Developing A Good Root System

One thing that I have been guilty of is being too generous to my plants.

Too much water, too much tomato food ... basically killing them with kindness!

However, to develop a good root system, roots need air as well as water. Over-watering stunts their growth, and the soil, because of the added weight of water, becomes compacted.

Too much food too soon also has an adverse effect on root development because nutrient solution can build up in the soil and burn young roots. The same is true of having a solution that is too strong.

In the pic above, I've taken a Glacier (potato leaf variety) out of its pot and I hope you can see the nice white strong root ball.

This plant would be potted-on at this stage or put into its final position - depending on the time of year.