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  • #1

    Potting on problems! Please help...

    I had planned to pot on some of my veg plants this week, as some seem fairly big, but when I tried to get them out of the modules, the compost was all crumbly and there didn't seem to be any roots holding it together.

    I tried with a tomato plant that is about 5 inches tall and then with a flower and both were the same. They're all in individual modules in those trays, the ones with 15 modules in each, but I was scared to do any more after I saw what the first one was like in case I killed them.

    Am I just trying to pot them on too early? I can't see any roots poking through the bottom, so are they still okay in those pots or is there something wrong with them, because they've only got tiny little root systems going???

    As a side issue, I'm a little confused as to when I should start feeding my tomatoes tomato food. I've read that it's when the first flower truss develops. How do I tell when these are on the plant, as they've got a few sets of real leaves now but no flowers yet.

    Yes, I'm a stresshead!
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  • #2
    Hi Nykied

    Maybe if you water the compost first it might help, as they sound big enough to pot on.

    As for feeding tomatoes, you will see a little truss appear, which will then have flowers later, so no need to feed them yet.

    The leaves tend to go a little pale when they need a feed, and sometimes this does happen if they are not transplanted quickly enough, but only use a half strength feed at the start of the season.
    Good Luck
    Mr TK
    Mr TK's blog:
    http://mr-tomato-king.blogspot.com/
    2nd Jan early tomato sowing.

    Video build your own Poly-tunnel

    Comment

    • #3
      Originally posted by Nykied View Post
      I can't see any roots poking through the bottom...
      they don't need potting on then.

      As to feeding, yes you feed when the plant is flowering. If you feed too early, you will get lots of green growth at the expense of fruit
      All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

      Comment

      • #4
        Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post
        As to feeding, yes you feed when the plant is flowering. If you feed too early, you will get lots of green growth at the expense of fruit

        Not strickly true, tomato feed is high potash and low nitrogen. Flower feed is normally high nitrogen and low potash.
        Potash is for fruit production, nitrogen is for growth.

        Sometimes too much early fruit on a plant can be detrimental later on, but one of the reasons young plants have too much growth like Two Sheds pointed out, is because the early friut had not set properly, because of low temperature and light, although the toms might still be there they will not swell.

        Commercial growers do use a high nitrogen feed for the first month or so to get good strong plants, and high potash later on for good production. But for us amateur growers, half strength tomato feed is fine to start with.

        So to sum up, potash actually helps you get a less green growth.

        As for the potting on, typical of me I speed read and thought you said roots WERE poking out, however, 5" in a small module seems its about time that it was potted on. As long as they are not competing too much for light they should be fine for a while, like Two Sheds also said.

        Sorry for the confusion, I will read threads properly in the future.

        Mr TK
        Mr TK's blog:
        http://mr-tomato-king.blogspot.com/
        2nd Jan early tomato sowing.

        Video build your own Poly-tunnel

        Comment

        • #5
          If there's no roots poking out through the bottom of the pot they don't need to be moved to a bigger one.
          Wait until the plant has a good root system and then pot on.
          With a good root system the soil won't fall away and it will be easier to do the job properly.

          And when your back stops aching,
          And your hands begin to harden.
          You will find yourself a partner,
          In the glory of the garden.

          Rudyard Kipling.sigpic

          Comment

          • #6
            Thanks for the replies peeps, much appreciated.

            Some of them seem to be competing for light, like the pumpkins and courgettes, but I could cut up the modules to solve that.

            So, Mr. TK, am I right in thinking that the stems that my plants have on them so far aren't trusses, and that the trusses will branch off those side stems? And when that starts to happen, I should start to feed them?

            Thanks,
            Nykie

            Comment

            • #7
              Hi
              I found this on the net hope it helps :-

              Feeding Your Tomatoes

              When the first truss has set, which means the flowers have gone and you can see tomatoes beginning to form, it’s time to start feeding. Tomatoes are greedy, we want lots of juicy fruits, so you need a good tomato feed. I use either a bought organic feed, which is based on comfrey, Tomorite or make my own comfrey liquid feed.

              Feed weekly at least to keep the plant going.

              Comment

              • #8
                Originally posted by Nykied View Post
                Thanks for the replies peeps, much appreciated.

                Some of them seem to be competing for light, like the pumpkins and courgettes, but I could cut up the modules to solve that.

                So, Mr. TK, am I right in thinking that the stems that my plants have on them so far aren't trusses, and that the trusses will branch off those side stems? And when that starts to happen, I should start to feed them?

                Thanks,
                Nykie
                Hi again Nykied

                Well, you could be confusing shoots for trusses. Shoots are found between the leaf and the stem, and very ocasionally grow from the end of a truss.
                Trusses grow off the stem only, little buds which then turn into flowers then tiny tomatoes, if they dont swell they have not set properly.
                There is a picture on my blog of first shoots, by the way.

                If you can cut up the modules keep the peat whole, that would help a great deal when transplanting on. It is only when you have grown seedlings in a small tray that you should transplant them with hardly any soil on their roots.
                I think this is why a lot of people on here try to sow individual seeds in small pots first.

                We are all slightly guessing answers here in some ways, pictures really help to give the right advice.

                Mr TK
                Mr TK's blog:
                http://mr-tomato-king.blogspot.com/
                2nd Jan early tomato sowing.

                Video build your own Poly-tunnel

                Comment

                • #9
                  Just to let you know that I have updated my blog today, so there are a few pictures that might help.
                  Mr TK
                  Mr TK's blog:
                  http://mr-tomato-king.blogspot.com/
                  2nd Jan early tomato sowing.

                  Video build your own Poly-tunnel

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    I think your plants are not getting enough light or water. Where are they?

                    Comment

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