Toppers

Starlight · June 3, 2015

When we had all the bad weather and I had plants that got sheared off I planted the tops. They are rooting and growing.

This is my question. Kinda a carzy one, but I really don't know.

Since these were the tops of the plants, most about 4 to 6" and some had little blooms started, will they grow up to be as tall as what the plants would have normally if they hadn't broken?

I'm wondering if I will have small plants producing some fruits or not. What should expect? Will the fruits be tinier too?

Carriehelene · June 3, 2015

Personally, I would remove the fruits. Plants are trying to how roorts, which is what they need now. They will fruit again.

maf · June 3, 2015

Sometimes the cuttings will abort the flowers by themselves. I f not, you have a choice; remove the fruits and grow a larger plant or leave them on for earlier fruits, but slower vegetative growth.

MrsTwigg · June 3, 2015

I'm a newbie, and have had exactly one experience similar to yours, so take this with a grain of salt.

Last year, my newly transplanted seedling of Big Beef got sheared off at soil level by a cutworm, in early June. I discovered this early enough in the day to be able to rehydrate the cut-off portion in a bowl of water. I went on to root it and replant it in my garden, and it got to be every bit as tall and productive as all the other 'maters in my garden. Actually, it was the star performer out of all the tomatoes I grew that year.

Seems to me that, from a botanical perspective, it wouldn't make sense for cuttings taken from an individual plant to grow up to be anything but identical to the plant they were taken from. And, especially considering your climate, I wouldn't see any point to removing blossoms now.

Edited to add: I just reread what you wrote, and I think you're saying that you rooted portions of the plant that had blossoms on them originally (as in, not produced by the freshly rooted cutting). If it had been me, I may have trimmed these off while rooting the cutting. But if the cutting is rooted and growing, and hasn't dropped its flowers, then apparently it thinks it can support any fruit produced. I'd still just let it do its own thing.

AlittleSalt · June 3, 2015

Star, I planted four tops sometime around May 10. All 4 are growing. A Sungold new plant has three tomatoes on it and is about a foot tall. Pinky Blast has two tomatoes and is about 6 inches tall. The other two are Jan's (Not my wife Jan) but from J and L - they are growing well with no tomatoes.

Gardeneer · June 4, 2015

Growing from cutting is a common practice, whether it is the main top or side branch, it make no difference. This is called cloning.
Actually, IMO, they wiil grow faster than starting from seed.
The difference will be in the root system : NO TAP ROOT.

And as suggested , nip any buds/flower even some of the lower leaves.

Starlight · June 4, 2015

Thank you everybody! : ) If these were just regular hybrids I wouldn't worry so much about them, but they are heirlooms and for like Aussie and Japanese Barlow I only have one plant of each and no more seed to replace Aussie.

Figures it would be the ones you most want to see what they look like that the storms would take out. : (

June 3, 2015	#1
Starlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: AL Posts: 1,993	Toppers When we had all the bad weather and I had plants that got sheared off I planted the tops. They are rooting and growing. This is my question. Kinda a carzy one, but I really don't know. Since these were the tops of the plants, most about 4 to 6" and some had little blooms started, will they grow up to be as tall as what the plants would have normally if they hadn't broken? I'm wondering if I will have small plants producing some fruits or not. What should expect? Will the fruits be tinier too?

June 3, 2015	#4
MrsTwigg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Maryland Posts: 47	I'm a newbie, and have had exactly one experience similar to yours, so take this with a grain of salt. Last year, my newly transplanted seedling of Big Beef got sheared off at soil level by a cutworm, in early June. I discovered this early enough in the day to be able to rehydrate the cut-off portion in a bowl of water. I went on to root it and replant it in my garden, and it got to be every bit as tall and productive as all the other 'maters in my garden. Actually, it was the star performer out of all the tomatoes I grew that year. Seems to me that, from a botanical perspective, it wouldn't make sense for cuttings taken from an individual plant to grow up to be anything but identical to the plant they were taken from. And, especially considering your climate, I wouldn't see any point to removing blossoms now. Edited to add: I just reread what you wrote, and I think you're saying that you rooted portions of the plant that had blossoms on them originally (as in, not produced by the freshly rooted cutting). If it had been me, I may have trimmed these off while rooting the cutting. But if the cutting is rooted and growing, and hasn't dropped its flowers, then apparently it thinks it can support any fruit produced. I'd still just let it do its own thing. Last edited by MrsTwigg; June 3, 2015 at 09:44 PM.

June 3, 2015	#2
Carriehelene Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 300	Personally, I would remove the fruits. Plants are trying to how roorts, which is what they need now. They will fruit again.

June 3, 2015	#3
maf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: England Posts: 512	Sometimes the cuttings will abort the flowers by themselves. I f not, you have a choice; remove the fruits and grow a larger plant or leave them on for earlier fruits, but slower vegetative growth.

June 3, 2015	#5
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Star, I planted four tops sometime around May 10. All 4 are growing. A Sungold new plant has three tomatoes on it and is about a foot tall. Pinky Blast has two tomatoes and is about 6 inches tall. The other two are Jan's (Not my wife Jan) but from J and L - they are growing well with no tomatoes.

June 4, 2015	#6
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	Growing from cutting is a common practice, whether it is the main top or side branch, it make no difference. This is called cloning. Actually, IMO, they wiil grow faster than starting from seed. The difference will be in the root system : NO TAP ROOT. And as suggested , nip any buds/flower even some of the lower leaves.