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Lodi, California

I was just reading an article about growing tomatoes that said to bury the whole plant sideways so that the vine is in the soil when transplanting. This makes sense because tomatoes will root at the nodes. Do any of you tomato growers do this? I will be doing it in 2015 (my rookie year). This also raises the question, would it be beneficial to lay a tomato on the soil like an ag and bury the vines? The leaves might get a bit wet, but I think that I might just try that out on one or two plants.

12/30/2014 8:34:11 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

I don't grow tomatoes for competition, just eating. I have planted them with a little bit of the stem sideways to get more rooting. But you need to protect the leaves from the soil and excess moisture. The disease pathogens that cause blights live in the soil and when they get splashed on the leaves the diseases start. getting the leaves too wet encourages disease. I try to mulch all of my tomatoes to prevent disease, hold in moisture and smother weeds. I use untreated grass clippings and spread them thin so they don't heat up too much. I add more as they break down. I do use products with mycorrhizae and beneficial bacteria to get better rooting just like I do with pumpkins and long gourds.

12/30/2014 9:17:56 PM

Going Green

Ashton, many growers put the light to far from the plant and it gets leggy. You simple dig a trench 12-20 inches long which is deep at one end and at the surface at the other end. You simply lay the plant down with the leaves extending past the shallow end. Bury the stem of the plant and put a piece of paper on the ground just under leaves of the plant. This will keep the leaves from picking up a disease from the soil. In two days the plant at the leaves end will stand up and the rest of the stem will be growing roots.

12/30/2014 10:00:35 PM

Going Green

Read this article for further explanation!

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=82

12/30/2014 10:05:23 PM

Allentown, PA

This is how I plant my competition tomato plants.

I dig a trench approx two feet in length and lay the leggy plant in the trench after removing all branches to the exception of the top three or so inches. I then gently curl the plant upward and adhere it to a temporary bamboo rod using Tomato twine. I then add nutrients to the trench then refill the trench with soil. I water then move on to the next plant.

12/31/2014 9:49:07 AM

Allentown, PA

Addendum; The reason behind trench planting is to increase the overall root system of the plant. Roots will grow along the long horizontal stem buried in the soil.

12/31/2014 9:50:52 AM

President - GPC

In that trench is a great place to put AZo's... rooting hormone...and Mykos..give it some WOW

12/31/2014 10:04:11 AM

Central NY

Good advice here Ashton... Although I wouldnt recommend starving the young plants w light to stretch them... Give them as much light as possible...lay dragons down in that ditch with all the goodies...best of luck to you !!!

12/31/2014 11:23:34 AM

Lodi, California

Thanks for the advice.

As far as rooting hormone goes (wizzzy) what do you use? I have some IBA (Indol-3-buytric-acid) rooting hormone, but it is not soluble in water, so it is not easily used by the plant. Thanks.

12/31/2014 8:41:21 PM

Freedom Is Just Another Word For Noting Left To Lose

Can use a cloning gel.

12/31/2014 8:52:39 PM

President - GPC

Heres a good link to some advice.....

http://thewvsr.com/Shit%20n%20Mater%20Sammich.mp3

1/8/2015 3:44:33 PM