I think I have a great tomato Idea

[obsessed]

Ok so I live in the Coastal South/Lower South. We had a few frost but nothing that damaged my tomato or pepper plants. I did pull the last of the tomato today on 12/6 but that was mostly to prep the bed for spring that because of the weather. Even after this last frost which the weather channel/local just blew out of proportion (I guess snow in the south is news) I just cover the plant with a sheet and it looked fine today. So I could have let it go another week or two.

But here is my idea. What if I took a small cutting of that tomato and tried to root it. It should take 4-6 weeks for the cutting to root maybe longer considering it is cold. I could put it in a soda bottle to protect it from the colder weather. Now my last frost data is 3/21 and if I used the walls of water then i can plant maybe six weeks earlier so that is like early Feb. So My little cutting would be roughly 8 weeks old! and ready to transplant. What do you think?

Darn it! I chopp the stupid tomato to tiny pieces and covered it with horse poop! Don't you hate when the light bulb goes on too late!

 

[lesa]

I think in your climate, that idea would have worked perfectly... You will have to remember it for next year...It would be a great way to keep a favorite tomato going and going! Good luck- think spring!

 

[HiDelight]

I think you always have great ideas and can not wait to see if this works for you ..there is no reason in my mind it wouldn't? I have during the summer taken my prunings tossed them in the compost heap and then realized they had taken root and produced by the end of the summer ..if you did this with intent it would probably be very successful!

it is very cold here today I do not want to go out!!! but I have to work ..to earn money so I can buy more stuff for the garden row

 

[journey11]

Tomatoes are supposed to be really easy to root too. I'm sure it would work! Get that down pat and you may never have to puchase another transplant or pack of tomato seeds again!

 

[obsessed]

I rooted a few this year. It all has to do with babying it until it developes roots. One that I rooted was the one I just killed. It grew to be a big nice plant. I have a horrible problem with seed starting! So I am really interested in this. We shall see for next year!

 

[digitS']

Obsessed, you have the opportunity there (and maybe we all do) to have really, truly heirloom tomatoes.

Think about it this way: You would be growing clones.

I don't know whether you appreciate Red Delicious apples or not - it doesn't matter. Every other modern apple is a clone from an original tree and this is just an example. The Red Delicious was found by an Iowa orchardist in 1880. All other RD apple trees can be thought of as Jesse Hiatt's trees.

I once asked a very good gardener who always raised his favorite red beefsteak varieties if he'd ever tried Large Red Cherry tomatoes. I have had them for 30+ years and, while they aren't the most flavorful or sweet, they are strongly consistent in production. LRC is open pollinated.

Bill said that he hadn't but he got some seeds and gave them a try. One plant was just everything he was looking for in a cherry tomato. The old fellow was so excited about that darn plant. He made cuttings and they moved into the realm of his own personal heirloom.

Bill has passed away but his daughter is a good gardener. I really hope that she has saved his heirlooms there in Houston and think that she has. That LRC clone probably won't come back from seed the same as it grows as a clone. I feel like I had just a little to do with Bill's heirloom .

Steve

 

[journey11]

I feel like I had just a little to do with Bill's heirloom .

Cool story..

 

[NurseNettie]

Wow, I never knew you could root tomato cuttings like other plants. Very cool. I've got some white tomatoes out on their vines ( in pots on the sunporch) waiting for me to seed them, so I can dry and save the seed. If there are any decent looking branches left on any of them ( it's been cold), I may give it a shot with a few!!!