How to Easily Clone Tomatoes and Root Tomato Suckers - The Rusted Garden 2013 

Man, I'm kicking myself. Why am I still messing with starting seeds and composting suckers when I could have been cloning and getting a huge jumpstart??

it helps to cut the stem into a V, so the cambrium layer is more exposed and also cut off as much leaves as possible so that the plant will focus energy on rooting, and always keep them in the shade when cloning

That so amazing! I just pruned my tomato plant I didn’t know I could save them to grow new plant, I will definitely try this !

I just did this exact same thing and it worked absolutely great on an indeterminate Cherokee purple heirloom tomato. I waited for the roots to get to about 3/4" and transplated to soil. Kept it extremely wet for a week and it's now growing like a champ!

I did this a few weeks ago for the first time. I put them in pots with soil though. They rooted so quickly! What an easy way to save money, time and enjoy a good experiment ^_^

This was one of the first tricks I learned in gardening it's so easy and you'll have 100s of tomatoes

I took some suckers 2 weeks ago and just stocked them in the ground not expecting them to survive and a couple of them are flowering now. All of them survived.

Gary, Your vids are awesome. I too took some small suckers and put them directly in overly moist soil. The smaller suckers work best, as you said. I had one break off a plant that was more than 12 inches long and flowering. It's probably not going to make it. I also had a whole plant get broken off before I could stake it properly, and just sticking it back in the ground and keeping it moist brought it back to life. My wife couldn't believe it. Thanks again.

Can be done with any portion of the plant. I had two plants growing too close, so I cut one at the base and just stuck it right into the garden at another location - covered it to provide shade for a week and it is doing great. To be honest, I didn't expect it to survive, but so far so good.

It is such an easy way to get more plants. I may attempt bringing a couple plants inside over the winter and continuously keep them going through cloning, and then clone in the spring for the garden. It might be a little bit of a task, but free tomatoes and not starting everything from seed sounds like an easy start.

Suckers are basically new tomato plants. I plant them directly into good potting soil, skip the water step, and keep them in semi shade for 2 weeks so they can root. I then plant them in the bed and they do great.

Im think I can root some larger suckers in my area early July and get them in mid July for mid size 70 day tomatoes. I think sucker rooting might save me like 4 weeks of seed to transplant. But I am learning this season.

It works well. I am making rootings as a disease plan. I am put some rather large suckers in cups and they are rooting. I am amazed at how fast I might get an new flowering tomato.

Yes I also discovered this by accident. Left them in rain water popped them in pots and they just grew! So easy. I also just stuck two straight in the ground. With total neglect they also grew. Quite astonishing.

Great video. I have really good soil. I have just poked a hole in my garden, put a freshly plucked sucker in the hole, watered it every couple of days and it grew a bunch of tomatoes. I did it with Mortgage Lifters, Japanese Black Trifles, and other heirlooms. Your method is better for those with average soil for sure. Thanks Gary for the education you give us all.

I live in Florida and to get more tomato plants, I just put a larger sucker in an empty soda bottle with some rain water in it. It is the perfect size and keeps the plant from falling over.

Also you can put it directly into the soil. I already did it and it worked for me on 100% of all the plats. I kept the soil a bit more moist.

Been gardening for 35 years and after watching RU-vid videos and seeing this work I wanted to try it. Now I’m like you Gary I have to many tomato plant starts and not enough room!!! This is more addicting than planting tomato seeds. One thing is for sure you can have a good spread out tomato crop using this method.

this is so much easier than growing tomato plants from seeds 😣 so easy

Thank you for showing where the suckers are, I wasn't sure I was pulling the right ones off. I didn't know you could transplant them for new plants. I have 7 Jet Star tomato plants that I just found out are hybrids, so I can't use the seeds for new seedlings. I am going out right now and pull some suckers to try this!

Awesome, gotta do this tomorrow. Only just learning vegetable growing for the first time and my tomato plant is FULL. Learned about suckers today and tomorrow, they're coming off and I will do this.

Just did this today with my two giant crimson tomato plants !!! I only have two rare seedlings and I am Trying to get more tomato’s to harvest seeds!

I did this as well, but also put some suckers directly in the ground after picking them off of the plants and they are doing great!

Great point. And while a plant will re-establish roots if cut at the base, that definitely wouldn't fall into the category of cloning. I did it because I was thinning my plants and wanted to see if I could save the ones I thinned, as opposed to just tossing them.

Gary, please keep us updated on the progress of your clones. I have always wanted to try this but havent gotten around to it. It is nice to know that is a cinch. Also, my roma tomato plant is pretty much dead. I tried the epsom salt along with fertilizer and pruning back the yellow leaves in hopes of saving it but whatever it was has scourged the plan thoroughly. Funnily enough, it is the only tomato plant that has these symptoms. I will definitely not use the soil in that bucket again.

I was just thinking I need some tomatoes... and poof here is bid to help me get some! Amazing, thanks... you are a blessing

Thanks. I am going to try that too although I have not place to put them. Addicted!

My test plant is doing great too. Wish I had 2 additional months of tomato growing season.

This is so cool! I just pulled off some suckers yesterday. I'm going to give this a try...

