The time has finally come to move my tomato saplings into a bigger pot where each will have its own space to grow. They’ve really gotten big in the past few days, are beginning to get top heavy and bend a bit with the weight of the leaves. Here’s what they looked like just before I moved them:
It was difficult to imagine them like this just a few days back. You sometimes feel as though you can see them growing!
Our caretaker Mani and myself took the bags of soil that I had bought earlier and doled out enough for four gamlas. Then I mixed in one full packet of compost and a little bit of phosphorus as well. After sifting out the stones and crushing the little balls of mud, we finally got this:
I took the gamlas with holes in the bottom and layered them with some small stones to keep them open. Then I sprinkled sand and finally covered the bottom with some newspaper. Finally, I put in my soil/manure mix and made a small depression in the mud to receive the saplings with the eggshells:
The next step was to take them one by one and gently crack the eggshells all around so as to give the roots an easy time spreading.
I eased each sapling with its cracked shell into the soil at a depth which was enough to cover as much of the stem as possible. New roots will grow from the stem increasing stability and allowing a better growth for the tomato plant. Here’s Fathima transplanted:
And here’s the final result:
I don’t know if I should water them immediately now. I think not. The soil was nice and semi moist and I want to give all four a chance to recover from the possible shock they must have had on being moved like this.
I just hope I’ve done everything correctly. I should know in a few days if all is well. I’ll try and get a watering can to distribute the moisture evenly and minimize the disturbance to the saplings. As usual, let me know if you have any suggestions or warnings. This is a first time for me and I could use any good advice I can lay my hands on.
Quite exciting it is!
Now I know what they mean by shooting up!!! :) They do look much bigger.
I think now even I can grow tomatoes. I wonder how does grow Tulsi(basil) and Mint (pudina) at home… and even coriander – these are the things I'd love to pluck and use!
In reply to Indian Homemaker
The Internet is probably one of the greatest tools of our age. If a person like me can try and grow stuff using it, just about anyone can.
Here's a resource on growing tulsi. Post pics if you start!
happy
You can go ahead and water them immediately; of course spring the water by taking it in your palm – know what I mean?
Tomatoes aren't fussy when it comes to transplanting. Just don't let them dry or overwater them coz they wilt badly and look out for Aphids and Mealybugs – these are our worst enemies.
I suggest you try Coco peat as an additive to your soil or may be as the whole soil medium itself, which retains water for long, which is great for our hot summers.
In reply to Chandramouli
Is that the husk of the brown coconut? If so, I will definitely do that. Thanks a lot!
Exactly! That's what it is. Retains water for long.
normally using this system will produce a healthly plant,at 2weeks or more if the plant start developing stunted growing or dying what wound one do
coco is best for soil additive which save water .