Ok so I'm worried that my tomatos are to tall. The base of the plants stims are thin and the top of the stims are thicker. Did I do something wrong? I doubt it was the light becuase I actually burnt a few leafs of the plants becuase they were to close. I moved them a bit after of corse.
These are just the worst off ones. I have a few others that arent quite this tall or thin.
So my question is should I keep them and bury them deeper when I plant outside or just trow them?
I also have one thats fallen over completely what should I do with it?
[img]https://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh56/kagome91527/Copy2of100_2666.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh56/kagome91527/100_2680.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh56/kagome91527/100_2668.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh56/kagome91527/100_2680.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh56/kagome91527/100_2667.jpg[/img]
Those are excellent looking starts & ready for planting. Its best to plant tomatos deep, giving them more places for root development. Roots will grow out of the old leaf nodes, as you plant them deeper.
Clip several bottom sets of leaves and let the green tops stick out above ground. Some people lay them on their side(at an angle) with the tops sticking out.
If one is bent it will be okay if you get it in the ground soon.
Love them & fertilize.
Have fun,
Clip several bottom sets of leaves and let the green tops stick out above ground. Some people lay them on their side(at an angle) with the tops sticking out.
If one is bent it will be okay if you get it in the ground soon.
Love them & fertilize.
Have fun,
-
hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 3604
- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
They are thin and leggy, but just plant most of the stem in the ground and the plant will root on all that is in the soil. The plants will likely thrive when placed in the ground. Be sure to harden the plants for a week to ten days before placing in full sunlight outside. They look to be very tender. Also, WRT planting, my suggestion is to plant them deep rather than horizontal. Horizontal will allow quicker development, but with your early in the season heat, the root ball will likely appreciate the cool soil when planted deeper.
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Yes, I wouldn't have said excellent looking starts, I would have said extremely leggy, way too tall and thin. But that doesn't necessarily mean that they can't grow in to healthy plants. As noted, when you plant them bury almost all that stem. You will want to plant them as soon as you can, which in Louisiana is probably very soon, just get them hardened off...
I would move them to ground quick and bury them deep or even put pot and all in the ground with holes in the sides of the pots. You could also move the plants into bigger plastic pots with half the stem under ground. Do it soon or they will get weak. +++
Peat pots dry or are too oggy and the plans suffer. Low light may have been the problem also or a combination of problems! to much nitrogen would also make them leggy! growing too fast!
Peat pots dry or are too oggy and the plans suffer. Low light may have been the problem also or a combination of problems! to much nitrogen would also make them leggy! growing too fast!
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
No, please don't plant them in the peat pots; just asking for more problems. The peat pots do NOT disintegrate any time soon; they sit there and smother the roots. Cut the peat pots off and put them in your compost pile. Then you can watch how long it takes them to disintegrate even in warm, consistently moist conditions.
But Bobber is right that the sooner they can be planted, the better, even if for now it is just to move them to big pots.
But Bobber is right that the sooner they can be planted, the better, even if for now it is just to move them to big pots.
-
hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 3604
- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30550
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I agree with the suggestions above to plant them deep sans peat pots (or make a cross shaped shallow slash all along sides and bottom).
For the next time, it sounds like you used incandescent light bulbs? Fluorescent tubes or cfl bulbs are better because they burn cooler and plants can be positioned as close as about 4" of the light source. With T12 tubes plants can even touch the tubes but they are less efficient (I still have some though).
For the next time, it sounds like you used incandescent light bulbs? Fluorescent tubes or cfl bulbs are better because they burn cooler and plants can be positioned as close as about 4" of the light source. With T12 tubes plants can even touch the tubes but they are less efficient (I still have some though).
I'm using a grow light for my plants on my main set up. The other set up is a plant/aquariam light. I think its ok now. Before I had my plants sitting on some chairs and the lights were kinda weirdly set up. It may have been from then that the plants got leggy.
here are some pics. these are the new setups. the one from before is gone and I didnt take a pic of it.
