leggy tomato plants??

[rehric00]

Here are my baby tomato plants...



They seem a little leggy.. I have them in a dark potting mix, and I put them outside when its nice enough to.

What should I do to keep them alive and strong?

I put the fan on them for a little bit each day on low to build strong stems..

Also, when should I cut out some of the plants? Some pods have 5-6 plants, and I have been told no more than 2 per pod.... Thanks!!

[rehric00]

PS- they look way more yellow than they really are in this pic, they are a nice green color actually

[camille1585]

Yes, those are leggy little seedlings. You can tell my the curves in the stems. 'Good' seedlings have stout, straight stems. Mine were about half that length at the same stage.

What I do with my seedlings is sow them all in the same pot, and when the first true leaf appears I pot them up individually, burying them as deeply as possible, up to the codyledons if I can. Individual is better, otherwise the seedlings compete with each other and get even leggier as they try to beat the other plants heightwise. I grow them under the orchid lights, right up against the tubes, but they are still a bit leggy since the light isn't quite strong enough for them.

To keep them as compact as possible, no fert until much later, don't keep them too warm and water only when they are quite dry. It helps limit their growth somewhat.

You may still get some decent plants out of those, but when it comes to plant them in the garden they will need to be buried up to the first leaves. (the portion of stem underground will grow roots).

[ElenaMarie]

Are you growing them under lights when they're inside? If so, move the lights down so they're only an inch or so above the leaves. If not, the plants are leggy because they're trying to reach full sunlight.

Leggy tomatos can be dealt with when they're planted in the ground or in a larger pot. Bury them up to the first true leaves and they'll do fine.

[Bud]

Very nice...just dont get them near orchids...tomato plants emit a certain gas that is deadly to orchids

[camille1585]

That's a bit of an exxageration, ethylene (which is the gas in question) is not deadly to orchids. Not too mention a myth. My tomatoes have been growing right alongside my orchids under the lights for the past month, and I have yet to see a drooped bloom or other strange thing. Everyone is perfectly happy!
Now, leaving orchids right next to ripe fruit will cause blooms to drop, the ethylene emission rates are much higher.

[Tsuchibuta]

you can also try supercroping them. you pinch the stalk (but don't break it) till you crush it all the way to the leaf. This causes the plant to put energy into repairing the damage and thus makes the stalks of the tomato plants thicker. Essentially you are mimicking the plant getting trampled.

Its very scarey at first but most people whom grow them hydroponically do it this way to keep short and stout.

[camille1585]

Interesting. I'll read up on it and try it on a few seedlings, since I sowed too many anyway.

[camille1585]

I googled supercropping, and all I get is stuff about weed plants!

[Oscarman]

Seedlings like warm feet and cool heads for the best stocky growth. Sorry not much help now!

Interesting point about 'supercropping' them. Never heard of that before.