From one tomato seed I get 5-7 mature bushes
Once I ordered a special tomato hybrid from the professional seeds website. He, judging by the photo of the seller, looked beautiful and unusual. And judging by the reviews on the Internet from real summer residents, it was still fruitful and tasty.
Soon a letter arrived with a packet containing only 5 seeds. "Great, I'll put it on trial!" - I thought. But it was not so: all my plans for growing seedlings were violated by my beloved cat. He, as usual, jumped onto the windowsill and did not expect to meet an obstacle in the form of a container with tomato seedlings... In general, only one seedling survived from such a collision.
An article from an agronomist caught my eye in time. He wrote that tomatoes, like all other plants, reproduce with a bang not only by seed, but also vegetatively. Moreover, the second option, which I decided to try, has its advantages: the plant develops faster and yields a harvest, accordingly, also faster.
The essence of the method is as follows:
- First, we grow the seedling in the same way as ordinary tomatoes. I plant in February, put it on the south window: the more light, the stronger the plant will be.
- I carefully dive after the appearance of 3-4 true leaves, trying not to miss this moment.
- When the plant grows up, I cut off the top. It is imperative to leave 5–6 internodes at the bottom. We still need them very much! This is the first cutting.
- I continue to grow the "mother bush" as usual. And here's the trick: after cutting off the crown, stepchildren begin to grow actively. I wait for them to grow up to 3-4 leaves and also cut them into cuttings.
- Cuttings root perfectly: both in water and in wet soil. The tomato is a very tenacious plant.
I do this every year now. Cuttings grow faster than seeds.
Please put "Thumbs up" in response, if it was helpful, and subscribe to the channel!