What tomato does better

[feldon30]

In warmer locales like Central and S.E. Texas, the Gulf states, Florida, and Southern California, large transplants will "take off" when planted due to the relatively warm soil temperature. Up north, large transplants may stall for a long period due to cool soil temperatures. This has been a topic several times in the past, with the adage that "later plants catch up with earlier ones" being something seen up in cooler climates, but not in warmer ones.

In your area, I'd stick with slightly smaller 6-7 week old plants, under row cover or high tunnels to accelerate growth.

[PaulF]

For me, 10 weeks old in 2" pots at least two weeks after frost as soon as the soil temperature is in the 60s and whenever I can get the garden ready with a mulch cover and the wind stops blowing so hard so the seedlings don't get windburn. Guess we need another few choices or me stop being so lawyerish. Good topic to see what others do.

[Stvrob]

For me its a race to get tomato plants as large as possible before the wet season starts. Besides March, April and May is such excellent tomato weather it would be a shame to wait. Even February usually has quite a few excellent tomato days (though that would certainly be pushing my luck)

[Rairdog]

Thanks for the responses. Last year I think the problem was I left them in the solo cups too long. I also used a lot of peat in the mix. Some of them had (big)flowers. I would bottom water them in the AM and they dried out by the time I got home but weren't really drooping that bad. I assume this stressed them so when they went into the ground they were in flower mode instead of root mode. My little GH can go from 50 to 90 on sunny days in a very short time which doesn't help. This year I am setting up a seed growing area that gets plenty of sun light with supplemental florescent light mornings and afternoons. I am also working on keep the temps between 60 and 70 for a slower grow rate and stockier plants. I will also use a fan and gas shock on window for ventilation/cross breeze to strengthen stems.

It seems bigger isn't better unless your in the south trying to beat the heat. For us northern growers it seems more about timing with soil temp than size. My plant always seem to get 8 to 15 ft tall no matter what size I start them. After 6 ft they keep growing but don't produce (except for cherries) and most slowly wither away from Septoria and Late Blight.

[Rairdog]

These tomatoes were left behind, smaller, started later and had no place to go so I planted them at the end of the bean trellis. The deck rail is 13.5 feet. It's kind of what started this poll.

[PA_Julia]

I start my tomato seeds usually on March 23rd of each season to be planted out the first week in May.
I up pot at least twice and purposely grow them leggy after first stressing them with an oscillating fan for the first four weeks.
I want my plants stretched and leggy in order to trench plant them.

After removing all but the top 3 or for inches of leaves I horizontally bury approx 8 to 10 inches of the main stem in the trench.

Trench planting creates a prolific root system needed not only for the health of the plant but to draw as nutrients as possible into the one sole tomato I leave on the plant that I'm growing for weight competition.
Of course this method of planting also works incredibly well for any type of tomato plant that you would want to receive strong nutrient uptake.