Tomato plants

[Bill HH]

Now my tomatoes have nearly finished i noticed a couple of arm pit side shoots on my sungold. Well having just bought a propargator I potted them up and put them in it. They are now 6 inches tall and doing well. My question is, can they survive until nex year? I cant keep them in the propagator but I could keep them frost free.

[Thelma Sanders]

They probably need to be kept at about 10C rather than just frost free, which is about 5C on a greenhouse heater, I think.

[bramble]

Give it a try Bill. It will be something to do in the winter.
I have a couple just rooting as well and I am going to see how long I can keep them going.
Its not just keeping the temp up though, its the light levels which is just as important.
Good luck and let us know how you do.

[Scoot]

I've took a side shoot off one of my gardeners delight plants which i have just thrown int he compost bin. It's potted up on my bedroom window cill. I'll see how it gets on.

[Thelma Sanders]

I have Crimson Crush tom armpits on the spare bedroom windowledge hopefully they'll make it through to Spring.........

[Bren In Pots]

Now my tomatoes have nearly finished i noticed a couple of arm pit side shoots on my sungold. Well having just bought a propargator I potted them up and put them in it. They are now 6 inches tall and doing well. My question is, can they survive until nex year? I cant keep them in the propagator but I could keep them frost free.

Bill i did the same thing last year, once they'd rooted I potted them up and left the plants on a south facing bedroom window sill over winter. They produced toms early and when it was warm enough they went in to GH border. They're still got toms on so I'm doing the same thing again this year.

[mrswadders]

think I might give it a whirl,hey why not? Our conservatory is heated and south facing so reckon they'll do ok in there

[sparrow100]

I have rooted sideshoots from Crimson Crush too. Mine have sideshoots of their own, so will be culled for new plants an about 6 weeks. Might have to do it again aswell, depending on how long winter is. I'd like to have a small army of blight-proof plants for next year.

[Scoot]

How big is everyone's side shoots when they pot them? Mine is only about 2 inches tall.

[Thelma Sanders]

When they're little I usually root them in a shot glass of water, pot them up once they have strong roots.

[KevinM67]

Interesting thread - I don't have a conservatory or heated greenhouse, but I do have south facing kitchen window sills.

If starting any plants now - when are people expecting the toms to be ready ?

[veggiechicken]

I said I wouldn't do this, this year! Now I have 3 Crimson Crush armpits in a jar on the kitchen windowsill.
How did this happen? I blame BillHH (as usual)

[Bill HH]

A lot of positive answers there. Mine were only 2inches tall when I plucked them and I just put them straight into some MPC and into the propagator. Now they are six inches but they will soon have to come out because I am making some wine in propagator. I have a conservatory so looks like that's where they will go. Last year i tried overwintering my old tomato plants but they all died, maybe this will be a better way and give me earlier tomatoes.

[Penellype]

The main difficulty with overwintering tomato plants indoors is lack of light making them very leggy. Grow lights are better than windowsills. If this does happen, don't despair - harvest some sideshoots in spring and grow them on - they will be earlier than seedlings. You can also let one or two of the bottom sideshoots develop on the original plant and cut down the long leggy winter stem.

[Jungle Jane]

I was thinking of the legginess too & would never attempt to do this on a windowsill...Then I read this post,found a side shoot growing (off one of my cut down stems in the blow away) & put it in a water bottle in the kitchen haha!!