Yes, starting from a sucker seems like it's about a 3 week head start over seeds. I'm going to try that next year, letting early suckers grow to a decent size and then root them, as an easy way to get additional plants going. I just planted one and have one more that I'm giving another week to root and that'll be it for the season.

Thank you sir👍 I can do that and i will.. My grandma used to do that with all kinds of flowers and vegetables

I figured Id listen. Always something to learn.

hey rust, i did ''somewhat'' what you said. how i deviated: i couldn't easily break off the sucker so i cut it with a razor knife. i used a ~10-12'' sucker, the ones you show here are at least 8 or 10 inches, not 6, if i look at your hand. i used an indeterminate type, super sweet cherry 100. i put it in an old 8'' dirty plastic bucket filled with rain barrel greenish water like you show here, about 4 or 5'' of stem submerged, and it rested on the first branch at the cup lip. for past 5 days everything was fine, then yesterday all the leaves shriveled. i though maybe too much sun even though in a shady spot so i put it in full shade. today i looked at it and it wasn't much better. i pulled it out to check for roots, there were none. but there was a clear gooey slime that looked like jelly encapsulating the submerged stem. i rinsed off the goo in the sink with a spray and noticed the outer skin there was gone. the part above the water was fine, so i made a fresh cut to try again. then i notice the plant was putting down roots from the dry area right at the next side branch. so i potted up the plant burying the fresh cut stem and the new roots and part of the lower branch too since it got buried with the rooted area. this should work since i see another vid where they straight planted the fresh cut suckers right in the garden without the rooting in water. i am wondering why the clone failed, i live about 20 miles away from your location, we had three 90+ degree days this week, maybe that triggered it, or maybe it was too big to clone, but i really doubt that theory, since it was trying to root anyway. something went wrong and stem started to get attacked, probably a fungus. i am thinking to use a sterile pot and water next time?

It really works well.

That is what I did, I figured I would give it a try. You can see from the comments there are lots of ways to do it.

Great way to save lots of money!

oh...ok, I'm trying to root some suckers for the first time...think I need to change a few things...I just stuck them in pots of compost and put them in a sunny window...they don't seem to be doing much...lol ...I'll go try what you said ~ Thanks for the info! :)

Beautiful. Great method to duplicate hybrid varieties. Useful technique in where I live, where heirlooms tend to succumb to the TYLCV and TMV.

wow! those roots are amazing! I did this last year but I stuck it in soil so never got to see all the roots!

Someone on Ray’s (Praxxus55712) facebook asked about cloning the tomato suckers. I remembered watching this vid a while back and loved it, so I passed it on to that person and others. I must add, my first attempt I put my suckers on the top of my fridge, they rotted instead of rooting. I came back and watched your video again, so I tried again. This time with not much fuss, I chuck them in a bucket of water and put them under my tree. Guess what I had all 8 of them rooted,.. I did the happy dance. Haha! Thanks.

thanks gary

I might run into a timing issue to. But it is something to try.

It works quite well.

Thanks for showing how easy and simple it is. I was going to order rock wool plugs to root them in but now I see I don't need to. Very good! There is a broadleaf evergreen tree related to Laurel that I want to root and fear it won't be as easy.

I only started out this year. Built a little 2x2 foot grow area to start my tomatoes early. I started 7 tumbling tom plants which are quickly outgrowing their space and its way too early to plant them out. I may sacrifice 3, let 3 go on, and keep one as a mother plant for when summer really starts

Fun to experiment.

I pruned a tomato plant and accidentally cut off a branch that had several flowers on it. I decided to stick it in the ground and just see what happened. I watered it well and it grew nice and big and produced a lot of tomatoes.

We've had the best luck with candyland red cherry tomatoes, got tons of them cut from a single plant this year, but we're also getting some early girl and Cherokee Purple tomatoes too. Ironically our first early girl cutting this year decided to tip over, with a sucker facing straight up, so we cut off the main stem and let the sucker grow as the new "main stem" and got four cuttings (one with an odd branching effect with multiple branches) all from a single pruning, both the planted plants and the cuttings in water are doing great. The candyland red just grows like a weed though, as soon as the roots are established and we add a little homemade fertilizer they turn a rich deep green and shoot up like crazy.

I'm going to do that this year. By the time I get a sucker long enough to pinch off, I should know if I like the tomato!

Thanks Gary. Ihave planted new seeds directly in the soil and will see what happens

I used distilled water and use a little "pH Up" to get the pH to about 6.3. Change the water every few days. You can also add some kind of root stimulant.

might try planting mine in 5 gallon buckets from now on. my yields are getting decimated by squirrels. they have found out that if they pick them when they're not ripe, they will get to enjoy them before me.

Taste and clone... a good method.

Just found you one Google+ great channel!

I just rooted some and planted them. After you put them in the little cups in dirt, can they be in sunlight then or still in shade?

I'm extremely lucky in that department. Im in zone 9b, It rarely gets too cold or too hot here. The weather is very consistent. I remember my moms tomatoes would produce well into october. I think we only have a frost every 2-3 years

Works for all types tomatoes, and they really only have to be about three inches to get this started -or at least that's what I've found.

