Planting Sideways

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I've read that when the first pioneers arrived to the great plains, the top soil depth was 10-20 feet. In soil like that, I would think one could plant as deeply as you wanted and still do well.

You can thank the dust bowl for that.
I have seen houses and farms buried in sand and buildings on hills that used to be level with the ground.

As for the tomatoes a person can lay them sideways a day or two before planting out.
The tips will turn up over night.

[Dark Rumor]

Trying to develop a second rootball
Step 1 - cut branches and add a 2nd cup

[Dark Rumor]

Step 2 - fill the 2nd cup with planting mix

[Dark Rumor]

Lay the plants sideways and so they will grow up to get more sunshine

[Dark Rumor]

Plants will grow upright

[Dark Rumor]

Plant after 11 days, note the roots have started to develop in the second cup. The goal is to get a second root ball.

This is an experiment and not a recommendation, you can get two root balls without using two cups.

[slugworth]

you can also try the serpentine method; below ground, above ground,below ground for the entire length of the plant.Added root and added sun exposure.Like letting the plants sprawl instead of staking,but the additional roots are buried.

[Dark Rumor]

Originally Posted by slugworth

you can also try the serpentine method; below ground, above ground,below ground for the entire length of the plant.Added root and added sun exposure.Like letting the plants sprawl instead of staking,but the additional roots are buried.

Something like this picture

[Fusion_power]

The primary advantage of planting tomatoes sideways is that you don't plant into cooler layers of soil. The sun warms upper soil layers during the day which speeds up overall plant growth. This can be a very real advantage in early spring.

There is also an advantage to planting sideways when the stem is more than a foot tall. Roots will form along the buried stem easier than if it were buried deep in a vertical hole.

The best tip for growing large and healthy tomato plants is to avoid planting too many plants in too small an area. Here are the square feet per plant for various types.

Rampant indeterminates need about 20 square feet

Indeterminate needs minimum 16 square feet

Compact indeterminate needs 12 square feet

Determinate needs 10 square feet

Compact determinate needs 7 square feet

Dwarfs vary from 7 down to 3 square feet per.

Micro and mini varieties can grow in a pot from 1 gallon to 5 gallons.

[slugworth]

ground temps during the heatwave last year were 87 f
way too high for tomatoes
early in the season the heat is welcome but not later on.
I may use water in buried coils to heat then cool as the heat kicks in.

[Fusion_power]

Reflective mulch makes a lot of sense if you have problems with very hot soil. The simplest method is to buy a large roll of aluminum foil and put it down around your plants. It is effective, especially in high desert conditions.

[Wi-sunflower]

I'm often short handed during planting time so often our plants are rather huge before getting planted. So we cane up with a method for planting that buries most of the long stems similar to what is mentioned above.

We take a 1 bottom plow and dig a furrow being sure to have the turned soil on the "up wind" direction. We lay the plants on the low side of the furrow and sideways if necessary so only the last several leaves are showing above the furrow. Then we use a mattock type hoe to pull some dirt over the root ball and stem but not the whole furrow yet. That leaves depressions between the plants that will catch water. We use a 1200 gallon tank and drive down the rows straddling the plants and splash water from a 1.5 " hose so we get about 3/4 of a gallon / plant in the area. We water like that for about a week to 10 days til the plants look "set" and aren't wilted in the morning. Then about 2-3 weeks after planting I go thru with my Allis G and do my best to fill in the furrows.

This system has worked well for us most years and we can plant 800 - 1200 plants / day with a 3 or 4 person crew.

Carol

[PaulF]

My five thumbs oftentimes snap a plant on the stem while trying to plant horizontally and have the leaves out of the soil and the root/stem in the dirt. Finesse is necessary along with patience.

[BigVanVader]

I do this all the time. Another tip, I lay the plants down in the GH for a few days b4 planting so they already have started turning upwards.

[slugworth]

Originally Posted by Fusion_power

Reflective mulch makes a lot of sense if you have problems with very hot soil. The simplest method is to buy a large roll of aluminum foil and put it down around your plants. It is effective, especially in high desert conditions.

I used a living mulch last year (let the grass and weeds grow around the plants)
It was interesting to see that the grass got diseased and the plants were spared.
sacrificial anode rod effect, like in a water heater.