Neglected plants

[kilroyscarnival]

I had simply started too many seedlings at one time, and the wrong time. So I had a bunch of them still in styro cups. The guy at the center where we hold our Jazzercise classes was going to take some, but neglected to tell me when he was taking a week off, so i shuttled them back and forth to no avail. The weather got cold for a bit. And I just got too busy.

the only two of the paste tomato Egyptian didn't make the raised bed and I finally got around to making the some global bucket SWC this past weekend. It is kind of an experiment as to whether they will grow normally. I planted them as deeply as possible, fanned out the bound roots, and am hoping for the best. I guess if they don't work out I can start two more. What is the point of no return on such things, I wonder? I kept them from drying out, but they looked pretty listless. Think they will revive?

[Doug9345]

My guess is that they will make it. Last year I started my tomatoes in 3.5 oz cups with an aveage of 10 seedlings per cup so they where pretty root bound. In April I was slowly potting them up into styrofoam cups but during the night I was putting them anywhere I could to protect them from cold and rain. The problem with a lot of plants in small cups is that they need water often. I put some of them in the back window of a car. I missed a cup and didn't realize it until I was trying to figure out where the Rutgers was so I could pot them up as I had promised some to a friend. Then it hit me where they where. I open the car still my head in and there they are in the back window in the blazing sun at 11am. All their little leaves where gone and they where bone dry. I figured they where goner but I was going to try and save them anyway. I watered them, put them in the shade and babied them for a week. 17 of 20 made it and by mid season they didn't appear any slower than any other tomato.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by kilroyscarnival

I had simply started too many seedlings at one time, and the wrong time. So I had a bunch of them still in styro cups. The guy at the center where we hold our Jazzercise classes was going to take some, but neglected to tell me when he was taking a week off, so i shuttled them back and forth to no avail. The weather got cold for a bit. And I just got too busy.

the only two of the paste tomato Egyptian didn't make the raised bed and I finally got around to making the some global bucket SWC this past weekend. It is kind of an experiment as to whether they will grow normally. I planted them as deeply as possible, fanned out the bound roots, and am hoping for the best. I guess if they don't work out I can start two more. What is the point of no return on such things, I wonder? I kept them from drying out, but they looked pretty listless. Think they will revive?

They will do just fine. I abused around 500 seedlings by letting them get very leggy and staying in the Jiffy peat pellets a good 2 weeks too long, because I had to postpone the plant swap twice. They went into the earth boxes, and within 1 week they had thickened and became a lush green.
Moral is, as long as no disease they will grow well in spite of me!
-Marsha

[livinonfaith]

Ditto,
I had one little neglected Ragged Jack kale plant left in its plastic cup on the ground near the green house. (Didn't have room for it in the straw bales.) It finally broke through the bottom of the cup, grew through the grass into the ground and is absolutely beautiful right now, sitting on the edge of the lawn like royalty.

And tomatoes are even hardier.

[kilroyscarnival]

Thanks, all. Will see! They look like they're THINKING about it. Hopefully that's them spreading their roots and quietly saying, whee!

I have a few of the 'remainders' which set fruit, some lovely green cherries, and I am experimenting with them too since I can. I put them in smaller containers (what I had handy) but still way roomier than what they had. Unfortunately they are not deep enough. I was thinking of stacking something on top, a bottomless pot or jug to fill in with dirt, to just supply more depth and see what happens.

[kilroyscarnival]

Quick update: I checked on the Egyptians several times this weekend. No visible growth, but the leaves do look happier. They are probably eagerly spreading their roots.

[Heritage]

Ann,

Egyptian is a very strong grower, I was considering using it as grafting stock. I think it will be fine!

Steve

[BennB]

When I was a kid in the early 70's in SE Pennsylvania, a neighbor who was well to his 80's at the time had a large tomato garden. Each spring he would thin out his starts and basically threw the one's he didn't want into the street...where grass clippings and most other things ended up. I would "rescue" them, often wilted and occasionally run over, and my mom would plant them in our garden. We grew some of the best tomato from those plants! My mom and I still laugh about that. Tomatoes are tough plants!

[Deborah]

Benn, I love that story !

[tam91]

I culleed one, and threw it on top of my branches in a burn pile, and with its root ball in midair it grew some, and even flowered. At which point I felt sorry for it, and planted it again.