Can you just top them off and plant them?

lakelady · September 8, 2011

I'm doing an indoor tomato project this winter. Of course I'm obsessing and wondering if they just don't fruit, and just grow leaves, what then? So it occurred to me that possibly, I could chop the tops off and then stick them in the garden once temps warm up again. Is that possible with indeterminates? I've heard of rooting cuttings, but can I just lop off half the plant and put in soil? Will it continue to grow again, but be ahead of my newly planted seedlings?

Since I've seen some of your plants that are so huge, I thought maybe this was a possibility.

Is there anyplace in the world where tomatoes never stop growing? Could you technically plant an IND tomato plant and if you never had a winter season, would it continue to keep growing ? Maybe that's a dumb question, lol, but I really want to know!

September 8, 2011	#1
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	Can you just top them off and plant them? I'm doing an indoor tomato project this winter. Of course I'm obsessing and wondering if they just don't fruit, and just grow leaves, what then? So it occurred to me that possibly, I could chop the tops off and then stick them in the garden once temps warm up again. Is that possible with indeterminates? I've heard of rooting cuttings, but can I just lop off half the plant and put in soil? Will it continue to grow again, but be ahead of my newly planted seedlings? Since I've seen some of your plants that are so huge, I thought maybe this was a possibility. Is there anyplace in the world where tomatoes never stop growing? Could you technically plant an IND tomato plant and if you never had a winter season, would it continue to keep growing ? Maybe that's a dumb question, lol, but I really want to know!