Tomatoe cutting?

[obsessed]

Ok. so I am not the best gardener and have made some mistakes. Mostly in my ability to understand the English language.

So I read on here that you can take a tomato cutting and plant it. So, yesterday that is what I did. I cut a piece of my tomato plant and planted it. I did this to several of the larger more developed branches of my biggest plant.

Today the "cutting" aren't looking so good. What did I miss? Thanks

 

[vfem]

I'm not sure you could honestly, I don't know. I would assume you would need rooting hormone though?

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi there,

It was me who brought the subject up. I have done it many times, especially when a friend admires one of my rarer tomatoes & I don't have a spare to give them.

The best way to do it is to choose one of those side branches that you usually pinch out. Let it grow on until it's about 7"-8"long (a few days growth), pull it off with a bit of a "heel", pot it up in slightly gritty soil. I always gently scrape a knife down the bottom third of the cutting so it breaks the skin a bit. This damage encourages the cutting to produce roots more quickly, as does using the "heel". You must bury this third below soil level. I have always done this because my wonderful grandmother taught me to do this way. She was a whiz with plants & could get a seemingly dead stick to flourish. Oh! how I miss her & her wisdom. She has been dead since I was 12 , but I can still hear her voice & see her teaching me how to do things.

I never use hormone powder; it's usually too old & therefore useless anyway. The liquid is slightly better. You have to do this in a warm place & keep the cuttings warm ( like you would to germinate the seeds) until it's taken . You pull off all but 4 leaves & pinch out the growing tip. It must not have any flower buds on it. Some people put a clear plastic bag over the cutting for humidity - I find you have to judge your own conditions for that.

I often take these cuttings towards the end of summer so I can have tomatoes indoors in the winter -- I have to pollinate them with an artists soft watercolour brush. These cuttings are often very much more productive than the original plant although they don't always last right through to the next spring.

obsessed,

I'm sorry if your cuttings haven't taken, maybe you took cuttings of the wrong bit of the plant or it got chilled. Have another try. GOOD LUCK & HAPPY GARDENING TO EVERYONE :tools :tools :tools

:rose Hattie :rose

 

[jlmann]

I do cuttings sometimes too. Hattie gave you some great advice , but I will add one thing. Tomato cuttings need a LOT of water until they can establish a root system. Almost constant drip irrigation if they are outside in the sun. I fill a flower pot or a bucket with holes in the bottom with water and set it right beside the cuttings. It drains down throughout the day and keeps the plants watered. Unless you've been watering, 3-4 times a day I would say that is why your cuttings aren't looking too good. Hope this helps - I'm still on my first cup of coffee , so it might make no sense at all

 

[obsessed]

OK, going to try the water. It is too late to scratch up the plant right cause I already planted it. And I know idea what the heel is?

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi there!

obsessed,

Sorry I didn't explain clearly enough! Maybe "heel" is an British term? Now here comes the difficulty -- how to explain it? Hmmmm! Here goes.......!

You know when you tear off a side branch, sometimes a shield-shaped piece of the main stem comes with it. That is a" heel-cutting" and from that tiny area come the first roots. It's a stronger type of cutting than a slanted or straight across cut.

I hope this helps

jimann,

Thanks for the info on the extra water; I haven't noted that but then I am known by my neighbors for watering 3/4 times a day. So that would be commonplace for me.....!!

Happy Gardening everyone :coolsun

:rose Hattie :rose

 

[Ridgerunner]

I love this site. Thanks for the information and clarification on the "heel". I thought that was what you meant but it is so much better to know.

I'll go back to lurking.

 

[patandchickens]

So I read on here that you can take a tomato cutting and plant it. So, yesterday that is what I did. I cut a piece of my tomato plant and planted it. I did this to several of the larger more developed branches of my biggest plant.

Today the "cutting" aren't looking so good. What did I miss? Thanks

Have you protected them from sun/wind/drying? Remember the cutting has zero root system so it has to be seriously babied for a while, like in a very sunny window indoors or in a greenhouse or in a VERY well-protected outdoor site. Plant the cutting DEEP, even stripping off a leaf or two and putting it in 'up to its neck', so there is minimal area for moisture loss and maximal area for rooting (tomatoes can root all along their stems)

When I've done this a few times in fairly distant past years, I seem to recall having best luck when the cutting had a heel (bit of tissue peeled down the main stem it was growing from), although I can't swear to this.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat