Tomato seedlings Help!

This is my 1st yr. to try to grow my plants from seed.

I planted some veggie seeds about 4 weeks ago in 1 of those Burpee seed starter things with the dome, etc. About 2 weeks later everything was up and growing well, a little lanky, so potted up in individual pots. the tomatoes got a deep pot and I laid them down, etc with just the top showing. Well, 2 weeks later and all is well, but the tomatoes are growing fast, so pottted them up again today. When I dumped them out, they had grown no new roots on the stem? So I sort of curled the stem around the pot, laying more down and putting more MM on, leaving only the top showing.

I thought the tomato plants would grow roots on the stem. Am I doing something wrong.

If it keeps up like this, the stem will be very long, all curled up in the pots, but only a little bit of roots. Am I being too impatient? If/when should I give them fertilizer and if so, what kind? The rest of the plants are doing fine in their first pots.

Thanks for any info!

Jo

Am I being too impatient?

Yes.

Some examples

Nice video Charles! Thanks!

Seeing that video makes one think. I plan to grow two tom varieties side by side in my boxes thru the whole garden so that an experiment might be forthcoming. I'm now thinking I'll transplant one deep as we have been taught, removing the green growth around the stem and burying the plant up to the top few leaves of the plant. The other I think I'll just plant possibly 2" deeper than its already growing. I string my tomatoes so they don't really need sturdy roots to hold them upright. My thoughts are that they will get a quicker start because the roots will be in the warmer upper section of the soil, and they'll start production sooner. Yes, I've got to try this and with 2 of the same varieties beside each other, it'll be a good way to note their progress. Thanks for the idea.

Hi,
After your plants have the first true leaves you need to feed them. Use a half strength fertilizer every other week. It is ok to use fish emulsion in the house, however whatever you do do not save it for two weeks and try to use it in the house. Enjoy your healthy plants.

Patty in Yorktown