Tomato cuttings as a way to increase the number of seedlings

Gardeners typically grow tomatoes from seedlings. Few people know that they can be propagated by cuttings. There are several methods that allow you to get 2-3 strong plants from a single seedling by the end of May. Tomatoes have a high capacity for regeneration. Roots form on all parts of the plant; even the flower cluster can be rooted.

Why propagate tomatoes by cuttings?

This method is used when seeds are expensive and scarce, but one wants to grow as many tomatoes of a given variety as possible. There are other situations when propagating seedlings by cuttings makes sense:

• When transporting seedlings to the dacha, some broke;
• there was hail or heavy rain and it damaged the crops;
• the seedlings were sown early and they grew tall;
• Due to poor germination, not all seeds sprouted, few seedlings grew, more are needed;
• Some of the tomatoes died from black leg.

There are numerous reasons why cuttings are beneficial. Therefore, it's worth mastering this method of vegetative propagation of tomatoes.

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Propagation of tomatoes by stem cuttings

Stem cuttings at least 7 cm long with two nodes root best. The bush intended for cuttings is inspected and divided into sections with scissors. Standard tomato varieties are not well suited for this purpose; vegetative propagation is typically used for varieties that produce multiple side shoots (indeterminate and determinate).

Four leaves are left on the mother plant. On the seventh day, side shoots emerge from their axils. These are used to form the bush. The cuttings (the crown, the part of the stem with two nodes) are soaked in water for two hours, then planted in plastic cups filled with a mixture of peat, humus, garden soil, and sand (1:1:1:0.5) and watered.

The containers are placed in plastic bags. They are left in the makeshift mini-greenhouse for a week. After seven days, the cuttings will have developed strong roots, clearly visible through the transparent sides of the cups. By the end of the second week, the rooted cuttings are transplanted to their permanent location.

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Saving overgrown seedlings

Seedlings sown in late January or February will stretch out by April. If the weather is cold, it's too early to plant them in a greenhouse, much less in the ground. Don't wait until they're completely outgrown; it's better to grab scissors and start taking cuttings.

Leave 2-3 nodes on the mother plant and trim off the top. If there are buds on the bush, remove them. Dust the stem with Kornevin and place it in a container of water. If you don't have a rooting stimulator at home, you can do without it.

Return the cup containing the mother plant to its original location and continue caring for it as you would a regular seedling. Within a week, side shoots will form in its axils. Leave the strongest one to replace the cut central stem, and break off the others.

In about 10 days, white roots will grow from the top of the plant in the jar. Don't delay repotting. Fill the container with soil, carefully push the top into it, and water. If the soil settles, add more. Avoid placing the plant in direct sunlight for two days until it takes root, and don't feed it for 14 days.

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Rooting shoots from perennial tomato plants

In the fall, dig up a healthy bush and transplant it into a larger container. During the winter, keep it in a cool (15°C) room. The plant won't die because tomatoes are perennials. During the dormant period, water it sparingly and moderately.

In spring, as daylight hours increase, shoots emerge from the axils. These are cut and rooted. This method preserves a valuable variety (hybrid), whose seeds are difficult to obtain. Thanks to the plant's robust root system, shoots form actively, so finding rooting material is easy. Rooted shoots retain the varietal characteristics.

Seedlings obtained by these methods are hardy and quickly acclimate. Fruit buds begin to form two weeks after transplanting. In critical situations, tomatoes can be propagated vegetatively throughout the summer.