girl90048
AGA Sprout
Gardening Novice
Posts: 65
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Post by girl90048 on May 14, 2020 22:46:45 GMT -5
Hi, I purchased my first AG Harvest almost a month ago and new to the forum. Did not know that I'm not supposed to have other plants in the unit along with tomatoes. I've got two lettuce, a Thai basil, mint and two tomatoes in the unit. I started my second tomato pod a few weeks ago that I would like to move to a pot and eventually outside. Three tomato plants have sprouted from the pod. When would be a good time for me to move those to a pot(s)? Ideally, I'd like to separate them into 3 pots but not sure how to do it with the sponge. Anyone have experience with this that can guide me?
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,226 
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Post by Shawn on May 15, 2020 4:17:21 GMT -5
Hello and welcome.
Let me clarify, it is not that you can not plant tomatoes, herbs and lettuce together. It is just that many have found that certain items may not play well together as some like more or less nutrients then others.
If I am reading correctly you have a sponge with three tomato seedlings growing and you want to separate. You have to be careful not to ruin the roots. Please wait for someone with more expirience with tomatoes to help with this one.
Look forward to hearing more.
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on May 15, 2020 8:34:08 GMT -5
Hello, girl, and welcome to the forum.
The safest thing to do with 3 tomatoes in one pod is to choose the largest and healthiest and cut off the other two down to the pod. That way it will not be competing with itself and will have a good chance for healthy growth.
If you want to try to save the babies, pull each one straight up out of the pod by the stem. You will damage the roots, but they may recover. Slit a well-soaked sponge with scissors from the hole in the sponge all the way down the length of the sponge. Open up the sponge and lay the baby plant in the slit with its leaves above the pod. Place in a basket and insert in the Aerogarden. If it lives, its roots should start growing in several days.
To plant an Aerogarden tomato in a pot, use a good container potting soil. Sprinkle a little long acting vegetable and tomato fertilizer on the top of the soil and scratch in lightly if the soil does not already contain fertilizer.
Dig a deep hole in the soil and plant pod and all. Lightly pack the soil with your fingers around the plant making sure the pod is well covered. (The sponge is biodegradable.) Water well, and that's it.
If the roots are too big to pull out the basket, you can plant basket and all and retrieve it later when the plant is finished.
If you are going to put the tomato outdoors, it will need to be hardened off first by gradually introducing it to the outdoors.
That's the simplified version. If you have more questions, just ask.
Again, welcome! 
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girl90048
AGA Sprout
Gardening Novice
Posts: 65
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Post by girl90048 on May 15, 2020 21:02:05 GMT -5
Hello, girl, and welcome to the forum.
The safest thing to do with 3 tomatoes in one pod is to choose the largest and healthiest and cut off the other two down to the pod. That way it will not be competing with itself and will have a good chance for healthy growth.
If you want to try to save the babies, pull each one straight up out of the pod by the stem. You will damage the roots, but they may recover. Slit a well-soaked sponge with scissors from the hole in the sponge all the way down the length of the sponge. Open up the sponge and lay the baby plant in the slit with its leaves above the pod. Place in a basket and insert in the Aerogarden. If it lives, its roots should start growing in several days.
To plant an Aerogarden tomato in a pot, use a good container potting soil. Sprinkle a little long acting vegetable and tomato fertilizer on the top of the soil and scratch in lightly if the soil does not already contain fertilizer.
Dig a deep hole in the soil and plant pod and all. Lightly pack the soil with your fingers around the plant making sure the pod is well covered. (The sponge is biodegradable.) Water well, and that's it.
If the roots are too big to pull out the basket, you can plant basket and all and retrieve it later when the plant is finished.
If you are going to put the tomato outdoors, it will need to be hardened off first by gradually introducing it to the outdoors.
That's the simplified version. If you have more questions, just ask.
Again, welcome!
Thank you Sher! I have to google some of the terms you used (new to gardening) but I understand most of what you're saying and will try to separate them if it's not too late. They are about 2 1/2" tall now. I don't want to grow them in my AG unit because I already have a larger tomato plant in there. Since I bought an entire pack of cherry tomato pods from AG, I didn't want the rest of the pods to go to waste so I'm growing them to give to friends and family. |
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girl90048
AGA Sprout
Gardening Novice
Posts: 65
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Post by girl90048 on May 15, 2020 21:05:14 GMT -5
Hello and welcome. Let me clarify, it is not that you can not plant tomatoes, herbs and lettuce together. It is just that many have found that certain items may not play well together as some like more or less nutrients then others. If I am reading correctly you have a sponge with three tomato seedlings growing and you want to separate. You have to be careful not to ruin the roots. Please wait for someone with more expirience with tomatoes to help with this one. Look forward to hearing more. Oic... Thank you for clarifying Shawn. I'm new to gardening in general so I've been following the instructions that I got with the garden. I add nutrients every two weeks and changed the water at four weeks. The instructions that Sher gave me seem simple enough. I am going to try what she suggested so I can save all the seedlings in the same pod. Will update you guys. |
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on May 16, 2020 5:30:54 GMT -5
Thank you Sher! I have to google some of the terms you used (new to gardening) but I understand most of what you're saying and will try to separate them if it's not too late. They are about 2 1/2" tall now. I don't want to grow them in my AG unit because I already have a larger tomato plant in there. Since I bought an entire pack of cherry tomato pods from AG, I didn't want the rest of the pods to go to waste so I'm growing them to give to friends and family.