[img]https://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh56/kagome91527/100_2686.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh56/kagome91527/100_2683.jpg[/img]
here are some pics. these are the new setups. the one from before is gone and I didnt take a pic of it.
[img]https://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh56/kagome91527/100_2686.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh56/kagome91527/100_2683.jpg[/img]
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
It's a little hard for me to tell, looking from above, how you are doing with the lights now, though clearly better than before. But your plants will let you know if they are getting enough light.
For reference, here's one of my tomato seedling pictures from last year:
[img]https://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt102/rainbowgardener/tomatoes3-16.jpg[/img]
You want them to have sturdy stems, well branched, with not too much stem space between the leaf nodes. The seedlings pictured were about 5" tall.
For reference, here's one of my tomato seedling pictures from last year:
[img]https://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt102/rainbowgardener/tomatoes3-16.jpg[/img]
You want them to have sturdy stems, well branched, with not too much stem space between the leaf nodes. The seedlings pictured were about 5" tall.
Last edited by rainbowgardener on Wed Feb 29, 2012 3:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Remember that light inhibits growth, so when light is too far away, not intense enough like light through a window, or of wrong wavelengths, plants get stemmy. Keep fluorescent grow lights close to seedlings and theyll have a chance to develop sturdy stems and have good leaf placement.
Definitely get these into soil , deeply planted. You'll be surprised how well they will do. There is also fertilizer specifically for tomatoes that has the correct trace elements, like Mg, which tomatoes need .
Good luck and happy harvest
Definitely get these into soil , deeply planted. You'll be surprised how well they will do. There is also fertilizer specifically for tomatoes that has the correct trace elements, like Mg, which tomatoes need .
Good luck and happy harvest
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30550
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Hmm... I was going to say " light inhibits growth" isn't quite correct concept, but when I stopped to think, I couldn't remember the exact scientific basis. 
Let's see -- from vague memory -- when light is coming from one direction, the cells on the dark side of the plant grows abnormally (?) long-shaped cells which causes the plant to bend/lean in the direction of the light. So weak light results in unhealthy elongated growth all over, in effort to reach optimum light level for normal growth for that plant. Light intensity increases/decreases by square of the distance.
...does that sound correct?
Maybe someone with better memory for botanical science can pitch in. 
Edit: Oh a few more details are coming back to me. Light is of course necessary to plant photosynthesis and growth. Lighter color means less chlorophyll and less "power/energy generators" for the plant. The elongated cells have thinner, weaker cell walls and filled with more water volume, than healthy compactly shaped/dense cell walls growing in optimum light levels and with nutrient/water, which can eventually become an issue like weak foundations.
Let's see -- from vague memory
-- when light is coming from one direction, the cells on the dark side of the plant grows abnormally (?) long-shaped cells which causes the plant to bend/lean in the direction of the light. So weak light results in unhealthy elongated growth all over, in effort to reach optimum light level for normal growth for that plant. Light intensity increases/decreases by square of the distance....does that sound correct?
Maybe someone with better memory for botanical science can pitch in. Edit: Oh a few more details are coming back to me. Light is of course necessary to plant photosynthesis and growth. Lighter color means less chlorophyll and less "power/energy generators" for the plant. The elongated cells have thinner, weaker cell walls and filled with more water volume, than healthy compactly shaped/dense cell walls growing in optimum light levels and with nutrient/water, which can eventually become an issue like weak foundations.
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Royiah,
Hopefully your still following this thread.
First the replies you've received are all good solid info from experienced growers, or at least they read like well seasoned writers.
#1 tomato plants like soil to be a certain temperature, up here in SW Ohio we call it, they like their feet to be warm. So I often lay the leggiest starts on their sides & horizontal plant, since this is really at an angle the original root ball gets plenty deep. The depth allows the roots to reach for cooler moisture in the heat of summer. Often, I don't have time to water, daily. You likely won't have that issue in Louisiana.. If anything the ground may get too hot, I really don't know. I say plant yours vertically.
The things I like about tomato starts being looonngggg and leggy is this.
