Even experienced gardeners often face a problem – it’s time to plant tomatoes in the ground, and there are not enough seedlings for one reason or another. The traditional solution – buying tomato seedlings on the market – is not the best way out of the situation.
An unknown variety with problematic fruiting, fungal diseases and pests that are invisible at first glance, a considerable cost of seedlings that look strong – this is far from a complete list of arguments against such a step.
In what cases seedlings from stepchildren – a solution to the problem
Even with only a few healthy bushes, each summer resident is able to provide his plot and greenhouse with high-quality seedlings due to stepchildren – lateral processes of the main trunk, which grow with enviable speed and constancy. Using them as cuttings for vegetative propagation is the best solution in many cases.
- Bad germination.
Gardeners often face poor seed germination: 1-2 seeds sprout from a whole package. From these 1-2 seedlings, it is easy to obtain almost any number of seedlings by cuttings.
- Diseases:
- Bad situations can happen to anyone. There is no 100% guarantee that a βblack legβ will not appear, which is capable of mowing tomato seedlings in 1-2 days.
- This agricultural technique is the best way to reanimate a site during an outbreak of late blight. Rooted cuttings of healthy plants can completely restore a dead plantation within 2-3 weeks.
- No conditions.
City apartments are not adapted to plant a large number of seedling roots.
The lack of space on the windowsills and the constant lack of light force summer residents to abandon the varietal diversity of tomatoes and grow only 2-3 varieties.
- A tomato sprout stretched out from a lack of lighting can be shortened and 1 full-fledged plants can be obtained from 2 seed.
- Early disembarkation.
Happy owners of unheated polycarbonate greenhouses often plant tomatoes for seedlings too early and face the consequences of spring frosts.
- Even 1 bush of a rare variety of tomato can provide planting material for a whole garden: this is how lovers of rare varieties share seedlings.
- Filling in empty spaces.
Rooting stepchildren is a simple, quick and free way to fill in the βdropped outβ areas of a tomato bed without buying market seedlings.
- Freezing.
In the climatic conditions of the North-West and Central regions, the danger of spring frosts is increased. The method of rooting cuttings of tomatoes allows you to quickly restore the fallen areas
Experienced gardeners do not forget about the ability of tomatoes for vegetative propagation by cuttings, send stepchildren to the “school” for rooting.
5 advantages and 2 small disadvantages
The method of growing tomatoes by rooted stepsons is extremely simple in practice, the proportion of tedious operations is minimized. The advantages of vegetative production of tomato seedlings are obvious:
- dive is not necessary;
- additional lighting is not required;
- no danger of death of seedlings from the disease “black leg”;
- tomatoes planted in a permanent place quickly take root and form ovaries until the first frost;
- 100% varietal features are preserved.
Speaking in the language of numbers, this is a technique for increasing the multiplication factor – from 1 seed, if desired, you can get as many genetically identical descendants as you like. Planting expensive seeds can be stretched over several years by buying a branded bag only once.
The disadvantages of this method of obtaining tomato seedlings are insignificant and, against the background of all the advantages, are hardly noticeable.
- Rooted seedlings do not always form a tap root – such tomatoes cannot be grown without watering.
- Rooted stepchildren from the root zone of a tomato bush bear fruit somewhat later than their relatives taken from the top.
Tomatoes obtained by rooting green cuttings do not differ from ordinary tomatoes planted on seedlings with seeds. Under equal care conditions, the harvest will be no worse.
In the video, you can clearly see how the rooting of stepchildren is the reproduction of tomatoes.
Growing seedlings of tomatoes from stepchildren – we plant according to the rules
Young shoots of stepchildren quickly form adventitious roots at the site of damage to the integumentary tissues. When the processes of the roots reach a length of 3-6 mm, they can be planted in a permanent place. It makes no sense to overexpose and wait for a longer length of the roots: they take root much more difficult, moreover, the roots grown in water are very fragile and easily broken off. There are several methods of rooting stepchildren.
Chinese method
This is a traditional way of rooting any shoots, including tomatoes. At the strongest bushes, the stepchildren of the lower tier are bent down to the garden bed and sprinkled with soil. After 7-10 days, check how the process of root formation occurs. Layers with rudiments (even 1-2 mm) of roots are separated from the mother plant with a sharp knife and planted in a permanent place.
Rooting of cuttings
In the process of pinching, the strongest cuttings are selected, at least 7-8 cm long. The upper part of the tomato bush can also be divided into cuttings. This will not harm the future harvest at all.
Hidden buds awaken in the root part and the bush quickly recovers.
- The cuttings should be placed in water for 2-3 hours, where you can add any root former according to the instructions: βHeteroauxinβ, βKornevinβ or quite a bit of bee honey (1 tsp per liter).
- After that, the cuttings are planted in shkolku or seedling containers.
- Further care does not differ from ordinary seedlings, only seedlings grow much faster.
Such seedlings are ready for transplanting to a permanent bed in 2 weeks. By this time, the formed roots do a good job of feeding the tomato bush. It should be noted that such seedlings develop faster than ordinary ones grown from seeds, throw out color faster and bear fruit earlier.
Proper seedling care
Tomatoes obtained using the vegetative method are resistant, they do not need special conditions. The rules for caring for such tomato bushes are no different from the usual:
- watering;
- top dressing;
- loosening;
- preventive treatments;
- bush formation.
The only difference is that the fruiting period is extended, which is an additional plus of the method.
The main secret of success
To get seedlings with maximum impact, only shoots located above the 4th leaf in a row should be used for rooting. Bushes obtained from lower-lying stepchildren will bear fruit somewhat later and do not always ripen before autumn frosts.
How to keep a hybrid without losing properties for several years?
A rare hybrid with a particularly pleasant taste can be grown for more than 1 year. Seeds of hybrid plants do not guarantee the preservation of the qualities of the mother bush. Vegetative propagation comes to the rescue.
By nature, tomatoes are perennials. If you dig a healthy bush in the fall and transplant it into a container, in the spring you get a lot of green shoots for rooting.
The tomato is looked after as a houseplant, after the leaves turn yellow, they put it in a cool place for the winter (up to 15 Β° C). It can be a window sill, a glazed loggia or a veranda. During the dormant period, watering should be very moderate. An increase in the length of daylight hours triggers the growth mechanism.
- All green shoots can be cut to root.
- The cut top can also be rooted.
- A powerful root system causes the active growth of young shoots – a material for vegetative propagation of a valuable variety.
So, without unnecessary financial costs and labor-intensive hardening, additional illumination, diving, from year to year they get strong healthy seedlings of any variety or hybrid of tomatoes.
Conclusion
Do not be afraid of such a “unverified personally” method of obtaining seedlings. On the contrary, the seedlings are much more enduring: they quickly acclimatize in a new place and give ovaries in 1-2 weeks.
The method is very simple to implement, allows you to get additional seedlings throughout the season. Seedlings from stepchildren of tomatoes are not at all an alternative to the seed method, but a proven “magic wand” in a difficult situation.
