kylie77
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Posts: 270
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:35 pm
Location: Kamloops, BC

Super super leggy tomato plants

I went to the local market the other day and bought a roma tomato plant. Well, the guy ended up giving me 5 of them 'just in case' for $.75. He just popped them in a bag so I didn't really get a chance to have a good look at the ones he gave me. When I got home I realized why he had given me so many of them. They're VERY VERY leggy. Makes me wonder how they were grown because none of my own tomato plants started from seeds looked anything like these. I will trench them I think since there is just so much stem on them I'd be going ridiculously deep otherwise.

My question is, how likely is it that these plants will end up doing well? Is it likely they'll end up being a waste of time and space, or can they still grow well from this point?

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Gnome
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Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A

kylie77,

I think you'll be just fine assuming there is nothing else wrong with them. Planting them deeper is, as I'm sure you know, beneficial and helps establish a strong root system. Give them some time and you might be surprised.

Norm

kylie77
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Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:35 pm
Location: Kamloops, BC

Thanks! As far as I can tell there's nothing else wrong with them. They seem to be a bit lighter green than the other plants I've had. The leaves though look good otherwise. They're just soooooooooooooooooooo long and stretched looking. I have to wait till monday or tuesday to plant them but when I do I'll trench them and see what happens. One of the plants looked like it didn't have a chance at all, it was so droopy. But, I planted them all in pots and even that one now looks just fine. Actually I can't remember which one it was now since it looks like the others do. So they definately have life in them anyway!

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Kisal
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They should be fine planted as Gnome has advised. The season is still early in your area, and those long stems will develop really good root systems to support a good yield of tomatoes. :)

kylie77
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Posts: 270
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:35 pm
Location: Kamloops, BC

Thanks! If they do turn out well than it was a great deal getting them at that price! lol But... I definately didn't NEED 5 MORE tomato plants!

We had 3 last year and were swimming in tomatoes, although they were all at once. This year we have 16 with the 6 new ones! lol But, we're planning on making sauces etc... so will make sure to use all of what we have! We're experimenting a bit this year with different types of tomato so we can learn what we like best!

Timlin
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Location: Zone 3 Canada

I would worry that they have not been hardened off properly and I'd put off the final planting out until they've had a week or so to toughen up. I think they would do well with the trenching system of planting. I sure hope the work for 75 cents you cant' go wrong.

kylie77
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Posts: 270
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:35 pm
Location: Kamloops, BC

Thanks, yes I did wonder how well they'd been hardened off. I figured they couldn't have been outside really or they wouldn't be so leggy, but who knows. I will be planting them out on mon or tuesday, so will be almost a week since buying them. They've been outside, but started out in a mostly shady spot, and are now progressing to the sun. So far they haven't shown any signs of stress, so maybe they were hardened after all? Anyway, they have a couple more days before going in the ground.

Thanks again.

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Rob
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Location: Cottonwood, AZ

I grow container tomatoes in my back yard. One year I had a couple in a more shady area (kind of testing things). They were extremely leggy, lighter in leaf color, and weren't flowering.

Once I moved them into full sun they went nuts, and produced just fine.

So, maybe they haven't had adequate sunlight to this stage?

kylie77
Senior Member
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Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:35 pm
Location: Kamloops, BC

I bet that's what it is. They don't seem to need much hardening off at all. But since they've had more sunlight they have DEFINATELy been doing better! They look quite a lot better already, and the new growth is darker green. So looks like they were just stuck somewhere shady and needed the light. I'm happy to see them taking off although.... still haven't figured out where they're all going. Has to be containers since my garden area is full! I only wanted one of them! But, not complaining for $.75!



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