I usually plant the seeds for my tomato transplants in January. However, this year I was uncharacteristically organized and I got my seeds ordered and planted by the second week of December. Since I planted a month earlier than normal, my transplants are much bigger than any I have ever grown before. Unfortunately, my transplants are big enough to go in the ground but the ground won’t be warm enough for at least three more weeks. So, if I want my big, beautiful tomato plants to continue to flourish until I put them in the ground, I need to move them into larger containers.
I am afraid of a late season freeze so I am up-potting my tomatoes so I can move them into the house if the weather gets cold.
There are two reasons to move transplants into a larger container. First, as plants are growing above the soil level, they are quickly building an expanding root base to pull the water and nutrients they need from the soil. These growing plants will quickly deplete your planting media of most of its nutritional value. This will force you to water and fertilize on a frequent basis to compensate. Because of this, I try not to ever use planting media for more than six weeks. The best way around this is to move your transplants in a larger container with fresh media. The increased soil media will have more nutrients intially, hold more nutrients when you fertilize and give the ever expanding root system room to spread out (thus preventing the young plant form becoming root bound).
If little white roots are coming out of your drain holes then it is time to up-pot
Second, placing a transplant in a larger container will allow you to grow them inside for longer periods of time. We have had two cold fronts this winter that pushed temperatures downs into the teens and low 20s. We also had a thunderstorm with tons of lightning in January. According to lots of people that have gardened longer than me, both of these very unusual occurrences mean we are going to have a late season freeze. Now I am not generally a very superstitious person, but this weather has been strange enough that I have decided not to plant my tomatoes on March 15th this year. I am going to keep my transplants in their new one gallon containers until the soil is nice and warm in April and I am certain that the threat of a late season frost has passed.
One gallon containers are large enough to grow tomato transplants in until they begin to flower
This year my tomatoes are going into “reused” one gallon containers. One gallon containers are great for tomatoes because they hold enough soil to provide nutrients to the plant up until the time it flowers. They also give the roots lots of room to spread into. If you re-use containers too, be sure to wash them with a mild bleach solution each time. Old soil can hold onto to lots of pests like the spores of Early Blight and the bleach will kill them.
This year I am growing Atomic Grape, Yellow Gooseberry, Paul Robeson, Blank Vernissage and German Lunchbox from transplant
Speaking of Early Blight, Patty Leander has a great article about controlling it in this month’s Texas Gardener. If you don’t already subscribe to Texas Gardener be sure to pick up a copy. If you have grown tomatoes before you know this fungus can rob you of lots of those tomatoes you have worked so hard to grow. Her article will give you all the tips you need to make this one of the best tomato seasons ever.
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Good reading, and good advice. What’s your secret to removing the plants from their one-gallon pots, and easing them into the garden hole without damaging roots, stems or leaves?
Hey Harry! Glad you liked it. Removing plants from containers without damaging their roots is indeed a tough trick to master. In a perfect world the plant would have developed enough roots to hold the soil together. Unfortunately this usually isn’t the case. To keep the soil in place when you take the plant out make sure that the plant has been thoroughly watered. I have also taken a butter knife and run it around the inside of the container before trying to ease the plant out. Finally, even after watering and the butter knife trick it is very helpful to have another set of hands. I will often hold the stem upside down between my fingers and let Sally ease the pot off. Great question!
Interesting article, Jay. I’m itching to plant so I’m going to gamble and plant a couple of tomatoes I picked up at the nursery recently then wait to plant my others later. I’ll be curious to hear about those varieties you are planting – they sound interesting.
Thanks Patty. I will probably buy a couple Celebrity plants when they get in, but I do like trying different varieties!