Rooting larger branches

dcarch · August 21, 2006

We all know you can root suckers without much difficulty, but you can get faster fruiting if you root larger branches, branches with blossoms and fruits already.

This is what I have done reliably to root much larger branches:

The drawings are self-explanatory. The size of plastic bottles will depend on the size of the branches you are trying to root, anywhere from gallon size to soda bottles. Clear bottles are the best because you can see the roots after they have formed.

Cut the branch off the main branch once roots have formed (about two to three weeks time) and plant the new branch. Don’t forget to water the potting soil once in a while.

Plastic bottles can be cut with just a knife or scissors.

Let me know if you have other ideas or how my method can be improved.

dcarch

daylilydude · August 22, 2006

Thanks dcarch now i can go 3 fold with my milk jugs i can winter sow my tomatoes in the winter and use them for making new shoots for a fall crop . and i just remembered i use them as hot caps for early spring in case of a late frost now mabey (just mabey

) my wife will quit fussing about saving them! OH by the way she thinks square tomatoes are COOL

GOT MILK

dcarch · August 22, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylilydude

OH by the way she thinks square tomatoes are COOL

GOT MILK

I started rooting larger branches because many times I had to stay ahead of diseases which work their way from the bottom up.

Yes, square tomatoes are lots of fun to serve friends. I have made a few more.

There are places where they are growing square watermelons. Try Google image.

dcarch

dcarch · August 26, 2006

About one week later, you can see extensive roots have formed. I will try to plant the branch in another week.
dcarch

Polar_Lace · August 27, 2006

Cool planning there; dcarch.

Now I can plan on taking some cuttings in for the winter! Yeah! Homegrown Tomatoes for winter time. I have the enclosed front porch just waiting for them... plug in heater included.

&

Oh yeah; why didn't you tell about it 3 weeks ago? Another New Yorker..... hmmmm......

dcarch · August 27, 2006

This idea came about because I was very frustrated by a few of my valued tomato plants which were dying from the bottom up. Rooting suckers takes too long for the plants to blossom and fruit again. I was able to stay ahead much better by using this method.

dcarch

harleysilo · June 17, 2007

Wow, thanks for directing me here. They use this method to turn a branch of a jap maple into a new tree for bonzai-ing.....

Air layering is the term I believe.

flying mater · June 18, 2007

A very newbie question here. But doing this method, wouldn't it also create roots along the main branch? When you remove the trimmed bottle, what are you doing? Just removing the rooted suckers or are you trimming the main brach as well and planting it and the suckers?

If not, does leaving ythe new roots on the main branch in the air affect the production of the original plant?

Bill S.

organichris · June 18, 2007

If I understand correctly, you cut off the whole part of the rooted branch. This way you can transplant it. Make sense?

Ingenious, D!

Warren · June 19, 2007

very nice. Looks like you think of everything

RJ_Hythloday · September 4, 2009

dcarch, I have an assignment in my horticulture class to propagate a plant. I'm using your method on an unruly Marianna's peace.

rsg2001 · September 7, 2009

Can't wait to try this next year. Thank you so much for this idea.

RJ_Hythloday · October 14, 2009

I have an assignment for my horticulture class PLSC2100 and I used your version as a modified "air layering" to propagate a plant. Kind of late in the year, but I would certainly do it again to replace diseased plants or ones that die off early into a season.

added a little seaweed emulsion

home made media, I didn't have any perlite, this is strictly screened pinebark and calcined DE (napa floor dry part #8822)

The parent, Marianna's Peace

Picked a branch, I could've found a better one w/ fewer vines intertwined.

Very fast media, I filled w/ rain water pretty much every day, though I did forget several times.

Two weeks later roots are visible

Removed from parent, I wasn't very careful, it had three vines intertwined and one that was loaded w/ toms snapped off.

The root ball

In the ground

Two weeks later, a month from the initial start

Very healthy

A couple of blooms

Parent in the foreground, new plant back left by the shovel handle.

Thanks DC, great method!

Frog · October 15, 2009

I am using this method, on a smaller scale, as part of an experiment to overwinter some tomato plants, indoors. Air layering shoots, to maintain a chain of clones through the winter, the idea being to give me a head start in the spring with one parent plant being turned into a dozen clones just in time for planting out. Probably no more effective than growing from seed, but at least it will give me some plants to play with in the winter months.

RJ_Hythloday · October 15, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frog

I am using this method, on a smaller scale, as part of an experiment to overwinter some tomato plants, indoors. Air layering shoots, to maintain a chain of clones through the winter, the idea being to give me a head start in the spring with one parent plant being turned into a dozen clones just in time for planting out. Probably no more effective than growing from seed, but at least it will give me some plants to play with in the winter months.

rmrewste did this last season and posted results over at GW in a thread about overwintering purple haze.

