The Overwintering Tomato Thread

[zazen999]

Well, it's mid September and we need something to occupy our minds over the coming winter.

Last year, I overwintered some tomato plants; and the one that survived just happened to be Piglet Willie's French Black - it has produced a lovely bounty this year and I am hoping to try this again both at home and at one of my schools.

So, the technique is:

Look at your most healthy heavily cropping plants; and take some cuttings from them.

Pop them into modules around about now, and let them recover. [They flop for a week, then stand up and carry on growing]

Slow down the watering and when late autumn comes, take the strongest few indoors, and grow them on in a cool [not too warm] position.

Then, pot them on around February time, and grow them on next year.

I'm just off to do some now - and will post my final choices later.

[Davyburns]

take some cuttings from them.

I would have though side shoots would be best for this, but I discarded all mine. Can you take cuttings from anywhere on the plant?

[rustylady]

Too late - mine have all finished

[Flummery]

I'll have a go at this with my 2 best home-bred producers. I have a really tasty cross breed and a great, larger than original, F3 Sungold that would bear over-wintering. Must get some cuttings (not today though, all my hours are spoken for!)

Nice to have something to fiddle with until Early Tom and Chilli Sowing can commence!

[shirlthegirl43]

These pics show my overwintered toms - the scraggy looking plants are the remains of plants which have spent 2 winters on my kitchen windowsill! They are Robin F1 miniature toms which I can't find seeds for any more so I try to keep plants on the go all the time. The other pics are the cuttings I took a few weeks ago - all again sitting on the kitchen windowsill. In spring I will take cuttings from these to grow and fruit next year. I find the plants get a bit taller than they are meant to indoors - that's why I take fresh cuttings to fruit but keep the originals until they are too big or scruffy for the windowsill. The only reason I still have the scraggy ones is that I haven't been up to the compost bins lately

[zazen999]

I've taken:
3 Piglet Willie's French Black [from the one that produced the biggest and best this year - yum]
3 F1 Sungold

It's starting to rain so I am having a coffee break

[bramble]

I am going to take some side shoots from Sungold and Black Cherry. Will do it tomorrow as it is raining all day today.

[zazen999]

3 from Sungold.
3 from Costoluto Fiorentino

That'll do me I think

[SarzWix]

This sounds like a great idea, but all of my plants were hit with botrytis this year I'll have a look on Monday (when I was planning to compost them anyway) and see if there's still any healthy bits. Not too hopeful, but I'll follow everyone else's with interest

[shirlthegirl43]

This sounds like a great idea, but all of my plants were hit with botrytis this year I'll have a look on Monday (when I was planning to compost them anyway) and see if there's still any healthy bits. Not too hopeful, but I'll follow everyone else's with interest

I can send you some Roma, Shirley or Robin if you like

[SarzWix]

Thanks Shirley I'll let you know if I don't have any salvageable bits.

[maytreefrannie]

Today I put 2 shoots of Brandywine and 2 shoots of Gardener's Delight in compost with hopes for overwintering.

Looking forward to this experiment.

[Flummery]

Mine are in water and have already thrown out roots. When it stops piddling down I shall venture down the garden to the compost sack and pot them up.

[Mell]

Nice idea I've kept some going for a couple of years as they are naturally perential, but never tried cuttings Bit too late now probably although some look pretty healthy still

[binley100]

Being a bit thick here but exactly how do you take cuttings from toms? Don't think they've got any armpits to pull .....