On 9/8/2014 11:32 AM, Bigal wrote:

Brooklyn1;1007447 Wrote:
Why do people need to post claims with nothing to back them up... I
seriously doubted tomato roots grew 10' deep, so I checked, at best
they grow 2' deep and about as wide, with the main portion about 1'
deep, just like most trees.
'How Deep & Wide Does a Full-Grown Tomato Plant Grow? | Home Guides | SF
Gate' (http://tinyurl.com/lvwgrbw)

Redwood trees don't have very deep root systems, especially
considering their height:
'Redwood National Park' (http://tinyurl.com/7dnz5qu)

Sounds as if you are trying to bonsai tomatoes. I used to use grow bags
to grow mine in, but the roots would grow through the drainage holes in
the bottom, through gaps in the 100 mm (4 in) flooring blocks and into
the soil underneath. Easily 10 inches. I currently use 12 in deep (2
1/2 gallon) buckets, and the roots take up most of the space


Brooklyn1 often spouts off about things he really does not know. I
would not have seen his comments except for your reply. I have a filter
set to mark his messages "already read" and then "delete".

My reference for tomato roots growing as deep as 10 feet is Jules
Janick, "Horticultural Science", W.H. Freeman and Co., 1963. If you can
find a copy of this book, see Table 6-5 on page 185, which describes
"Normal root zone depths of mature irrigated crops grown in a deep,
permeable, well-drained soil." That table shows tomatoes and asparagus
both at 6-10 feet. At the time he wrote his book, Janick was a
professor of horticulture at Purdue University.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary