Storm snapped some tomato plants - use for fall garden?

14 years ago

Waaaaah! The storms here in SW Ohio snapped off the tops to some of my gorgeous tomato plants - I would say at least 12" broke off. I've already started rooting a few other broken stems (smaller ones, not main ones!) to give away to other people so I want to keep these. Would it be worth it to go ahead and root the broken stalks and plant them later in the summer for fall production? Better Boys took the brunt of the damage since they have so much foliage. Grape plants did much better...

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Comments (8)

cody_mi
14 years ago
it would be worth it to try, but it's a bit late in the season. by the time they get a root system established for fruiting, it could be too late in the fall for anything to actually ripen.
luvsdieter
Original Author
14 years ago
Good point. I've got 2 in water and 2 in sterile seed started right now just to see what happens. Does it matter that they were pretty good size branches (probably about .5" in diameter)?
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cody_mi
14 years ago
shouldn't be a problem. if the leaves wilt too much, take some of them off and move to a shadier spot.
luvsdieter
Original Author
14 years ago
will do! The indoor guys in water are doing great - no wilting leaves and you can see the roots starting. Outdoor guys in seed starter - not so great, pretty wilty. But I'm keeping them well watered and in a shady spot. Crossing fingers!!
Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
14 years ago
Well even if they maybe don't have time for many of them to ripen, you will likely have lots of nice sized green ones at the end of the season to pick and ripen off the vine, or to fry, or to freeze for frying later.

I'm way behind with my veggie garden this year, as I missed the one small window of time when it was dry enough to get it worked up and planted. Finally today I got the peppers and tomatoes planted. I'm looking forward to having tomatoes until well after the first light frosts. I figure one of these years, we are going to have a very late first fall hard frost and I'd be wishing I still had tomatoes going like gangbusters.

Sue...chemocurl
luvsdieter
Original Author
14 years ago
Just a quick update - both the indoor and the outdoor plants are doing great!! Moving the outdoor guy to a shadier spot really helped and it's doing really well now. The indoor guy also did great; he's been potted up and shipped over to BF's sister's house. They have a new baby and no time to start their own garden this year :)

I have another indoor one started (about 3 feet tall!!) with tons and tons of roots. Got a pot and a space ready for it!!
capt44
14 years ago
If the fruit from the plants are still green this fall,
Get a box and wrap the green tomatoes in newspaper.
Put the box under a bed or in a dark cabnet.
You'll have fresh red tomatoes this winter.
It's the way the old timers did it.
luvsdieter
Original Author
14 years ago
Really?? Man, that is some dangerous knowledge to have. Does that impact the taste?