Oh, My, those are big plants. First of all, no cutting is ever going to grow fast enough to give you fruit in 3 months. It just doesn't work that way. So looking at it that way, what do you have to lose by trying to move the tomato plants? They will either live, or they won't. Tossing them out now means they're surely dead. But I would only make ONE move, and put them: into containers. And the sooner the better. The smaller the plant, the more likely your transfer will be successful. You need to find containers that are big enough to handle the plants, and then move them once, as gently as possible, taking as much root as possible. If they have stalks that are not bearing fruit, cut them back so the "disturbed" roots have less to cope with. And don't be surprised if they wilt and sulk for a while. Just keep up with the watering, and I'd suggest some dilute organic fertilize on a regular basis, until you are sure they have either recovered or are dead. You have nothing to lose but the tomatoes. Best of luck to you!

I agree with the above post, you don't have a lot to lose at this point. There were good suggestions made above.

Maybe you can disasemble the beds and then sort of "cut" the largest possible root ball around the plants with either a big knife or a spade, kind of like cutting a slab of cake or lasagna from a pan, and slide this into some sort of large plastic container, in order to minimize damage to the root system.

Sorry you have to move so fast. I've enjoyed hearing about your first-year gardening adventures in Australia, and I hope this and your other setbacks won't discourage you in the future.

If it makes you feel any better, one year I had to move in mid-season and lost many fine tomatoes. I was very disappointed, but I gained useful experience that has benefited me since. As long as you learn something from this season, your time was not wasted. Small consolation, I know, but you need to be positive. Go ahead and try to move the plants, but remain positive even if you don't succeed. Look at this as an opportunity to learn.

Hello Slashy,

I visited your photo-site and enjoyed it very much. I don't have an answer for you for moving your tomatoes but.....

I've come to the conclusion that there are 2 types of hardcore gardeners. On the one hand you have those special people that can coax life from a brown twig and then there are the rest of us that try and try.

From your pictures, I think you are probably one of those special people that just touches something and it grows. So if there is any tomato plant that has a chance to survive a major transplant operation, it's yours. You have nothing to lose by trying anyway. If you don't try you will certainly lose the plants right?

I would move the plant now rather than wait. I'd try to get as much of the rootball as possible and I'd move the plant into the largest pot possible that you will still be able to manipulate.

I hope you are moving to a bigger place to garden. Someone with your green thumb and knack for whimsy (Loved the potatoes in the shopping cart idea) deserves all the room they want!

Take care,
Michelle

Thank you all for your messages- they made me smile a lot, and since I've been feeling a bit down about having to leave my first garden it's really great to get a bit of a confidence & enthusiasm boost! The past six months I think I've learnt more than I have, faster, than at any other time in my adult life. It's been really great having these forums to call on for support and information and to check out other people's impressive achievements. Number one thing I've learnt since I started gardening: other gardeners are awesome people!

I will go with the impeccable logic that I might as well move the tomatoes, because they're doomed anyway and they *might* survive in pots. I think it will be quite a big effort since the plants are quite large & I'll need a friend to help support the weight of them so I don't go snapping the main stems or anything. Should I leave the fruit that is on them there, or take it off? Is it likely to keep developing/ripening if the plant is in trauma, or will it just be sucking up resources?

Would there be any value in burying the transplants a little deeper in the pots than they were in the ground, since that helps their strength when they're seedlings? Or would I just be rotting the stems and making things more difficult?

Also wondering if I should water before/after I move them, what fertilisers are recommended, stuff like that. My inclination would be towards diluted worm wee plus seasol (seaweed extract)- would they need more nitrogen than that though? Would hate to burn newly shifted roots.

My new garden is very big & has lots of space to play but is sadly very, very shady (non-deciduous trees, grr! No leaves for compost AND no winter sun!). I'm still trying to figure out the absolute maximum spots of sunlight I will have to play with, but I think it's going to be a very, um, 'creative' gardening experience. Ah well. It's all for the learning, right?

Hi Slashy,

I did a google search concerning moving established tomato plants. Some suggestions I have come across on the internet are as follows:

1.Water the plant real well to help the soil stay on the roots.
2.Have your pot ready and close by with soil similar to what the plant is already growing in.
3.Get someone to help you with the move.
4.One site suggested using a plastic drycleaner bag with holes to help contain the branches while you are trying to move the plant.
5.Get as much of the rootball as possible. One website mentioned tomato plants have a tap root so dig up as much as you can.
6.It was suggested to take off the largest fruit but it should be okay to leave the flowers and some of the smaller, undeveloped fruit on the plant.
7.One source suggested pruinging off suckers.
8.Fertilize with a weak fertilizer. Fish emulsions (weak solution) was mentioned in several different places. I would think worm pee should be just fine.
9.Planting the plant deeper was mentioned. This should help with more root growth, no rotting.

Please know these are not my ideas. All these suggestions are mentioned at least once if not several times on various websites.

I hope this helps. Keep us posted on how things work out for you! Good luck:)

Michelle