Transplanting side shoots from tomatoes

[lewic]

I have just taken off a few side shoots from a moneymaker tomato plant, and having read they could be transplanted, stuck them in some compost and watered it loads.

A day later all but one is totally wilted.. I'm wondering if I should have put them in water instead, or if they are just too big (most are about 5" long, and it is the small one that is still perky!)

[lewic]

[Uncle Joshua]

I have never heard of  transplanting side shoots from toms and would be amazed if it worked.

[liefste]

yes i heard the same thing,  i pulled off an unwanted branch just for an experiment, and plonked it into half of an upturned grow bag. It had a lovely big heel on it, so i stuck it in and watered it. It did look a bit floppy but today it looks like it has recoverd, hope so,.... good luck with yours.

[elhuerto]

Works for me, plant them deep and keep them moist. Ones I've done are around 10cm.

[small]

I stuck some in about three weeks ago on the off-chance, without benefit of reading up and maybe getting discouraged - several have taken and are growing well, and one (about 10 cms) is developing a flower truss. I'm hoping to extend the season with them.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

they root in water in about a week max

[thifasmom]

yep this can be done i took a bunch off of different varities today and left them in water when they root i'll pot them up. i grow all my toms outside but these will be grown in the greenhouse to extend the season for me as well.

[Al37]

Works for me too.
I put mine in water for around a weak you can sea the roots starting to develop then pot them up.
One of mine is now in the greenhouse border and is around eighteen inches tall.

[lewic]

Aha.. thought they might need a little bit more mollycoddlling! Will pull up the wilted ones and stick em in water and see what happens...

[Eristic]

They root easily but often wilt for a day or two. Sometimes they die as they may receive severe damage when removed.

[Larkshall]

They root easily but often wilt for a day or two. Sometimes they die as they may receive severe damage when removed.

Carefully cut the side shoot out, use rooting hormone and plant in 50/50 sand  and compost. The cuttings only need to be about 40mm long.

This year I grew eight plants from seed (Moneymaker), I bought one plant (Shirley) and two plants (Sungold) at 99p each. I now have 8 Moneymaker, 8 Shirley and 16 Sungold in an 8 x 6 greenhouse. I have also given several away.

[Uncle Joshua]

Well, thats me amazed!!

[ceres]

I broke off most of the main stem of a Black Cherry tomato when I was moving it.  I stuck the stem into the pot beside the stump and, inside a week, they are both growing happily away.

[liefste]

talking of tomato's, can anyone shed some light on why i have several tomato plants that have popped up in complete random places on my plot.. i did not plant them there and some have turned up where i have not had a chance to dig properly yet..????  Bonus  ; :D

[PurpleHeather]

Yes it certainly does work I do it regularly. It works the same with geraniums and several other plants and you get an exact clone.

The side shoot is best left until it is quite big though. I find it works best if they are 4 to 6 inches long. Have your pot of compost ready, snap off the side shoot and pot it straight away.  Little side shoots seem to shrivel. I have never tried them in water but you could try it. It works with mint. Tomatoes stalks may rot I fear.

Just put the tom side shoots into damp compost indoors if it is cold and water them when you water your tomatoes. Within a week they will have developed roots and will quickly catch up.

Please do try it even if you do not want another tomato plant so that you can see for yourself just how easy it is. No need to buy loads of tomato plants again and if some one has a variety you want to try then just ask for a 'cutting'.

[Eristic]

can anyone shed some light on why i have several tomato plants that have popped up in complete random places on my plot.

The plot may have had tomatoes growing there in the past or the seed was imported in bird droppings.

[liefste]

thanks Eristic, ... wow thats amazing, that a dormant seed can live that long just waiting to germinate given the right conditions..  :D as the last person to have my plot did grow a lot of moneymaker, so i could have one or two of those...

[thifasmom]

i always get volunteer seedlings they come from my compost, seeds are sometimes added to the kitchen waste.

i have heard from my neighbour that the best plants he ever saw were the ones growing at a sewage cleaning facility, which would make sense as tomato seeds aren't digested and just pass through our digestive system intact.

he declined the tomatoes the workers offered him though :P.

[OllieC]

When I was a child, dad brought home a load of seaweed from the beach (in Millport). It was put around the roses & up popped loads of tomato plants. The seeds had gone through someone's gut, through the sewege "treatment" and washed up in the seaweed... & we used to play on that beach!

Apparently we had a good harvest.