Has anyone here ever produced new tomato plants from
cuttings? Tips, advice?

I have some mini-tomato-plants (Red Robins) and would like
to produce more of them without buying the expensive seed.

Thanks.

Pat

The cuttings root very easily in water.
Bill

Pat Meadows wrote:


Has anyone here ever produced new tomato plants from
cuttings? Tips, advice?

I have some mini-tomato-plants (Red Robins) and would like
to produce more of them without buying the expensive seed.

Thanks.

Pat

"Bill Bolle" wrote in message
...
The cuttings root very easily in water.
Bill

Can you keep them going through winter for use next year? I.e., can they be
taken at the end of the growing season in order to propagate them for next
year's growing season?

Cheers,

Ted

On Fri, 02 May 2003 18:52:26 -0400, Pat Meadows wrote in
rec.gardens.edible:

Saving seed is fine for open-pollinated tomatoes, but not
such a good idea for hybrids as the offspring will not come
true. I've had volunteer tomatoes when I lived in Delaware,
and they were OK, but not as disease-resistant (perhaps) as
the parent plants. They certainly weren't as productive, or
tasty.

You are trying to make my old brain cells jump through hoops, huh Pat. I am
almost certain that Red Robin is open-pollinated (neurons standing ready to
reorganise).

The tomato I'm trying to reproduce is (I think)
open-pollinated, but I want to have some plants before I
have tomatoes (and therefore seeds).

How long have you been trying? You are in territory that is unfamiliar to me,
but I believe it is the third generation before you know. Is that true?

I'll be participating in a local farmers' market starting in
June, and would like to sell the miniature (Red Robin)
tomato plants there, as well as other things. I don't
*know* if they'll sell well, but I'll find out.

I presume you sell them hardened off and about 8 weeks old.

I think they will, they're very cute little things. They'd
be very nice for an elderly person who can't garden anymore
or is even, perhaps, in a nursing home.

I just read something on them that says Red Robin can also be used as a
decorative plant in containers. They sound like a fun plant to grow.

I am in shock right now. Some of my seedlings have come down sick and I cannot
tell their problem. sob I have a call in to the seedling doctor, who does
make house calls.
--
Gardening Zones
Canada Zone 5a
United States Zone 3a
Near Ottawa, Ontario

"Pat Meadows" wrote in message
...

Has anyone here ever produced new tomato plants from
cuttings? Tips, advice?

I have some mini-tomato-plants (Red Robins) and would like
to produce more of them without buying the expensive seed.

I don't know "Red Robins", but if you grow the cordon type of tomatoes, the
ones where you tie them to a stake, then presumably you're pruning lots of
bits off them. (Sorry I don't know the technical name for the "bits".) I've
found that if you let these bits get about ten centimetres long and then
pull them off you can plant them into pots of potting compost and they very
readily root. The first few days they wilt very badly, but they usually pull
through the wilted phase (don't forget to water them of course) and then you
get a very nice tomato plant. For the case of expensive hybrid tomatoes
buying one or two plants from the garden centre and then propagating them in
this way is much cheaper than buying a packet of seed.

Tomatoes are allegedly a perennial plant in their native environment, so if
you have a warm position in the greenhouse presumably you could keep
propagating plants throughout the winter.

On Fri, 02 May 2003 19:56:01 -0400, Jim Carter
wrote:

skipping the rest, sorry - we're in a rush today

I've not tried to reproduce hybrids via seed - they just
volunteered! So I don't know how many generations...



I just read something on them that says Red Robin can also be used as a
decorative plant in containers. They sound like a fun plant to grow.

They *are* a fun plant to grow.

I've only grown them in containers. They will grow happily
and produce little tomatoes in a 6" to 8" pot. They prefer
to be outdoors but a sunny windowsill will do.

I plan to sell them in a 6" pot and, yes, they will be
already hardened off. I think I'll ask $5 for them. I see
Patio tomatoes being sold at our local garden center for
$6.95.

I have a lot of 6" pots, we bought a wholesale amount - not
all for Red Robin tomatoes g, but for other purposes as
well.

We're building a hoophouse and raised beds this summer and I
hope to sell produce and plants at the local farmers' market
next summer - whatever I sell this year is in the nature of
a rehearsal and 'learning the ropes' sort of thing.

I am in shock right now. Some of my seedlings have come down sick and I cannot
tell their problem. sob I have a call in to the seedling doctor, who does
make house calls.

Oh dear. That is terrible. I'd be in shock too.

I hope they will recover quickly. No problems of this type
here so far.

Pat

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On Sat, 03 May 2003 01:06:04 GMT, "Lorenzo L. Love"
wrote:

I have about 35 Red Robins just starting to flower. Most in 6" pots,
some in 12" baskets, 3 per. Still too cold to stay out at night and no
greenhouse, so every night I haul them all inside and every morning haul
them all outside. Lot of work but I'll get ripe tomatoes long before any
of my in ground plants will bare. They are very nice pretty little
plants with lots of good tasting fruit.