Girl, if the tomatoes are that tall, do NOT try to separate the 3 plants in one pod. It will shred their roots and possibly kill all of them. That needs to be done when they are tiny.
Just clip two to the base of the pod and leave the healthiest one alone!
Good luck!
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girl90048
AGA Sprout
Gardening Novice
Posts: 65
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Post by girl90048 on May 16, 2020 13:34:27 GMT -5
Thank you Sher! I have to google some of the terms you used (new to gardening) but I understand most of what you're saying and will try to separate them if it's not too late. They are about 2 1/2" tall now. I don't want to grow them in my AG unit because I already have a larger tomato plant in there. Since I bought an entire pack of cherry tomato pods from AG, I didn't want the rest of the pods to go to waste so I'm growing them to give to friends and family.
Girl, if the tomatoes are that tall, do NOT try to separate the 3 plants in one pod. It will shred their roots and possibly kill all of them. That needs to be done when they are tiny.
Just clip two to the base of the pod and leave the healthiest one alone!
Good luck!
How tall should they be if I want to separate them? Sorry for all the questions, I'm so new to gardening of any kind. |
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on May 16, 2020 14:14:00 GMT -5
No problem!
I separate them when they are under an inch, while they still just have the 2 baby leaves. Pull them very gently straight up, holding them by the stem. They should have very small roots, or if they have broken, at least a piece of a root.
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girl90048
AGA Sprout
Gardening Novice
Posts: 65
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Post by girl90048 on May 16, 2020 16:21:04 GMT -5
No problem!
I separate them when they are under an inch, while they still just have the 2 baby leaves. Pull them very gently straight up, holding them by the stem. They should have very small roots, or if they have broken, at least a piece of a root.
Oh... Good to know for the other plants I'm trying to grow. Thank you! |
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girl90048
AGA Sprout
Gardening Novice
Posts: 65
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Post by girl90048 on May 22, 2020 11:31:07 GMT -5
No problem!
I separate them when they are under an inch, while they still just have the 2 baby leaves. Pull them very gently straight up, holding them by the stem. They should have very small roots, or if they have broken, at least a piece of a root.
If I'm transplanting them to the ground, can I leave two of them together or do I still need to cut the smallest ones down? |
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on May 22, 2020 11:52:51 GMT -5
Two tomatoes growing that closely together will compete with each other for nutrients. I think you would do better to choose the strongest plant and cut the weaker one off.
That way you should have one healthy tomato plant that will produce more than two struggling ones. Stressed tomatoes are also more prone to disease.
Bear in mind, I am not an expert. That is just based on my experience.
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girl90048
AGA Sprout
Gardening Novice
Posts: 65
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Post by girl90048 on May 22, 2020 21:51:29 GMT -5
Two tomatoes growing that closely together will compete with each other for nutrients. I think you would do better to choose the strongest plant and cut the weaker one off.
That way you should have one healthy tomato plant that will produce more than two struggling ones. Stressed tomatoes are also more prone to disease.
Bear in mind, I am not an expert. That is just based on my experience.
Thank you! |
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girl90048
AGA Sprout
Gardening Novice
Posts: 65
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Post by girl90048 on Jul 2, 2020 21:49:43 GMT -5
Are these new flower buds growing on my tomato plant?  |
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on Jul 2, 2020 23:17:48 GMT -5
Yes they are!!!!  |
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,226
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Post by Shawn on Jul 3, 2020 5:24:49 GMT -5
YAY, you have nice teeny tiny bids.
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girl90048
AGA Sprout
Gardening Novice
Posts: 65
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Post by girl90048 on Jul 3, 2020 15:57:29 GMT -5
YAY, you have nice teeny tiny bids. I've had a ton of them but only one bloomed which gave me a tomato! Been shaking them slightly throughout the day while the light is on. None of them have produced fruit. What am I doing wrong? |
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,226
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Post by Shawn on Jul 4, 2020 5:21:09 GMT -5
I only pollinate once a day. Maybe you are shaking too much? I have no clue as I a noob at tomatoes,
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joes
AGA Sprout
New but already addicted!
Posts: 118
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Post by joes on Jul 7, 2020 20:55:59 GMT -5
My first AG tomatoes are in bloom. AG sells a "be the bee" tool, which is sort of like an electric toothbrush (an electric toothbrush would probably be just as good). You are supposed to touch each flower with the "be the bee" brush. I don't have a single tomato yet, but I am confident it is going to work better than just shaking.
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Post by akivalocal on Jul 7, 2020 21:10:49 GMT -5
Yes, using a Be-the-Bee pollinator (or a small, delicate paintbrush) will work better than just shaking!
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girl90048
AGA Sprout
Gardening Novice
Posts: 65
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Post by girl90048 on Jul 17, 2020 0:08:03 GMT -5
Yes, using a Be-the-Bee pollinator (or a small, delicate paintbrush) will work better than just shaking! Should I also prune leaves that are blocking the light from the flowers? |
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