I want thick, thick vines.....what do I need to do?

15 years ago

It seems every year I plant tomatoes that I grow from seeds and suffer from some type of "fat envy." By this I mean my plants always look so thin at the base. I go to the farmers' market and jealously look at the much shorter, yet much thicker seedlings and can't figure out what I am doing wrong? Any tips? This year I have seedlings outside under natural light and covered at night (night temps are near 50 now) and others are inside under lights 12-14 hours a day. I transplanted all when they had a couple sets of leaves and plated deep into 4" pots and still they look so leggy.

Someone somewhere suggested I pinch them at the base and that didn't seem to do much--any other sugegstions? Usually they will thicken once they are in the garden, but still each year I visit my grandfather's garden and he seems to be growing thick trunk trees and I have these wimpy, knock-kneed plants--Is there a Charles Atlas like guide for people with wimply plants?

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Comments (8)

cleo88
15 years ago
Have you seen the information on supercropping in the thread:

Innovative Indoor Tomato Grow

Perhaps that is what you were trying to do with pinching the stem and you just weren't tough enough with the little guys. I'm going to try it on a few of my seedlings but I expect collateral damage...

There are also postings on the three things that tend to make seedlings leggy, which I think are 1) light too far away, 2) too warm or 3) too much fertilizer. Since you are in Florida maybe warmth was the issue (Florida seems so warm compared to Massachusetts right now!). People in this forum say that the seedlings, once sprouted, like to be at a constant 50 degrees for two weeks, and then still at 50-55 at night after that, I think.

I also plan to use a fan on them, to toughen up their little stems. Also, when transplanting them you should always plant them very low - everything under dirt will grow roots, evidently.

If all else fails, when you plant them in the garden, you can trench plant them.

Good luck!
geeboss
15 years ago
make sure not to over do the watering....let the cells dry...this stimulates the root to search out moisture and provide bottom water. Also get a small fan and provide a breeze to strengthen the stem.

George

also can try supper cropping which takes practice and might require you to resow if you break the stem instead of just the cells
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dave1mn2
15 years ago
I'm very much looking forward to seeing reports on the supercopping. I love that it stimulates the lower suckers to be so low and close since that works nicely with Wilber's training method but I think I'll have to just watch this time.
simmran1
15 years ago
Tomatonut, I agree with geeboss completely, over watering may be the problem.
I would like to add thoughÂ. I used to buy Light Warrior seed starting mix, but its not available locally anymore, so I now use is Miracle Grow seed starting mix, 8qt.
To this mix, (before planting) I add (1) full cup of bone meal and mix thoroughly.
This tends to give germinating seedlings a tiny boost in the root and stem I believe. And YES have constant airflow around the little guys. Also variety is at play here.
Determinates, canning types and container growns normally have thicker stems.
elskunkito
15 years ago
This more or less works for me

give them "enough" light, whatever that is. 16 hours a day at 2" aboves the leaves seem to be good for me.

Not too much nitrogen

Keep 'em cool. 55-65F

Super cropping
http://ponyshow.com/smope/toms/super.jpg

I can snap a better super crop pic later on. Super busy at the moment
Not much too it really.

I don't think any of this will help have big stems after they get put in the ground. They are kind of on their own then. Well, except the light.
natal
15 years ago
"fat envy"

Great description! ... but only for tomato plants (grin).

I've had the same lust, but once those plants are in the ground it becomes a non-issue. My seedlings go outdoors into the cold frame as soon as they germinate ... so they're getting plenty of natural light and breezes. And when I transplant up I bury the stem deep. If I fertilize at all it's only a weak solution of fish emulsion.
roper2008
15 years ago
I have the same problem, even with the lights close to the plants.
But when it's time to plant outside I just plant them deep, and they
wind up just as strong and big and the store bought ones.
carolyn137
15 years ago
All other variables being considered as mentioned above, another thing you can consider is to start brushing the tops of the seedlings as they grow.

It was noticed that tomato plants along the narrow aisles of commercial greenhouses were thicker and more sturdy than others and it turned out that was b'c the workers were brushing up against those plants and that's why the plants were more stocky.

The Cornell Coop Extension in my area was so impressed with what they saw that they encouraged all the local farmers to take a broom handle and brush the tops of all the seedlings being grown. And this touching of the plants became very well known, and still is, in many parts of the country.

Now at that time I was doing all my seed germinating, transplanting and growing of my tomato plants at the greenhouses of my farmer friend Charlie and for a few weeks he actually did that and then gave up.

I mean, he has 28 greenhouses, large ones, and two of those were tomato plants only, and it takes many hours each day just to water the plants in all the greenhouses so he gave up pretty quickly due to time constraints.

But there's no reason why you can't try that at home.

It's based on the concept of thigmotropism which means plant response to touch.

Carolyn

I want thick, thick vines.....what do I need to do?

Comments (8)

cleo88

geeboss

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