#3. Keep it just moist and not wet or dry. Water roots are different than soil roots and IMO rooting in water is a waste of time. I have also done many different angles on cutting and a 45 has done the best for me. I also feel that they will root faster if given the same light or slightly less than they were getting. I have found no benefit of putting cuttings in the dark.

This has never failed:

1. Place in water for 12-24 hours. Preferrably distilled or bottled.
2. Place in potting soil, not too wet, not too dry. I use Pro Mix BX. In less than a week you are good to go.

This is just how I do it. Tomato plants are tough. Some people just stick a fresh cutting right in the garden and it grows. Some people skip the water in a glass part and it grows. This is just how I do it.

I remove quite a bit of the lower foliage, then stick it deeply directly into potting soil, and give it a good watering. Should be fine.

A dip in the rooting hormone then stick cutting in wet potting soil. Then bake under florescent shop lights 24/7. 100% success rate this year with tomatoes

I'm with Star, just stick it back in the earth and keep that watered well. It will form roots and do fine. They are amazing in that way. Tough little plants!

I did this the first time this year, I put the cutting into new dirt and kept moist for two weeks and sure enough its growing like crazy!!

rexa

I just planted a tomato sucker out in the garden that I rooted in moist growing soil in a styrofoam cup. I had only one seed germinate of a tomato variety I wanted two of. So when the first one was up and growing, I removed a sucker and rooted it. It will be my second plant, and all is well.

Excellent! thanks for all the advice!--- i have it in a cup filled with dirt and have left it outside (it's been hardened off)...I plan to re-plant it in a couple of days (once i'm sure the roots have taken). Thank you all

i have it in a cup filled with dirt and have left it outside (it's been hardened off)...I plan to re-plant it in a couple of days

It will take more than a couple of days - more like a couple of weeks - especially if it is in plain dirt rather than in potting mix. It is much easier for roots to form and develop quickly in a light weight potting mix than in dirt plus the mix doesn't pose the risks of damp-off and root rot.

Dave

i misspoke- i do have it planted in potting soil, not garden dirt.. but i have another question: should i be leaving it outside or should I bring it inside where I have growlights? Also: is there a way to know when my roots are developed?

or should I bring it inside where I have growlights? Also: is there a way to know when my roots are developed?

Outside is fine as long as it is in the shade and protected from the wind.

You'll see new growth, new leaves will develop.

Dave

I have rooted a lot of "rose" cuttings this way. Soak a peat pellet (aka peat pot) in warm water for 10 min. It grows in size. with the back end of a pencil, make a hole in the middle of the peat pot. Dip the end of the cutting in a rooting hormone. And put it in the peat pot. Take this and put it in pot filled with potting soil. Take a 2 litre coke bottle and cut the bottom off. Then place it over the cutting. This now serves as a greenhouse. Water and keep in indirect light and you should have roots growing in a couple of weeks. When you start to see new leaves, you can harden it by taking the cap off and slowly moving it into full sun.

How much watering is recommended if a cutting is in potting soil and is outside in zone 10 (nice weather - high 70s/low 80s daytime and low 60s at night)?

Others have pointed out possible pitfalls, but in your place I'd simply take the piece of plant, make a clean 45° angle cut, then place it deeply into the soil where you want it to grow (down to about 4" or so from the top, cutting off lower leaves). if your ground is heavy, you could amend the soil in the hole first with compost, peat, maybe a some vermiculite or perlite. Then water well and put a tent of newspaper over the cutting for a couple of weeks, then gradually remove it. Don't let it dry out, of course. I've done this many times with success. Good luck. Gary

Thanks Gary (and all)!

If I am successful, I will post pictures...