Yes, they are. I really enjoy them.

snip

You said that the seeds were expensive. Looking at R. H. Shumways HPS
catalog (www.hpsseed.com) where I bought my Red Robin seed, I see that
they are one of the cheapest tomato seeds per ounce. When you consider
they are smaller then most tomato seeds, they seem a real bargain. I
used to grow Tumbler tomatoes until I gave up on them because they were
much more susceptible to wilt diseases then Red Robins and because they
cost too much. Red Robins are $4.25 per 1/32 oz, Tumbers are $28.55 per
1/32 oz, almost seven times as much!


Thank you! I didn't know Shumway sold them. I was buying
them he

http://www.seedman.com/Rachel/Tomato.htm

They sell 20 seeds for $1.95.

I have no idea how many seeds are in 1/32 of an oz - do you?

My guess is that Shumway's 1/32 of an oz is the better deal,
but I'm not sure.

Years ago, I also used to grow another mini-tomato - it was
yellow, and I think it was called 'Yellow Canary'. I have
not been able to locate a source for it now.

Anyone - a source for Yellow Canary?

Pat

On Sat, 3 May 2003 09:30:35 +0900, "Gyve Turquoise"
wrote:


I don't know "Red Robins", but if you grow the cordon type of tomatoes, the
ones where you tie them to a stake, then presumably you're pruning lots of
bits off them. (Sorry I don't know the technical name for the "bits".) I've
found that if you let these bits get about ten centimetres long and then
pull them off you can plant them into pots of potting compost and they very
readily root. The first few days they wilt very badly, but they usually pull
through the wilted phase (don't forget to water them of course) and then you
get a very nice tomato plant. For the case of expensive hybrid tomatoes
buying one or two plants from the garden centre and then propagating them in
this way is much cheaper than buying a packet of seed.

Thanks.


Tomatoes are allegedly a perennial plant in their native environment, so if
you have a warm position in the greenhouse presumably you could keep
propagating plants throughout the winter.


We won't be able to keep tomatoes going through the winter
in our (not yet built) hoophouse, as it will be unheated and
it can get as cold as minus 20 F here (and did several times
this last winter).

However, we have a big bay window flanked by a window on
each side set at 45 degrees to the bay window - the whole
affair sticks out from the house and has a wide window
ledge. It faces southeast and is almost like a
'mini-greenhouse'. I can fit six 22" x 11" flats on the
window ledge.

Since Red Robins will grow happily in a 6" pot, I'll
definitely grow some of them through the winter in the bay
window. Also some salad greens and herbs. Cilantro,
possibly basil. Parsley for sure.

I didn't do this before - we've lived in this house only two
years - because the cat liked to sleep on the bay window
ledge and the dogs flopped their front paws up there to see
out the window. We've blocked it off now with a piece of
wooden lattice-work so I can use it for plants - the dogs
and cat have adjusted!

Thanks.
Pat

Pat Meadows wrote:

On Sat, 03 May 2003 01:06:04 GMT, "Lorenzo L. Love"
wrote:

I have about 35 Red Robins just starting to flower. Most in 6" pots,
some in 12" baskets, 3 per. Still too cold to stay out at night and no
greenhouse, so every night I haul them all inside and every morning haul
them all outside. Lot of work but I'll get ripe tomatoes long before any
of my in ground plants will bare. They are very nice pretty little
plants with lots of good tasting fruit.

Yes, they are. I really enjoy them.

snip

You said that the seeds were expensive. Looking at R. H. Shumways HPS
catalog (www.hpsseed.com) where I bought my Red Robin seed, I see that
they are one of the cheapest tomato seeds per ounce. When you consider
they are smaller then most tomato seeds, they seem a real bargain. I
used to grow Tumbler tomatoes until I gave up on them because they were
much more susceptible to wilt diseases then Red Robins and because they
cost too much. Red Robins are $4.25 per 1/32 oz, Tumbers are $28.55 per
1/32 oz, almost seven times as much!


Thank you! I didn't know Shumway sold them. I was buying
them he

http://www.seedman.com/Rachel/Tomato.htm

They sell 20 seeds for $1.95.

I have no idea how many seeds are in 1/32 of an oz - do you?

My guess is that Shumway's 1/32 of an oz is the better deal,
but I'm not sure.

Years ago, I also used to grow another mini-tomato - it was
yellow, and I think it was called 'Yellow Canary'. I have
not been able to locate a source for it now.

Anyone - a source for Yellow Canary?

Pat

Looking around, it seems the standard is 300 tomato seeds per gram which
comes to about 260 for 1/32 oz. But Red Robin seed is smaller then most
tomato seed so there should be more. Much better deal! HPS,
Horticultural Products and Services, is Shumway's commercial growers
division and has great prices for larger sizes seed packets. You might
check them for flats and pots too.

