Knobbly Toms

[Bagpuss]

Hi Folks

Well I took the plunge and pinched out and snipped the toms back. Whilst doing this I've noticed that the stems appear to have developed knobbly bits which I've not seen before.

I've had a quick scoot of the net and can't get to the bottom of it.

This is not something limited to one variety, it appear on the gardeners delight, and beef toms equally.

The plants look otherwise healthy so I'm not worried about them, just curious. Any ideas folks ?

[zazen999]

That's where they would root if on the ground. Nothing to worry about.

[rogesse]

Ditto Zazen. If you put relatively long pinchings into a jar of water for a week or so, those nobbles become roots and you can pot up the new plants. Being the same age and genetically the same as the parent, they will fruit at the same time.

Be careful as this can become addictive - I grew 1 of 10 varieties each and now have 50 tomato plants.....oops!

[OllieMartin]

I understand they're called Tomato Stem Primordia:
Tomato stem primordia - WikiGardener Wiki

P.S. I pinched your picture Bagpuss, hope that's okay

[Bagpuss]

Blimey, I didn't realise that they went like that so far up the stem, I thought it was restricted to the bottom part of the plant.

Wow Rogesse you're going to be cooking for ages when they start cropping !!

[Snadger]

Toms are usually grown as cordons but this is an un-natural way for them to grow. In the wild they would just send out sideshoots galore which would trail on the ground. Where they touched the ground in the damp humid environment they would root further through these nodes helping to feed the parent plant with nutrients.

Pumpkins perform similarily, rooting wherever the stem touches the soil.

[Bagpuss]

Clever things, it does amaze me how plants adapt to their environments.

No probs Ollie!

[Strawberry delight]

Yeah it has happened to me too, i am really tempted to cover it in compost but thought i had better not as lots of toms coming!