuz the soil is warmed.
I think many folks here the word "mulch" and tend to use it too soon in the year. When I set out early maters the last thing I'd do is mulch them. Wait 'till the ground is good and warm, then mulch mainly to conserve water during the heat season.
If you use soaker hoses, placed underground, you shouldn't need to mulch at all. By the time the plants bush out their leaves will protect the ground from direct sun. (and the water from the soaker hose will easily stay IN the ground at root level.)
Horseshoe the mulch thing I don't think people realize that mulching early retards the heat to the roots. There is about 10 degrees difference in the soil here on sunny early days and that at 6 inches. About 4 degrees difference between the water wall and out side in a raised bed.
I do water with soaker type hose and ususlly mulch to keep down on the weeds especially in the punkins.
Horse you won't believe this but the call this time starts with Halibut I'm outta here for a few. Same excuse on the edit deal. Ernie
Halibut!!! No way!!! My Dad gave up on salmon quite some time back in favor of halibut, insists it is a much better fish! And now, I believe him! (You are determined to make my salivate into my beard, ain't ya!) ;>)
Hmmm....halibut, with sliced maters, sprinkled with dill? Or salt and pepper?
Grow on! Eat on! Ain't nuttin' but the best!
Horseshoe the only thing better than eating fish is catching fish. Now for the most part I like my fish on the rocks so to speak. Fish is best when left to stand on it's own flavor. Salt, a little garlic,a splash of lemon and melted butter makes a dandy gravy type sauce and thats all fish needs.
One of the benifits of living here is the close proximety to the sea. Sea equalls lots of fish dinner's. I have caught it all either here or in Alaska and you can't beat it fresh.
Seriously about the soil temp I am toying with planting a heat tape under a few plants next year and see if I can't fool them into getting with it sooner may work what do you think.
Oh I think I ate to much gotta go nap. Ernie
MaryE that was some nap I had. Power naps such as this are from the side effects of the work till you drop syndrome.
How big are your transplants when you put them in. I get all anixous and plant seed about feb 15 then go half nuts taking care of them ending up in gallon size pots. To lay these guys down I would need to strip lots of branches off.
I think this year I just may try to wait till Mar 15 and try to save myself some busy work.
When do you start your seed? Ernie
My tomatoe seeds have been started about April 15 in 6 cell packs. 3 weeks later they are ready to go into 4 inch pots. On warm days I can keep them outside on the porch and bring them inside at night. If the weather is too cold they go back into the basement under lights. We can still have a frost until June 1 so nothing gets planted outside until after that. Now that I have the greenhouse I will start them in March and have nice plants in gallon pots to put in the garden. When I plant them I do strip off about half the stems and leaves and all that bare stem becomes part of the root system in a few weeks. The remaining top takes off growing and in about a month it looks like nothing ever happened. When I plant them I lay them all the same way in the row and put a stake just past the end of the roots before they are covered up so I don't accidentally hit that when I drive stakes to support my tomato cages. I think the heat tape idea might work for you, give it a try. You might also try painting some milk jugs black and putting them next to your plants to help keep them warm at night. I've also heard they will do better planted next to a wall that reflects heat. Just a few degrees makes a difference with tomatoes.
This message was edited Nov 18, 2003 10:31 AM
Mary I use one of those soil block makers to start my plants. It makes 2x2x2 blocks. They stay there until the roots start growing out. Then to 4 inch pots and then to gallons. They never know they have been transplanted from what I can tell. I started about 288 that way last year with good results. I gave away all but 44.
I have a six foot Round stock tank that I am thinking about putting a fifty gallon drum inside filled with water that I could put an electric water heater elament in and set to 65 degrees. A couple of pvc pipes arched over the top to hold up a peace of visqueen and I think I would have it.
So many ideas and so little time . And you are right about the wall especially if it's facing south.
By the way I used the soil blocks on hundreds of flowers last year sunflowers,sweetpeas,wave petuninas,zinneas and all my veg starts. I like not having to fight them out of the cell packs they plant in a hurry. The thing cost about 20 bucks.
Am about ready to order seeds and am going to try Big Beef and a boy or two need to research the data base to decide which one. Regards Ernie
When you get that stock tank fixed up be sure to post a picture of it for us. I wish I had a round one, mine are all oblong.
Mary the oblong stock tank will work as well if not be a little easier to put the covering on providing it is pretty good sized. In fact thinking about it now I wish mine was oblong rather than round.
I have changed my mind about the fifty gallon drum and will use a grease drum about 20 gallons in size some people call them quarter drums.
I will be testing out my heat source soon which has gone from a hot watere element to a pc of step warm flooring mat. This mat is kinda like a seed starting mat and it used to heat concrete floors. The big plus to it over the hot water elament is it runs on 110 rather than 220. Anyway it runs 110 through a transformer and converts to 24volt and makes heat by resistence. I will be able to test the thing in my shop during the next cold spell. Ernie
