Potting on tomato plants and giving them a bigger home is important so as not to confine their roots to the point of becoming root bound.
So why not plants seeds directly in the garden soil or in their large final pot?
It’s good for roots to feel the sides of the pot they are in, this encourages them to mature and flower more quickly, but as soon as roots begin to grow and show through the bottom of a pot, it’s time to give them a bigger home.
By keeping roots confined to a small area will force a plant to maturity sooner, but it can also stunt growth. Furthermore, without a large root system, a plant grown in soil will probably peter-out towards the end of the season and not produce the expected crop – in quality and quantity.
Further Tips When Potting On Tomato Plants
Put them in the sun during the day and bring them in at night until all danger of frost has passed. Usually the end of May in the UK.
Tomatoes like lots of light and a constant mild temperature.
Tomatoes hate cold, windy, wet weather (a bit like a British summer … just joking!), too much watering and poor light levels.
As the plants grow transplant them into bigger pots.
This is a potato leaf variety called Glacier which has outgrown its 3inch pot.
The root ball looks healthy and so do the leaves. However, if I don’t give it a bigger home, it will start to suffer.
Final position planting is usually done when flowers begin to open.
This helps prevent plants from becoming too leafy from the sudden burst if nitrogen from the new soil of their new home.
A large root area is encouraged when plants are grown in soil, in order for roots to absorb as many nutrients as possible. By watering away from the plant stems encourages roots to grow outwards in search of water. Nutrients are usually given to the fine root area at base of the stem .
