If you grow tomatoes and start with starter plants instead of seeds, there are several good tricks to help grow healthier tomato plants.
Unlike many other vegetables, tomatoes can be planted very deep. The stems will turn into roots and you’ll have a much larger root system if you bury the plants deeper. You can even take a branch from a healthy tomato plant and plant it, and end up with a second tomato plant.
One tip to develop a really good and strong root system is to plant your tomato plant sideways in a trench, instead of just digging a deeper hole that goes straight down.
But you have to be careful, because it’s easy to break off the top of the tomato plant if you plant sideways and try to bend the top of the plant too far upwards.
Fortunately, there’s a solution to make it a little less likely to break the top of the plant. Instead of planting sideways immediately, put your starter plant on the ground the day before you plant, putting it on its side. As the plant reaches toward the sun, it will naturally start to bend upwards.
The next day when you dig your trench and plant, the starter plant will already be reaching upwards and will be much less likely to break off when you set it in the trench.
Should you add some epsom salt in the planting trench? Here’s how to find out.
Additional resources:
Planting Tomato Plants on Their Sides
Iowa State University Yard and Garden: Grow Tomatoes
thank you sir for that very informative video. Now I have an idea how to plant those tomatoes that I have.
I’m going to try that this year when I plant my tomatoes. I always put a tablespoon of bonemeal in the hole when planting tomatoes and other starter plants. As it is primarily phosphorus it helps the plant to establish a good root system in the early life of the plant allowing the plant to absorb more nutrients from the soil before the plant gets too tall. A tip from my mother.
Another way to plant for beautiful large and tasty tomatoes is pinch off bottom three sets of leaves and plant the plant to almost the remaining leaves, you don’t want the leaves touching the ground… Grandpa always said to plant tomatoes “deep”, I do and every year I have prize fruit…
I am going to try your shallow planting method, I am thinking your way should work well because the root system should be plentiful, I will however have to be careful in placing my cages… Thanks for this new idea…
Dear sir,
Like you said planting sideways you can plant two in one drench. One top side on one side and put the root side of the other next to top side vice versa.
It will save space.soo
Useful
I;ve known this since I was a young Boy helping my Dad in the garden. Truthfully, you don’t need to set it out a day early. If any part of the plant is abouve the ground, it will grow in the correct direction.
Now, be a good Pintrest site, and talk about “vertical gardening”. Climbing cucumbers, for example. I have plenty, but some people might not have a lot of room.
Thank you, I’m going to try that this year. ?
Thank you for this idea
How deep should I trench for the horizontal plant?
I’m going to try this. Thank you.
The first time I saw tomatoes being planted on their sides was on an episode of the PBS show “The Victory Garden.” They had said the method was studied at University of Kentucky Lexington and had mentioned it was a great use of leggy tomato plants. The reasoning was that tomato plants tend to be shallow rooted and planting using the typical method of dropping the plants in a hole would actually set the plant back while the lower roods would tend to die off while the plant was developing new roots on the upper portion of the stem. I’ve been using this method ever since. And I’ve snapped of my share of stems doing it. Laying the plants on their sides for a day or so so the plant would turn is absolutely brilliant! This goes on my list for one of those great gardening tips. Thanks for sharing it.