Root cuttings taken out of tomato plants to clone heirloom varieties or to create several more plants in an existing plant. Propagation by seed takes 6 to 8 weeks but cuttings are ready for the lawn in about 2 weeks. If you examine the stem on a tomato plant, then you will notice tiny bumps which protrude all along the stem. When these bumps come into contact with dirt, they develop into roots for the plant. Even though tomato cuttings root in clean water, develop a much healthier plant by splitting it in dirt.
Reducing Selection
Take cuttings from healthy tomato plants which are categorized as indeterminate. Indeterminate plants continue to develop until dug up or they succumb to icy cold temperatures. Determinate tomato plants grow to a particular size and then set fruit. Cuttings from determinate tomato crops may root but may not develop or set blooms. Tomato plants suffer from leaf blight, anthracnose and a plethora of different ailments. Cuttings which come from diseased plants will succumb to the infection and die. Take cuttings which are at least 8 inches long and come out of the tip of the tomato plant. It is also possible to root a sucker division taken from between a lateral leaf stem and the main stem. Take a top cutting from a spent tomato plant that is still alive in the garden. Use a sharp knife which cleanly cuts the stem. The cutting edge requires one pair of leaves to create energy for the plant. Remove the rest of the leaves with a sharp knife.
Propagation Chamber
The propagation chamber used to root the tomato is a expanding container full of a high-quality potting soil. Use a big container for several cuttings or small containers, such as 4-inch pots, for single cuttings. Tomatoes root with no use of a rooting hormone or bottom heat if the soil temperature remains about 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The soil must be moist but not soggy. The growing container should be given a generous quantity of sunlight or be set under a grow light.
Stem-Cutting Care
Make a hole in the middle of a 4-inch garden pot and stick one tomato cutting a minimum of three inches deep into the soil. Firm the soil into place and water the cutting edge. Place the container in a sunny window and wait about ten days for the cutting edge to root. After roots form, accustom the new tomato plant into the natural heat and light of the sun. Expose the tomato plant into the outside atmosphere for approximately an hour the first day. Extend the amount of time outside each day until the plant remains outdoors for the entire day.
Transplanting New Tomato Plants
Transplant the newest tomato plants into the garden once they have been outside for a week. Bury the tomato crops up to the initial group of leaves in the backyard. Over the coarse of time throughout the rooting process and acclimation period, your tomato plant may have developed new leaves. You can bury these new leaves without danger of rotting. The stem sends out additional roots in addition to those currently formed during the indoor rooting process. Protect the plants if there’s the danger of frost. Water the tomato crops daily until they are established in the garden.
