Rooting Tomato Suckers / Clones : A Clever Method

[ShonitaMG]

That's amazing! I've never seen anything like that! Thank you for the tips!

[MarshmallowVogt]

I don't know how I missed this video I've enjoyed manny of your videos and definitely will try this do you think it will work on a chili plant

[mhpgardener]

@luvintherawlife Its kinda neat. Works pretty good when you only need a few new plants.

[chadloz]

Thats a awesome method!

[Alexafinarul]

This is nice, but it is a lot easier to root tomato cuttings in water.

[mhpgardener]

@Alexafinarul I'm not gonna disagree with ya ! This is a cool way to do it, kinda fail proof, for just a few plants. But for large numbers, I go with the water or soil too.

[HDTView]

Cool im gonna try it next time. I am a first timer. So is it better to stick thr suckers in water or soil if we already cut them off? Thansk

[mhpgardener]

@HDTView I think its a personal preferance. Either way will do fine as long as you keep them out of the sun long enough to recover and grow roots. I've done it both ways without much trouble.

[Whadsupgator1]

Very cool! Thanks for posting this.

[iowanne]

Awesome!!! What a great idea! I'm going to try this. Thank you sooo much!

[mhpgardener]

@iowanne So when should we expect the video? ;-)

[17republic76]

I was looking for an easy way to clone suckers from my heirlooms for some fall tomatoes. Cutting and soaking in water would do but the way your plant had grown in the two weeks it was producing roots sold me. Fine video.

Regards,

Phil

[mhpgardener]

@17republic76 Yea, if its just a few, this works great. For large numbers, I'd have to go with cutting and putting them in water or directly in the soil. Thx.

[martykean1967]

Thats pretty cool man! I honestly didn't know you could do that. So if you timed it right then you could possibly get two tomato harvests in a single season! My neighbor has pigeons and fertelizes his tomatoes with pigeon poop and he gets the most amazing fruits for this area (upper Illinois). He said Chicken manure works just as well. I plan on doing some experiments now! You have inspired me!

[mhpgardener]

@martykean1967 Yeah Marty...getting a second crop is not a problem. Theres several ways of rooting suckers. This one is cool if you just want a few and want to be sure that they actually root. You can't beat manure when it comes to fertilizer. Thats some GOOD stuff !

[bigbtb]

That really is a clever way of going about it. Almost seems too simple! Great job.

[mhpgardener]

@bigbtb I thought it was kinda neat too. So simple even a farm boy could do it... I resemble that remark ! :-)

[ProthoPectore]

im still tryin to clone my apple and pear trees. i've never tried this method...yet. very smart idea.

[mhpgardener]

@ProthoPectore I've never done much with trees. They grow so slowly, and I get impatient ! ;-)

[imatelly]

awsome thanks for showing us this keep up the great work

[mhpgardener]

@imatelly Thx for watching !

[netlethe]

Good work, thanks for the brain power & tip.

Peace.

[mhpgardener]

@netlethe Thank you !

[ShootDaShaka]

will Do . thanks for da info.!

[ShootDaShaka]

Now thats a clone!!! i wonder if dis works on citrus trees?

[mhpgardener]

@ShootDaShaka Check on "air layering". Its done on trees, so I reckon it would work on citrus too.

[MrPaka420]

Great job

[mhpgardener]

@MrPaka420 Thank you sir !

[MrPaka420]

@mhpgardener Thinking about attempting this method, most my tomatos are in flower, I normally do it when it is not in flower. can you do this for both non flowering and flowering, never tried, have U? Going to use a small cup cup like you tape and fill with soil (seed starter mix) I was turned on to your channel from another sub, my stuuf is all homemsde systems circulating system being used to start my seeds snd cuttings, got time stop by, mrpaka420 sharegrow backyard gardening.

Peace

[sumip90x]

why would anyone give you a dislike.. fools!

