Potting up

[mtbigfish]

Ami
Another problem with jiffy pots is if you do not get the top of the pot buried then water evaporates as it is draw up the pot to the surface - if it is buried not a problem - do you have the same problem with cowpots and dotpots?
I also use Actinovate and Mycorrhiza(via plant success) and biofungacide mb1600 in my promix

Dennis

[amideutch]

Dennis, never noticed. Here are some pictures of my seedlings in CowPots in in 2008.
The first is 06 April and the second is 07 April. The 3rd is a picture of a Dot Pot in 2009 with the roots beginning to emerge. The last picture is the top prtion of the root system from the Belmonte plant showing a portion of the pot that hasn't fully degraded yet. In all the pictures the seedlings was started in Jiffy 7' peat pellets that were expanded and seed sown and sprouted. Also is a link to the DotPot thread. Ami

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=11043

[b54red]

I have never heard of pinching the growth tip of tomato seedlings after they form 2 true leaves. Has anyone used this technique? The reason I am asking is that frequently we get very warm temps early while the seedlings are small and they can get quite leggy at times.
If this works to give you stouter plants with thicker stems I am game to try it, at least on some of my seedlings to see if I can retard that sudden vertical growth (during those unexpected warm spells) that leaves me with seedlings sometimes over 18 inches tall before the last frost. These are difficult to harden off because of their tendency to blow over or break during handling. They are also quite difficult to plant if they get too tall and thin.

[pacmanJohn]

Thanks again guys! I wasn't aware of the 'heating pads only for germination'. I haven't had issue with getting them to germinate, only with them getting past 3 inches or so. Will replace the 4' bulbs and get some fan action on them.

[amideutch]

b54red, I believe at the Tomodori site they have diagrams showing what you are talking about. Here are some links and it is in French but the pictures are self explanatory. Ami

http://www.tomodori.com/3culture/taill_sur_2-tiges.htm

http://www.tomodori.com/3culture/tai...r_une_tige.htm

[habitat_gardener]

Originally Posted by b54red

...If this works to give you stouter plants with thicker stems I am game to try it, at least on some of my seedlings to see if I can retard that sudden vertical growth (during those unexpected warm spells) that leaves me with seedlings sometimes over 18 inches tall before the last frost. These are difficult to harden off because of their tendency to blow over or break during handling. They are also quite difficult to plant if they get too tall and thin.

To get stouter stems, you can run a fan or "pet" the plants every day. Anything that makes the stems move will strengthen them. (Same thing with trees: you need to remove the stakes as soon as possible so the trunks can build "muscle" by swaying a little in the wind.)

For tall seedlings, you can bury most of the stem, after removing the leaves that would be underground, and roots will grow at the leaf nodes. I've even broken a stem while potting up, potted it up anyway (buried deeper, so the break was buried), and it survived. When I finally plant out my tomatoes, they look very small, no matter how big they were in the containers, because I plant them as deep as possible.

I wouldn't pinch the growing tip. On a more mature plant, pinching the tip wouldn't make the stem stouter; it would make the plant branch more. On a small seedling, I think it would weaken the plant, since you'd be removing most of the photosynthetic surface and setting it back while it's trying to recover from root disturbance.

[amideutch]

There is a way to get thicker stems and increased flowering and production that commercial growers have been using for years called the "Cold Treatment". I'll start a new thread on the subject in the next few days with the specifics of this technique. Ami

[rnewste]

Hey Ami,

I will be interested in your "Tough Love" (cold treatment) of your seedlings.

I have been setting my 4 week old seedlings outside for a few hours a day to get exposure to the wind, and Sun. Seems logical that this treatment is beneficial to their strengthening and overall hardiness.

Raybo

[b54red]

Originally Posted by habitat_gardener

For tall seedlings, you can bury most of the stem, after removing the leaves that would be underground, and roots will grow at the leaf nodes. I've even broken a stem while potting up, potted it up anyway (buried deeper, so the break was buried), and it survived. When I finally plant out my tomatoes, they look very small, no matter how big they were in the containers, because I plant them as deep as possible.

I wouldn't pinch the growing tip. On a more mature plant, pinching the tip wouldn't make the stem stouter; it would make the plant branch more. On a small seedling, I think it would weaken the plant, since you'd be removing most of the photosynthetic surface and setting it back while it's trying to recover from root disturbance.

Habitat, I already do the deep burying and up to a point it is helpful, especially in a dry spell. I just don't like the hassle of the overly tall plants and trying to dig holes deep enough to get most of the plant in the ground.
I've never tried using a fan or petting the plants so I'll try that this year. My plants are in a small unheated greenhouse so they get plenty of cold but they can also get too much heat too early and jump up before they can be planted safely.
Thanks for the tips everyone. I've always been envious of those stout tomato seedlings you frequently see from some nurseries. I always have way too many plants so I can try several different techniques and judge the results. Maybe I'll have some this year.

[mtbigfish]

Ami
I read something a long time back about pinching and doing a slight twist along the tomato main stalk in several places and that was supposed to cause it to grow thicker and stronger
Am I dreaming or has anyone else seen or heard this??
Dennis

[amideutch]

Yes you did and it was developed by the cannabis growers. The problem with tomatoes was it put to much stress on the plant and caused problems and one of the problems was BER. Ami

[seaeagle]

I revived this old thread for gorbelly just to show that no one here can agree on anything The main reason I pot up is to keep the roots from getting root bound so that I can wait until the soil is good and warm.That is what my main focus is.