Transplanting Tomatoes
Today was the day to transplant my tomato seedlings, and I think I may have done it a little differently than you might expect. Or perhaps you’ve done it this way all your life and I’m just catching on to it now. Either way, here’s what I did.
Now if you’re wondering when to transplant, my seedlings are now four weeks old and stand about about four inches tall. Ideally, I think you’d want to give them another week or so, and do the big move when they’re about five inches tall. But, I was in a hurry and was itching to get things moving.
First of all, I gave my tomato seedlings one more watering before I transplanted them. Not only does that make it easier on the plant, but it also makes it easier to get out of the container. Then I took my three inch pot (that I was transplanting into) and put just a small layer of dirt in the bottom. So far, not so unusual.
Here’s what you might not normally do. I took my tomato plant and laid it down sideways in the container (as much as I could in that small space). Then I buried as much of it as I could, leaving just the top leaves showing.
Now, why on earth would I do that? Well you see, when you bury a tomato stem, it will send out roots. These extra roots will make the plant stronger and healthier. To further improve your tomato’s root systems, do this again when you plant him in the ground. Just dig a little trench, lay the plant down in the trench, bury it and keep the top sticking out of the ground.
Don’t believe me? Try it yourself!
May 4th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
That’s what we do at our house!
Then we bury them again when planting in the garden! Some people believe that a fish head in each hole helps as well…..I think fish meal would work just fine!!! Hope you had a great weekend enjoying the weather and getting ready for the season!!! 
May 5th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
I do that too! A little differently; I start mine in newspaper pots, and then move them to a creamer container with the sides slit and folded down. As the plants grow, I tape the sides back up and add more soil. I tried it for the first time last year with 2 plants, and am completely sold on the method!
~Sarah
May 5th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Newspaper pots, eh? Never heard of them… Sounds like a great idea though!
March 8th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
What a helpful site. I love home grown tomatoes and your advice will certainly help me grow better ones. This may be a stupid question but why don’t you transplant the seedlings directly into the garden (rather than into the three inch pot)? Also at what point do you move them from the three inch pot into the garden?
March 8th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Hey Jennifer, that’s a great question! You certainly could transplant directly into the garden, but most of the time when I’m transplanting into the 3 inch pot, it’s because it’s still too cold outside. The earlier you can get your plants started, the more tomatoes you get. That means the plants are quite large by the time you’re ready to transplant into the garden.
May 25th, 2009 at 6:21 am
I did transplant my tomatoes in the garden yesterday and having done this technique when I transplanted to bigger pots earlier, I was amazed by all the new roots and the overall plant. Thank you for your tips on tomatoes, (like the seven essentials) I has dramatically increased my production (more tomatoes to eat!) Now let’s hope we’re done with the snow! (can’t really get accustomed to snow in may