Uh oh Boz, I know that look, the scowl of an unhappy bulldog, judging me for taking too long to plant all of my tomato starts. (Gracie on the other hand, believes a nap can solve any of life’s issues.) Smart dogs.
Indeed, I waited too long, hoping that one day in May the sun would shine on my Puget Sound garden and I could get to work planting. (I should have known better.)
Tomato plants get leggy when left in their starter pots too long, growing into spindly weaklings reaching for sun at one end and nutrients at the other. Even in this condition, it’s not too late to plant them in your garden (or patio pot as the case may be).
Tomatoes have a remarkable ability to create roots along their stems when placed in contact with soil. Do this with most other plants and the stem rots, and the plant dies. Tomatoes are much more forgiving. Follow the steps below and you can transform the willowy into the robust.
How to Plant (Rescue) a Leggy Tomato
- Remove unhealthy pale leaves (photo 2)
- Planting depth is determined by the highest leaf trimmed off (photo 3)
- Dig shallow trench about 5-6 inches deep
- Place plant on its side at 45 degrees (photo below)
- Cover with soil up to top leaf
- Make sure no leafs are covered, just stem
- Create a berm, and water plant
- Roots will form along the stem and in a week two it will take off.
I create a soil incline to support the stem and then cover it with soil and gently pat down.
Boz, in his Sphinx repose, guards against BLT snatchers and wily crows.
Above, I’ve formed basins to hold water as each plant gets established. One day, a row of resting toms; the next, the stars of my kitchen cutting board.
Keep your eye on the prize. Patience, weeding and watering pay big dividends.
Take a look at my favorites from last year.
One last tip: ”light on the mayo” should never leave your lips when sharing a sentence (and a plate) with a BLT.
11 responses so far ↓
1 Nicholas // May 29, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Could have used this a couple weeks ago. Ours are all almost dead. We hardened them off when it was pretty warm out and I think they froze in the following week once they were in the ground.
2 Leslie // May 29, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Tom, you are so amazing, we have yet to even buy our tomato starts for our first garden on this property. We will heed your advice as we have done on a lot of other things. Thanks to you and to Boz who is looking awfully handsome.
3 June // May 30, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Clever Tom, very clever. We picked our first ripe tomato of the season yesterday, but hey we’re in for another 100 degree day, so soon even the green ones will be fried – oh and I’m with ya’ on the mayo!
4 Eileen @ Passions to Pastry // May 30, 2010 at 5:46 pm
I just finished planting my tomatoes this morning and they did not look good. My time and thoughts have been elsewhere and they were terribly ignored.
5 Holly // Jun 2, 2010 at 2:58 am
Thanks for the tomato planting tips! BTW, your pups are awfully cute!!
6 Sophie // Jun 3, 2010 at 2:33 pm
I have 3 tomato plants growing in large containers on my patio. One is yellow tomatoes, the other one is red grape vine tomatoes & the 3rd is baby red tomatoes. The yellow ones is doing extremely well & is already now 1.5 meters high!!
7 LynnS // Jun 6, 2010 at 9:46 pm
I’ve done this in years’ past and it worked well. From what I recall when I read about this, the additional roots are supposed to be more beneficial to a tomato plant. Your garden looks great. But the BLT looks greater.
The bulldogs get the prize, though!
8 Becky // Jun 7, 2010 at 1:40 pm
That’s how we plant the leggy ones too, and I have heard the same thing that the roots are better that shoot from the sides. I can’t wait for a big ole slice of homegrown tomato!! You are also right about the mayo too!!!!!!!
9 Tom // Jun 7, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Thanks Lynn, Boz & Gracie are the good lookin’ ones around here.
10 brion // Jun 7, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Tom – this can be done with all tomato plants no matter when they are put in the soil. I think it creates a hardier plant altogther. I just plant the bottom 2/3rds without ceremony, straight down even. My thinking is less heat at the deep roots. something we worry about alot in texas.
sgt
11 Tom // Jun 7, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Good point Brion where heat is an issue like Texas. In the Pacific NW where summer temps rarely reach 80 degrees, I don’t plant my tomatoes deeply because the soil temperatures are too cool in the spring for vigorous root growth, and with our nonstop rain you may get some rot.
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