Planting Sideways

[Dark Rumor]

This plant was a little over 2 months old when planted and it was planted sideways. It grew two rootballs. All of the plants that were planted sideways grew a large root system and all of the plants were very large and produced large tomatoes and lots of tomatoes.

[JRinPA]

When you trench a plant in it should always grow a second rootball right at the base, in addition to the original. When you take both of those plus the heavy growth in between, it adds up to quite a bit of nutrient uptake area, all in the warm surface soil. I may have some old pics "documented", have to check.



I think next year I may go back to bigger transplants and trenching them in. It is just a pain through black plastic. For "pre-trenching" I like to use gallon milk jugs. Cut the bottom off and use that square to start the process for a pair of tomatoes, one to the right, one to the left. I just put a marker/divider in to signify which way they are laying.

[JRinPA]

I don't have any pics of pulled rootballs, but while looking I found this and couldn't stop laughing. That is about how I "pre-trench" them into a cut bottom milk jug.

[Dark Rumor]

Those are some happy doggies

[Dark Rumor]

Originally Posted by JRinPA

When you trench a plant in it should always grow a second rootball right at the base, in addition to the original. When you take both of those plus the heavy growth in between, it adds up to quite a bit of nutrient uptake area, all in the warm surface soil. I may have some old pics "documented", have to check.



I think next year I may go back to bigger transplants and trenching them in. It is just a pain through black plastic. For "pre-trenching" I like to use gallon milk jugs. Cut the bottom off and use that square to start the process for a pair of tomatoes, one to the right, one to the left. I just put a marker/divider in to signify which way they are laying.

I agree completely with your analysis, the key to doing this is getting your seed started early enough to have larger plants when transplant. I believe if the plant can uptake more nutrients then that can only be beneficial. It is also a relatively easy thing to do if you are only working with 25 to 30 plants at a time.

[JRinPA]

Good to hear sideways/trenching works down in TX too. A lot of times I read about planting deep vertically down that way, for cooler soil and greater water access.