Tomato Plant Worked it's way to the Surface?

[My Foot Smells]

Can you replant deeper without issue, or just let it be?

I usually plant about 8" deep, but the wind early spring has been stiff and multi-directional. The plants on the west side seemed to have gotten the brunt, as two of them have worked their way up and now do not seem adequately anchored (although growing fine).

Everytime the wind blows the plants brace up against the TTC and have an unearthed bump at the root. I do plan on mulching when the weather heats up. I repack the soil, but soil is a loose composite for good drainage; and it works loose again.

Will the plant at this stage formulate new root growth if I bury it deeper, or maybe handing the plant at this stage would be a dumb move. Can't say I have every"replanted" a tomato plant.

[KarenO]

Instead of uprooting it I would just shovel some soil on top of the exposed roots.
KO

[My Foot Smells]

The roots are not exposed, just broken soil on the surface from the rootball being pulled by the windblown plant. I've repacked it a few times, adding more dirt; but with a nice foliage spread captures the wind with most the lower branches pruned makes for a nice wind catcher. They aren't quite big enough to fill the 24" cage space, but close. I guess when the plants grow to "fill" the cage, they won't be so prone to move about. We have had some hum-dingers of storms this spring w/ heavy wind.

[zeuspaul]

I would mulch with three or four rocks or bricks around the base of the plant and then add a few short sticks to support against the wind.

[oakley]

Depends how long they have been in the ground and if the rootball is contained to a small area. Seems like you can see that? If me, i would plant deeper if just a few plants. Such tough plants and they can handle it if still young and no fruit set.

Just my experience with high winds as well. I need my babies deep and up to their necks as they develop strong stems. With over a hundred waiting in the barn window for good weather, two or three re-set would not be a loss but i doubt they would suffer planting deeper. Mounding up would not work with my mulching method.

[My Foot Smells]

Thanks. I used to plant MUCH deeper but came to find out that anything over 10 or so inches in the soil would die off. Why? IDK. They always say plant em deep, "up to their necks," but in my experience it did not seem justified as the plants would only produce healthy roots to only a certain depth. No problem digging them in deeper, just asking before I made a mistake. Plants have been in the ground since the end of March, but cooler weather has stymied grown and rain at the wrong time has limited fruit set. A nice spring otherwise, but seems like my tomatoes really get cranking when the daytime 90 mark hits. I have raised beds with loose soil, b/c disease is big issue and can get colossal rain dumps in the spring (DD+ in one day), but then after Memorial Day the weather dries up and gets hot. Living on modeling clay and have standing water issues during the rainy season and ground starts to crack open during dry summer.

[oakley]

If i go too deep i get into rock and cold clay. So in raised amended beds i've solved that issue by digging a modified trench....i lay them in at an angle. Deeper than 10-12inches, the soil never warms up. We hit 95-100 in July but the nights are coolish.

High winds are a pain but less buggy so i welcome it. Between two mountains we get wind shears like mini tornados. Only about a foot to three ft wide but can pick up and toss a heavy wooden adirondack chair.

[oakley]

...I always think of that heavy clay as a bucket without drainage. Holds water, so wet feet. So far apart we are but similar growing issues. Yours are just earlier in the season.

[My Foot Smells]

Guess one would plant the trench to brace against prevailing winds (here it is the S, SW, W) that are generally the strongest. That way the tomato plant would have something to hold against? Or would that give reason for plant to snap at the base?

The stalk is too big and inflexible to trench at this point...

[Labradors2]

Sounds as if you are between a rock and a hard place!

Remember that if anything should snap off, you can always root the stems in water and get them to root. Not ideal, but not a total loss.

Linda

[My Foot Smells]

I dug out about 12" around the plant and still ran into roots and dug down 12" as well, roots were still grabbing at 8" mark. Dropped plant another 4-6" and repacked. Did not yank completely out of the ground, just kind of gently lifted up as a dug out underneath and reset deeper. had to trim up another set of leaves. we shall see.

[Gardeneer]

We don't get real high winds but when I plant out , I drive a temporary stake ( bamboo) next to them and tie the plants. I also do plant about 6 -8" deep.
As the plants grow over a foot tall, I drive the main stakes .
Here is how my garden looks now. Looks like stake farm.

[My Foot Smells]

Nice. Usually the cage contains, but cool weather and very high winds this year. I trim up anything off the ground, so the it's top heavy with foliage that catches the wind. Nice looking garden, like the plastic - maybe the thing to stop the cat.

[pingman39]

Has anyone ever heard that the soil around the tomato plant needs to be raked/tilled. I plant in fairly sandy soil and do not mulch. I till the "middles" between my rows but was told a few years back that I need to loosen the soil immediately around the plant. I have been using a small hand forked thing and I scratch around each plant as I pull weeds etc. I have noticed that people here don't seem to do that. ?????

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by pingman39

Has anyone ever heard that the soil around the tomato plant needs to be raked/tilled. I plant in fairly sandy soil and do not mulch. I till the "middles" between my rows but was told a few years back that I need to loosen the soil immediately around the plant. I have been using a small hand forked thing and I scratch around each plant as I pull weeds etc. I have noticed that people here don't seem to do that. ?????

In my onion there is no reason to rake or till around the soil unless you are on some sort of hard pan.
Tomato roots feed one heck of a lot right below the surface feet away from the plant.
Tilling destroys those roots.
Worth