Tomato rooting

[brooklynodog]

Hi Peeps, Hope someone can help my Dad. I grow my toms in a P/T and have few probs. Dad normally does well, but this year has suffered with tom plant failure and when he has pulled them up the root system has been no bigger than the plastic cup he sowed them in. They have been grown in a greenhouse, in the soil which Dad replenishes with his own compost every year. I should add he grows at 1000 ft above sea level in Shropshire.

[Two_Sheds]

Were they root bound?

[Potstubsdustbins]

I know this is a stupid question, but he did take them out of the plastic cups.

Next question did the roots have either tiny white cysts or larger brown swellings?

Finally were they a brownie colour and did the plants wilt at all.

Colin

[taff]

perhaps he needs to completely change the soil in the greenhouse.

[brooklynodog]

Yes he did take them out of the cups

[Aberdeenplotter]

Suggest to him that he pots them on out of the plastic cup he sows them in into a succession of bigger pots untill he is ready to plant them out. Even then, if there is a question mark over the soil, he should think about growing them in bottomless buckets full of compost from a decent quality growbag next time around. Works for me.

[Davyburns]

I dunno if this is true of Toms, but... I transplanted an Acer tree from a large pot into my garden, and it looked like it was dying after 4 months, so I dug it up, and the rootball hadnt grown at all since I planted it. I teased out the roots so it wasnt the shape of the pot anymore, and transplanted it, and its recovering well now!

[Flummery]

I think he definitely needed to pot them on before final planting. Mine are usually in about an 8" pot by the time they go into the greenhouse to give them chance to spread their roots out.