Need Advice: Best Method To Prevent Major Transplant Shock For Tomatoes?

Ok everyone. I really really need your help. This will be the first time EVER that I will be transplanting tomatoes that I grew from seed and I'm a bit nervous about transplant shock. What should i put in the hole (growing in grow bags containers)? Sorry ya'll, protective Momma right here.

 

Well Hummer---this is something that I do every year with practically all veggies that I grow..toms included. All plants get a shock with transplanting and the condition typically lasts for about two weeks, generally speaking.
The only thing that I can tell you is to disturb the root ball as little as possible.

Think through a plan with a logical sequence before you begin(write it down to follow if necessary):

***It is optional to soak your plantlet thoroughly before beginning the process--let all the bubbles come out
.
1--You first make your planting hole where they will be "living" (in the ground or in a container of some sort),
2--Fill that hole with some water and let it drain-away,(or plant the root ball in the hole while the water is still in it),
3--Then carefully get the little plant out of its container (without touching or disturbing the roots) and immediately place it in the hole and cover it with soil
4--an optional step would be to add some slow-release fertilizer at this point if you have not already amended the soil bed (or container/bag) in which the plantlet will be planted.
5--Finally then, liberally water it again.

I grow my toms in soil in a greenhouse, but I have grown them is soil bags. Here is a thread that I wrote on here a while ago: http://www.gardenstew.com/threads/veggies-in-containers.8753/#post-82090

I hope my opinion helps. Wishing you all the luck in the world.

 

last year I buried fish carcasses underneath my tomatoes, they turned out well, but seriously, rich earth for tomatoes, worm castings are really good. You can plant them outside as long as the nights are not too cold, the best time is late afternoon after the sun has moved away from your garden patch dig a deep hole and plant your tomatoes as deep as possible, with just the head sticking out, you can cut off all the leaves along the stem that are underground, the whole buried stem will just make roots. Water the holes before planting. A handful of nettles in the bottom of the hole covered over with a bit of earth is good. It is good to harden off for a few days before planting them out. put the stake in the hole before you plant your tomatoes. If your tomatoes are very long, you can lay the rootball on it´s side and spiral the trunk around, don´t worry about cutting off the leaves.

 

Odiff....uh no!! No fishheads..ill just by the fish emulsion if I have to..lol!!! I love the idea of deep planting...its working in my cups bit are really really getting too big for those cups...rapunzel must have grown a good 3/4 inches overnight

 

Add a couple of tablespoons of epsom salts worked into the soil per plant. I think the extra calcium/magnesium helps with transplant shock.

 

epsom salts, I never thought of that, apparently they are really good for the garden, I will have a look and see if I can find them round here.

 

Oh yeah..epson salt...thanks Mart..totally forgot about that!!!

 

I had this morning a look around to see if there was any new ideas about "transplanting shock" that plantlets experience. I haven't found anything really new or astounding, but I came this website in English on which someone has written their opinions in a relatively clear manner. Perhaps it will give you some extra help.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/pl...oid-and-repair-transplant-shock-in-plants.htm

 

I bought a tray of lettuces a couple of months ago and I realised that the lettuces were all in individual blocks with the roots all growing out of the bottom of the blocks. There was fine sand in the bottom of the tray. The lettuces were easy to separate and there was no apparent transplant shock.

Anyway I came accross this, "Soil blocker" or "Soil block maker".

I don´t know this company, but the link shows what the device is.
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-supplies/seed-starting-supplies/soil-block-makers/

On you tube there are many how to tutorials to make your own, I think the soil blocker is fantastic and I am definitely going to use them instead of pots to start off my seeds in future.

 

Thanks sjoerd and odif...i will look at both. Until I actually transplant...they are at their new home hardening off a bit.!!just brought them over this morn...

 

Your tomatoes look fantastic. Mine are all spindly.

 

Nice-looking toms, Hummer.
Interesting-looking "blocker". I have made a number of different types of starter things, which I have posted on here in years past. I have never tried one of the soil blockers though. Let me know how you like them if you get one.

p.s. i am glad that your lettuces did not stress too much. Well done, you.

 

Normally I plant everything in a polystyrene tray and then I plant out, they often get a shock from the transplant, so soil blocking is the way to go for me I think, I will keep you posted.

 

I do think (crossing my fingers) that because of the double cup method, they didn't suffer any transplant shock. It was much less harm to the roots.

 

Update 6/11/17:

Look at this...my daughter is 5'7"..