[mhpgardener]

@sumip90x You mean it wasnt you ? hmm... lol

[sumip90x]

@mhpgardener Hide in guilt!!! You know we are all jealous of your tomatoes. It should be 49 dislikes and 1 like :P

[mhpgardener]

@sumip90x Ohhhh.... tell it brother. The truth shall set you free ! Brb, I've got about 24 videos I need to go junk. Huh? You've made about 24 videos yourself ? I assure you its just a coincidence ! lol ;-)

[mediamaker2000]

Now that's an interesting experiment! This will be interesting to follow!

[mhpgardener]

@mediamaker2000 Its doing really well, already got maters on it. Definitely the quickest way to get a good plant. Still gotta do the old fashioned way for large numbers.

[praterclp]

Awesome job. That is a good exp. Thanks for the video.

[mhpgardener]

@praterclp Thank you mam !

[nov51947]

Great video! I plan on doing a series on tomato clones (rooted from suckers) through several generations. This is a great technique to ensure good growth of the child plants. Thanks for a great idea! Watch for my series.

[mhpgardener]

@nov51947 Several generations? Where will you keep them during winter ? A GH ? What variety (s) are you growing? I'll try to keep up with what you're doing. If you post it, and I dont comment, then I haven't seen it yet. Just PM me...to wake me up !

[spec6294]

That really is a neat way to do it. Thanks for the idea.

[mhpgardener]

@spec6294 Try it on one of your peppers, just to see how it works. I'm curious about woody stems like that .

[HowToHydroponics]

really cool! thanks for sharing!

[mhpgardener]

@HowToHydroponics I agree... just having some fun !

[sthier24]

Bobby, that is a great idea. thanks for sharing! - Steve

[mhpgardener]

@sthier24 I just wish I was the genius who came up with the original thought. ! I'll settle for making a cool video though ! Thx.

[MrVTHILLBILLY]

nice i have never seen that done i will half to give it a try

[mhpgardener]

@MrVTHILLBILLY Thx, I just started another one today, got a Beefsteak I want to grow outside too. Make sure you record it, inquiring minds wanna know !

[rickbish1]

That's great! I've never seen anything like that! Some college is going to ask you to speak at their graduation and give you a doctorate in "Tomato Science!" Loved that video!

[mhpgardener]

@rickbish1 HAHA..that would be cool ! Me in a pair of shorts and worn out sneakers, speaking at a graduation. I don't know about all the tomato science stuff, but I could darn sure teach them a thing or two about life !

[MIgardener]

awesome video! i cannot believe how well that worked! i hope i can do that as well, i have so many tomato varieties that i am going to clone this year, i will definatly try your idea. thanks!

[mhpgardener]

@MIgardener Thx, Its a lot faster than just rooting them in soil, production wise. Letting the plant keep growing really helps. But for sheer numbers, rooting in pots is less time consuming.

[selfreliantboy]

Dude , You know more about tomatoes than ANYONE Ive ener known . Good job . Great vid !

[mhpgardener]

@selfreliantboy LOL... thx, but I'm still a babe in the woods compared to a lot of folks. I'm growing up fast though !

[imstillworkin]

I rooted camelia bushes by a method similar to this years ago. To get woody stems to root you need to cut a small slit all the way through the stem and put a toothpick in there to keep it open. I dusted the cut with Rootone, wet some peat moss, gobbed it on the cut then wrapped it with tin foil. I wonder if cutting a slit in the tomato stems would help develop stronger/faster roots. Good video!

[mhpgardener]

@imstillworkin So if I were to do a pepper, being so woody, you'd say cut the stem open like you do a tree or shrub ? On the tomato, since its a vine, I would guess that cutting the stem would cause more problems, since the root hairs acutally extend thru the outer skin. But don't take my word for it ! Thx !

[Planogardener]

Excellent video, my friend! I actually have a tomato plant that has a sucker stem growing out over some other plants.  This is a great way to have yet, ANOTHER :), tomoato plant.

Thanks for sharing! - David

[mhpgardener]

@Planogardener Thx David. I wonder what affect different sized bottles would have? Maybe try a skinny bottle and a big jug... the extra area in a jug might pay off. One way to find out ! And thx for calling me friend, I appreciate it !

