Rooting One plant on its side to grow multiples? anyone heard of

16 years ago

I was told recently by a local farmer that if you place the tomatoe plant on it's side in the soil about 1/4 inch that it will grow multiple plants (from the noduals? sorry I dont know the anotomically correct name for these)

And then when each of these areas take root you can then separate them (or at least keep them in pairs) and they will become individual plants?

Has anyone tried this successfully?

PS: I asked about how late would be too late to plant tomatoes for a late crop...anyone have any advice on this too? thanks!

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Comments (5)

anney
16 years ago
Wow! I've never heard of this being done, but there's no reason it wouldn't work. What a neat idea! A row of plants exactly the same might be a good thing sometimes.
deweymn
16 years ago
Interesting. Why not try it and post the results?

I have placed plants that I grew from seed on their side in a larger container when they got about 12" high. I just let the top 3" or so be above the soil. Then when I replanted them in the ground I found that the buried stem developed a good root system. I have two in a large rectangular box now developing a good root system and I plan to transplant these in the ground this weekend in the hope of getting a late crop. Hopefully when my plants that I am harvesting now finish, I will have these.

Frost is near here.
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In this case it was obvious done on purpose. I don't know if they grow their own plants or buy them from a grower but there was one other specimen for sale with 17 bbulbs which was offered to me in exchange. When I requested that they bare-root it at the source the response was "I'm sure it also will be 2 plants, let's work this out some other way." They most likely know that this is what they are selling so a certain amount of deception is present. They quickly put out the fire by making me happy. Its commonly done even by well reputed growers. After 5 years the roots are so intertwined that you cannot tell. I got a Dend miyakei once that was so grown together that when one half bloomed yellow/orange and the other side bloomed blue/purple, it was impossible to divide them. I took it back to the vendor of high repute where I got it (no sarcasm intended) and he and I had a good laugh about it. I used that plant as a demonstration at our society talks. I buy 'Plug trays' of Cattleya clones from Carmela orchids and I would guess that one out of 10 plants is a double. That is obviously not done on purpose as it decreases their profit to sell 2 plants for the price of one, it just happens when they divide a crowded community pot. Most of the time its a 'No harm, no foul' situation but I'd just as soon know what I'm getting hence the suggestion to unpot new plants. Nick
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Adrian, I've grown three very large tomato plants in a 4 gallon bucket with less than 3 gallons of fill. I have also grown one very large plant in a 2/3 gallon bucket that had only about 1/2 gallon of fill. I did not use a Bato Bucket for either. There is no inconsistency with the advice. In your case you used a light medium with a great deal of airspace which could also expand to some degree since the perlite is non-cohesive, unlike most soil. You are actually developing a different type of root in this medium, which is fine, almost reminds you of cotton candy, and has a great surface area ratio for absorption. This does not translate to the scenarios. Just to be clear, I agree with what you mean, but wanted to clarify the root and medium differences. Additionally, another main reason for the larger container is to level out watering. So nobody is saying you can't in their opinion above, but rather that you will spend your day watering and fighting problems of uneven watering. It isn't so much the Bato bucket size, or the hydroponics ... but that you probably have an automated fertigation system that runs several times per day ... while you are eating lunch :-) It doesn't have to be hydroponic, but the moment you add other elements to the mix, rot becomes an issue ... even in a DWC/tote or bucket rot is an issue and if you use a bubbler, as the roots grow it will begin to bomb out in a bucket smaller than 4-5 gallons as the tomato root system expands. Normal commercial Bato buckets are less than four gallons and are for two plants. Cheers PC
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rjinga
Original Author
16 years ago
I will try it and definitely let you all know what comes of it. I just got a new batch of (50% off) plants at Ace Hardware, and they are surprisingly in pretty good shape..(my first go round was about 8 dif. varieties, they all came in so strong and healthy and started producing...and then......kinda did a nose dive (my fault for not learning exactly what should have been done with them to prevent bugs/disease etc) but I"m hoping that since we dont usually get any significant cold weather here til like late Jan/Feb. that I might be able to get a second harvest. My first plants gave me some fruit but it's just a shame that I didn't do better by them and spray right off etc. Any hooo...I'll see what I can do this time...this site and this forum has given me a wealth of info and tips.....
anthony_toronto
16 years ago
If you wait until suckers (i.e. extra stems) are on your seedling and then plant it on its side, you will have multiple stems (assuming the suckers are positioned so the tip of the stems are sticking out of the ground). I know I get some extra stems growing from suckers that form an branch junctions that are below grade with vertical planting.
vance8b
16 years ago
My large fruited red cherry vine is almost 12 feet long. The lower 5ish feet doesn't seem to be doing too much in the way of leaves etc. The only real activity on the vine is near the new end. It sure seems like a long way for the water and mutrients to go to get from the roots to the tips. I wonder if I short circuited the vine so that it could grow roots further up the vine if it would help it any. Not so I could cut the lower half off, just so as to give the water and nutrients a shorter path to the new growth. The plant could still transport to and from the original roots, but it could have an alternate shorter route also. I don't have much time for these kinds of experiments right now, but maybe I'll find the time and inspiration to do this. It seems like it might be better than seedlings in July. I'm not sure how I'd get the vines out of the cages to get the most logical spot on the vine to soil. Inside the cages is bare vine. They bend over the top of the cage and the new growth is toward the end of the vine hanging near the ground.

Rooting One plant on its side to grow multiples? anyone heard of

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anney

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Rooting One plant on its side to grow multiples? anyone heard of

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anney

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