Ingredients

How to make it

  • Rototill or hand dig area.
  • Make a round ring for plant
  • This is very important, remove all lower branches from the tomato plant, leaving top three branches, see pics.
  • Remove plant from container.
  • The roots are root bound even in peat containers as per pics. Although they say to plant the plant and peat container, the roots as you can see are root bound even in the peat container.
  • Using your fingers break loose the roots per pics. Now the roots will start growing outwards and the plant will do well.
  • Now dig a hole deep enough so only two inches of the stem and the top three branches will be exposed.
  • Pour a couple of cups of water in the hole.
  • Place plant in hole.
  • Push dirt in around plant.
  • Sprinkle a hand full (per pic) on the ground around the plant.
  • Mix into the soil.
  • Water the area.
  • Sprinkle a small amount on the surface. It will dissolve with the next watering.
  • Apply a think layer of leaves, grass clipping, anything to prevent weed growth and keep the moisture in the soil.
  • The best tomato cages are made of concrete reinforcing wire. You can buy flat sheets of this wire 4x7 feet for $5.96 at Home Depot. Carefully form a round basket and secure with 5 nylon zip ties. Now you have an indestructible tomato cage.
  • I added some more pics. They show how the plant looks with heavy mulch and with the mulch. The last pic shows how the mulch kept in the moisture. I pulled the leaves back and you can see the moisture around the plant and how it is dry where there was no mulch.
  • A couple pics of other veges and the pic with the 1 gallon bucket is to show the current size of the plant. Planted 3 weeks ago and has increase in size from 6 inches to 18 inches. Going to be 100 this week in Sacramento 5-14-08 and the plants are going to go crazy.
  • The tomato is the only vege I know you can plant like this. Some people do it by laying the plant on its side and covering the stem. The reason to plant the stem deep is roots will grow out from the stem and you have a larger root system, bigger and more tomatoes. My Cherry tomatoes one year grew to a height of 12 feet. Ace tomatoes exceeded 4 lbs, not beefsteak, but 4 lb Ace tomatoes.
  • Twice a week feed with diluted fish emulsion. Be careful as the plants get so large they attack.
Prepare the rows   Close
Deep rows   Close
The plant   Close
Remove bottom branches   Close
Make a hole   Close
This deep   Close
Add water   Close
Root bound   Close
A nice massage   Close
In the hole   Close
Use plant food   Close
This much   Close
Spread it around   Close
Mix it in   Close
Smooth it out   Close
Water it   Close
Another root bound   Close
Freedom   Close
Compare sizes   Close
Mulched   Close
No Mulch   Close
Planted Deep   Close
Getting big   Close
Watering   Close
Wire cage   Close
Cage mulched   Close
Tomato row   Close
Watermelon   Close
Japanese eggplant   Close
cucumber   Close
Basil   Close
Still mosit-Final   Close
cukes and tomatoes   Close
Big roma   Close
cukes   Close

Reviews & Comments 11

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    " It was excellent "
    lumpy1 ate it and said...
    thanks. yippie!, i learned how to cut and paste. dont do 'how to plant a cucumber' though, because seriously, im going to to that one complete with trellis. lumpy
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    " It was excellent "
    jencathen ate it and said...
    Thanks for the information!!
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    " It was excellent "
    raelene1951 ate it and said...
    Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! This is the best info ever!
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  • turlak 15 years ago
    This is the 1st year our tomatoes are looking really good. I will be printing out this post for my husband to read. I didn't know you are supposed to plant them so deep, but now I see that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the info!
    ~Dawn
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  • thegoldminer 15 years ago
    :-( :-( :-( JJ
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  • solanaceae 15 years ago
    I am horribly green with envy!!! We won't be putting plants in the ground for a few weeks ... it's not warm enough here yet!
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  • thegoldminer 15 years ago
    By the way, any plant removed from a pot should have its roots disturbed, per the pics above, they love it. JJ.
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    " It was excellent "
    peetabear ate it and said...
    you did a great job..pictures are wonderful... good info..
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    " It was excellent "
    rml ate it and said...
    Thank you for the wonderful advice! I Love your posts
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  • thegoldminer 15 years ago
    Luck. Let me know how it goes. JJ I have Ace, Plum, Early girl, two types of Cherry tomatoes, beef steak, bell peppers, Serrano peppers, slicing and pickling cucumbers, watermelon, cantelope, basil, oregano, thyme and Japanese eggplant. This should be a good year for veges.
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  • carmenperez 15 years ago
    Greetings From Puerto Rico
    and ty so much for the tips on growing my tomatos
    it comes in handy because i realy dint know wthat i was doing but i do have beawtifull plum tomatoe plants growing in pot in my markesina ( garage like area)high humidity in pr makes them grow like weeds for god sake lol and now i will do what you said ty again wish me luck!!

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