Plant growth will be determined by many factors, Not the least of these is access to nutrients. This one lesson I've had to learn and relearn , is the plants access to nutrients. Planting tomatoes so there is just the original small root ball and no stem(which grows more roots) in the ground, has been a disaster for me. I get fewer tomatoes and have to water way too often. I water once, twice, maybe 3 times a week. Too busy to be the daily guy.
So water access is huge, and shallow roots are a disaster in my experience.
The second thing about the long original stems and nutrient access is all the good stuff(N-P-K) and other essentials. Those long spindley stems have always produced the best for me. The short stocky ones just don't get the quick start like the long stem leading to huge root production for vibrant healthy plants. I'm looking for long stems and width of stem is less important than length, for high yield production.
If our starts are too short, we set them beneath a window with too little light just to increase the stem length. Stressing the plant like this, leads to enormous gains sooner. It only takes an extra 4-7 days to lengthen the stems. And they will take off like a rocket, once planted and moved outdoors into full sun.
PS. I rarely harden off. If so 2-3 days....90% of time they are ready to go and grow quickly.
Hopefully your still following this thread.
First the replies you've received are all good solid info from experienced growers, or at least they read like well seasoned writers.
#1 tomato plants like soil to be a certain temperature, up here in SW Ohio we call it, they like their feet to be warm. So I often lay the leggiest starts on their sides & horizontal plant, since this is really at an angle the original root ball gets plenty deep. The depth allows the roots to reach for cooler moisture in the heat of summer. Often, I don't have time to water, daily. You likely won't have that issue in Louisiana.. If anything the ground may get too hot, I really don't know. I say plant yours vertically.
The things I like about tomato starts being looonngggg and leggy is this.
Plant growth will be determined by many factors, Not the least of these is access to nutrients. This one lesson I've had to learn and relearn , is the plants access to nutrients. Planting tomatoes so there is just the original small root ball and no stem(which grows more roots) in the ground, has been a disaster for me. I get fewer tomatoes and have to water way too often. I water once, twice, maybe 3 times a week. Too busy to be the daily guy.
So water access is huge, and shallow roots are a disaster in my experience.
The second thing about the long original stems and nutrient access is all the good stuff(N-P-K) and other essentials. Those long spindley stems have always produced the best for me. The short stocky ones just don't get the quick start like the long stem leading to huge root production for vibrant healthy plants. I'm looking for long stems and width of stem is less important than length, for high yield production.
If our starts are too short, we set them beneath a window with too little light just to increase the stem length. Stressing the plant like this, leads to enormous gains sooner. It only takes an extra 4-7 days to lengthen the stems. And they will take off like a rocket, once planted and moved outdoors into full sun.
PS. I rarely harden off. If so 2-3 days....90% of time they are ready to go and grow quickly.
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
We are not totally telling you different things. Everyone has to figure out what works for them. I do harden my tomatoes off, partly because I put them out very early. I am often setting my tomatoes in the ground well BEFORE the average last frost date (since weather often warms up before then, even if it might have a cool snap later). Putting them out early, they really need the hardening. One of the things that happens with spindly leggy tomatoes is that I lose a lot of them in the hardening off process. The merest wrong wind or handling them wrong while moving them in and out and those spindly stems snap right in half. Oh well, gone seedling... The early start is how I am eating ripe tomatoes in June in Ohio.
(I also transport my tomato plants back and forth in a car several times, because a number of them get sold at my church plant sale, meaning lots more opportunities for the spindly ones to get snapped.)
But 2c is right that it helps to give tomato plants more root system. My tomato plants are transplanted three times: once moving them from being very crowded on heat mat to one per cell off the mat, once potting up, and once planting. Occasionally if they are started early, there's another time, moving from 3" pot to bigger pot. Each time they are transplanted, they are buried deeper than they were before. So even though they are sturdy and stocky, they have been given some extra root system that way.
