Tomato plants to big to transplant?

**ShawnaRae** · 05-07-2008, 07:29 PM

Has anyone here ever jumped the gun on their seed starting? I started my tomato seeds too early. They are already a couple feet high, (I did start a second batch that is just right). Has anyone planted really big tomato plants with success. I am thinking I can take off the bottom 'branches' and plant them really deep and they might be okay. I am just worried that being inside too long may have stunted their growth. Should I go ahead and plant them, along with my younger seedlings? Or ditch them and go with the smaller ones? It seems like, before I started my own seeds, the smaller the seedlings I bought, the better they did in the long run. I made the same mistake with some basil plants, but I just made a big batch of pesto with them. It's so easy for me to get carried away in the winter when it comes to starting seeds!

Thanks in advance for any advice!

**latierra84** · 05-07-2008, 09:11 PM

im only a beginner myself but if it were me and i had the space, id plant them too just to see what happens.

**justpeachy92** · 05-07-2008, 10:13 PM

If you have the place go ahead and plant them. You can also grow tomatoes in pots, my mil lives in an apartment but grows tomatoes in pots on her patio every summer.

**Lilolme** · 05-08-2008, 09:05 AM

I'd say plant them! Last year I started my seeds to early too and they were just fine once transplanted!

**IntlMom** · 05-08-2008, 09:11 AM

I'd totally plant them! Just sink em deeper. The only problem you may end up having (which is one that I am dealing with right now) is that if you start them inside too early and then transplant them when they are "too big" is that they are not hardened to the outside climate.
Here;s what I mean: I started some patty pan squashes and pumpkins inside and they grew nicely inside. Once I got them outside and they began to get beat up by the KS wind, they "bent" and died. However, the seeds that I stuck in the groudn the same day "just in case" are now up, strong, and growing nicely. Have said that, I'd still plant them.

**mombottoo** · 05-08-2008, 10:13 AM

I'd go ahead and plant them if it were me. You really have nothing to lose and a bunch of tomatoes to gain.

**duckduckgoose007** · 05-08-2008, 10:34 AM

My Hubby said YES you can plant your big tomato plants. First instead of digging a hole for the plant...dig a trough in the ground. Take off all the leaves, leaving only approx. 8 inches of leaves. Lay the long root end in the trough and cover with dirt. Eventually all the main stem of the plant will grow more roots and you should get nice tomatoes. Good luck. I hope this explanation makes sense to you. Let us know what happens....Liz

**ShawnaRae** · 05-08-2008, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by duckduckgoose007

My Hubby said YES you can plant your big tomato plants. First instead of digging a hole for the plant...dig a trough in the ground. Take off all the leaves, leaving only approx. 8 inches of leaves. Lay the long root end in the trough and cover with dirt. Eventually all the main stem of the plant will grow more roots and you should get nice tomatoes. Good luck. I hope this explanation makes sense to you. Let us know what happens....Liz

Completely makes sense! Thanks so much!

**ShawnaRae** · 05-08-2008, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by IntlMom

I'd totally plant them! Just sink em deeper. The only problem you may end up having (which is one that I am dealing with right now) is that if you start them inside too early and then transplant them when they are "too big" is that they are not hardened to the outside climate.
Here;s what I mean: I started some patty pan squashes and pumpkins inside and they grew nicely inside. Once I got them outside and they began to get beat up by the KS wind, they "bent" and died. However, the seeds that I stuck in the groudn the same day "just in case" are now up, strong, and growing nicely. Have said that, I'd still plant them.

Thanks! And I know just what you mean with the wind! It's strong here too. I put a fan on my inside plants, part of the time. I move the fan around a bit. Seems to help toughen them up a bit! Then, when they're ready to go outside I spend about a week, hardening them off. I'll put them out in their pots for a couple hours one day, gradually increase that, you know! I also like to use wall o' waters, or something like that, until they get going. Anyhoo, I still have a few weeks before I can plant! I can hardly wait!