Tomato seedlings are getting rowdy! pic added!

[Collector]

We planted our tomatoes on march 13th, we have been growing them under lights in our living room. Now they are about 8" tall and growing like weeds starting to get out of control. Does anybody have suggestions on what we should do with them at this point ie; move them out, transplant ect. We are having to raise the lights every other day now to keep them under!

 

[Dace]

I believe that they would need to go into a more nutrient dense growing media now. If they were mine I would transplant.

I am sure that someone will come along with solid advice, which may trump my gut feeling

 

[thistlebloom]

I suggest a chair and a whip.... and never turn your back on them...

 

[vfem]

Now is a good time to fertilize your wild beasts! :watering

I also transplant my tomatoes into a deep container... because I bury 80% of the plant on transplant.... and then I bury another 80% of the plant when transplanting out to its final location! I end up with some strong monster plants!!!

 

[Collector]

Dace, we were thinking about transplanting them to give more space to grow. I usually go with my gut also, lol.

Thistle, no kidding I've been trying to sleep with one eye open. It's like a bad B movie!

V, thanks for the planting tip! Do you think we should transplant then water them in with fertilizer or compost tea or wait a few days after planting?

 

[thistlebloom]

I've always watered in after transplanting with a dilute solution of fertilizer, and I think you're fine doing that ( I use fish emulsion
and kelp, but whatever works for you, just make sure it's on the
weak side ).

 

[digitS']

Collector, do you figure they are getting enuf light?

It has been ages, and I mean ages, since I've tried growing anything only under lights. I've used artificial light AND natural sunlight - and in our light-deprived world, that is a wonderful way to go :rainbow-sun.

Recently, there's only been the natural sunlight . . .

I'll post some pictures (cheating first):

Isn't this a cute little guy?

in his own little pot from 1st true leaf stage

Here are his brothers there on the right, in front (leaning white plant label).

1st in 4-packs, now in pots

Notice how the inadequate sunlight, plus some crowding, has caused them to be a little stretched?

Do not look at the plants on the left! Don't look at those plants! Ignore them!

. . . okay, they are really s t r e t c h e d. You see, the little guy by himself (and his brothers) are known as "New Big Dwarf." For our purposes here, the only important name is "Dwarf." They are supposed to be sturdy little plants. And, even without good light, the little guy in the 1st picture is looooking good !

Unfortunately, I didn't and don't have room for every single tomato plant to have his only little pot from the get-go :/. But one thing you can do with tomatoes, is bury their stretched stems. You see that I've done that in these 4" pots all the way up to their seed leaves.

Now, how come I've got room now for the 4" pots but I didn't before? Because I've moved flat after flat of cabbage, kale, broccoli, etc., out of the greenhouse and onto the path of the plastic tunnel.

What size containers do you have your rowdy plants in now? It may be time to give them more room.

Steve

 

[Collector]

Thistle, thanks for the tip. Right after they got their first true leaves I gave them AP mirical grow at 1 teaspoon per gallon, that is what we will do when we transplant also. We are going to have over a 100 tomato plants only have room for 15 max so going to have to give them to friends and family. Same with the peppers, next year we will know better though and not plant so many.

 

[4grandbabies]

Now is a good time to fertilize your wild beasts! :watering

I also transplant my tomatoes into a deep container... because I bury 80% of the plant on transplant.... and then I bury another 80% of the plant when transplanting out to its final location! I end up with some strong monster plants!!!

I do exactly what vfem does!

 

[thistlebloom]

Wow Collector! your 100 plants made me giggle... it's so easy to get carried away isn't it? I mean those seeds are so tiny!


Steve, you have some healthy looking robust plants! I'm holding my plants up to your picture so they have something to aspire to!