Rooting Suckers

Joelle · July 31, 2006

I did a search using this parameter and was hoping for a thread named such. I got two pages of hits but nothing specific. Could someone post a link discussing this. I have not done it before and need direction from step one of where to cut all the way through to rooting technique. Thanks and sorry if this has been discussed to death before. I am new to the site. Joelle

supergirl · July 31, 2006

Hi Joelle - Welcome to Tomatoville. I just tried rooting a sucker for the first time this year. I wasn't very precise about it, just snapped one off, and it worked, which is a good indication that it's pretty easy.

What I did was to just snap the sucker off where it joined the main stem (the sucker being the new little branch that was growing out of the point where another branch emerged from the main stem.) I have seen someone else recommend that you cut the sucker a little ways up on its stem in order to avoid damaging the main plant. I've also read about other people rooting branches or tops that broke off their plants accidentally, so I don't really think the plant is too choosy about where the sucker is taken off. I then stuck it in a plain glass of water and kept it on the windowsill, but not in direct sun (I had it in fairly direct sun at first and it seemed to get wilty). I changed the water every day or two, waited till I saw roots and they got a couple inches long, then put it in a container outside with potting soil. I made sure to water every day so that it wouldn't dry out while the roots got going. I grow in containers right now, so I didn't transplant at all. It's still smaller than the other plants, but I'd figure they had a two foot headstart on it. It does have blossoms on it, so it seems to be a successful experience so far.

Joelle · July 31, 2006

Thanks Supergirl! So it flowers much quicker than a seedling, definitely the way for me to go. Thanks for the step by step procedure. I will take cuttings tomorrow, and hopefully I will be eating 'off the vine' in Decembers greenhouse. Much appreciated, Joelle

JBinKC · July 31, 2006

Yeah I had a stem break off awhile back, was walking by a container that was holding some garden soil in it, so stuck it in, I've watered it a few times since then and it even has two baby tomatoes on it. that was about a month ago. Definately easy.
Last year I did the whole process, taking a cutting putting it in water letting it root, and it did great.

Worth1 · July 31, 2006

((IF)) you keep the soil moist you can put them in the ground directly, and bypass the glass or beer bottle.

The roots will take off in no time. They will look a little wilty at first but they will soon get over it.

I have done it both ways and I think the plant does better stuck in the soil as the plant does not have to got through the transition from water to soil.

Worth

**carolyn137** · July 31, 2006

I agree with Worth in that there's no sense rooting suckers in water since they then have to to adapt to a solid matrix anyway when you put them in mix or the ground for further growth.

Thge only time I take suckers is when there's been lots of damage to a plant and then I just put the sucker back in the ground, build a wee little moat around it and keep that moat filled with water until I see new growth.

If you're in a high heat area the sucker cutting might well benefit from some shade at first b'c of water loss thru transpiration.

travis · July 31, 2006

Last year I rooted several suckers using the water bottle method with good success but had to change the water frequently due to algae, mosquito larvae, etc.

This year I used the Carolyn/Worth method of stickin' them directly into moist soil and keepin' the soil watered best I could. That worked just as well even though the newly rooted suckers wilt very quickly and you have to keep an eye on them maybe twice a day when it's hot and dry.

Anyway, the direct way worked this year even though it's been very hot here the last few weeks. I have one Brandywine up about 4 feet tall from a sucker rooted directly into an 18-inch layer of compost capping uncultivated yard dirt.

PV

Tomstrees · July 31, 2006

boy do I feel silly ~
I've been doing them like this
the whole summer !!!

~ Tom

sirtanon · July 31, 2006

I rooted suckers quite a bit when I was visiting my wife on her farm over in Australia. We planted some tomatoes along with lots of lettuce and other stuff.. as we pulled up the lettuce I realized we were making room for more maters.. so I would pluck off a sucker for a quick solution.

