GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Tomatoes: broken shoot - mending

Roger Tonkin[_2_] · 21-08-2015, 05:23 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

In article ,
says...

Sitting next to tomato plants (outside) this last week. Suddenly I hear a noise
from the plants - no idea what it was. When I looked one of the side shoots
bearing tomatoes had pulled down from the weight and almost broken completely
off. I pulled up shoot with string to take the weight - and then "grafted" the
shoot back on to where it had broken from: string and duct tape to secure back
in place. I was not too hopeful.

But: success: there is no sign of the leaves on the shoot wilting so probably
will be OK.

The reason the side shoot had almost snapped off: the number of tomatoes it was
bearing: 52 !! (Sungold)

I had had one almost break off last year in greenhouse: I thought a bird had
got in and broken it: but perhaps it was the weight of the trusses again.

Reference earlier thread re grafting: I think I was able to "graft" back on in
exactly the same place that it had come away from.

Moral of story: support the load on the stalks if heavy croppers - and don't be
shy of trying to "graft" back on.

I found a similar situation yesterday with a truss at the back
of the plant at the end of the row, hence not very visible
unless you look for it.

Looking at the break, it has clearly been like that for some
time as the broken area is quite dry and darkened. It is sto;;
hanging on by a thread, and obviously growing as the fruits are
just begining to turn colour. It is a very heavy truss so I
just gently pushed a bloct of wood under the truss to take some
of the weight - now got my fingers crossed!

--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales