Planting Sideways

[Dark Rumor]

This picture has three plants that I pulled up, all three were started from seed. The top two plants were planted sideways and each developed two distinct root balls. The two plants were planted a little late and were very tall so I planted them sideways. One was a mortgage lifter and the other a Mexico. They were both huge plants and lasted longer than most of the other plants in the bed. The third plant was planted normal.

[ginger2778]

Interesting, 2 rootballs. Thank you for posting this. I just learned.

[4season]

I have planted deeply and found two root balls, the original and a second one near the surface and just stem between them. Those sideways planted tomatoes have many roots along the buried stems and I think that is my plan for next year.

[slugworth]

If you have to weed around the plants, you have to be careful not to dig too deep.
Many times I forget I planted some sideways or forget which direction they are aimed,when weeding.Fun getting old.

[Dark Rumor]

In the future, if my plants are tall enough, I will plant them sideways. The two plants in the picture have their original root ball and they grew a second root ball where the plant comes out of the ground.

[StrongPlant]

Interesting,this is the first time I see some actual data on the subject.Would results be the same if you planted deep(vertical)?

[Dark Rumor]

Originally Posted by StrongPlant

Interesting,this is the first time I see some actual data on the subject.Would results be the same if you planted deep(vertical)?

If the two would have been planted vertically they would have been at least 12 inches deeper, not sure if the result would have been the same. I am sure someone else out there has planted tomatoes more than 8 to 10 inches deep.

[brownrexx]

8 - 10" deep would place the roots in poorer soil which is why people plant the stem sideways in the topsoil. I always do that.

[ginger2778]

great thread!

[TC_Manhattan]

The other advantage to planting sideways is that the roots end up establishing in soil that warms quicker from the sunlight. Deeper soil tends to stay colder longer at least up north.

[spacetogrow]

For years, I grew only a few indeterminates. It got to be a habit to strip the lower leaves off and plant the lower stems sideways. When I got a garden plot and had room for a lot more plants, I unthinkingly did the same thing to the determinates. Those poor determinates produced almost nothing for me that year. Oooops.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by TC_Manhattan

The other advantage to planting sideways is that the roots end up establishing in soil that warms quicker from the sunlight. Deeper soil tends to stay colder longer at least up north.

In South Florida, that is not an issue. We grow when its finally cool enough!

[slugworth]

catch 22 is the soil heats up quicker but the plants suffer during drought conditions

[Cole_Robbie]

Depth of one's top soil is an important variable. I grow in a mound of piled-up top soil. I don't plant sideways, but I do have long roots running sideways like in the pic above. The roots follow the path of least resistance. And yes, they do suffer somewhat in drought conditions. I didn't get any rain for a month last summer, and all my oblong cherries got BER.

I've read that when the first pioneers arrived to the great plains, the top soil depth was 10-20 feet. In soil like that, I would think one could plant as deeply as you wanted and still do well.

[carolyn137]

The reason I sometimes planted horizontally was when my seedlings got too tall to plant vertically, usually b/c of weather at the time of planting out.

Make a trench about 2-3 inches deep,lay the plant down leaving just a tuft of leaves at the end, tamp down and water in well to eliminate any air pockets and the stem makes good contact with the soil..

Such plants develop roots all along the stem which is great b/c the increased roots can then take up more water and nutrients leading to great growth.

Just good to remember that at first the end with the tuft of leaves will be flat but with time and sun it starts growing upright.

Carolyn