Just bought some tomato plants [hope springs eternal] What do they mean by

M

marilynfl

Moderator
"plant deep...up to 80% of the plant"???

See, I'm beginning to think this is a "love apple" conspiracy, undertaken by those who want to keep all fresh tomatoes to themselves.

It's bad enough that I kill everything I attempt to grow (and fail) ---combine that with a near insatiable craving for fresh tomatoes once a year (kindof like Brigadoon, but with slimy seeds and crispy bacon) and now I have to do math!!!!

 
No math necessary Marilyn. Just pluck off the leaves from the lower few inches of stem and bury that

part of the stem when you plant. Roots will grow from the stem and the plant will have a deeper root system than it would have if you had planted it at soil level. Tomatoes are unique this way.

It's not essential--it just gives them a boost. If you kill the plant it will be for some other reason, but I have a good feeling about this. Amend the soil by digging in some manure or planting mix, water deeply but not too frequently, and you will have tomatoes.

(LOL, Brigadoon with bacon.)

 
Graci, Joseph! I'm going to try a pot to avoid slugs...do you think that will work?

Rather than plant directly in Mother Earth.

 
A pot would work just fine, just make sure the pot is a big one. . .

like a 5 gallon bucket (with drainage holes cut in the bottom). If you do use a bucket/big pot, make sure you don't over water the tomato; water when the top inch feels dry and DON'T over-fertilize, especially a high nitrogen fertilizer or you may get nothing but greenery!

As for planting deep, I pinch off lower leaves and plant, oh jeeze, with just the top sprouts showing. The 'mater plant will develop extra roots along the buried stem. If you do plant deep, have patience, as it will not really start to put out new leaves until it has grown new roots. You will see no action for a while, but then--BINK!--the thing will look like it grew big-time over night!

 
You guys pinch off the leaves???

I've never heard of, nor have I ever done that, I just dig a big hole and bury all but the top of the plant.

Why do you pluck the leaves off?

 
I've been growing tomatoes in large kitty litter buckets for several years now as

I try to take advantage of the sun. They come out fine, large ones, cherry and Roma. BTW re: slugs. My son in CA has harvested and cooked snails. See Youtube under cooking snails. Chef Ramsey has a video there too. So--why not slugs? Think of them as "lumace" (french) just as we eat "escargot" (french) not snails. LOL

 
Marilyn, I grow mine in 5 gal. pots. up on concrete blocks. This year I've had not 1 bug.

No spider mights even, amazing! Last year I had them constantly. Neem spray mixed with Dawn detergent is a good killer/deterrent.

I use Thrive vitamins (from the nursery) seaweed fertilizer (from the nursery and fish emulsion and Miracle Grow.

I use those bags that apples, grapefruit, etc. come in...put those over the tomatoes to keep the birds away.

 
Yes, me too. All the old farmers do. My mom always called them 'suckers'. Suck the life out

of the plant without any ability to produce anything.

 
Right, I do the same for the suckers, was referring to the planting...

instructions above where several were pinching off the leaves before planting. I plant most of the plant as well, but we've always just left the leaves on the part that is getting covered up with dirt. Was just wondering the reason.

 
Well, where you tear off a leaf, isn't that the likely spot for roots to start sprouting?

That's what I do if I am rooting stalks in water.

 
I leave them on too---more soil enhancement and the roots will sprout anyway from the leaf joint.

 
I have a yard the size of a postage stamp - so I always grow in pots

what I've learned....

* the bigger the pot the better, they get pretty big
* I go organic - the "soil" I use is - a mix of compost (from composted shredded leaves, not manure), pearlite and vermiculite -- the tomatoes just loved it.
* I also augment with an organic fertilizer a few times during the season.
* plant deep - I never plucked off the leaves

 
Oh - and for slugs - wrap copper wire around the pot -- they can't cross copper

I thought it was an old wives tale - but it really does work -- I've used it. Something about the copper reacts with their slime and they don't like it.

 
Oooh. Interesting. They don't like egg shells either. Finicky guys.

I think I used to put out pans of beer for them. They'd party overnight and have hangovers, or be dead in the pan the next morning. That worked.

 
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