will hardening straighten stem growth?

nnjjohn · April 17, 2014

Couple of my plants grew so fast during the warm weekend and so I just started bringing them outside into direct sunlight.. they are looking okay but some need support so i used a few small wooden skewers for now. I guess I will gradually leave them outside but for now only a couple hrs a day..it has been breezy too so they are getting exercise too

Vespertino · April 17, 2014

I'm also interested in the answer, or finding new ways to strengthen thin tomatoes during and after hardening as well. I know it's been said that wind exposure helps them beef up, but I've had trouble with leggy seedlings despite trying to do just that.

Doug9345 · April 17, 2014

Wind wind will help the stem strengthen as will the movement they get from being carried. Burying them deeper when you transplant them is the easiest cure.

Durgan · April 17, 2014

Weak stems are most annoying. To reduce the effect, I give new seedlings as much light as possible, preferably sunlight and have a gentle airflow from a small fan. Also I only water from the bottom by placing the pots in a larger container of liquid. The pots are allowed to dry out before watering. I don't think hardening off strengthens weak stems.

Here is my 2014 effort. I am reasonably happy so far and have about six weeks to go before planting in the outdoor garden.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?HGJNN 9 April 2014 Repotting tomatos. Some tomatoes were moved to larger pots. The main reason at this time is to make watering easier.The larger pot holds more moisture and watering times are not so critical.The plants are watered from the bottom by immersing in a container of water. This will be the last move until the plants are placed in the ground at the end of May.Pictures depict the process.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?YSLUY 29 March 2014 Tomato Seedling Growth
Tomato seedling growth to date.Plants are healthy and growing well.It has been cool and not too sunny since starting even in the greenhouse.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?DDATG 15 February 2014 Starting Tomato Seeds for 2014
Some tomato seeds were started for the 2014 season in the greenhouse. Selected were Lemon Boy,Bonny Best,Big Beef Hybrid, and Black Krim. Only five plants of each are required. Each seed type was placed in one pot, and will be transplanted into individual pots when they get large enough.The soil was my own home made in the Summer. Each pot was placed in a plastic bag until germination to keep the moisture level high. The pots were placed on a heating mat in the small greenhouse. Some more started on 21 February 2014. All are: Cherokee Purple, Gypsy, Paul Robson, Vorlon, Morado, Black Krim, Bonny Best, Big Beef, Celebrity, Lemon Boy,
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?IEVCS 11 September 2013 Seedling Soil

Salsacharley · April 17, 2014

2 weeks ago I was going to transplant my plants from 4" pots into 5 gal bags but I got set back by my real world work load. Now my plants are all very tall and leggy. I've been hardening them off and the wind just lays the plants over. The stems do seem pretty strong but their heighth (about 1 - 1 1/2 ft) prevent them from standing up. I hope to have them all transplanted over the Easter weekend.

nnjjohn · April 17, 2014

Durgan.. nice photo steps of using the cultivator and all those ingredients for a great mix.. as for the plants getting ahead of planting for me .. i figure another three weeks too before I risk setting them in the ground.. i guess i will have to try hardening them on schedule , a little more each day until they can stay outside over night.. when I decide it is time to get the majority in the ground,, i hope at least four to six of each variety make it to maturity. The leggy ones I'll just trench plant them on their side..just go with the flow but i will for now try transplanting and setting them straight without breaking any like i did with one of my black krims

the little darlin snapped like a fresh celery no wait ..like fresh black krim stem

Durgan · April 17, 2014

When placing in the garden, it is advantageous to lay the plant horizontal and only leave the top two trusses exposed, with a twig as a pillow.

This is relatively easy if the plants are not too tall. Mine are usually too tall for this treatment and some even have fruit growing. The plant immediately starts growing straight up, and is guaranteed to have strong stems.