I found the best results came in a simple mix of some garden soil and regular sand. The sand made ALL the difference. Mix about 1/2 and 1/2 , stick the sucker in, and water in.. make sure to keep it moist, and you're home free

July 31, 2006	#1
Joelle Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Moose Jaw, sask. Canada Posts: 12	Rooting Suckers I did a search using this parameter and was hoping for a thread named such. I got two pages of hits but nothing specific. Could someone post a link discussing this. I have not done it before and need direction from step one of where to cut all the way through to rooting technique. Thanks and sorry if this has been discussed to death before. I am new to the site. Joelle

July 31, 2006	#6
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I agree with Worth in that there's no sense rooting suckers in water since they then have to to adapt to a solid matrix anyway when you put them in mix or the ground for further growth. Thge only time I take suckers is when there's been lots of damage to a plant and then I just put the sucker back in the ground, build a wee little moat around it and keep that moat filled with water until I see new growth. If you're in a high heat area the sucker cutting might well benefit from some shade at first b'c of water loss thru transpiration. __________________ Carolyn

July 31, 2006	#8
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	boy do I feel silly ~ I've been doing them like this the whole summer !!! ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

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July 31, 2006	#2
supergirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Palo Alto, CA Posts: 107	Hi Joelle - Welcome to Tomatoville. I just tried rooting a sucker for the first time this year. I wasn't very precise about it, just snapped one off, and it worked, which is a good indication that it's pretty easy. What I did was to just snap the sucker off where it joined the main stem (the sucker being the new little branch that was growing out of the point where another branch emerged from the main stem.) I have seen someone else recommend that you cut the sucker a little ways up on its stem in order to avoid damaging the main plant. I've also read about other people rooting branches or tops that broke off their plants accidentally, so I don't really think the plant is too choosy about where the sucker is taken off. I then stuck it in a plain glass of water and kept it on the windowsill, but not in direct sun (I had it in fairly direct sun at first and it seemed to get wilty). I changed the water every day or two, waited till I saw roots and they got a couple inches long, then put it in a container outside with potting soil. I made sure to water every day so that it wouldn't dry out while the roots got going. I grow in containers right now, so I didn't transplant at all. It's still smaller than the other plants, but I'd figure they had a two foot headstart on it. It does have blossoms on it, so it seems to be a successful experience so far.

July 31, 2006	#4
JBinKC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Kansas City Posts: 174	Yeah I had a stem break off awhile back, was walking by a container that was holding some garden soil in it, so stuck it in, I've watered it a few times since then and it even has two baby tomatoes on it. that was about a month ago. Definately easy. Last year I did the whole process, taking a cutting putting it in water letting it root, and it did great.

July 31, 2006	#5
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	((IF)) you keep the soil moist you can put them in the ground directly, and bypass the glass or beer bottle. The roots will take off in no time. They will look a little wilty at first but they will soon get over it. I have done it both ways and I think the plant does better stuck in the soil as the plant does not have to got through the transition from water to soil. Worth

July 31, 2006	#7
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	Last year I rooted several suckers using the water bottle method with good success but had to change the water frequently due to algae, mosquito larvae, etc. This year I used the Carolyn/Worth method of stickin' them directly into moist soil and keepin' the soil watered best I could. That worked just as well even though the newly rooted suckers wilt very quickly and you have to keep an eye on them maybe twice a day when it's hot and dry. Anyway, the direct way worked this year even though it's been very hot here the last few weeks. I have one Brandywine up about 4 feet tall from a sucker rooted directly into an 18-inch layer of compost capping uncultivated yard dirt. PV

July 31, 2006	#9
sirtanon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ (zone 9b) Posts: 796	I rooted suckers quite a bit when I was visiting my wife on her farm over in Australia. We planted some tomatoes along with lots of lettuce and other stuff.. as we pulled up the lettuce I realized we were making room for more maters.. so I would pluck off a sucker for a quick solution. I found the best results came in a simple mix of some garden soil and regular sand. The sand made ALL the difference. Mix about 1/2 and 1/2 , stick the sucker in, and water in.. make sure to keep it moist, and you're home free