I just received my tomato transplants. The grower and many sources
recommend deep planting an additional 4-6 inches of stem.

My question is do you do anything specific with the branches on the
bottom 4-6 inches?

I assume I should completely bury them?
Do I leave the leaves on the branches I bury?


DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)

I would leave them on so as to minimise the bacteria that could get in if
you cut it...
--
Anna Merchant

NB. All things said are my own opinion unless otherwise stated.

"DigitalVinyl" wrote in message
...
I just received my tomato transplants. The grower and many sources
recommend deep planting an additional 4-6 inches of stem.

My question is do you do anything specific with the branches on the
bottom 4-6 inches?

I assume I should completely bury them?
Do I leave the leaves on the branches I bury?


DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)

Yep, just plant them deep. You can just leave the branches on, and leave
the leaves on the branches (say that 5 times fast!). I used to remove the
branches years ago, when that was the standard advice, and they still did
fine, so now I don't worry when I sometimes break a branch as I'm burying
it.

Here's a tip--put the stakes in *before* you plant the tomatoes--so you
don't inadvertently damage the roots and/or drop the sledge hammer on a
plant.

Cheers,
Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA


"DigitalVinyl" wrote in message
...
I just received my tomato transplants. The grower and many sources
recommend deep planting an additional 4-6 inches of stem.

My question is do you do anything specific with the branches on the
bottom 4-6 inches?

I assume I should completely bury them?
Do I leave the leaves on the branches I bury?


DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)

On Wed, 14 May 2003 20:43:11 -0400, DigitalVinyl
wrote:

I just received my tomato transplants. The grower and many sources
recommend deep planting an additional 4-6 inches of stem.

My question is do you do anything specific with the branches on the
bottom 4-6 inches?

I assume I should completely bury them?
Do I leave the leaves on the branches I bury?


I don't completely bury the plants. I leave the topmost
branches sticking out of the soil - you need to leave it
some leaves.

I cut off the branches that get buried.

Pat

DigitalVinyl said:

I just received my tomato transplants. The grower and many sources
recommend deep planting an additional 4-6 inches of stem.

My question is do you do anything specific with the branches on the
bottom 4-6 inches?

I assume I should completely bury them?
Do I leave the leaves on the branches I bury?

I remember reading an article in National Gardening years ago which put the
'strip and deep plant' tomato technique to the test vs. 'plant only as deep as
the lowest healthy leaf.' Strip and bury came in second. The verdict: never
sacrifice healthy foliage.

What I've found, when digging up the remnents of last year's tomatoes, was
that only small, minor roots formed on the buried stems. The largest, most
robust roots all originated from the original root ball. (And those roots were
WHOPPERS.)
--
Pat in Plymouth MI

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message
news
DigitalVinyl said:

I just received my tomato transplants. The grower and many sources
recommend deep planting an additional 4-6 inches of stem.

My question is do you do anything specific with the branches on the
bottom 4-6 inches?

I assume I should completely bury them?
Do I leave the leaves on the branches I bury?

I remember reading an article in National Gardening years ago which
put the
'strip and deep plant' tomato technique to the test vs. 'plant only as
deep as
the lowest healthy leaf.' Strip and bury came in second. The
verdict: never
sacrifice healthy foliage.

What I've found, when digging up the remnents of last year's tomatoes,
was
that only small, minor roots formed on the buried stems. The largest,
most
robust roots all originated from the original root ball. (And those
roots were
WHOPPERS.)
--
Pat in Plymouth MI

Early in the season when the soil is still cool, plant at the same depth
as in the pot. If the plant is root-bound like many nursery grown
plants, separate the roots before planting. If planting late when the
soil is warmer, the plant may be set much deeper with only the growing
tip and a few branches showing. Additional new roots will develop along
the stem and help to strengthen the plant. If the plants are tall and
spindly as with some indeterminate types, the root ball may be placed on
its side and the stem (or vine) laid along a four-inch deep trench and
covered with soil with only the growing tip and a few branches showing.
This helps develop more roots along the stem. It may be necessary to
place a weight on the covered stem to keep it in place and also to prop
up the growing tip until the plant develops new growth. With
thick-stemmed determinate varieties, it is best to keep the plant erect
because attempts to bend the stem will often break it instead.

Olin

On Thu, 15 May 2003 06:55:21 -0500, (Pat Kiewicz)
wrote:

DigitalVinyl said:

I just received my tomato transplants. The grower and many sources
recommend deep planting an additional 4-6 inches of stem.

My question is do you do anything specific with the branches on the
bottom 4-6 inches?

I assume I should completely bury them?
Do I leave the leaves on the branches I bury?

I remember reading an article in National Gardening years ago which put the
'strip and deep plant' tomato technique to the test vs. 'plant only as deep as
the lowest healthy leaf.' Strip and bury came in second. The verdict: never
sacrifice healthy foliage.

What I've found, when digging up the remnents of last year's tomatoes, was
that only small, minor roots formed on the buried stems. The largest, most
robust roots all originated from the original root ball. (And those roots were
WHOPPERS.)

I agree. A few years ago there was a fad for burying young plants sort
of sideways so as to cover up several inches of the base with dirt. It
didn't seem to make a great deal of difference in the resultant plant
and fruit. I generally try to plant a bit deeper than the original
container -- that is, bringing up dirt closer to the lowest leaf
branch. Will follow Pat's experiment and look at roots when my plants
are done this year. Not for months and months of lovely fruit, I hope.

(Pat Kiewicz) wrote:

DigitalVinyl said:

I just received my tomato transplants. The grower and many sources
recommend deep planting an additional 4-6 inches of stem.

My question is do you do anything specific with the branches on the
bottom 4-6 inches?

I assume I should completely bury them?
Do I leave the leaves on the branches I bury?

I remember reading an article in National Gardening years ago which put the
'strip and deep plant' tomato technique to the test vs. 'plant only as deep as
the lowest healthy leaf.' Strip and bury came in second. The verdict: never
sacrifice healthy foliage.

What I've found, when digging up the remnents of last year's tomatoes, was
that only small, minor roots formed on the buried stems. The largest, most
robust roots all originated from the original root ball. (And those roots were
WHOPPERS.)

That's the best information I've read.not just a recommendation, but
someone who took the time to examine the result.

DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email)