Tomatoes gaining new roots.

forgotmyname

Seem so many different ways to plant and grow tomatoes. You could probably try a different method every year and not manage to try every option in a lifetime.

I have some leftover that are still sitting in their 4" pots. I sit them in a tray and water them until the tray floods.
Sometimes i do it the opposite way and just flood the tray letting it soak from the bottom.

Both seem to work equally.

Today i spotted one that had fallen over with the stem sitting on the tray. Its built up a brilliant root system.

If i had planned this and earthed up like potatoes to get a really good root system would it result in a better crop though?

What have you found/tried or what didnt work?

sunnysurrey_2

I think the theory is that the more roots they have the more nutrients they can get so yes in a sense earthing up or planting deep should result in a healthier/stronger plant as they send out more roots. But presumably only if the nutrients/regular feeding are there to be taken?

Leif

You can plant a tomato on its side, and it will root along its length, and throw up vertical shoots. You can then grow it as per 4 plants say. It is a way to get more crop from one plant, not necessarily more than from 4 separate plants. You can also leave side shoots (assuming a cordon), and get an earlier crop. And you can plant side shoots you remove.

forgotmyname

That is something i may try next year, Take cuttings from some and the sideshoots from others and see which grows best.

cyclonebri1

You are bang on, so many ways, you also don't have to stick to the recommended vine method, removing all side shoots etc.

The water thing is a given.

This is why growing them on gravel/water trays works.
It's my favourite and I haven't had it fail yet.

Basically the tomato develops 2 root systems, the feeding roots stay and are fed in pot and the water searching roots work their way down into the gravel.

It's just a little more forgiving re underwatering than bags etc, but as you say, they really can be grown a lot of different ways

forgotmyname

Thanks. Another one now. Gravel

Mines just a plastic sheet folded to create a box shape. It will hold about 3" of water if i needed to.

I may have to beef up the shelf to put gravel in there. Tried some small trays from the 99p shop but they are rather shallow and dry up very quickly.

Do you keep the roots wet or let them drain? Or some in and some out?

cyclonebri1

That is almost the standard "old style green house method",mostly done as follows. Modify it to suit your application, (personally I use a standard Stewarts standard sized seed tray with an 11" pot on top)

Along the full length of the bench a 3x2 or similar leanth of wood was nailed down all the way round, this forms a well 3" deep.
Then lined with polythene and filled with washed pea shingle/gravel.

Bottomless pots are then placed on top at a suitable spacing and filled with compost and plant.

You feed into the pot, and keep the water topped up in the tray.
Do not put drain holes in the poly, it will defeat the object.

Again I find no need to take the bottoms out of the pots, the drain holes are plenty large enough, and by doing this only the really water searching roots get into the gravel.

Hope that helps.


Incidentally and this is what prompted me to reply, yesterday I was in the greenhouse.
I had sowed my tom seed too late and had to buy plants, so I'd left these still in small peat/paper pots sat in a non draining tray.
There where about a dozen of these and I'd taken a few and planted/given away etc.
The rest had fallen over but just in case, I kept watering the tray every day.
The 12" long plants where I mass of roots, some where 6" up the stem and looking like Mangrove trees:D

forgotmyname

I have a right old mixture this year. Some toms are like miniature jungles all bushy with lots of foliage and flowers.

Others are tall and spindly with not much of either and some inbetween.

I also have a couple in little 3" pots that i had no room for when transplanting and they have tomatoes. But only a few inches tall.