gardening

re: burying deep
I was told that you have to pinch all the sprigs off, up to the top V sprigs, of the tomato plant and then plant it up to that V top will produce more yield. I'm gonna try that this year.

 

That's what I call suckering... I thought everyone called it that.

I also saw a show last year where a guy planted his tomato plants laying down... ie.. putting the stem in the ground sideways and leaving about 3 inches of the top out. This made a running root, which is more sturdy.

 

Honeygirl, your plum tree looks wonderful... Mmmm.

 

I always associated suckering to tobacco plants; same thing I guess, except suckering is after the plant's big, pinching is at planting time.

I've heard of another outstanding method for growing tomatoes, in a bail of straw. You wet the straw bail down real good, make a hole and put the 'mater plant in it, add fertilizer. That's the gist of it, probably not the complete method.

 

Can you explain that some more? I can't picture that.

 

I've always been told to keep tomatoes off the ground. I can't imagine a regular variety would like the suckering method. Maybe it's a hybrid?

 

think positive

 

That's nice and all, but horticulture makes the rules, not you nor I.

 

I'm thinking she means transplanting it such that it's sideways or a few inches underground before sprouting back up above the soil. Roots will grow off of the sideways stem making it more stable.

probably not what she meant at all though

 

Yeah that's what I meant. I didn't mean for you to lay down, and then plant your tomatoes.

Simply lay the tomato plants down on their sides and leave the tops out. Cover the entire stem that's laying on the ground, leave the top out of course.
The sun will pull them to grow straight up, but the root systems will be running lateral and down , giving the plant a stronger foundation and less chance of root rot or balling the root up.

As for suckering, I guess it's just pinching them back. Ie.... when they have spindley, thin, side growing branches, pinch those off to make your plant more beefy, bushy and lower growing. It will bear bigger, healthier fruit.