Question about tomatoes

My tomatoes are doing the same as last year, turning white on top. Last year I thought it was the soil and I thought so this year too, but now I am not so sure. I have bok-choy outside in the sawhorse greenhouse. I was lazy and did not transplant them to bigger pots. I have more bok-choy that is younger. A few weeks ago, I put 2 of the bok-choy in the garden to see what would happen. They did not die, but did not grow. I transplanted another one in a larger cup. The one in the cup grew big. The other ones grew bigger than the ones in the garden. A few days ago I took them to the garden to plant. The ones that were not repotted up had roots, but not a lot (MORE THAN MY TOMATO PLANTS) but the one in the cup, I could barely get it out of the cup. The cup was white with all the roots. So, I transplanted some tomatoes, some peppers, basil and noticed they do not really have a lot of roots, but the tomatoes are the worst. Could it be that I should have these plants outside in the sunlight? Does the sunlight make the roots grow? This really sounds stupid. Like of course it does, does it?? I guess I should be saying, I should be more worried about the correct light than the soil? They are not leggy. They start out looking good, then get white leaves, then just start getting weak and have hardly any roots. I can go buy tomato plants, but I would like to figure this out before next year. I did plant some more seeds and I am going to take these out to sawhorse greenhouse as soon as they come up and see what the difference is. I should have been taking them outside, but that greenhouse is full, so I thought the tomatoes would be better off inside where it is warmer. Sorry about writing a book here. I think I have it figured out. It is called WORK. I sleep in a chair like Digits. I carry flats back and forth. I watch the temperature. I get some kind of heat that I can fire up when the temperature drops.

Sleep in the chair at all the wrong moments, GWR.

I'm too sleepy to respond well. It is my understanding that cole crops often benefit from being moved. Anyway, I guess it prompts them to grow more roots.

I'm a big believer in sunlight.

Soil deficiency? I went immediately for this - then read the rest of your post:



Steve

I found this - Root growth determines the ability of a plant to take up nutrients and water. Root growth is determined by the plant's actively photosynthesizing leaf area since the roots depend on energy captured by the leaves. When energy is in short supply, it is used by plant tissue nearest to the site of photosynthesis. Therefore, roots receive energy only when more energy is produced by photosynthesis than is being used by top growth.

digitS' said:

Sleep in the chair at all the wrong moments, GWR.

I'm too sleepy to respond well. It is my understanding that cole crops often benefit from being moved. Anyway, I guess it prompts them to grow more roots.

I'm a big believer in sunlight.

Soil deficiency? I went immediately for this - then read the rest of your post:

Steve

Click to expand...

I looked at this picture yesterday. I went with the iron being the problem, but it is not exactly like mine.

Most plant growth uses carbon and growth is in the form of starches.

Green plants have the carbon available to them in the air. A little mixing with hydrogen and oxygen (water) and, presto, New Growth! It doesn't happen without sunlight.

"Stretching" probably doesn't involve any real growth. That searching for sunlight plants do must just be redirecting resources already available in the direction of MORE light! Or, as you suggest GwR, photosynthesis is only occurring at plant tips.

My tomatoes are a little stretched. Some of the ones I just got into pots - I'm separating to only 9 pots per flat. It's about the best I can do to give them less competition for the sunlight.

I'm also trying to keep the temperature down. That isn't so tough with as little sunlight as we are having. More light, more warmth. I don't know what would be ideal but to get them more sturdy, they'd better not be pushed with heat.

I don't appreciate having to tie the plants to bamboo stakes when they are only 8" tall! That isn't much of an answer. They will all, probably, end up on stakes, there is a safety value in doing that for moving them around. Those are the ones that will be pushing 12 weeks old soon.

Sun! Maybe I can get some of them outdoors in the fresh air and sunlight next week.

Soleado

Well, I have no idea what the problem is. It is probably a combination of everything. I put them all outside in the sawhorse greenhouse. I will watch the temperature and bring in at night if too low. I think I will be buying most of my tomato plants at the Farmer's Market this year. I have 3 different pots of seeds planted and going to move them outside when they come up and see if I find a difference in the way they grow. I think you are right about the heat too. It does get warm in the greenhouse during the day in the kitchen.