These Plants Need to Go Outside and Grow Up

These heirloom tomato plants got too tall for the shelf on the light rack, so I pruned the tops on April 23rd. You can see the new stem shoots that have grown at the top since then. 

I've been adding a measured amount of water about every four days. I use a scale to weigh the plants and the amount of water added. By looking at the soil and holding the plant, I've judged that 32 ounces is their ideal weight. Each time I add enough water to bring them back to their "ideal" weight. 

I lift the upper (planter) section from the bottom (reservoir) section to add water. It then rises by capillary action through the neck of the bottle which acts as a wick. In my opinion, this is the best way to learn how sub-irrigation (aka "self-watering") works. Unlike opaque grow pots, you can see everything.  

You can see the progress of these plant from the time of seed propagation on this Flickr set. It is viewable as a slide show. 

Click on the photo to see a larger view on Flickr

The cuttings from April 23rd. And no, I didn't root them, but I was tempted. All I need right now is more tomato plants...not! 

Comments

[CT]

I'm new to the soda bottle planter idea and have a beginner question: will you transfer these tomato plants to larger planters, or will they grow to full-size and produce tomatoes in the soda bottle?

[Greenscaper Bob]

Hi CT, They need to be transferred to larger planters ASAP! There is not enough room for tomato plant roots in these soda bottle planters and there is not enough light under the fluorescent shop lights for them to flower and fruit. I'm in the process of finding nearby homes for them since I do not have space for outdoor growing.