I just checked my seed package and I have lots left. I haven't run out
of pots yet, so I guess I should start some more. Can't have too many
tomatoes!

I have grown Yellow Canary before. Except for yellow fruit, identical to
Red Robin. Haven't seen any in catalogs for the last couple years.
Wonder why?

My favorite way to eat Red Robins is in tomato salad with with Purple
Ruffles basil and feta cheese. Serve over warm garlic toast.

Check out Jingle Bell peppers. They will grow in the same size pots as
Red Robins and produce walnut sized red bell peppers.

Lorenzo L. Love
http://home.thegrid.net/~lllove

"We recognize, however dimly, that greater efficiency, ease, and
security may come at a substantial price in freedom, that law and order
can be a doublethink version of oppression, that individual liberties
surrendered for whatever good reason are freedom lost."
Walter Cronkite, in the preface to the 1984 edition of 1984

On Sat, 03 May 2003 19:25:28 GMT, "Lorenzo L. Love"
wrote:



Looking around, it seems the standard is 300 tomato seeds per gram which
comes to about 260 for 1/32 oz. But Red Robin seed is smaller then most
tomato seed so there should be more. Much better deal! HPS,
Horticultural Products and Services, is Shumway's commercial growers
division and has great prices for larger sizes seed packets. You might
check them for flats and pots too.

Thanks. I'll order the Red Robin seeds from Shumway, and
check out HPS too for other stuff.


I just checked my seed package and I have lots left. I haven't run out
of pots yet, so I guess I should start some more. Can't have too many
tomatoes!

I have grown Yellow Canary before. Except for yellow fruit, identical to
Red Robin. Haven't seen any in catalogs for the last couple years.
Wonder why?

I don't know - the two were fun to grow. It was nice to
have both the red and yellow tomatoes. Maybe big
corporations taking over formerly independent seed houses,
and not wanting to bother with something a little different?
I'm just guessing, I don't actually know.

My favorite way to eat Red Robins is in tomato salad with with Purple
Ruffles basil and feta cheese. Serve over warm garlic toast.

Check out Jingle Bell peppers. They will grow in the same size pots as
Red Robins and produce walnut sized red bell peppers.


Great! Thanks. I can - at a minimum - grow them in winter
in our big bay window. Tomatoes, peppers, herbs, salad
greens - quite nice! And maybe I can sell some plants.

Thanks for all the good info, I really appreciate it.

Pat

On Sat, 03 May 2003 21:28:09 GMT,
(Frogleg) wrote:

On Fri, 02 May 2003 15:34:37 -0400, Pat Meadows
wrote:


Has anyone here ever produced new tomato plants from
cuttings? Tips, advice?

I have some mini-tomato-plants (Red Robins) and would like
to produce more of them without buying the expensive seed.

I've often rooted 'suckers' in a glass of water and had a second
'crop' of plants that produced tomatoes in our long growing season.
Tomatoes in mild climates (or greenhouses) may live well over a year,
so presumably, without frost, one could continue to root and grow for
quite a while. Get to work on that greenhouse, Pat. :-)

We've got to survive the May planting rush first - this is
going to be tough, as we also need to construct raised beds.
Once we get THAT over (assuming we survive), then the very
next project is the greenhouse.

I won't be able to have tomatoes in the greenhouse all
winter though: it's going to be an unheated greenhouse and
it can (and does) get to be minus 20 F here. We had
temperatures in that range a couple of time last winter.

But I can sure extend the season on each end: spring and
fall. Our season here is very short: last frost date
around June 1 (actually we had killing frosts somewhat after
June 1 both years we've lived here), first frost date in the
first week in October.

The greenhouse should extend my growing season so that it
stretches from March through December, instead of just from
June through September.

I'll *try* to overwinter some hardy greens in the greenhouse
by covering them with row cover, but I'm really skeptical
about the ability of even the hardiest greens to survive
minus 20 F. We'll see.

The other solution, which you know, is to grow non-hybridized
varieties you can save seed from. I was delighted to discover that the
'Tommy Toes' plant I bought yesterday is an heirloom variety, touted
as "easily re-seeding."

Right. That's nice.

Pat

Pat Meadows said:


Years ago, I also used to grow another mini-tomato - it was
yellow, and I think it was called 'Yellow Canary'. I have
not been able to locate a source for it now.

Tomato Grower's Supply -- the tomato fanatic's dream catalog:

http://www.tomatogrowers.com/yellows.htm

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

The cuttings root very easily in water.
Bill

Pat Meadows wrote:


Has anyone here ever produced new tomato plants from
cuttings? Tips, advice?

I have some mini-tomato-plants (Red Robins) and would like
to produce more of them without buying the expensive seed.

Thanks.

Pat