Repotting guide

When & how to repot Principe Borghese Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Principe Borghese')

Also called Principe Borghese tomato, Italian drying tomato.

More about principe borghese tomato

About Principe Borghese Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum 'Principe Borghese' · also called Principe Borghese tomato, Italian drying tomato · edible

Principe Borghese is an Italian determinate heirloom prized for sun-drying. It bears heavy clusters of small, dense, 30-40 g plum-shaped fruit with little juice and few seeds, concentrating flavour when dried. The compact bushy plants set a large, fairly concentrated crop and need only modest staking over a roughly 75-day season.

Mature size: 0.9-1.5 m tall bushes; fruit typically 30-40 g

Watch for — Early blight: Concentric brown leaf spots in warm humid weather; mulch to stop soil splash, water low and remove lower leaves.

How to tell principe borghese tomato needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For principe borghese tomato, watch for these signs:

Roots circling the bottom of the module or pot, or poking out of the drainage holes.
The seedling dries out within a day and growth has visibly stalled.
Roots are white and matted in a tight spiral when you tip the plant out.
It has outgrown its current container for the stage of the season — pot principe borghese tomato on before it becomes hard root-bound.

For the underlying biology of a pot-bound root system and why it stalls a plant, see our guide to spotting and fixing a root-bound plant.

How often to repot principe borghese tomato

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. Principe Borghese Tomatois grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Determinate bush; compact, self-limiting, sets most fruit in a concentrated flush; benefits from a short cage or stake..

What size pot to step principe borghese tomato up to

Pot principe borghese tomato on gradually — a seedling jumped straight into a huge pot sits in cold, wet, airless soil and stalls. Step up one or two sizes at a time as the roots fill each container, finishing in a large final pot or the ground. The aim is roots that never circle and never check.

Not sure of the exact diameter? Our pot size calculator takes the current pot and root spread and tells you the right next size — it deliberately recommends a single step up, never a big jump.

The best time of year to repot principe borghese tomato

Pot principe borghese tomato on through the active growing season, whenever roots fill the current container — there is no single date, just "before it becomes root-bound". Avoid potting on during a cold snap.

Step-by-step: repotting principe borghese tomato

Pot on before it is root-bound. Check principe borghese tomato regularly; move it up as soon as roots reach the edge of the cell or pot, not after they have circled.
Step up one or two sizes. Choose the next container up — not a giant one. Cold, wet, unused soil around a small root system stalls seedlings.
Knock it out gently. Support the stem, tip the pot, and ease the rootball out without breaking it. A little teasing of circled roots at the base is fine.
Pot into rich mix. Set it into fresh well-drained, fertile loam, ph 6.2-6.8 at the same depth (tomatoes are the exception — they can go deeper to root along the stem).
Water in and grow on. Water well, keep it in good light, and resume feeding once it is established and growing again.

Aftercare

Water principe borghese tomato in well and keep it in bright light; a freshly potted-on seedling can wilt for a day while roots settle, so do not overcompensate by drowning it. Do not fertilise for about 1 week — fresh mix already carries nutrients and feeding freshly disturbed roots scorches them.

The right soil mix for principe borghese tomato

Principe Borghese Tomato wants well-drained, fertile loam, ph 6.2-6.8. Tolerant of average soils enriched with compost. Good drainage is essential; it dislikes waterlogged roots. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting principe borghese tomato — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot principe borghese tomato?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for principe borghese tomato. Principe Borghese Tomato is a seasonal crop, so you pot it on as a growing plant rather than repotting a perennial. Step seedlings up gradually into well-drained, fertile loam, ph 6.2-6.8 so the roots never circle the cell, ending in a large final container. A root-bound transplant stalls and never fully recovers.

What size pot does principe borghese tomato need?

When is the best time of year to repot principe borghese tomato?

Can you put principe borghese tomato straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing principe borghese tomato should only go up one pot size at a time. A vastly oversized pot holds a reservoir of wet soil the roots cannot reach, which stays cold and soggy and rots the roots — the opposite of what you wanted.

Should you fertilise principe borghese tomato after repotting?

Not immediately. Wait about 1 week after repotting principe borghese tomato. Fresh mix already contains nutrients, and feeding freshly cut or disturbed roots burns them. Resume your normal feeding routine once you see new growth.