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On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

I was just wondering how many of you were able to get a seed from Nick's big tomato. I am wondering about it because I think the seeds have been pretty widely distributed. Nick was very generous with those seeds. All of you who got at least one seed should realize that by propagating plants from cuttings you can turn one seed into a lot of plants. Do any of you plan to do that? If not, you should.

1/30/2010 7:18:54 PM

Cortona Toscana Italy

if anybody do it in eu plz contact me...not find this seed but interested on a clone at least!

1/30/2010 8:56:23 PM

Hamilton Nj

hey marv i was reading somewhere its better to use the suckers as clones rather than the branches of a tomato plant ???? whats your take on that ????? i for one dont have any harp seeds but i did get some good seeds from a friend who got them from a friend and plan on beating everyone with those seeds lol pizza or atleast give it a good shot lol pizza

1/30/2010 9:16:30 PM

Sparta, NC

I'm growing the 7.18 but havent thought about propagating any cuttings. I may try some cuttings.

1/30/2010 9:24:16 PM

Cortona Toscana Italy

branch = suckers! is easy as drink a glas of whater you snap the sucker, a dust of ormones powder and put the sukers in a pot ful of loose medium(mix sand and pet50/50) and waith, new growt tel you everithing go straight!

1/31/2010 3:30:02 AM

ExtremeVegetables.com

A lot of people are confused as to what suckers are. Suckers are the new branches which form at the axis of each node on the plant. They are NOT larger leaves.

Cortona has it right.
I've taken often thousands of cuttings per year for sales at the greenhouse. Tomatoes are about the easiest to root of any plant that I have taken cuttings from, they will normally root in 4 to 7 days whereas some herbs and flowers can take up to 5 weeks to root.
I have a tutorial on taking cuttings written at Perrysgreenhouse for those who aren't familiar.

A brief step by step:
I like to use a 1203 flat which is a common flat used by commercial greenhouses, they have 12 packs with three cells per pack. I like to use these because they are more easy to keep watered than flats with smaller cells and hold enough medium per cell to form a nice root ball prior to transplanting up. Another reason I like using these flats is because I have humidity domes which fit them.
The flat is filled with medium, preferably Premier Pro-Mix or a germination and plug mix which is basically the same just more finely ground than the original Pro-Mix.
Wet the flat thoroughly making certain there are no dry areas, then allow to set for a few hours to overnight under lights to warm the medium and allow excessive moisture to drain off. Putting the humidity dome on during this time greatly helps to warm the medium. Before sticking the cuttings I will make a hole in the center of each cell using the tip of a pen an inch or so deep so the cuttings can be pushed into the medium with little risk of damage.

1/31/2010 8:37:41 AM

ExtremeVegetables.com

Cutings are taken at 3 to 5 inches or smaller by cutting of suckers with a very sharp knife or razor blade. I like to find cutting where I can cut the sucker off at about a quarter inch below a node. I find that if the cutting is pushed into the medium with the node just below or resting on top of the soil, cuttings will root from that area more quickly than from a straight stem area without the node.
I will normally take the cuttings and stick them as I go. It's not good to leave cuttings sitting out without having them in water or moisture, they will continue to transpire and wilt. I take the cutting by making a clean cut at a slight angle on the sucker I am using for the cutting, removing it from the plant. If I like it I'll stick it like it is, if not I'll trim it up there. I will mormally then trim or remove any of the larger leaves. This new plant has no roots so they don't handle trying to support the water and nutrient requirements of a lot of plant material above the root zone at this time.
I will then dip the cutting in a rooting hormone.
I've used just about every rooting hormone on the market over the past 12 + years and I strongly recommend a product called Clonex. I have had superior results using this product. I give the powders which are available at most garden centers a BIG thumbs down, you may as well just use honey or a home made willow extract, you'll get better results.
Cuttings are then "stuck" or placed into the medium about an inch and a half to two inches deep, making sure soil is in full contact with the stem area at and below the soil line. Be gentle!

1/31/2010 8:38:04 AM

ExtremeVegetables.com

Once the flat as been filled or whenever I decide I have enough cuttings I will then mist the new cuts with water. You can use a hand pump type sprayer. I have a little pump up sprayer which I purchased from LOWES for $6. It'sa beautiful thing. The humidity dome is then placed over the flat to maintain a humid environment keeping the cuttings from losing moisture due to transpiration. The cuttings are then placed under four foot flourescent shop type lights 16 hours lights on and 8 off. For the first few days you will want to check on them three to four times per day making in case they need misted and the medium hasn't dried to much, particularly around the edge of the flat. You should not need to water the flat for the first 7 days. A heating mat would be helpful to warm the soil but is not necessary. A warmed soil will encourage faster root formation and growth.
I have my lighting racked so the soil will normally be warmed by the lighting beneath the shelf the flat is sittig on. After 3 to 5 days the humidity dome can usually be removed. At this time cuttings should just be starting to "strike' or to form roots. you now want the medium to slowly and evenly dry, don't allow the new plants to wilt but a slightly dry soil will encourage the new roots to begin searching out water and nutrients.

1/31/2010 8:38:11 AM

ExtremeVegetables.com

Hope that Helps. :)

1/31/2010 8:38:28 AM

ExtremeVegetables.com

I plan on starting a few of these seeds soon along with some other prime seeds. I will be growing them hydroponically to encourage faster growth than in soil, hopefully giving me more cutting sites faster. I will root them as described above and use most of these in my garden this season. Depending on how well it goes and how many extra I have, I have been considering making them available to my friends at perrysgreenhouse.

1/31/2010 8:44:08 AM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

If you look in my BP diary, that is exactly what I'm doing, getting two to turn into BIG plants fast (and they are obliging) to sucker propagate.

1/31/2010 12:48:11 PM