I couldn't hurt but also remember that you can rebury up to the top layer of leaves and the whole stem will produce more roots! I would transplant to their final resting place preferably at least 10 gal or in the ground.

Sometimes, when transplanting a root bound, it would be better to disturb
the root bulb a bit, try to untangle and spread some of the oots and even maybe make some cuts to wake them up.

cyrus

I raise all my plants after the initial transplant from the seed pans, into plastic inserts in a standard nursery tray that are 2 inches by 2 inches, and the plants are grown in those cells until outside transplant size of about 6- 10 inches.

And yes, they are rootbound and that's the way I want them. When you pot up you're encouraging development of a fibrous root structure, which is desired, but it's also quite fragile and often breaks apart when transplanting.

The fibrous root structure should be forming in the soil, not in a pot. I don't untangle the roots at all and they take right off, well, maybe a short lag, and all is well.

This is the way that all the commercial farmers in my area do it and I've been doing it forever, having successfully grown about 2500 different tomato varieties to date with many thousands of plants raised in that way.

Carolyn

Carolyn. Could you please elaborate? You're saying you go from a seed pan to a 2X2 cell directly to outside? That makes it so much easier! I've read so many times to pot up at least 2-3 times prior to transplanting outside.
I'm so glad you are on here providing input. Thank you!

At the about 2 inch size ( or 1-2 true leaves) I transplant the seedling from the seedling pan to those 2 x 2 inch cells, 4 cells/unit and 8 units fit in a standard nursery tray. They are then grown inside until it's time to harden them off outside and that takes about a wekk, and then if the weather is OK each plant it taken out of its cell and transplanted to its final place in the tomato patch. I prefer to set out plants that are less than a foot tall, 6-10 inches is the target which isn't always reached for the different varieties at the same time.

Carolyn

Carolyn, when do you start your plants, and when do you plant out. I think my problem is that I get so anxious in the winter to grow SOMETHING that I start them too early. I'm going to try and restrain myself (and since I discovered I LOVE early broccoli, I'm going to get my early fix that way, with peppers) next year. Since I give a way a good many seedlings, it would be easier to transport inserts from flats (I have a ton of the deep six-packs) than the cups I've been using for potting up.

Susan, you're in zone 6, I'm in zone 5. The difference in those two zones, and there are microclimes as well, is usually two weeks. I don't know if you're in E or W MA. I'm in NYS on the Vt border and if I could get over Egg Mt I'd slide down into Manchester, VT.

So I would sow seed on about April ist, you would do it in mid March, my last average frost date is May 15th and yours would be about May 1, maybe.

I never set out hardened off plants until about two weeks AFTER the last average frost date, so for me that would be late May/early June, weather permitting and for you that would be setting out about May 15th, weather permitting.

All but 10 of my plants were set out yesterday/

Carolyn

Carolyn, sounds about right. I planted mine out last weekend. Many years I wouldn't plant out until this coming weekend, but our spring has been exceptionally warm and the ground temps are good, as is the long-range forecast. Next year I'm going to tie my hands behind my back and restrain myself from starting seeds too early. It's hard to resist tomato lust after a long, cold winter!

Thanks!