Repotting tomatoes

[Tin Shed]

I am not sure whether I dreamt this, but seem to remember that someone said that you could cut the tops off tomato plants and repot them. Have tried doing a search, but with no luck. Can anyone remember or I am I going mad!!!

[Tin Shed]

[manicscousers]

I've done it with side shoots, never heard of that way but, you never know  ;D

[ruud]

Yes you can.You also can put the cuttings in a bottle of water till the have roots.

[Lillypad]

I posted this earlier in the summer, but I can't remember what it was in reply to.
I've done it on several occasions when I haven't been able to put the plants out and they've grown too tall and 'stretched'. I just cut the tops off, making sure there's a longish bit of stem (remove a few leaves if necessary) and stick the stems into compost and water. They do look very poorly for a few days and then recover. I tried this because I knew you can do it with sideshoots and it worked. The beauty of it is that the 'new' plant has the maturity of the one you've chopped up.

Lillypad

[Marymary]

Would this help with a plant which had blight in the lower leaves?

[Trevor_D]

I think it was Bow Flowerdew who recommended this as a way of propagating tomatoes - take off the sideshoots & pot them on. I've done it & it works.

But they take on all the properties of the parent plant. I assume that includes blight!

Never heard of taking the top off, though. It works with pelargoniums, so I don't see why not, but then you over-winter those.

[Tin Shed]

Many thanks ruud and Lillypad. Some of my Roma on the lottie look as if they are going down with blight so I thought I would try your system with the few long legy ones left at home which I never dealt with. You say to put them into compost and water - does that mean very wet compost or a more liquid solution?

[ruud]

Today i have put some cuttings from my favourite tom in a glas of water.I give them a week for producing new roots,they are mostly quicker.So i extend the growing season,i just start with a lead,this instead of sowing.

[Lillypad]

I just use ordinary compost watered so that it's just moist.

[Tin Shed]

Right that's one of tomorrows jobs - many thanks.