My Better Boy tomato plants do not have a good root system

[Shelley]

I am growing Better Boy tomatos from seed. I have replanted them twice in good soil.

This last time I found they had very few roots. I am using fertilizer.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[Chuck]

What is the soil temperature as it is possible that the soil is still a little too cool for good root growth.

 

[Shelley]

What is the soil temperature as it is possible that the soil is still a little too cool for good root growth.

I have been using a grow house. Early on I put them outside in the sun but I think the wind was too cold as the leaves withered up pretty quickly. Could that have ruined the plants?

 

[Chuck]

I have been using a grow house. Early on I put them outside in the sun but I think the wind was too cold as the leaves withered up pretty quickly. Could that have ruined the plants?

Probably not but it probably did slow growth quite a bit. What are you fertilizing with and could you send a pic of the plants?

 

[Shelley]

Fish emulsion and Burpee granular fertilizer.

 

[Chuck]

Fish emulsion and Burpee granular fertilizer.

That really looks like a soil temperature problem as I also see what appears to be leaf curl. Leaf curl and a substandard root system are both a sign of too cool of a soil temperature. What is the soil temperature? Soil temps should be in the 70's F. You will be better off by starting over as those plants will probably be stunted and not good producers.

 

[Shelley]

Ok. Thank you for your help. My first time growing tomatoes.

 

[Shelley]

Ok. Thank you for your help. My first time growing tomatoes.

After checking the soil temp can I put seeds in the same container after removing the plant?

 

[Chuck]

After checking the soil temp can I put seeds in the same container after removing the plant?

In using much smaller containers it is much easier to maintain proper soil temperature and moisture content than by using the size container I see pictured. For proper seed starting and seedling growth you will need a soil thermometer and a heat mat. Without these things you are just guessing. The containers pictured will be great to transplant into once the seedlings have one or two sets of true leaves.

I would not use the same soil to reseed with as there is a slight possibility of some pathogen in that soil. I would also wash out the container with a bleach solution before using again.

 

[Shelley]

In using much smaller containers it is much easier to maintain proper soil temperature and moisture content than by using the size container I see pictured. For proper seed starting and seedling growth you will need a soil thermometer and a heat mat. Without these things you are just guessing. The containers pictured will be great to transplant into once the seedlings have one or two sets of true leaves.

I would not use the same soil to reseed with as there is a slight possibility of some pathogen in that soil. I would also wash out the container with a bleach solution before using again.

I started these just as you are suggesting. I have a heat mat and grow tent.

This year I will purchase prestarted plants and try from seed again next year.

 

[Shelley]

I started these just as you are suggesting. I have a heat mat and grow tent.

This year I will purchase prestarted plants and try from seed again next year.

And the soil temp is 91°.

 

[Chuck]

And the soil temp is 91°.

That is too hot. Soil temps should be around 76-82 for seedlings. Too hot a temp inhibits the uptake of macro nutrients.

 

[Shelley]

That is too hot. Soil temps should be around 76-82 for seedlings. Too hot a temp inhibits the uptake of macro nutrients.

Oh boy. OK. Learning lots with this project.

 

[Shelley]

What would be a good variety of tomato plant to purchase as a first time grower?

 

[smitty55]

I only grow heirloom indeterminate tomatoes vertically using 8 ft stakes. These tomatoes average over a pound each and can get close to 2lb. So in my case I I follow what I consider to be standard practices for this type of tomato and remove every single sucker soon as it appears and my trusses only happen on the main vine. If I were to let suckers produce these large fruit they would absolutely break from the weight and even if I tried to support them by tying them of to the main vine it would put too much lateral stress on it which I'm not going to do. I couldn't care less when I hear folks say "but you get more tomatoes by letting suckers grow" as not only will those issues I spoke of occur but the overall size of the fruit will be smaller so in the long run I really won't get that much extra weight wise. Plus they would diminish air flow around the plant which is a terrible idea for an heirloom with no natural resistance to fungal diseases like early blight. I first got these Greek seeds from Greek immigrants back in the late 80's when I didn't know much about growing indeterminates and that's how I was instructed to grow them and I never veer from that practice. Been saving these seeds ever since. Without a doubt these are absolutely the best tomatoes I've ever had in my life for any use and I have experimented with other heirloom varieties that were very good but still couldn't beat my Greeks. The closest I came were Andrew Rahart which I would go back to if somehow I lost all my Greek seeds because they can't be purchased.
So my advice to the OP would be to try and find some indeterminate heirloom plants if you can find any as the flavour is far superior to any hybrid you could grow and you will get a steady supply of fruit until your first frost.
As for starting plants I used to use 4" pots for each seed and use a light setup I have in the basement with bottom heat. However as I have huge south facing windows I now start all my tomatoes using those mini greenhouses and the Jiffy pucks on the window sill as I get great results in a much smaller area and have no need for a heating pad or my lights unless it's a cloudy day. Once they get around 5" tall the roots are emerging from the mesh that I remove and pot them up to a solo cup or 5" pot that again I can leave by the windows or even outside on warm sunny days and still have my basement light set up if need be. Right now it's jammed full with 40 plants as it's been cloudy for the last 3 days but they've spent plenty of days outside over the last couple of weeks and are well hardened off. I get excellent results using this method and I also have an oscillating fan downstairs which assure nice thick stems. Here's some pics of my setups. Many of those first 24 that I started are now over 16" tall in that last pic I just took and doing great, should be going in the ground starting the weekend.