The fibrous roots would be the feeder roots. What was the fruit like? If it was good then you were using the right amount of water.

I guess what I was asking was whether the failure of the plants to develop any kind of a significant lateral root system reflected on my possibly over watering and over feeding them. The plants were normal in size and the fruits were just fine. I wondered if they might have been even better had I not done what I did.

Is this what you mean by "feeder" and "fibrous" roots? I'm not sure root form is that important but I'm eager to find out.

BTW, this is a pic of an unfertilized very stocky determinate tomato that was yanked because it grew NO fruit. It got heavy watering on a drip and timer.

Marv, I think you'll find what I linked to below to be interesting in terms of distinguishing between a tap root struture and a fibrous root structure and additional comments about water.

Yes, it's from 1927 but back then all the basic work on tomato structure and growth, etc, and so much more was what was done. There's a darn good reason that this link still works since so many I have from the 20's and 30's have disappeared long ago. The reason its stayed is b'c of the excellent info given.

I think most important is the comment that direct seeded plants develop a tap root stricture, which is not desired. One should always transplant young seedlings to get the desired fibrous root structure and that does NOT mean continuous potting up at all, once is enough.

Just scroll down at the link below until you get to the Tomato chapter.

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Root Structures

Carolyn, I know you must really love that reference on tomato roots as you come back to it quite often and it really is good. I have read it many times and it is quite complete. I only wish the writer of the article was still around as I would like to converse with him. I would ask him what the effects of too much water and too much fertilizer were on tomato roots and whether you could use that information when examining the roots on your own plants as an indicator on whether you were doing things right or wrong. I asked a friend of mine this question and his reply was that I should be using some Advanced Nutrients VooDoo Juice on my plants as any perceived problems I had would immediately be resolved ....not a whole lot of help.

Lubadub, the proof is in the pudding - or in the harvest in this case, I guess.

Was there a problem with the maters? Size? Quality? Taste? Blemishes? Cracking? Something else?

If they were fine then why worry about the root system? If not, its easier to start with the symptoms and THEN diagnose.

My reason for asking the original question is that I am never satisfied with what I get. I am always looking for ways to get more and better. Being satisfied with less than you might possibly be able to do does not really satisfy me. It is crazy people like me that want to improve on "perfect."

It is crazy people like me that want to improve on "perfect."

$$$$$$

Marv, to go beyond perfection is not attained on earth.( smile)

Carolyn

Carolyn

You did not note the quotation marks. (sigh)

Marv

I did note the quotation marks Marv, but to me "perfect" = perfect when talking about tomatoes.

Carolyn

It is the imperfect nature of genetics and culture that allows for improvement, so in a general sense the path to perfection by definition only may be imperfect.

Death is the perfected state of life, so I think Carolyn was perfectly imperfect:

...to go beyond perfection is not attained *with* earth.( smile) :

Perfection isn't obtained by adding anything whether it be tomato life or any organism's, it is obtained by removing everything that is not essential.

Perfection is being there. (... Richard Bach)

Since earth is simply a substrate, tomatoes not constrained by gravity and soil will grow larger and roots better when these constraints are removed.

JMO
PC

PS, "Voodoo Juice" will distract you from the quest for any such grail!

I would think that as there are varieties with different foliage growth habit, there should be similar root systems.
I am going to do some roots observation this fall, after my plants die.

seysonn

After looking at my roots some more and thinking about it a bit longer I now realize that the plants that had only fibrous root were those made from cuttings from plants whose original stalks were eaten by wireworms, about 6 plants in all. Also I believe the number of lateral roots is related to the length of the taproot and how much damage was done during potting up. (Carolyn alluded to this.) Because of this, I plan on starting my plants in bigger containers next year so that I may not even have to pot up at all.

Here are my conclusions about root structure:
The taproot is the primary root of the tomato plant. All other roots are secondary roots except for the adventitious roots which form directly from the stem. The taproot may reach a depth of 23 inches in the first three weeks of plant growth in the garden and can go even deeper depending on soil conditions. Taproots immediately begin to branch and can give off as many as 10 lateral branches per inch. Repotting and transplanting a tomato plant damages the taproot and this results in the overall root beginning to take on a fibrous appearance due to the many small fine roots arising from the remaining tap root. Collectively these are referred to as the fibrous root system. The larger roots growing out laterally from the tap root, the lateral branches, are often referred to as feeder roots when growing laterally while those growing downward are sometimes referred to as water roots though they carry dissolved nutrients as well as water back to the plant.. These laterals grow out horizontally and then down and can reach 2 feet or more in length. The adventitious root system refers to those roots originating from buried stem. All roots are covered with root hairs which are microscopic extensions of the root and through which water and dissolved accompanying nutrients are absorbed.
Thoughts? Marv

"The job of the farmer is to take care of the roots as much as possible. The part above ground will then take care of itself."

he often said "there is a lot you can do for the roots but you can do very little for what is above ground."

quote from an old organic farmer who grew the biggest tomatoes I ever saw.

If this farmer ever met lubadub he would have said "You are the best"