Another Tomato Question! - Repotting

[Nibbler]

Hello again
Sorry: more questions!
Most of my toms need repotting. I have already repotted them once, from modules to 7cm pots, sunk up to their seed leaves. Now the roots are showing underneath. When repotting, do I plant them up to the first set of true leaves? Or do I just pot up to the seed leaves again (they are still attached…)? I have read / heard that planting up to the leaves each time makes a stronger plant to support a bigger harvest, but I just don’t know which leaves ‘they’ are talking about!

Thanks a million!

[Shadylane]

I think most plant up to the seed leaves but with toms it doesn't really matter if you want to plant them deeper. They'll root from the stem if it's buried so if they're looking a bit weak and leggy then go ahead and plant them a bit deeper, otherwise just plant up to the seed leaves.

[Flummery]

Usually it's seed leaves. I was told by an old market gardener that you can tell the quality of a tomato plant by the fact that it still has its seed leaves on. This means it hasn't suffered a check in growth. I only plant up deeper when I put them in their final position.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Some how I always end up with leggy plants so I plant as deep as the pot will allow, the theory being that the stem will throw further roots and give a stronger plant.

My friend who spends money on heat/light in his GH always has plants that look like sumo wrestlers so he plants up to the seed leaves.

Over the years he is always a week or so in front of me for the first tom but apart from that there seems to be no difference in the harvest.

Colin