And I have grown sturdy ones and leggy ones. I can tell you about the snapping in half, because I have experience with them getting leggy too. One year when I planted seeds too early, I ran out of room under the lights and tried putting some of the tomato seedlings on a window sill. Wow! They got amazingly tall and leggy almost over night! So not only was that the year a lot of them got snapped in half. But for me, the really leggy spindly ones got off to a very slow start compared to the sturdy ones, even after getting planted. I attributed that to having a lot less leaf surface than the better developed ones, to collect energy with, but that was just a theory. Might also be more of a system shock, all that stem put into soil that is still pretty chilly. But they did survive and grow into plants that were eventually pretty indistinguishable from any others.
So (sorry, this is turning into a book) in conclusion... if you are putting your tomatoes out later in the season, not needing as much hardening off, and putting them into warmer soil, the legginess may at least not make so much difference or cause harm and perhaps would give advantage, especially if you were comparing it to plants that had not been through the transplant three times routine.
Hope this helps make it all clearer.... Thanks everyone, for making me thinking this through in more detail, so I understand it better!
(I also transport my tomato plants back and forth in a car several times, because a number of them get sold at my church plant sale, meaning lots more opportunities for the spindly ones to get snapped.)
But 2c is right that it helps to give tomato plants more root system. My tomato plants are transplanted three times: once moving them from being very crowded on heat mat to one per cell off the mat, once potting up, and once planting. Occasionally if they are started early, there's another time, moving from 3" pot to bigger pot. Each time they are transplanted, they are buried deeper than they were before. So even though they are sturdy and stocky, they have been given some extra root system that way.
And I have grown sturdy ones and leggy ones. I can tell you about the snapping in half, because I have experience with them getting leggy too. One year when I planted seeds too early, I ran out of room under the lights and tried putting some of the tomato seedlings on a window sill. Wow! They got amazingly tall and leggy almost over night! So not only was that the year a lot of them got snapped in half. But for me, the really leggy spindly ones got off to a very slow start compared to the sturdy ones, even after getting planted. I attributed that to having a lot less leaf surface than the better developed ones, to collect energy with, but that was just a theory. Might also be more of a system shock, all that stem put into soil that is still pretty chilly. But they did survive and grow into plants that were eventually pretty indistinguishable from any others.
So (sorry, this is turning into a book) in conclusion... if you are putting your tomatoes out later in the season, not needing as much hardening off, and putting them into warmer soil, the legginess may at least not make so much difference or cause harm and perhaps would give advantage, especially if you were comparing it to plants that had not been through the transplant three times routine.
Hope this helps make it all clearer.... Thanks everyone, for making me thinking this through in more detail, so I understand it better!
Yes I am still following this thread 2c. 
Went out to town today so havent been online allday!
I've learned so much from ya'll and I am very thankful for it.
Unfourtunately When I took my plants out the other day to harden them off the tallest ones snapped from the wind.
I still have a few tall ones but not nearly as tall as the ones in the pics.
Went out to town today so havent been online allday!I've learned so much from ya'll and I am very thankful for it.
Unfourtunately When I took my plants out the other day to harden them off the tallest ones snapped from the wind.
I still have a few tall ones but not nearly as tall as the ones in the pics.-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Yup, those spindly stems snap real easily! Also wind is killer to tender seedlings anyway. Even if they don't get snapped, they get dessicated. A windy day is not a good day to try hardening things off unless you have a pretty protected out of the wind spot for them.
But we all learned all of these things by hard one experience and do better each year!
But we all learned all of these things by hard one experience and do better each year!
Royiah,
Those tomatoes that snapped, I would put directly into the ground, deeper than the snap.... that part of the plant will grow roots as well.
One of the reasons, I do very little hardening off. Or place them up against a wall........I have used the outside wall & trash can as an inside corner & in the sun....given March winds.
The more stem in the ground the better.
RG, if that plant sale is in SW Ohio, I know a few guys who would be interested.........PM me if we can support your cause.
Those tomatoes that snapped, I would put directly into the ground, deeper than the snap.... that part of the plant will grow roots as well.
One of the reasons, I do very little hardening off. Or place them up against a wall........I have used the outside wall & trash can as an inside corner & in the sun....given March winds.
The more stem in the ground the better.
RG, if that plant sale is in SW Ohio, I know a few guys who would be interested.........PM me if we can support your cause.