Out of control indeterminates

akgardengirl · April 22, 2007

I must have started my seeds way to early as I have 12"+ ind. plants with blossoms forming. They are in 3" pots and I plan to put them in larger grow bags today. Is it harmful to the plant to remove the lower leaves to repot deep so that I can "shorten" the plants some? Also, do I pick off the blossoms since I still have approx. 6 weeks until I can start to harden off? They are now residing out in the much cooler shop in hopes of slowing things down some.
Sue B.

amideutch · April 22, 2007

AKgirl, Check out this site. Ami
http://www.kdcomm.net/~tomato/Tomato/trench.htm

missionrandy · April 22, 2007

AKgirl,

What varieties are they?

Randy

akgardengirl · April 22, 2007

Thanks Ami, but I live in Alaska and don't plant in the ground, just containers. What if I was to cut off the bottoms and reroot them? Or the tops to shorten them?

akgardengirl · April 22, 2007

Randy,
They are all indeterminate including your BFT. The det. plants are fine.
Sue

missionrandy · April 22, 2007

Hi Sue,

You could use the recommendation from above and get larger, taller containers, pick some leaves off the plants and bury the stems in a light soil mixture. The plant stems will develop roots over a few weeks, and control the leggy growth some bit. At least you will have a very good root system!

Your Aurora Siberian is able to handle our cooler spring nights out in the garden, just as Black from Tula, Stupice and Sophies Choice. looking forward to tasting the tomato's. Looks like a great recommendation from you...

Thanks,
Randy

amideutch · April 23, 2007

Sue, I plant most of my tomatoes in containers as well. Just plant them deeper. What type of containers do you use? Last year mine were a bit leggy as well but did fine when I planted them deep. Right now I have some that are 18" tall. I will be planting out in the next week or two. Ami

amideutch · April 23, 2007

Sue, Here is part of my seedlings which is turning into a forest.

Ami

akgardengirl · April 23, 2007

Ami,
Looks like mine. Okay to pluck off some bottom leaves so that they are not buried when planting deep?
Sue

mresseguie · April 23, 2007

Ami,

Your starts look healthy. I really like the background. It's all green and beautiful. That's just how my view looks. There's only one little problem with my area-the last frost date won't be for 2 or 3 more weeks, so I dare not put my plants outside yet. Poor me.

My starts are about 6" tall now. I take them out during the day, but return them to a protected shed at night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AKgardengal,

Go ahead and pinch the bottom leaves when you plant deep, you'll get a better root mass, and the plants will thank you. (Mine thank me......all summer long...)

korney19 · April 23, 2007

AK, I grow many of my plants in 4 gallon containers about 12-13" deep. On the tall ones I use a bulb hole digger and cut a hole almost all the way to the bottom, (maybe 8-10" deep) and plant it. It'll grow roots anywhere the plant's covered with soilmix.

amideutch · April 24, 2007

mressequie, Yes it is beautiful. In the next days I will post some photo's of my neck-of-the-woods in the photo gallery. From what I have read our climates are similar. Ami

CLa · April 24, 2007

Hey Akgirl
You could cut off leaves and bury them on up to the neck, bad idea to cut the bottom, that is where your roots are, you need all that you can get. If you cut the leaf stems, make sure the scissors are clean, or just don't cut them at all, and just bury them, they will just die off, should not affect your plant. Keep a fair amount of leaves though, I try to balance it, cut too much leaf off, and you slow down photosynthesis in which case there is no point in having lots of root if they are not getting enough energy to expand but a few sets of leaves should be fine, I prefer at least 3 sets (6 stems) but 4 will work. If you have too much leaf and hardly any root, your plant strives for water to keep moisture in the leaves or your root system is simply off to a slower start and is not as sturdy to support and feed a larger plant.

April 22, 2007	#1
akgardengirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anchorage, AK zone 3/4 Posts: 1,410	Out of control indeterminates I must have started my seeds way to early as I have 12"+ ind. plants with blossoms forming. They are in 3" pots and I plan to put them in larger grow bags today. Is it harmful to the plant to remove the lower leaves to repot deep so that I can "shorten" the plants some? Also, do I pick off the blossoms since I still have approx. 6 weeks until I can start to harden off? They are now residing out in the much cooler shop in hopes of slowing things down some. Sue B.

April 22, 2007	#2
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	AKgirl, Check out this site. Ami http://www.kdcomm.net/~tomato/Tomato/trench.htm __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

April 22, 2007	#3
missionrandy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Fraser Valley, BC, Canada Posts: 272	AKgirl, What varieties are they? Randy __________________ Grow your own! Tomatoes that is...

April 22, 2007	#6
missionrandy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Fraser Valley, BC, Canada Posts: 272	Hi Sue, You could use the recommendation from above and get larger, taller containers, pick some leaves off the plants and bury the stems in a light soil mixture. The plant stems will develop roots over a few weeks, and control the leggy growth some bit. At least you will have a very good root system! Your Aurora Siberian is able to handle our cooler spring nights out in the garden, just as Black from Tula, Stupice and Sophies Choice. looking forward to tasting the tomato's. Looks like a great recommendation from you... Thanks, Randy __________________ Grow your own! Tomatoes that is...

April 23, 2007	#7
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Sue, I plant most of my tomatoes in containers as well. Just plant them deeper. What type of containers do you use? Last year mine were a bit leggy as well but did fine when I planted them deep. Right now I have some that are 18" tall. I will be planting out in the next week or two. Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

April 23, 2007	#10
mresseguie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Oregon Posts: 159	Ami, Your starts look healthy. I really like the background. It's all green and beautiful. That's just how my view looks. There's only one little problem with my area-the last frost date won't be for 2 or 3 more weeks, so I dare not put my plants outside yet. Poor me. My starts are about 6" tall now. I take them out during the day, but return them to a protected shed at night. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AKgardengal, Go ahead and pinch the bottom leaves when you plant deep, you'll get a better root mass, and the plants will thank you. (Mine thank me......all summer long...) __________________ Learning to speak tomato! Got compost?

April 23, 2007	#11
korney19 Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Co-Founder Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The Niagara Frontier Posts: 942	AK, I grow many of my plants in 4 gallon containers about 12-13" deep. On the tall ones I use a bulb hole digger and cut a hole almost all the way to the bottom, (maybe 8-10" deep) and plant it. It'll grow roots anywhere the plant's covered with soilmix.

April 24, 2007	#12
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	mressequie, Yes it is beautiful. In the next days I will post some photo's of my neck-of-the-woods in the photo gallery. From what I have read our climates are similar. Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

April 24, 2007	#13
CLa Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Central Louisiana. Zone: 8 Posts: 207	Hey Akgirl You could cut off leaves and bury them on up to the neck, bad idea to cut the bottom, that is where your roots are, you need all that you can get. If you cut the leaf stems, make sure the scissors are clean, or just don't cut them at all, and just bury them, they will just die off, should not affect your plant. Keep a fair amount of leaves though, I try to balance it, cut too much leaf off, and you slow down photosynthesis in which case there is no point in having lots of root if they are not getting enough energy to expand but a few sets of leaves should be fine, I prefer at least 3 sets (6 stems) but 4 will work. If you have too much leaf and hardly any root, your plant strives for water to keep moisture in the leaves or your root system is simply off to a slower start and is not as sturdy to support and feed a larger plant.