A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Trenching tomato plants

I am starting a file with some of the great advice I have seen here, for next years garden. I saw something called trenching ( for tomato plants) mentioned, but can't seem to find it again. Can someone describe or tell me where to get more info on this method.
I have a much better garden this year after using advice and hints from this site, You are awesome!!!!!!!!

Here is the info about trenching you were looking for. Trenching This website is a wonderful source of information! Everyone here is very helpful.

Sarah

Thanks Sarah, That is what I was looking for. I guess the 'branches' that come up don't get tall and don't need to be staked or caged? I seems to me that the new growth would be like new plants. But I am a novice, and I might try this yet this year so I will have a handle on it for next years garden. I just took off some suckers from plants on my deck. I will try it with one of those, after I get a root started.
This is so much fun learning all this new stuff.

For me and when I grow with the trench method..
I always snip any leaves or stems that would go underground, so when it decays it doesn't cause a problem under the soil..

And mainly the trenching is for getting a lanky stem when grow and it gets spindly... to cut down on some of the stem to fatten it up and get better roots..

But remember, you want the root to go down deep really in the soil, so it relies on it'self for getting water and is more happier than having roots so close to the surface where it dries out faster...

Weezie, I was advised to take a few ' branches?' off the bottom of the tomato plant and plant them below ground about 1/3 of the plant. Is this what you mean? I live at the lake and use seaweed as a mulch, it makes my stuff grow like crazy.

Yep, look at the stem, two or three sets of
leaves can be taken off, also depending on how
lanky/spindly the stem is, and then plant almost right up to the top sets of leaves...
It does slow the plant down a bit, but it's busy makin' some nice roots...

I wish I had some seaweed..
That would be great!

Yes, I was sceptical, but I listened, now I have really healthy full plants with lots of green fruit. They were slow to take off though as you said

Unless I'm missing something, trenching tomato plants is only necessary when when transplanting "leggy" seedlings. If you have nice compact, bushy transplants planting them in a trench is unnecessary.

Trenching can also be used if you don't have deep soil. It gives the plant more root surface so it is more drought tolerant.

Personally, I don't trench because I've been composting my alkaline, mid-Western clay soil for years, and it's nice spongy loam now. I dig holes with a post hole digger (at least 12" deep), fill half way with compost, sprinkle in some powered egg shells (Obywan trick), mix up, and then plant the tomato plant as deeply as I can. This really helps prevent drought damage since the roots are 8-12" deep. It's another reason I don't mind my tomato plants leggy, more stem to plant.

I will be copying all this good 'mater info and filing it away for next year. I really like the posthole/eggshell approach.
Thanks all.