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Wichita, KS

In one of the diaries I read today, I noticed how tomatoes were referred to as vines. I had never thought of them as vines, but had to apply pumpkin vine know-how to the concept.

Knowing that anywhere the main tomato "vine" touches soil, roots must grow, Has anybody ever tried to grow a tomato horizontally and bury the entire "vine"? Seems like a stupid question, but hey, I don't mind a few stupid answers. :-)
Toby

5/24/2004 5:38:36 PM

Benton Ky

I have seen plants just turned loose and not staked. I think they are more prone to disease like this. I pull the suckers close to the ground and a lot of upper ones usually. The suckers will make new vines and I have found the upper ones to produce better. I just dont think it would be a good idea to bury a vine as it grows , however I do pull the lower leaves when I plant them and bury most of the stem. The plants I germinated this year got leggey being in a window. I transplanted them 3 times buring most of the stem each time. They have turned out to be very healty looking plants so far.

5/24/2004 10:28:25 PM

Sask, Canada

Mr. Sprout

I've updated my diary for you and a couple other's who e-mailed asking about tomato roots. You'll find the pic interesting.

Hope this helps,
TTYL
Ernie
Giant Veggies

5/25/2004 2:45:05 AM

Pulaski Tn blkcloud@igiles.net

the world record longest tomato was grown horizontal,i think it was hydroponically(if thats a word..)i dont know where i found this info but remember reading it last year..

5/25/2004 8:45:38 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

horizontal is the natural way they were ment to grow, they are not built to grow vertical, that's why you have to stake them.
Glenn

5/25/2004 12:58:15 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Toby - Just like Ernie said the tomato vine will root anywhere it comes in contact with soil.
He's got good pics in the diary.

As your plant ages you might be able to see additional roots coming from the main stem.


One of my plants that I started had a 13" stem & 90% of it was buried to encourage additional root growth.

5/25/2004 8:06:39 PM

Montoursville, PA

Nearly all green house grown fruit are staked. Nearly all field production for acres of fruit are left to vine on the ground. None of the varieties of choice for these two purposes produce a really good tasting tomato.

I like Boxcar Willie and some of the heritage fruit. They may not do the most fruiting but the flavor and sweetness can not be beat. Do not over nitrate your tomato and offer foliar calcium, fish, kelp and molasses. Ever hear that before? They love a drink of Symbex 4X and or good quality of Compost Tea.

The red plastic mulch is producing, by test, more pounds per acre at least the first year. It is my opinion that a good light leaf mulch will be more in line with the way nature intended them to be grown. I know the natural mulch way will produce a better tasting fruit. If you are growing them for the table who cares about two more fruit per plant?

5/26/2004 10:03:22 AM

Benton Ky

Doc , I have to disagree with you on the red mulch,and the vining on the ground.My cousin commerical growed for several years producing 40,000 - 60,000 lbs per acre. He says the red mulch showed no gain what so ever. His tomatoes had a very good flavor for shipping tomatoes. And he sent several million lbs up north. Tomatoes lose their flavor when you get south of alabama where they are picked green and gassed to turn them red. That is why they taste like cardboard.I have saw people turn them loose on the ground and I dont think they do as good. What is the cause of most tomatoe disease?

5/26/2004 10:13:56 PM

Ga.

grower...will agree about any mater picked green and shipped...But I bet 90% that you see in store are picked green and shipped...When they vine ripen,,they're great..Lots of maters grown here for shipping and all are grown on black plastic and staked...When you say south of Alabama,,you mean N. Ala??Only 1 state south of bama....Hadnt eaten a mater from Fla in many years,so cant disagree with ya,,but cant agree either...A mater is good any way ya eat it..MAter sandwich anyone? Wont be long here... :)

5/27/2004 12:15:50 AM

Benton Ky

I was meaning Florida when I said that.I just did'nt want to say it. I have 2 aunts and uncles that have retired and moved to florida. They said even homegrown tomatoes did'nt have good flavor there. One of my aunts has lived in Michigan and other places and she says the farther she has lived north the better the flavor of her homegrowns.I would say you are right about them being picked green.My cousin picked when they were turning pink at the blossom end, but some were ripe. They were color graded and shipped to different places by their maturity.I am ready for a mater myself probally about 3 weeks away .

5/27/2004 12:38:40 AM

Md/ Usa

blkcloud the large tomato of 7 lbs 12 oz was grown on 53 ft vine that fell over in storm which was record at time was grown in soil.
the large tomato plant in hieght of 65 ft several years after words was grown hydoponicly.

5/28/2004 11:38:21 AM

Wichita, KS

53 foot vine!!!!!????? 65 foot vine???!!!

The reason I asked was because I am interested in growing a tomato the size of a pumpkin. :-D Until I read Martin Reise's diary, I had no idea tomatoes could grow any taller than 6 feet. Since I read Giant Veggies diary, I thought maybe it would be a good idea to bury the entire vine, like you do with pumpkins, so you could produce a 5 or six pounder. It sounds like that is the appropriate method.

In all honesty, I am not concerned about tomato flavor. I'm not a big fan of tomatoes, I just like to grow big vegetables. My 2year-old, however, gorges on tomatoes. Therefore, I plant them. I love watching my kid eat healthy foods like they're going out of style!

So, next year I plant tomatoes horizontally, and encourage them to vine for extreme lengths, burying the vine as it grows. I'll have to find a large, disease resistant variety. Any clues?

5/29/2004 6:39:01 PM