The next time you prune an indeterminate tomato plant, save one of the healthy side shoots. A few inches of stem can grow roots in a jar of water and give you a new plant for the garden. In this episode of Tuesday Seeds, Uriah Israel shows how to propagate tomatoes from cuttings while doing the pruning he already planned to do. You’ll need a clean jar and a healthy plant to start with. If you’re using scissors or snips, clean those before you make the cut. The first skill is knowing which shoot to reach for.
Find the Sucker Before You Cut
Trace the tomato’s main stem until you get to a spot where a leaf stalk joins it. Look in the V between the two. If there’s a third piece of growth with small leaves of its own, that’s the side shoot Uriah calls a sucker. The space it grows from is the leaf axil. Once you spot the difference, it’s much easier to leave the leaf and the main growing tip alone. Take a minute to look at two or three junctions before you prune. In the video, Uriah gives you a close look at the spot his fingers are pointing to so you can find the same thing on your plant.
Take a Healthy Shoot You Can Spare
Uriah looks for a shoot without blossoms on a healthy indeterminate tomato. University of Georgia Extension suggests choosing a healthy sucker about 3 to 4 inches long. Snip it off with clean scissors, or gently snap it away if it’s small enough to release without tearing the main stem. Start with one shoot you were already planning to prune. Side shoots can produce fruit if you leave them on the parent plant, and determinate varieties set a more limited crop, so removing a lot of shoots from a compact bush tomato can cost you part of your harvest. If you’re unsure what you planted, check the variety label before pruning heavily.
Put the Stem in Water Right Away
Have your jar ready before you take the cutting. Slide the cut end into clean water and cover roughly the bottom 1 to 2 inches of the stem. If a lower leaf would sit underwater, remove it and leave the upper leaves above the surface. Uriah sets the jar in indirect light so the tender shoot doesn’t dry out in direct sun. A bright spot out of the afternoon sun works well. Check the water level so the cut end stays covered, and refresh the water regularly. With a clear jar, you can see what’s happening without pulling the shoot out every time you check.
Let the Roots Tell You When to Pot Up
Uriah gives a rough window of 10 days to two weeks for roots to develop. Use that as a time to look in on the cutting. When you can see several roots extending from the stem, fill a small pot or nursery cell with moist potting mix and make room for the roots before lowering the cutting in. As a general guide for soft-stem cuttings rooted in water, Montana State University Extension suggests potting up when roots reach about 1 to 2 inches. Settle the mix gently around the roots, water it in and give the cutting a chance to establish. Handle the roots gently when you lift it from the jar.
Give the New Plant Time to Settle
A rooted cutting can fill an open spot or give you another start to share with a neighbor. If you’ve been rooting it indoors or in a sheltered spot, ease it into outdoor conditions over several days. Start with some time in a protected spot, then gradually give it more light and exposure as it adjusts. Check your local planting window before you put it in the ground. Even if your cutting takes root, it’ll still need enough warm weather to grow and fruit. A piece of tape on the jar with the variety and the date can help you keep track of what you took and how long it took to root.
Watch Uriah’s Tuesday Seeds demo to see exactly where he takes the cutting, then follow @blackfarmerscbo for more lessons you can try in your garden.
