Well, it sort of depends on the quality of the plant. I bought some years ago from a mass-market type mail order nursery, and they were pathetic little shoots with minimal to no root system, and they didn't take. I got some from a much more reputable specialty nursery that also came bareroot, but had a good root system with a lot of fine feeder roots, and these took and did fine, and buds are now breaking on them. I've also dug up and spread around a lot of the suckers produced by my two mature trees, and they generally take as long as you get at least four or five inches of the taproot that comes off of the parent root. Personally, I don't see a problem planting them in the wet ground, I think that actually would help them to get established, since drying out would be the main reason for failure, assuming the plants were sound to begin with. I would just augment the native soil with some good compost and sand, and go for it. However, if you want to pot them up, that will work just fine, too. I've done this three or four times for friends, using a standard soilless potting mix, and letting them get established for a year prior to giving them away. So, whatever you think will work best for you. Dennis SE Michigan

Hi Sammy, Tomato plants have both kinds of roots--the deeper tap roots and the mass of fibrous roots closer to the soil surface. As far as I know, all the roots feed the plants. The kind of roots any tomato plant will have depends on how it is grown. Tomatoes that are direct-sown into the field have a larger, deeper tap root. In some cases, direct-sown tomato plants can have a 6' taproot. Those that are started in flats, pricked out and potted up into individual containers have a weaker tap root but a more well-developed fibrous root system. I believe the more times they're potted up into successively larger containers, the better their fibrous root systems. Once they are transplanted into the ground, most of their fibrous roots will be found within the top ten inches of soil although some lateral roots can run quite a length from the plant....I've had some go out 2' to 4' in drought years when they're more aggressively searching for water. However, some studies show that those plants potted up several times do not outperform those potted up only once or direct-seeded. I do think they produce earlier though, based on my own experiences growing tomatoes that are potted up a couple of times as seedlings. For folks like us in hot climates where heat shuts down pollination and fertilization fairly early in the summer, it is better to have plants with fibrous roots that will produce fruit early before pollination and fertilization are impeded. That's why you don't see us direct-seeding in the ground here in March or April....because we wouldn't harvest anything much until fall. You encourage your tomato plants to grow more fibrous roots by planting the plant deeply in the soil, whether it is in the ground or in a container. The adventitious roots form from those little root hairs on the main stalk. I always plant my tomato plants as deeply as I can to encourage those adventitious roots. All the tomato roots feed the plants. Ideally, you feed the soil by adding compost, manure, etc. to the soil and letting the plant roots take what they need from the soil. That's easier to do with in-ground plants that can stretch their roots as far as needed (within reason) to find the nutrients they need. With plants in containers, I add compost, composted cow manure, a handful of blood meal, a handful of bone meal, a handful of Tomato Tone plant food, and maybe greensand or soft rock phosphate to the containers every year to make up for whatever leached out of the container or was used up by the plants during the previous growing season. It isn't an exact science. I just try to remember what I observed the previous year in terms of plant performance, and add what I think the soil needs. If the nutrients are in the pots, the roots will find them...high, low or whatever. When I add the nutrients every year, I stir them into the soil-less container mix already in the pot so it is all well-mixed. Because container-grown tomatoes are watered often, nutrients leach out of the soil, you may find you need to feed your plants as often as weekly with a water-soluable fertilizer. I find that to be necessary in June, July and August when I'm watering daily as the daily watering leaches out nutrients. I've linked some info on various studies of tomato roots. In the first photo, you'll see the difference in a tap root on a young direct-seeded plant versus the more fibrous root system on a transplanted seedling. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: Studies of Tomato Root Growth

PICTURES OF MY ROOTING ON JAN 30, INDOOR ZONE 5A, 2 1/2 months of rooting: Zippered bed-sheet pouches won over pop-bottle: more sunlight. Below is a very wimpy rooting with a LARGE pop-bottle on top: What I learned from my 1st-time rooting indoor, in zone 5a: Cheryl Netter, the originator of "baggie method" lives in a SUNNY zone 5a Colorado, with 247 to 285 days of sunshine versus my Chicagoland with 191 sunny days (mostly partial sun). My mother-in-law lives in Colorado Springs, and at high altitude, the sun is much more intense. Sun is needed to zap mold. STABLE environment is the key to success rooting. When I squirted water on the cuttings, it drop leaves immediately. Cuttings drop leaves with excessive moisture. I should had used my alkaline tap water (pH 9) plus hydrogen peroxide to prevent mold & black canker. I used rain water, which is perfect pH for mold to grow. The addition of my magnesium-rich clay on top helped with photosynthesis in the weak-sun indoor-zone 5a. After I topped with magnesium, leaves became darker green. After 2 1/2 months, baggie via zippered-bed-sheets WON over pop-bottle. Baggie has a larger area of soil for evaporation of moisture. Plus Baggie allows more sun & air to prevent mold. All my rootings under pop-bottle failed. They sprout green leaves, but the minute I take the pop-bottle off, leaves drop. My sister in WARM California had the same experience. One site said to take the pop-bottle off EVERY NIGHT, which makes sense since there's zero light at night, thus encourage mold & black canker. But it's a nuisance to take pop-bottle off everynight. Pouring water down the stem of cuttings is THE BEST WAY TO KILL THEM. Cuttings rot easily if the medium is acidic & wet.

The long, thicker roots on a rose bush do some work but are mainly to stabilize. It is the thin, tiny white roots that do all the work. Probably female ones!! The fertilizer plus water, should be able to get to them through your soil. If you have planted a rose for instance next a tree, then a 3 foot piece of 2 inch diameter plastic piping works very well. You just leave a small piece showing and stick the hose down it.