Help needed for bought tomato plants

[susiewoosie]

Well my tomato plants turned up today from ebay. they are very leggy and they are in jiffy 7's. Some of the plants are about 8" tall. I had planned to put them into 3" pots but because they are so tall do you think I could plant them straight into their final 10" pots?

I know I can bury some of the stem to make the plants stronger, hopefully that will help as well

[Flummery]

I'd grow them up gradually. They do sound a bit leggy but as you say, plant a bit deeper. If you go up in stages instead of all at once, the roots will grow out into the compost in the small pot and fill it well. Then you can pot it on bigger. If you do it all at once there's a risk that some of the outer compost will get a bit sour and its nutrients will leach out too.

Best of luck. I'm sure they'll be fine.

[apaj4]

Hi,
I'm a novice tomato grower too. I bought some young plants on Ebay as well. They arrived a little worse for wear, with some brown/grey spots on the droopy leaves. Is this frost damage or something more sinister?

All help greatfully received as this is my first posting.

Thank you.

[Flummery]

The spots are probably scorch marks. It's all too easy to splash leaves when watering and if the sun gets on them through glass the lens effect can burn the leaves. It's only cosmetic though. The plants should be ok.

Oh sorry how rude of me - welcome to the grapevine!

[susiewoosie]

I'd grow them up gradually. They do sound a bit leggy but as you say, plant a bit deeper. If you go up in stages instead of all at once, the roots will grow out into the compost in the small pot and fill it well. Then you can pot it on bigger. If you do it all at once there's a risk that some of the outer compost will get a bit sour and its nutrients will leach out too.

Best of luck. I'm sure they'll be fine.

Thanks Flummery, I'll put the in 3" pots

[apaj4]

Phew what a relief - thanks Flummery!
Thanks for the welcome too.

[susiewoosie]

I've put them in 3" pots poorlittle things look really sorry for them selves. The stems on a couple of them had curled round and round. I buried them as best I could. It looked like the had little nodes on them already. Is there anything I could feed them with just to make them a bit stronger. The central stem can hardly stand up

[Alice]

You could put a little cane in the pot and tie them loosely to it Susiewoosie. That will help them to stand up.
It's a shame your plants arrived in such poor condition but tomatoes are tough and I'm sure they will be fine.

[susiewoosie]

Hi Alice they came with little canes so they are tied loosely to it. They just look like the main stem needs beefing up a bit