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Leggy Tomatoes
- Thread starter TravisBumpy
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NO. Give them time to grow bigger (to the pot top) and then fill the pots with coir to support the stems. Carefully place coir or something fine, fertile and soft gently around the stems to support them. The stem will grow roots into the new supporting soil.
No. If you aren't sure they are getting enough light, keep any eye on them because they can stretch out there pretty quickly.
Even if they get just a bit leggy, you have enough room to add soil to the pot to support the stem as Redback stated.
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I grow mine on until I have a second pair of leaves coming, then pot them on. Sometimes they are way leggier than that, but I bury them up to the seed leaves. Tomatoes make roots on any buried stem, some people say those roots only help stabilize the plant and add nothing in uptake, My suspicion is it's lore or supposition. Anyway, what's wrong with having a well supported tomato plant?
I too will bury them a bit deeper if they are somewhat leggy to support the stem. Sometimes the early plants that grow in the greenhouses are exposed to overcast weather for weeks and they can't help but to have leggy plants. As long as the plant can stand up on its own while it grows to transplant height is what matters to me.
As for the depth of planting, either the plant will expend energy to grow roots on the stem or it will use the same energy to grow longer/deeper roots so I don't think it makes any difference in my opinion. Most of the nutrients are in the top 8" of soil anyways.