JUST ABOUT TIME TO "POT-UP"

March 1 Seedlings are thriving.

The seedlings are healthy and are developing their first set of true leaves. It is just about time to to transfer the seedlings from the baking tins to individual pots where they will remain until planted. This is a time consuming process and is tedious. Thank goodness my daughter, the designer for this blog, will be home for the week-end to help. I mix sand, peat moss and a little root tone to MiracleGro potting soil to fill the 4" pots. Then, each seedling is carefully extracted so as not to disturb the tender roots and planted in its individual pot. I try to get the roots all the way to the bottom of the pot so that only the leaves will be above the soil. This insures the development of a good root system for the transplanted tomato. All that portion of the stem of the plant beneath the soil will form lateral roots.

I feel it important for the plants to develop a strong root system in the pots for obvious reasons. I keep the plants in the pots longer than most tomato growers. I like the plants to be at least a foot tall when they go in the ground. In the Delta we normally have very hot weather early in the season. I try to get the plants in the garden as soon as possible so that they will bloom early and set tomatoes before it gets too hot. I have found that it is difficult for the plants to set fruit in extremely hot weather. The taller the plant when put in the garden allows it to planted deeper in the ground. The deeper it is planted, the more roots it will form to sustain the plant through our hot and humid growing season. Also, unusually cold weather at planting time may require holding the plants in the pots longer than anticipated. A good root system in the pots will sustain them until they can be safely planted outside.

I will try and post pictures of the "potting-up" process later.