[susannamcintyre]

awesome idea and wonderful growth on it. I'll have to try this with my favorites as well. Thanks for sharing.

[mhpgardener]

@susannamcintyre I agree, gonna try it on the tip of a plant, rather than the sucker...I see no reason why it wouldn't work.

[anyusmoon1]

Excellent.

[mhpgardener]

@anyusmoon1 Thank you !

[BexarPrepper]

Your are so smart... love this idea gonna do that for my fall planting. Blessings!

[mhpgardener]

@BexarPrepper Me? smart? the one who planted seed in straight peat moss? lol..thx

[Sheila6325]

Not pretty good, Fantastic!!!!

I have seen this several times, and have never tried it myself, and this time, I'm going to do it. I had forgotten about it, and my son has a tomato plant that I would love to have a piece of, so now I can show him what I was talking about and get a "slice of the pie" too!!!! This is GREAT!

Thank you!

[mhpgardener]

@Sheila6325 Haha, thx Sheila. I'm the same way, I see a good idea, then forget all about it. next time I see it, its like doh ! A picture or video goes a long way in explaining !

[allotmentdiary]

It's pretty similar to a technique called "Air Layering" which you can use to make free plants from things like Rubber Plants as well.

I use a polythene bag filled with soil and put a rubber band around the top and bottom and you don't even need to water it as the moisture stays in.

Then when you see the roots,like you just cut it off and plant it.

Don't you just love free plants.

Cheers,Dan.

[mhpgardener]

@allotmentdiary I looked up air layering, after the fact of course, and its really cool. Like you said, just a bag, some rubber bands, and soil, moss, or coconut hulls .and you're in business. Is there anything that this method would NOT work on ? I'd like to get some trees, kinda sparse around here, especially if they're FREE !

[Helioforge]

Very nice! I remember someone demonstrating this with grape vines, they root like crazy!

[mhpgardener]

@Helioforge If you do a pepper, ya reckon it needs to be treated like a tree since the stem is so woody ?

[artnuwa11]

Love it, thanks!

[mhpgardener]

@artnuwa11 Gracias ! ;-)

[redberrychick43]

Fantastic Tip!! Thanks so much for sharing it. My Dad (who is 77) does this with Trees but I never thought to apply it to tomatoes. For some of my tomatoes~I removed the suckers & repotted them in Styro cups. & I have been waiting for them to grow. Do you think my method will work? Thanks 4 all the help. This is my 1st time ever growing anything & I am loving it! Learning everyday. Take care.

[mhpgardener]

@redberrychick43 They should be ok, just keep them moist and out of the sun for awhile. Misty was explaining the air bubble, and it made sense. Might be why some of mine just dont root in soil...ya never can tell. And ty !

[loislaney23]

Wow! That is great!! Neat idea!

[mhpgardener]

@loislaney23 Thank you !

[stymye]

thanks for this Bobby ! this will save me a couple weeks !

A great tip I will try this year .. I seen it done on other plants ,, didn't dawn on me how good it will work with tomatoes ! I can tell how much you love gardening,, it shows and I appreciate that and your sharing of knowledge, you always post helpful information.

[mhpgardener]

@stymye Somebody had refreshed a very old thread on T'ville, and I just happened to see it. I thought it was kinda interesting. I didn't realize it was a common practice for propagating trees. They did it with a gal jug, so I figured why not ? I do like my gardening, so much to learn, and the rewards can't be beat ! Helio was suggesting doing this on peppers. That sounds like a good project.

[4GreenEarth2]

Bobby, there so are many varieties of tomatoes! Sometime it's hard to know which variety is the best. Perhaps you could help the rest of us determine what variety we would like to grow by doing a tomato taste test video? You could pick different variety of maters that you grow, sit down, cut it open, and do a taste test for us. Perhaps you could describe which each tomato smell and taste like! That would totally help!

