In a viral Instagram Reel, Sarah Christenson (@silverchrysalis) sarcastically complains about how annoying her tomato plant has become after a gardening hack worked too well.
"I did this, and I have a complaint," Christenson says.
The gardening hack, which Christenson found elsewhere on the app, claims that you should bury most of your plant, leaving only a short portion above ground. In Christenson's case, it was a highly effective tip.
As the video proceeds, Christenson switches from her front-facing camera to her back camera, showing several lush tomato plants with bright, intertwining vines.
"I planted them deep, fertilized them, and now they're just too big and healthy, honestly," she explains. "I prefer, like, just a little wimpy tomato bush like I used to have."
Christenson jokingly talks about how much money she has spent on plant stakes to support the well-developed tomato plants and how laborious it's been to harvest so many tomatoes.
Even after the devastation of Hurricane Ian — which Christenson said was classified as a tropical storm when it hit her home — the tomato plants were still going strong.
How deep should you plant tomatoes?
For those of us familiar with planting and gardening, we know you're often told to dig a hole in the ground about the size of the plant's pot. But that's not the case for tomatoes.
As Mama Odie from "The Princess and the Frog" sings, you gotta dig a little deeper. For the best results, place your tomato plant deep enough in the soil so that about two-thirds of it is underground.
A deep burial helps your tomato plant by protecting most of the stem and all of the roots from colder temperatures and winds. Additionally, having a good portion of the stem buried with a deep root system acts as an anchor that stabilizes your plant.
Another benefit of burying your tomato plants deep is that you won't have to water them as much. A deep root system allows your plant to access moisture and water stored deep in the ground. Not only can you save water, but you can also plant them in drier areas and still produce delicious tomatoes.
Comments seemed to agree with the benefits of the hack.
"That's how I do it and love it! I don't mind all the tomatoes to stew and make salsa!" one user chimed in.
A different user gave a tip for dealing with the abundance of hearty tomatoes.
"Also cut off the long thin branches and will make the tomatoes grow to the center and they won't fall over from the weight," they wrote. If you try this tomato planting hack, make sure to arm yourself with enough tomato recipes to use up your harvest.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
