Starts for Transplants

[BeanWonderin]

What's your opinion - How long can these survive in their coffee cups? Do I need to upgrade to Big Gulps? We still have snow on the ground.

 

[heirloomgal]

What's your opinion - How long can these survive in their coffee cups? Do I need to upgrade to Big Gulps? We still have snow on the ground.

View attachment 40344

Wow! Those are some tall plants! I'm thinking your planting time is probably similar to mine, around the May long weekend/June 1st right? I think you have a couple options; you could graduate to larger containers (but really big ones!) and sink the stems right down into the very bottom of the pot and add the soil right up along the stem -trimming those leaves off - 'til the pot is filled. You'll still have pretty tall plants but if you lay-plant them it will only benefit you. Letting them really dry out well between waterings will help stop them from getting more lanky too. The downside to plants growing indoors and getting thin and tall is it's easy to break or damage them at any point. They would need quite a long trench to lay-plant too.

The other thing you could do is cut them about 8 inches from the top, right off. I've done this a lot when my plants get lanky (once I did it to every tomato plant I had). Stick 'em in a glass of water with the bottom leaves holding the leafy stem above the water, with only a couple inches in the water. They'll root really quickly. Then you can replant them and the height will be a bit more manageable. I would recommend cutting at least those two super tall ones since you've got awhile to go with indoor growing. The tall plants would probably shock pretty hard when brought outdoors.

I'm doing this cutting method with my too-tall tomatillos right now. They are too lanky and will break easily at this point from such vigorous but weak growth, so instead of planting new seed (I don't have lots of seed so just in case I fail..), I thought I'd re-root them in water and replant. Here is how it's going:

Way too tall plant, and the tomatillo cutting beside -

Roots starting to form, its been about 3 days-

 

[digitS']

My opinion, @BeanWonderin , wouldn't be worth much if I suggested pruning the tops. Seems like it might be a good idea but, I have never done any of that topping of transplants.

Tomatoes always benefit from more soil even if it takes them awhile because they are tiny. Yours aren't tiny!

Giving them the opportunity to develop more roots along the stems would also be of benefit.

Steve
and there's good advice from @heirloomgal while i was fiddling around

 

[BeanWonderin]

Wow! Those are some tall plants! I'm thinking your planting time is probably similar to mine, around the May long weekend/June 1st right? I think you have a couple options; you could graduate to larger containers (but really big ones!) and sink the stems right down into the very bottom of the pot and add the soil right up along the stem -trimming those leaves off - 'til the pot is filled. You'll still have pretty tall plants but if you lay-plant them it will only benefit you. Letting them really dry out well between waterings will help stop them from getting more lanky too. The downside to plants growing indoors and getting thin and tall is it's easy to break or damage them at any point. They would need quite a long trench to lay-plant too.

The other thing you could do is cut them about 8 inches from the top, right off. I've done this a lot when my plants get lanky (once I did it to every tomato plant I had). Stick 'em in a glass of water with the bottom leaves holding the leafy stem above the water, with only a couple inches in the water. They'll root really quickly. Then you can replant them and the height will be a bit more manageable. I would recommend cutting at least those two super tall ones since you've got awhile to go with indoor growing. The tall plants would probably shock pretty hard when brought outdoors.

I'm doing this cutting method with my too-tall tomatillos right now. They are too lanky and will break easily at this point from such vigorous but weak growth, so instead of planting new seed (I don't have lots of seed so just in case I fail..), I thought I'd re-root them in water and replant. Here is how it's going:

Way too tall plant, and the tomatillo cutting beside -
View attachment 40351View attachment 40348
Roots starting to form, its been about 3 days-
View attachment 40349

Thank you @heirloomgal! I like the possibility of getting some extra plants out of this. Those tall ones are Rosella cherry tomatoes. They are first to sprout and seem to grow fastest for us. Very vigorous!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have never done any of that topping of transplants.

I have with indeterminate tomatoes. If you cut them off above a couple of true leaves mine always sucker out and keep growing. Not sure how that would work with determinates.

And you could still try to root the cuttings.

 

[heirloomgal]

Thank you @heirloomgal! I like the possibility of getting some extra plants out of this. Those tall ones are Rosella cherry tomatoes. They are first to sprout and seem to grow fastest for us. Very vigorous!

Those Rosellas are GORGEOUS tomatoes too. Such a unique colouring.

 

[Zeedman]

+1 more for topping. I've only done that twice (if weather delayed transplanting) but pruned the plants down to 3 healthy leaves - and they sent out new branches. I didn't try rooting the cuttings because I had no need of them, but provided you have enough lighted space for them, it's not a bad idea.

I'm doing this cutting method with my too-tall tomatillos right now. They are too lanky and will break easily at this point from such vigorous but weak growth, so instead of planting new seed (I don't have lots of seed so just in case I fail..), I thought I'd re-root them in water and replant. Here is how it's going:

Way too tall plant, and the tomatillo cutting beside -
View attachment 40351View attachment 40348
Roots starting to form, its been about 3 days-
View attachment 40349

Good to know that tomatillos will root along the stem... proof they will benefit from being planted on their side. Mine are far behind those in the photos, I only started them 3 days ago (along with Morelle de Balbis) & expect to see them emerge in the next day or two.

 

[heirloomgal]

+1 more for topping. I've only done that twice (if weather delayed transplanting) but pruned the plants down to 3 healthy leaves - and they sent out new branches. I didn't try rooting the cuttings because I had no need of them, but provided you have enough lighted space for them, it's not a bad idea.


Good to know that tomatillos will root along the stem... proof they will benefit from being planted on their side. Mine are far behind those in the photos, I only started them 3 days ago (along with Morelle de Balbis) & expect to see them emerge in the next day or two.

Have you ever had trouble getting the Morelle de Balbis to fruit in time?

 

[Zeedman]

Have you ever had trouble getting the Morelle de Balbis to fruit in time?

No, which surprised me. The SSE member who originally sent me the seeds in 2006 wrote that I should start the seeds extra early if I wanted the fruit to ripen. But started at the same time as tomatoes (or even a little later) I get a lot of ripe fruit... and even a few ripe from volunteers. I planted a little later than usual this year, time will tell whether or not that makes a difference.

There are two sub-types in my strain: small-fruited which releases easily (or drops) when ripe; and larger-fruited which don't release easily & never drop. The larger ones tear as they are picked, so have almost 0 storage life. I've been selecting in hope of larger fruit which release easily.

Morelle de Balbis are still no-shows today, but the tomatillos are up... they germinated in only 4 days.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

What's your opinion - How long can these survive in their coffee cups? Do I need to upgrade to Big Gulps? We still have snow on the ground.

View attachment 40344

What kind of tomatoes are the really tall ones? Are they cherry tomatoes?