Tomato Reproduction

[frustratedearthmother]

This looks like an awesome way to reproduce tomato plants! I will definitely be trying this for a jump start on fall tomatoes this year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gxRKRGslYs

 

[so lucky]

That is a great idea. But I wonder if it woulod be the same for a regular branch of the plant. He said that was a sucker. so what is the difference between a sucker and a branch? I'm gonna try to put this over on TEG, and see what they say, too. Thank you for bringing it here, earthmother.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I thought the whole idea was great and it's very similar to air-layering which I've seen done with houseplants. He did say he used a sucker - but I've read in other places that suckers won't ever do as well as the mother plant. Who knows? But, I am definitely going to give it a shot. (If I have any tomatoes that survived last night's weather.... )

 

[moolie]

Suckers are the branches that grow between the main stem and branches--they actually do quite well as solo plants, in my experience. I always pinch them out when I see them, to concentrate fruit production, and if I've missed one until it has got to a fair size I always just stick it in a bit of wet ground in the garden--most produce fruit

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Good to know - thanks, Moolie!

 

[Denim Deb]

Moolie beat me to it. That's what I was going to say.

If you remove the suckers, you'll get a better harvest. In my experience, the suckers generally don't produce any fruit-unless you make it into another plant. And, the plant has to put a lot of effort into growing the sucker basically for nothing.

 

[Wannabefree]

Yep, always remove the suckers and repot them. Also, if you want better production, remove lower branches that are less than a foot off the ground. It improves air circulation and keeps tomatoes off the soil.

 

[nelson castro]

If you want better production, remove lower branches that are less than a foot off the ground. It improves air circulation and keeps tomatoes off the soil.

Couldn't agree more. I am confused about the difference between a sucker and a branch. Glad to know that it is clarified here.

 

[moolie]

Yep, always remove the suckers and repot them. Also, if you want better production, remove lower branches that are less than a foot off the ground. It improves air circulation and keeps tomatoes off the soil.

This too, it really helps

 

[Marianne]

Ditto to what everyone else is saying.

The past couple years has been difficult tomato years in this area. The suckers or branches just didn't grow fast enough to start bearing tomatoes before it got too hot and they didn't set on.
I was lucky last year. My neighbor and I were the only ones in our friends and families that had tomatoes. Must have been just a few degrees cooler here. But the starts did nothing.