[Little Dibber]

Hi there,

I bought some tomato plants at the weekend and was going to report them in to 12" pots  tomorrow, the roots have actually surfaced on a couple of them and I was wondering if I should plant the first set of leaves below the soil?

I will have them in the office to begin with (self employed) and they will have good light and heating but will then bring them home in a couple of months and put them under the canopy on the patio.

I've got 3 of them potato buckets and was actually thinking to re pot them in those so was wondering if planting the leaves below the soil would encourage root development and ultimately more fruit.

Thanks,
LD

[Aunt Sally]

Any part of the stem that is repotted below the soil level will make roots.  The more roots the stronger the plant will grow

[kermit]

Any part of the stem that is repotted below the soil level will make roots.  The more roots the stronger the plant will grow

Really?  Ive got some really tall (perhaps even leggy) sweet millions on the go - if i really bury the stem (say 6 inches of a 2 foot stem), will it be ok do you reckon?

[compostqueen]

yes, you can bury tomato stems. I've even laid them down horizontally when I've let them get too leggy and planted them in their final positions in those long window box troughs, one each way (foot to head as it were  ) They were fine      Take care with the stems though as you don't want to break them at any point in the repotting operation 

[Little Dibber]

woo hoo, thanks Aunt Sally, am away to repot with confidence 

[Kristen]

Sorry if telling anyone to suck eggs, but this is fine for Tomatoes, but not everything.  Cucumber, for instead, hate getting their stems wet ...

Planting Tomatoes 6" deeper is probably another truss before the plant hits to roof

[Trikidiki]

When I worked for a commercial tomato grower they would let the tomatoes reach the roof then lay the plants down on the soil to just below the lowest truss to let it root from the stem and continue up towards the roof. Mny more trusses in the same height

[Kristen]

I "layed" my Tomato plants one year, but in a small greenhouse I found it quite difficult - the rows are very short! and the hairpin-bends at the end very tight ... I haven't done it since, even starting my Tomato seeds off in February the top truss is not fully ripe by the end of the season - but I do try to maximise the height a bit, so I may get an extra truss in that way.