I think if you can time it right you should be able to get fruit earlier than starting from seed. idk, maybe some one who's done it could speak up on that area.

What I really need to do is root some mucho nacho cuttings to overwinter.

August 21, 2006	#1
dcarch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NY Posts: 2,618	Rooting larger branches We all know you can root suckers without much difficulty, but you can get faster fruiting if you root larger branches, branches with blossoms and fruits already. This is what I have done reliably to root much larger branches: The drawings are self-explanatory. The size of plastic bottles will depend on the size of the branches you are trying to root, anywhere from gallon size to soda bottles. Clear bottles are the best because you can see the roots after they have formed. Cut the branch off the main branch once roots have formed (about two to three weeks time) and plant the new branch. Don’t forget to water the potting soil once in a while. Plastic bottles can be cut with just a knife or scissors. Let me know if you have other ideas or how my method can be improved. dcarch __________________ tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato

August 22, 2006	#2
daylilydude Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Iuka, Mississippi Zone 7b Posts: 482	Thanks dcarch now i can go 3 fold with my milk jugs i can winter sow my tomatoes in the winter and use them for making new shoots for a fall crop . and i just remembered i use them as hot caps for early spring in case of a late frost now mabey (just mabey ) my wife will quit fussing about saving them! OH by the way she thinks square tomatoes are COOL GOT MILK __________________ Richard

August 26, 2006	#4
dcarch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NY Posts: 2,618	About one week later, you can see extensive roots have formed. I will try to plant the branch in another week. dcarch __________________ tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato

August 27, 2006	#5
Polar_Lace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Z8b, Texas Posts: 657	Cool planning there; dcarch. Now I can plan on taking some cuttings in for the winter! Yeah! Homegrown Tomatoes for winter time. I have the enclosed front porch just waiting for them... plug in heater included. & Oh yeah; why didn't you tell about it 3 weeks ago? Another New Yorker..... hmmmm...... __________________ It's not how many seeds you sow. Nor how many plants you transplant. It's about how many of them can survive your treatment of them.

August 27, 2006	#6
dcarch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NY Posts: 2,618	This idea came about because I was very frustrated by a few of my valued tomato plants which were dying from the bottom up. Rooting suckers takes too long for the plants to blossom and fruit again. I was able to stay ahead much better by using this method. dcarch __________________ tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato

June 17, 2007	#7
harleysilo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Woodstock GA Posts: 418	Wow, thanks for directing me here. They use this method to turn a branch of a jap maple into a new tree for bonzai-ing..... Air layering is the term I believe.

June 18, 2007	#8
flying mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 30	A very newbie question here. But doing this method, wouldn't it also create roots along the main branch? When you remove the trimmed bottle, what are you doing? Just removing the rooted suckers or are you trimming the main brach as well and planting it and the suckers? If not, does leaving ythe new roots on the main branch in the air affect the production of the original plant? Bill S.

June 18, 2007	#9
organichris Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 630	If I understand correctly, you cut off the whole part of the rooted branch. This way you can transplant it. Make sense? Ingenious, D!

June 19, 2007	#10
Warren Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kilgore Texas Posts: 102	very nice. Looks like you think of everything

September 4, 2009	#11
RJ_Hythloday Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Logan, UT Posts: 207	dcarch, I have an assignment in my horticulture class to propagate a plant. I'm using your method on an unruly Marianna's peace.

September 7, 2009	#12
rsg2001 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Zone 6 Posts: 479	Can't wait to try this next year. Thank you so much for this idea.

October 14, 2009	#13
RJ_Hythloday Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Logan, UT Posts: 207	I have an assignment for my horticulture class PLSC2100 and I used your version as a modified "air layering" to propagate a plant. Kind of late in the year, but I would certainly do it again to replace diseased plants or ones that die off early into a season. added a little seaweed emulsion home made media, I didn't have any perlite, this is strictly screened pinebark and calcined DE (napa floor dry part #8822) The parent, Marianna's Peace Picked a branch, I could've found a better one w/ fewer vines intertwined. Very fast media, I filled w/ rain water pretty much every day, though I did forget several times. Two weeks later roots are visible Removed from parent, I wasn't very careful, it had three vines intertwined and one that was loaded w/ toms snapped off. The root ball In the ground Two weeks later, a month from the initial start Very healthy A couple of blooms Parent in the foreground, new plant back left by the shovel handle. Thanks DC, great method!

October 15, 2009	#14
Frog Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Kent, UK Posts: 141	I am using this method, on a smaller scale, as part of an experiment to overwinter some tomato plants, indoors. Air layering shoots, to maintain a chain of clones through the winter, the idea being to give me a head start in the spring with one parent plant being turned into a dozen clones just in time for planting out. Probably no more effective than growing from seed, but at least it will give me some plants to play with in the winter months.