transplanting

[johno]

Trenching supposedly keeps the stem and roots in warmer soil, but many people plant in holes with good results. Which is better?

[brook]

I'm not taking the poll because it wouldn't represent what I do. There should be a "both" or "it depends" choice.

Only time I trench is when seedlings have gotten away from me, and are too big to plant in a vertical hole. We have such rich clay here that I can only go down into what's been amended before there would be no way for the roots to grow.

My normal procedure. Ideally, start with a smallish plant only six to eight inches tall. Another time I'll discuss how I get there.

I dig a hole with a posthole digger. In the bottom goes a handfull or three of compost, the contents of a book of matches, a tablespooon of Epsom salts, and more compost to cover. Then the seedling is planted up to the crown. I put a wooden match, touching the stem, on each side of the plant, about an inch deep. Then I sprinkle a circle of powdered milk around the seedling, erect my tower, and water well.

[lavandulagirl]

Brook - why do you want the matches to touch the stem? Close isn't good enough? I also put matches, although just the heads, in the hole, but I never thought I needed them to actually touch the stem. Do you add epsom salts through the season, or just at the beginning, in the trench or hole?

Johno - I too, swing both ways on this issue. I have some right now that'll need trenching, because they started so early, and others for whom trenching would be unneccesary.

[brook]

Ya know, sometimes we do right, but for the wrong reasons. I shall explain.

But first, the wooden matches are there to protect the tomatoes from cutworms. In order to do the dirty, cutworms must make complete contact with the stem. Anything that prevents that protects the plant. You could use a small stick, for instance, to accomplish this. But the match heads---maybe---are contributing to the nutrient base.

I only use epsom salts when first transplanting. I used to think it was to add magnesium to the soil. But it turns out, virtually anywhere you can grow a garden there is enough magnesium to meet the plants' needs. What the Epsom salts does, it turns out, is make calcium available to the plants in a way they can use it. This can otherwise be a problem in early season, and leads to blossom end rot.

I'm told that Epsom salts used as a foliar spray help the plants during the season. But I've never actually done it, so have no opinion.

The paper matches are a similar deal. When I began using them I thought I was adding potasium. Turns out they haven't used potasium in matches in many years. So I don't know exactly what function they serve, but, empirically, I know that it helps.

The match heads may or may not be contributing sulphur. The jury is mixed on this. But my attititude is that if you add something that may help, and which doesn't hurt, then you may as well do it.

[PapaVic]

Epsom salts includes the sulfur needed ... so the match heads in the hole seem redundant. However, if one feels it works, no harm done. I've seen old timers include a raw egg in the hole with the match heads, but that again seems to just add more sulfur (as in "rotten eggs") and possibly some calcium. I like crushed and powdered oyster shells for calcium ... but that's just me.

Epsom salts as a foliar spray also has helped me reverse chlorosis in advanced seedlings I held too long in undersized containers or overly wet starting mix. Liquid Iron also did the trick, but I think it has the same trace minerals as Epsom salts in addition to iron and some other elements. So, again, whatever proves itself is good to go as far as I'm concerned.

Bill

[bluelacedredhead]

I don't really plant tomatoes in rows, especially determinate varieties. But more in a vee formation 'one cage' distance apart to keep the weeds down between them once they fill in and also to keep moisture in the soil, which is sandy.

But when I do transplant them, I plant them deep and with the stem sideways to promote more roots and a thicker stem as the plant grows.

I've never used epsom salts to feed tomatoes, but I have an elderly Japanese customer who swears by it for tomatoes AND peppers.. I think I should start, especially with the peppers cuz I think that sulphur must be what's missing from the soil here that's robbing me of having a decent crop of sweet peppers. I believe it was Brook that suggested I plant peppers in containers using a commercially prepared mixture to ensure a crop, but maybe I'll try some in the garden with epsom salts and some in containers with growers mix??

[johno]

I tried to add "it depends" and "other" to the poll, but it seems I can only modify the post beneath it. If anyone knows how to modify the poll, by all means, enlighten me.

Good feedback. Thanks!

[lavandulagirl]

I put the match heads in because my great-grandfather did. I'm sure the ingredients of the striking surface of a match have changed, and the reason no longer matches the rhyme. I consider it bad juju not to do it though. Grandpa always had great tomatoes. I've never had cutworm issues. I've always attributed this to crop rotation - I'm on a three year cycle. I know you aren't a rotator, Brook, so I won't try to convert you. I'm perfectly happy to attribute my lack of tomato, potato, and other nightshade problems to my method, right or wrong.

[downinmyback]

I am a Hole MAN lol.

[houseodessey]

So far I'm a vertical hole person. I dig the hole 12-18", throw in some compost and drop the plant in until it's crown is the only thing visible. I did add some banana peels and egg shells to holes as I had them available, but the shells made my dog dig up a few plants when he broke into the garden so I'll probably not do that again. I'm a first time tomato grower so I'm just going on instinct but the plants look pretty happy so far. I've got blooms on most of them and tomatoes on one of the hybrids. I am hoping to have a good year with all of them.

[bluelacedredhead]

OOO, Congrats on your Blossoms and Your baby maters on the Hybrid, House!!! You're doing a Fine Job for a First timer

[cff]

Ok ....................

I really like this web sight but I'm having a hard time finding the things I saw a few days ago that I wanted to reply to or ask questions about.

Is there a search function someplace that I'm not seeing and is there a way to look up more than the 10 most recent post ?

Any-who ...... can someone point me toward the mixing amounts for Epsom salts?

I have a bear of a problem each year with blossom end rot, I've tried all sorts of stuff and farmers around here keep telling me to add lime. Well I've added a mountain of lime and the amount of blossom end rot never seems to change an ounce.

[lavandulagirl]

Hey CFF -
I sometimes have a hard time finding stuff, too. I have to try to remember which forum it got mentioned in!

The formula I use for epsom salts is 2 tbsp per gal of water. I know you have a bigger garden than I do, so you may need to do some math to figure out how much you need, though.

Also, I though it was calcium that prevented BER - I've added crushed eggshell, but honestly, I've had less problem with BER here than I did in WA State, and had the same calcium levels on my soil test. I think it's because the clay soil holds the nutrients better than the sandier stuff I had out there. That's my completely unprofessional opinion, though!

[brook]

BER is still being studied, and the causes are not fully understood. "Not fully understood" is how scientists say "I dunno."

At any rate, lack of calcium seems to be a major contributor to BER. But merely having calcium in the soil isn't enough. It has to be in a form that the plants can use. And, apparently, cold, wet soils (i.e., early season) are not condusive to soluble calcium.

That why if you suffer BER, you'll notice that it's an early-fruit phenomonon. Subsequent fruiting is uneffected.

I am not a chemist. But I've been told that what the Epsom salts is doing for me is freeing the calcium so that it's available to the plant. Is that true? I dunno. But I do know that the only time I suffer BER is when I neglect to do it.

[lavandulagirl]

brook said:

BER is still being studied, and the causes are not fully understood. "Not fully understood" is how scientists say "I dunno."

Well, I'm no scientist, but I'm going to start using this phraseology, just to sound smarter! When my husband says "Why are my work shirts not washed?" I am going to say "Causes are not fully understood." I'll let you guys know how this goes over! ;D (It'll serve him right for trying to sneak that stupid managerial buzzword "synergistic" into the home lexicon....)

Brook - do you add calcium in any way to your tomatoes? I mean, in a treatment other than you finished compost.