different transplant question

hoping4tomatoes · March 9, 2007

Do you always need to transplant the seedlings? Why do companies advertise that you could plant a plug directly into the garden? I'm growing some in trays, some in styrofoam cups. Is it the switching of the type of growing medium from a germinating mix to a potting mix?

By the way, I used a Burpee growing greenhouse and it's not doing well at all. I used Gardeners Supply APS system for my test run and it "seemed" to work much better....Should have stuck with that for all of them...

So, do you really need to transplant?

Thank you...

NCTIM · March 9, 2007

Quote:

One other major concern I have is that direct seeded plants that are allowed to grow to maturity where they are sowed develop a tap root system, whereas seedlings that are transplanted at least once develop a more desirable fibrous root system.

And that's why almost all sources suggest an initial transplant, so that the larger more extensive fibrous root system is formed.

The quote above is from Carolyn.

I took the lazy route - cut and paste. Sorry.

Tim

hoping4tomatoes · March 9, 2007

Thanks! I'm fine with the lazy route. There's so much info to sift through. Thanks for the reply!

feldon30 · March 9, 2007

Most of us do not have the luxury of a long growing season without a 2 month fruitset-disabling heatwave in the middle. If you were to sow tomato seeds around the 3rd week of March in the garden, and assuming you didn't have damping off, you would have "transplant sized" tomato plants approximately 7 weeks later, or the first week of May. Then the DTM (days to maturity) is ~70-80 days for most varieties, so let's say your plants are trying to set fruit the first week of July. But they can't, because evening temps are high 60's and daytime temps are stressing the heck out of the plants with 90's.

With a transplant, you are planting something that has already grown for 7 weeks. When it goes in the ground in late March ~ early April, tomatoes will start to set fruit in mid to late May, when temperatures are still conducive to fruitset.

And yes, the soil matters. Tomatoes are vulnerable to several different funguses from seed all the way to fruitset. If you sow tomato seeds in regular dirt, topsoil, or even potting soil, you risk the chance of several different kinds of fungus which are collectively called damping off. The seedlings can die before, or shortly after sprouting. This is why all guides on starting tomato transplants strongly recommend that you use soilless seed starting mix which is a sterile mix.

I would check out this guide:
How do I start tomatoes from seed?

hoping4tomatoes · March 9, 2007

cool...thanks feldon!

March 9, 2007	#1
hoping4tomatoes Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Oklahoma 7B Posts: 74	different transplant question Do you always need to transplant the seedlings? Why do companies advertise that you could plant a plug directly into the garden? I'm growing some in trays, some in styrofoam cups. Is it the switching of the type of growing medium from a germinating mix to a potting mix? By the way, I used a Burpee growing greenhouse and it's not doing well at all. I used Gardeners Supply APS system for my test run and it "seemed" to work much better....Should have stuck with that for all of them... So, do you really need to transplant? Thank you...

March 9, 2007	#4
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Most of us do not have the luxury of a long growing season without a 2 month fruitset-disabling heatwave in the middle. If you were to sow tomato seeds around the 3rd week of March in the garden, and assuming you didn't have damping off, you would have "transplant sized" tomato plants approximately 7 weeks later, or the first week of May. Then the DTM (days to maturity) is ~70-80 days for most varieties, so let's say your plants are trying to set fruit the first week of July. But they can't, because evening temps are high 60's and daytime temps are stressing the heck out of the plants with 90's. With a transplant, you are planting something that has already grown for 7 weeks. When it goes in the ground in late March ~ early April, tomatoes will start to set fruit in mid to late May, when temperatures are still conducive to fruitset. And yes, the soil matters. Tomatoes are vulnerable to several different funguses from seed all the way to fruitset. If you sow tomato seeds in regular dirt, topsoil, or even potting soil, you risk the chance of several different kinds of fungus which are collectively called *damping off. The seedlings can die before, or shortly after sprouting. This is why all guides on starting tomato transplants strongly recommend that you use soilless seed starting mix* which is a sterile mix. I would check out this guide: How do I start tomatoes from seed?