Separating two seedlings.

I have two heritage (Cherokee) tomato seedlings in a single pot. They are about 8 inches high. How can I best separate them for transplanting? Would it be inadvisable to flood them with water, first, and then gently pull them apart?

Thank you!

Hi Qrious,
I'm not an expert, but your plan seems like a good one. Just be a little gentle when you pull them apart. Tomatoes like being planted 3-4 inches deeper than you bought them at the store, they will actually develop roots from the stem! So there shouldn't be too much of a problem separating them! Before you plant them deep pull off any leaves that would be underground (because you're planting them deeper than normal). You'll want to leave at least 3-4 inches of the plant above the ground. Good luck!

Thank you, Mitch! I plan to do as you suggest.

Tomato seedlings can be planted deeply as mitch suggests. When bought from a nursery, it is often a good idea because they have been raised in a limited space and are tall and lanky. Seedlings grown at home might also profit from this -- or not depending how they develop. Consider this Azoychka Tomato that volunteered from seed in the garden. Without any replanting, it ultimately grew into a 16 x 16 foot monster and has produced over 500 tomatoes this year.

Woohoo is right! That is one awesome critter!

I raised these plants from seed. They are not from a nursery. Sorry I don't have a photo to post, here. They each have seven side shoots.

Thank you for your help!

It is best to separate seedlings when they are still only an inch or so tall but you should still be able to do it with only minor root damage. Since Tomatoes will root along the stem when planted deep your plants should recover nicely after transplanting with a little TLC.

Remove the seedlings from the pot and carefully begin to remove the soil. When you have removed as much soil as possible see if you can gently tease apart the roots. If it seems difficult or like you are loosing too many roots then try running a gentle stream of water over the remaining root ball.

I would not soak them in water in the beginning because it may make the soil heavier and do more damage to the roots. Once most of the soil is removed that should not be a problem.

Many years ago I worked in a nursery transplanting seedlings and you would be surprised how tough they really are even when they are very young.

Since the plants are larger once you get them separated and replanted it would be a good idea to protect them from direct sun for a few days until they get re-established.

Good luck