Congested pot plants

[thealley]

Hi,

I think I didn't calculate well enough for my cucumber and tomato plants in pots, and as they grow, they seem to be quite congested albeit healthy and vigorous.

What advise can you give me? Is it too late to remove any of them? Should I try to leave them as is? Is it too late to transplant some of them in other pots?

Many thanks.

 

[Chuck]

You can get away with MAYBE 3 cucumber plants in that pot. If that container the tomatoes are in is shallow, 0 tomato plants. If it's deep 10-12 inches, you can probably plant 1 tomato. To make sure that no roots are damaged while digging them up I would not dig them up. I would use a stream of water to wash away all of the soil. The roots, if intertwined, will separate easily.

 

[thealley]

You can get away with MAYBE 3 cucumber plants in that pot. If that container the tomatoes are in is shallow, 0 tomato plants. If it's deep 10-12 inches, you can probably plant 1 tomato. To make sure that no roots are damaged while digging them up I would not dig them up. I would use a stream of water to wash away all of the soil. The roots, if intertwined, will separate easily.

With regards to the cherry tomatoes, can I just cut out with a scissors the ones I'm going to dispose of and leave their roots beyond the soil? Or maybe since I'm going to dispose them, just pull them slowly not to damage the ones I'm leaving there?

Thanks.

 

[Chuck]

With regards to the cherry tomatoes, can I just cut out with a scissors the ones I'm going to dispose of and leave their roots beyond the soil? Or maybe since I'm going to dispose them, just pull them slowly not to damage the ones I'm leaving there?

Thanks.

What if the tomato plants roots are all growing together? These roots are very small and very easy to damage. But if you do what you are planning to do, keep the smallest plant. It's roots shouldn't be as extensive as the others.

 

[Gardening Girl]

I always cut my seedlings with a pair of scissors when I am thinning. I think that is the best idea. Albeit, these are a little past seedling phase. You definitely have these overcrowded. Time to thin is now.