Good information thank you

Wow... I never knew it was so easy! Thanks! 😊 I think I've decided to attempt growing cherry tomatoes in containers IF I can find any plants. They seemed to be sold out everywhere but if I can get my hands on at least 2 plants, I'm definitely gonna try this! I'm not sure I get enough sun but it would be so worth it if they'll do well here. I ❤ cherry tomatoes!

Thanks.

Thanks. I will try that in the future.

Yea I have never had enough time for the suckers to actually fruit given it gets too hot here but just give it 4-5 inches of stalk and put it in soil, sun is still fine and give it a week and it will go go go. I did this for one this year and its stalk is huge, like 5 additional plants in one merged together.

thanks for making this. I'm going to save some suckers and do the same thing for some clones.

A word of mention. The roots from the fine hairs on the stem👍

Thanks a lot for the info

Thank you!

Cool! Can't wait to try it.

Hmmm. I don't. Might just have been bad luck with the transplant and some root issue. I would try a direct sow in the same spot at this point. Beans grow fast.

AND NOW I KNOW ...THANKS GARY

Important to note, this doesn't work well with determinate varieties. They have a set plant size and set fruiting season so even if you get more it's not likely to grow full size or give more fruit. Indeterminate varieties are the best to do this with.

Real easy I just cut a branch put in in promix and my co...cup on it for humidity.....week later roots like crazy....no root gell are water just wet soil and cups

I actually just break off the sucker and stick it in the dirt. Tomatoes are basically weeds and those little hairs will turn to roots. No need to buy lots of tomato plants!

great stuff. Will try it. thank you

Wow, Thanks Gary

Going to try this today. Don't want to have to go to Home Depot!

Thanks that answered my question

You can also just stick in some potting mix. Tomatoes are strong plants.

thank you sir for this tutorial.. i liked it

Awesome stuff. Thanks 🙏🏽.

Thank u Sir!

yeah any vine plant roots easy, and so do herbs, you can take 3 tomatoes and create a whole field of them.

Thanks,

I just remove those suckers and place it into a potting soil and place it in a shaded. Grow in 7 days . very easy. I did not put in water.

ok...this is kool am going to try this right now.....

Loved That video xD.The system of replant is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Omg thank you for this!

OMG, how did you get yours rooted that fast. I took the ears off my main plants, put in water and it was sitting on the top of my fridge for 10 days. It rotted and died. I am going to try this again. Thanks for the video.

Nice video ,wonder if you can do that with fruit trees like avocado tree and mango tree?

Thx!🥰

How far into the summer does it make sense to root tomato suckers? I'm thinking about the "effective" growing season and how much time there is for a seedling like this to grow large enough to produce fruit. Does it depend upon the variety of the tomato?

Yeah maybe it was just to immature. I am finding cloning addicting and so successful that I have dozens of rooted sucker with no place to grow them.

You forgot to mention to mist the leaves a few times a day or use a humidity dome.

great vid thanks!!

Yay! You did it!

I did this years ago with great success. But now, after I planted them in pots, they're turing yellow and the leaves have spots on them. Why do you suggest to put them in shade for a week after potting?

You don't have to do that. Just put the cut ends in the ground in your garden and keep the soil there soaked or use a little pot of good potting soil. The trick is to keep the soil very wet til you notice new growth on the thing. I didn't believe any of it would work til a few days ago when I was pinching some suckers from my determinate plants. I decided that it couldn't hurt to try so I put the cut end of a 4 inch sucker about 2 inches into the soil right at the end of my tomato plant row. Just had 2 days of rain so soil was pretty muddy. I didn't expect anything but to my surprise...2 days later the little bugger had actually grown a little bigger. Soil has nutrients and moisture whereas a glass of water only has...water. So forget about the glass of water part and just stick them directly into the dirt (or potting soil). Maybe that is how nurseries can sell tomato plants so cheap! They know how to cut them up and make them into more plants. Whatever the case...don't give up and remember that we all came from GOD. He loves us all but has to let some bad things happen in the world as well as to us because without stress and misfortune, how could anyone feel sympathy and provide aid to others. People who hate GOD as well as themselves like to say "how can a loving God allow anyone to suffer?" Well, I have suffered and been helped by others as well as helped others who were suffering. You reap what you sow. You also tend to be much happier if you realize that things can ALWAYS be worse. There are 2 kinds of people in this world...those who build others up and those who drag others down with them. The ones who build others up tend to be happy and also surrounded by happy people. Those who drag others down with them tend to be unhappy and...ultimately alone because others don't want to be around them. Sorry. I didn't mean to preach but sometimes the truth just has to come out and be shared with others. I hope I have enlightened and uplifted your spirits. Be well and be happy.

Can I do this at the end of the season, then keep the clones indoors over the 3-5 months of winter? I don’t care about harvesting during that time. Would rather not deal with grow lights.

ok thanx

Can you put the rooted tomato clone into the garden directly, instead of a small pot to transplant later?

Gary Pilchik, Your Cute Dog Deserves Also Mama CailKim Coffee Flavored Delight Pepper Jelly Dish.