Help with Tomatoes!?

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Mar 30, 2005 10:41 pm

Okay, it's been way too long since I've done veggies! INEED HELP! ?

I have planted them too early I fear now! HELP! And I can't remember, do I need to pinch them back at all? WHen and how much do I fertilize! These were planted St. Patrick day! They are doing way too well! OH NO!

Someone? ANyone?

Old earth dog · Post by **Old earth dog** » Mar 31, 2005 12:08 am

Jane, strip the lower leaves off and replant them up to the top leaves. this will cause roots to form all along the stem. I used to replant twice before they went in the garden in the beginning of May here. tomatoes, being a tropical plant, don't do anything till the ground warms up.
I only fertilized half strength when the first true leaves showed, then each time I repot. Keep the lights down, almost touching them. that helps keep them from getting to leggy.

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Mar 31, 2005 4:51 am

Thanks, its all coming back now! It's been so long I really could not remember!

Violet_Skies · Post by **Violet_Skies** » Apr 04, 2005 2:35 pm

You can put them out in the garden now, if you get some wall o' waters. It's like $9.00 for a pack of three and they should last for years. I don't know how many tomato plants you're growing so that may or may not be an option for you. You could also put them out with tomato cages and cover the cages with clear plastic (vented) and stack empty milk cartons full of water around them. Same effect. I agree with planting them deeper so that only about 6" of the plant is above ground. You can dig a trench and lay them in it sideways too, covering up to the last 6" with several inches of soil. They will root all along the stem that's buried.

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Apr 04, 2005 2:43 pm

Well, there's 75 of them buggers, so wall-a-waters is out! I would like to keep down the costs

Outside isn't really an option in Mid-Michigan yet as we could get that white 'stuff' before the month is out!

I am going to repot, so if I do bury the leg, can I also bury the 2 first leaves? I thought I could, but can't remember...........might have killed 18 if not! They were done last night, or early this morning

kidzdad · Post by **kidzdad** » Oct 16, 2005 11:51 pm

Being fairly new to gardening, I'm wondering what a wall-a-water is. I've never heard of it.

Old earth dog · Post by **Old earth dog** » Oct 17, 2005 12:58 am

Hi KD! The wall-o-water is a portable greenhouse for lack of a better term. It's clear plastic vinyal with pockets all around it to hold water. The water acts as a heat sink during the day, and helps hold it throughout the night. I used them 20+ years ago. I would suspect they have a site somewhere on the web for a better explination than mine.

kidzdad · Post by **kidzdad** » Oct 17, 2005 8:49 pm

Sounds interesting. Can you use them for any type of plant?