How to grow tomato plants from cuttings (2024)

How to grow tomato plants from cuttings (1)

Published: Sunday, 24 March 2019 at 3:00 pm

Propagating new tomato plants from cuttings is easy. We show you how.

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Taking cuttings from existing plants in your garden is a great way of getting plants for free. Cuttings can be propagated from many types of shrub, herbaceous plant and vegetable, including tomatoes.

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You can increase your yield of tomatoes by taking cuttings from your tomato plants and growing them on. They will produce fruit slightly later than the more developed plants that you took the cuttings from, but this may even help to extend the fruiting season into the autumn when grown in a greenhouse.

During May and June, tomatoes often need their side shoots snipped off to help promote more growth the the main stem. Taking cuttings from tomatoes means that not only you can grow more tomato plants for free, but you can put your off-cuts to good use at the same time.

You Will Need

  • Tomato plants
  • Secateurs
  • Glass of water
  • 10cm pots
  • Multi-purpose, peat-free compost

Total time: 15 minutes

Step 1

How to grow tomato plants from cuttings (2)

Cut off unwanted side shoots from plants, keeping those that are 10-20cm long.

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Step 2

How to grow tomato plants from cuttings (3)

Remove the lower leaves and place in a glass of water on a sunny windowsill.

Step 3

How to grow tomato plants from cuttings (4)

Keep it filled with water and a strong root system should develop in three to four weeks.

Step 4

How to grow tomato plants from cuttings (5)

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Plant into 10cm pots and grow on until well rooted. New plants may fruit later this year.

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How to grow tomato plants from cuttings (6)

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How to grow tomato plants from cuttings (2024)

FAQs

How to grow tomato plants from cuttings? ›

If you have any plants which have grown very leggy, don't throw them away, simply cut of the top 6-8 inches of the plant and either place in a glass of water to root, or stick straight into a 4-5ins pot of multipurpose compost. They will root in 7-10 days.

How do you grow tomatoes from a cut tomato? ›

Fill up the pot almost all the way to the top with your potting soil, leaving a few inches of room, and place your tomato slices directly on the soil, in a circular pattern. Cover the tomato slices with a light layer of soil—you don't want them buried too deep in there.

What is the rooting hormone for tomato cuttings? ›

Synthetic auxin is what you find in the bottle at the garden center. Applying it to a root-less stem or cutting boosts the auxin levels in that area of the plant, essentially telling it to start putting out more roots where it has been applied.

How long does it take for tomato cuttings to root in soil? ›

One of the advantages of propagating tomato plants by stem cuttings is that it can take tomato seedlings (started from seed) 6 to 8 weeks before they reach transplanting size. If you keep tomato cuttings warm, the transplanting time frame is cut down to a mere 10 – 14 days.

What is the easiest way to grow tomatoes? ›

The easiest way to grow tomatoes for beginners is to start with plug plants or seedlings. If you're determined to start tomatoes from seed instead, check out my in-depth post on the basics of indoor seed starting. It all applies to starting tomato seeds.

How to grow tomatoes from store-bought tomatoes? ›

For the cherry tomatoes squeeze 2 or 3 tomatoes. Water them and put them in a sunny place, Within two to three weeks you have tomatoes plants of your own that are ready to go in your garden .

Are tomatoes self propagating? ›

Tomatoes are self-pollinating, meaning they have flowers that contain both the male and female parts, so more than one plant is not needed for reproduction.

What is tomato propagated by? ›

Tomato is normally propagated commercially by seeds. With the prevalence of pests and diseases together with changes in environmental conditions, there has been need to breed for cultivars that can better withstand these vagaries [7].

Can I compost tomato cuttings? ›

Look, composting is a great way to recycle organic materials and create nutrient-rich soil for your garden. Tomato plants are a great source of nutrients and composting them is an easy way to recycle them! They can help improve the texture of your compost, and they add organic matter to it.

What stimulates root growth in cuttings? ›

Auxin, a naturally occurring plant hormone, stimulates root formation. Several synthetic forms of auxin are sold as “rooting hormone.” Though some plants will root readily without treatment, application of rooting hormone to the base of the cutting will often improve your chance for success.

How is vinegar used as rooting hormone? ›

A teaspoon of vinegar in 5 to 6 cups (1.2-1.4 L.) of water is enough. Any type of apple cider vinegar at your local supermarket is fine. To use your homemade rooting hormone, dip the bottom of the cutting in the solution before “sticking” the cutting in rooting medium.

Can you cut back tomato plants and they will regrow? ›

If the plant is healthy and the branch was cut during the growing season (typically spring and summer), it is more likely that the plant will be able to regrow from the cut branch.

References

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