I did this once and the main stem was almost as large as one's thumb.

nnjjohn · April 17, 2014

Yes , I watched plenty of youtube showing how to lay the plant in a trench as you mention.. also another trick I learned recently is to lay the cup so the plant tends to naturally grow up on curve.. do this the day before and this helps prevents forcing the plant and breaking it using a prop twig etc. (usually most folks have their seedlings in cups by the time they are going in the ground) but yes, i understand the more stem under ground, the better the root system .. it will be my preferred method plus to hill them in rows with plastic mulch and florida weave method

April 17, 2014	#1
nnjjohn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: northern new jersey Posts: 683	will hardening straighten stem growth? Couple of my plants grew so fast during the warm weekend and so I just started bringing them outside into direct sunlight.. they are looking okay but some need support so i used a few small wooden skewers for now. I guess I will gradually leave them outside but for now only a couple hrs a day..it has been breezy too so they are getting exercise too __________________ john

April 17, 2014	#6
nnjjohn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: northern new jersey Posts: 683	Durgan.. nice photo steps of using the cultivator and all those ingredients for a great mix.. as for the plants getting ahead of planting for me .. i figure another three weeks too before I risk setting them in the ground.. i guess i will have to try hardening them on schedule , a little more each day until they can stay outside over night.. when I decide it is time to get the majority in the ground,, i hope at least four to six of each variety make it to maturity. The leggy ones I'll just trench plant them on their side..just go with the flow but i will for now try transplanting and setting them straight without breaking any like i did with one of my black krims the little darlin snapped like a fresh celery no wait ..like fresh black krim stem __________________ john

April 17, 2014	#8
nnjjohn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: northern new jersey Posts: 683	Yes , I watched plenty of youtube showing how to lay the plant in a trench as you mention.. also another trick I learned recently is to lay the cup so the plant tends to naturally grow up on curve.. do this the day before and this helps prevents forcing the plant and breaking it using a prop twig etc. (usually most folks have their seedlings in cups by the time they are going in the ground) but yes, i understand the more stem under ground, the better the root system .. it will be my preferred method plus to hill them in rows with plastic mulch and florida weave method __________________ john

April 17, 2014	#2
Vespertino Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Southlake, TX Posts: 743	I'm also interested in the answer, or finding new ways to strengthen thin tomatoes during and after hardening as well. I know it's been said that wind exposure helps them beef up, but I've had trouble with leggy seedlings despite trying to do just that.

April 17, 2014	#3
Doug9345 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Durhamville,NY Posts: 2,706	Wind wind will help the stem strengthen as will the movement they get from being carried. Burying them deeper when you transplant them is the easiest cure.

April 17, 2014	#4
Durgan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Brantford, ON, Canada Posts: 1,341	Weak stems are most annoying. To reduce the effect, I give new seedlings as much light as possible, preferably sunlight and have a gentle airflow from a small fan. Also I only water from the bottom by placing the pots in a larger container of liquid. The pots are allowed to dry out before watering. I don't think hardening off strengthens weak stems. Here is my 2014 effort. I am reasonably happy so far and have about six weeks to go before planting in the outdoor garden. http://www.durgan.org/URL/?HGJNN 9 April 2014 Repotting tomatos. Some tomatoes were moved to larger pots. The main reason at this time is to make watering easier.The larger pot holds more moisture and watering times are not so critical.The plants are watered from the bottom by immersing in a container of water. This will be the last move until the plants are placed in the ground at the end of May.Pictures depict the process. http://www.durgan.org/URL/?YSLUY 29 March 2014 Tomato Seedling Growth Tomato seedling growth to date.Plants are healthy and growing well.It has been cool and not too sunny since starting even in the greenhouse. http://www.durgan.org/URL/?DDATG 15 February 2014 Starting Tomato Seeds for 2014 Some tomato seeds were started for the 2014 season in the greenhouse. Selected were Lemon Boy,Bonny Best,Big Beef Hybrid, and Black Krim. Only five plants of each are required. Each seed type was placed in one pot, and will be transplanted into individual pots when they get large enough.The soil was my own home made in the Summer. Each pot was placed in a plastic bag until germination to keep the moisture level high. The pots were placed on a heating mat in the small greenhouse. Some more started on 21 February 2014. All are: Cherokee Purple, Gypsy, Paul Robson, Vorlon, Morado, Black Krim, Bonny Best, Big Beef, Celebrity, Lemon Boy, http://www.durgan.org/URL/?IEVCS 11 September 2013 Seedling Soil

April 17, 2014	#5
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	2 weeks ago I was going to transplant my plants from 4" pots into 5 gal bags but I got set back by my real world work load. Now my plants are all very tall and leggy. I've been hardening them off and the wind just lays the plants over. The stems do seem pretty strong but their heighth (about 1 - 1 1/2 ft) prevent them from standing up. I hope to have them all transplanted over the Easter weekend.