[Allen2045]

@4GreenEarth2 I would love to see a video like that Bobby.

[mhpgardener]

@Allen2045 hmmm.... ;-)

[stymye]

@4GreenEarth2 I agree I would love to see that too... I have 12 different heirlooms growing and plan to do just that my self .. so subscribe if you haven't already... not trying to boost my channel just want to compare and share with my friends and give my opinions on different variety's growing and taste .

[4GreenEarth2]

@stymye

We did! Where you been all our lives, lolz! We'll be expecting to see that tomato tasting video real soon!

[mhpgardener]

@4GreenEarth2 I have considered that, but taste is so subjective. A lot relates to the soil or grow medium as well. I don't know how much benefit it would be if I said mater X was good, and then some one else grew it in a desert, or a swamp. My best advice is to grow what performs well locally, and LET IT RIPEN ON THE VINE !!!

[emsapowell]

now that is cool! I've got to try that at some point...lol I'd like to see a video of this plant once it's planted and producing well too!

[mhpgardener]

@emsapowell I actually recorded putting it in the grow bag, then transplanting on May 24. I figured folks had seen me do the grow bags before, and we've all seen maters going in the ground, so I cut the video short. I may do a Part 2 in a couple weeks showing how its doing. It worked out great !

[jwlrymkr]

Pure genius! 

[mhpgardener]

@jwlrymkr Its a neat trick, glad I found it. I learn so much from other folks. I just try to share what little I can.

[markelious]

brilliant!

brilliant!

BRILLIANT!

<3 your vids......... always learning........1 million and 1 usages of duct tape ! LOL.

[mhpgardener]

@markelious Oh yea..can't beat that 200mph duct tape!

[stevesrt8]

Awesome! hahaha

Truely an original Video.

Hopefully The soon to be copycatters give you Props

[mhpgardener]

@stevesrt8 Its pretty cool. I saw that thread at T'ville, but couldnt find a video where anybody had tried it. So I figured I'd give it a shot. The propagators call it air layering, they do it on trees. I can't take credit for the idea, but maybe that was the first youtube using it on tomatoes. Either way, it was fun, and definitely worth sharing.

[MelodeeRose]

That did turn out pretty good. Amazing how much growth you got off of that tomato while it was rooting, absolutely no interruption in growing.  Very cool.

[mhpgardener]

@MelodeeRose I planted it out last Tuesday May 24....its doing really well. Already got little maters on it !

[sumip90x]

Gee why did I not think of that!  Your a genius. I always pinch off the suckers and put them in cups. But your method makes more sense and more effective. That was way to cool! Thanks Bobby!

[mhpgardener]

@sumip90x Not quite a genius. I just read a lot and try new things. I thought it was an idea worth sharing.

[webcajun]

That is one GREAT idea. Excellent way to start your fall tomatoes......Donald

[mhpgardener]

@webcajun Thx D. It surprised me how simple and effective it was. I wouldn't want to do a whole crop though, maybe 8-10, or so.

[mmlrc6atgmailcom]

Now that is just very clever! That is the way a person should truly do it...I do believe I will try that, will it work well towards the fall? You are so Leaps and Bounds ahead of me in this knowledge of gardening......Thank you for showing me and all your other viewers how to do this...Cool..Take care.....Misty

[mhpgardener]

@mmlrc6atgmailcom I just read about the idea before you did ! I do think its a great idea though. Its hard to not get good results. And yes, I think it would do well for getting some fall plants for your GH.

[budokaii69]

wow nice way to clone tomato i never though it was that simple. by any chancee do you know how to graft tomato. thanks for all your wonderful & helpful videos. 

[mhpgardener]

@budokaii69 I have seen grafting done, even bought the clips to do it recently. But I don't have any good seedlings right now, and its just too hot. I'll probably try it in the fall. Johnny's Seeds has a really good video on grafting at their website. Very informative.

[sandy345ism]

VERY COOL

[mhpgardener]

@sandy345ism I agree ! I just had to try it !