Scrooge tomato cloning.

[Jimmy]

Out of interest and given that the pits are always going to be way smaller than the plant you remove them from, is there a low success rate with them in terms of getting a crop from them ??
After all, you are starting them off way behind what are well established plants in June....

I would have though that if you bought the original plant from a shop/nursery then it would have been raised in heat and would be well advanced early in the year.
So it's cuttings will still have time to develop.
As I mentioned my cucumbers and courgettes seem to burn out after a while. So later plants take up the banner.
Jimmy

[Pa Snips]

Well after about eleven or twelve days stuck in the top of a bottle of water my side-shoot (armpit) is still showing no signs of rooting whatsoever, so it's now gone into a pot of compost. We will see!

[binley100]

After dropping a tray of plants I now have a couple of cukes sat in a jar of water .......would it work with courgettes /squashes ?

[Tripmeup]

I would have though that if you bought the original plant from a shop/nursery then it would have been raised in heat and would be well advanced early in the year.
So it's cuttings will still have time to develop.
As I mentioned my cucumbers and courgettes seem to burn out after a while. So later plants take up the banner.
Jimmy

All my plants that I am armpitting are home grown and very well advanced at this stage..
It stands to reason tho that if you are taking shoots from these, that they will be way smaller than the plant you are removing them from....
I am wondering whether they will have the time/weather to grow sufficiently to provide a crop...??? Thks

[Paulottie]

Toms grow remarkably quickly when conditions are right/ are very knocked back if temp falls below 10c in early growth. You normally find that early armpit cuttings and second sowings catch up because the weather is warmer.

I don't often bother with armpits as I run out of space. I find that quality of fruit is better if I don't over crowd the greenhouse and stop plants at 6 trusses. Yet if I find I have a spot for a couple of late season ones then I choose a strong healthy plant to clone and I can extend the season a bit. Try hanging de leaved plants upside down in the garage at the end of the season to ripen fruit

[taff]

Out of interest and given that the pits are always going to be way smaller than the plant you remove them from, is there a low success rate with them in terms of getting a crop from them ??
After all, you are starting them off way behind what are well established plants in June....

thanks

Yes, but the shoot you're taking off is the same age as the rest oif the plant. I took a couple of sage cuttings earlier this year, and rooted them up. One has about three leaves but sent a flower spike up at the same time as the parent plant.

Well after about eleven or twelve days stuck in the top of a bottle of water my side-shoot (armpit) is still showing no signs of rooting whatsoever, so it's now gone into a pot of compost. We will see!

It's probably not going to root now. It should have taken in the first week. Did you cut the end off cleanly or leave the lumpy bit on there? It may have cut down the water getting to the plant.

[Pa Snips]

It's probably not going to root now. It should have taken in the first week. Did you cut the end off cleanly or leave the lumpy bit on there? It may have cut down the water getting to the plant.

I cut it off cleanly with a pair of sharp scissors. Perhaps I should have made a diagonal cut to increase the surface area of the cut, I don't know, but it's still very much alive at the moment. It was just an experiment anyway, so I'm not bothered whether it takes or not, I don't really have room for another mature tomato plant but wanted to have a go just for the experience.

[Paulottie]

Don't cut them but snap them out ...side to side action. best in morning with well watered turgid plant.

If you snap you will allow less bacteria to enter wound (fissure between cells rather than slicing through the cell walls) and for the purposes of cuttings they root first from the leaf nodes and around edges of wound. Don't leave on too many leaves to transpire and as mentioned leave in the sun.

Your sterile sharp knife is used for woodier cutting material. Scissors....never.... tend to crush rather than slice

[shona_b]

I wonder if this might work with my snapped off melon plant????? If I pop it into water do you think it might "re-root"? its got all of the leaves as snapped off just above ground level - only about 10 cms high? Any advice to save the little fella? blinking wind...

[veggiechicken]

Try it Shona, Nothing to lose and a melon to gain!

[hamamelis]

I'm trying to re-root my wind-snapped tomato in water.

It was flowering, should I remove the flowers, or just let it get on with it? It's my only plant of the variety, and I'd really like to get at least a few fruits off it, to save seed from. It was totally wilted, but it's perked up no end since being stuck in water, so I think I'm in with a shot... Just worried if trying to flower will be too much for it with no roots.

[binley100]

Anythings worth a go ........I'm trying two cucs, one that flopped and one that snapped . Might try a courgette as well seeing as one looks like it might be on the way out since I dropped it.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Remove the flower you are asking to much of what is left of the plant. Don't forget to keep the water level topped up. The fact that it perked up is a good sign.

Colin.