Gardeners know short and stocky tomato plants are the best type for transplanting. But no matter when I start my tomatoes indoors, or how close I put the lights to the seedlings, they still get leggy. Now there's another technique I can use to keep my plants short and stout.
Thomas Bjorkman, a vegetable crop physiologist at Cornell University's Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York, found that brushing his hand over tomato transplants' tops--10 strokes daily starting when the plants are 2 1/2 inches tall until they're transplanted outside--produced a 20 percent height reduction compared with unbrushed plants.
More than 10 strokes didn't significantly enhance the effect. It's also okay to miss a day or start brushing once the plants get a bit leggy, but you may not see the full height reduction. Bjorkman calculates that every day you brush equals a 1/10-inch reduction in height. "Just brush them with your hand gently, as you'd pet a cat," he says. Who would have thought that petting your tomatoes would make them grow better.
Charlie Nardozzi is senior horticulturist at National Gardening.
Charlie Nardozzi is an award winning, nationally recognized garden writer, speaker, radio, and television personality. He has worked for more than 30 years bringing expert gardening information to home gardeners through radio, television, talks, tours, on-line, and the printed page. Charlie delights in making gardening information simple, easy, fun and accessible to everyone. He's the author of 6 books, has three radio shows in New England and a TV show. He leads Garden Tours around the world and consults with organizations and companies about gardening programs. See more about him at Gardening With Charlie.
Victory Seed Company has all the seeds you want for your best garden in 2024.
For 25 years, the family-owned Victory Seed Company has provided the highest quality vegetable, herb and flower seeds to families across the country. We are passionate about providing you the best seeds available that give excellent germination, robust plants, and the harvest you want. With a catalog of over a thousand varieties, we have everything, and our prices are the kinds that we'd want to pay. We have hundreds of yesterday's heirloom vegetables, as well as today's award winning hybrid selections. Get to know us by visiting our website and browsing through our online vegetable seed catalog.
