Taking Tomato Cuttings

Taking Tomato Cuttings
This week I’ve removed some rather long side shoots which I’ve decided to use as cuttings and create a few more plants – as if I had room for more!

All you need to do is stand the cutting/side shoot in a glass of water and a week or two later, you will see roots growing out of the stem (see below).

Tap Root from Seeds
When a seed is sown, you will notice the first root that emerges from the shell, this is called the tap root. This is the root that goes down in search of water and the more fibrous roots remain closer to the soil surface – which is where most of the nutrients are.

Cuttings however, won’t develop a tap root but just grow the finer roots. This means that a cutting may need to be watered more regularly especially in the early days. The quickest way to get water into a cutting is with a hand mist/sprayer.

So when they are first transplanted into soil, it’s good to give them a regular misting with water.

Here are a couple of photos of cuttings and their developing roots.

The photo above shows the result after nearly two weeks. Below is the result of root growth over a longer period (photo below by Steve Craig).

These cuttings are well ready for planting!

Root It Sponges
Root It sponges are also a great way to take cuttings. The hole is filled with rooting gel which stop moisture loss from the cut and encourages root growth.