Cherry tomato plants... Time has come to transplant the surplus seedlings.

[leyequois]

So, the plants are, I think, grown enough, this is a pic from this morning.

I am keeping 4 plants for myself(Not a large garden) and gifting the rest away(and if no one wants them, then using for compost as someone advised... gotta check how that is done lol)

The question I have for you guys regarding this is... I checked a few videos in Youtube about transplanting tomatoes and I just see that they pull the plants as if they were weeds, and then just plant them in their individual planters, is that the right way? Should I like, loosen the earth with a spoon or stick before so as to not hurt the roots and make the plants uncomfortable(I mean, they can get "Sad" right and die or not grow properly... or am I just stretching it? haha)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Chuck]

Plants sprouted this close together and as big as they are will have seriously intertwined roots. I seriously doubt that even using a fork to lift and separate the plants without major root damage will be possible. The ONLY way I know of to be successful is to wash away ALL of the soil first. Then place the plants onto a cookie sheet or something similar and GENTLY use a pointed stick such as a toothpick to unravel gently the plants from each other. It will be easier to separate them if they are in water or have a gentle stream running on them. Just pick up a plant and GENTLY PULL and separate it from the others. Once you get the hang of doing it this way it is fairly easy and fast. I grow and sell tomato seedlings and this is the way I do it. The only difference being is that I don't plant as many seeds in the container nor do I use as much soil. My containers are much shallower and I start repotting them as soon as the first set of true leaves begin to show.

 

[Meadowlark]

I would take a trowel and remove round cone shaped "chunks" of soil down below the root line...several of these for as many tomatoes plants as you want.

Then with a pair of sharp scissors cut out all but the best one or so plants in each "chunk...and then transplant those chunks with only one or so plant. Water them in good. You may find it is better to transplant the chunk before using the scissors to trim out all unwanted tops. Either way just don't disturb roots especially of the intended surviving plant.


They will be just fine as long as you are careful not to disturb roots any more than absolutely necessary. I can easily see 15-20 viable plants from those chunks perfectly healthy without any root disturbance and with minimal transplant shock...do this in shade late in day.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I think you need to practise the 'Sow thinly' technique, a pinch of seed and move the thumb and finger across each other. With a bit of practice you can drop one seed at a time. I like meadowlark's solution best.

 

[Ruderunner]

I'd just plant scoops from the pots and worry about thinning and giving away later.

Going forward, don't plant the seeds so closely.

Reason 673982 of why cherry tomatoes are evil.

 

[Harveyshot]

A couple of years back, I had some cherry tomatoes seedlings pop-up in my garden strip and didn't have a clue how they got there since I have never grown cherry tomatoes. Now, every year they come back from all the fruit that gets on the ground. We eat 'em.

 

[Ruderunner]

My soil is so full of tomato seeds that we classify them as weeds, almost as prevalent as the crabgrass. Fortunately it seems the cherry seeds have been depleted so most of what comes back is Roma and the occasional beefsteak. I did have a black krim come back last summer.

I've been tempted to just let them grow wild just for fun.