Broken Tomato plant

Dragon_Lady_3

Hi,

One of my tomato plants got snapped in half yesterday, not best pleased as it was coming on beautifully. It WAS about 12" tall and now about 6". It still has leaves on the remaining stem. Footballs are now banned from the garden!! :mad:

Will it continue to grow [if a lot shorter than the others] and produce some tommies or do I give it up as dead?

lauralla

Tomatoes will grow roots from the stem when put under the soil level, so you might be able to save your plant!
Put the top half of the tom in soil, you might need to give it some support, and also, nip off some of the leaves, just leave a few - less pressure on the plant whilst its busy growing new roots. Leave it a couple of weeks then carefully have a look and see whats happening.
No promises, but I think it will work!

absfabs

If it can't grow its main stem, it will probably send out side-shoots, the ones we usually nip out. You could try growing one of them on as the main plant...

Nothing to loose in trying! Good luck

Dragon_Lady_3

laurrella - thanks for the info. But I was so cross [how can someone get that attached to a tommie plant? ] that after a few choice words from me, I threw the top half straight into the newly aquired compost bin.

absfabs - will give it a go. It looks a bit sorry for itself today, the remaining leaves are a bit limp and lifeless. Will give it a bit of TLC and see what happens.

Oh well, live and learn. Kids and gardens DO NOT MIX :mad: . Thats why don't have pretty flowering plants in my garden, just things that are virtually indestructable.

madhouseof4

Dragon_Lady wrote: »

laurrella - thanks for the info. But I was so cross [how can someone get that attached to a tommie plant? ] that after a few choice words from me, I threw the top half straight into the newly aquired compost bin.

absfabs - will give it a go. It looks a bit sorry for itself today, the remaining leaves are a bit limp and lifeless. Will give it a bit of TLC and see what happens.

Oh well, live and learn. Kids and gardens DO NOT MIX :mad: . Thats why don't have pretty flowering plants in my garden, just things that are virtually indestructable.

I can honestly give you my heartfelt sympathy. I had a lovely tumbling tom plant that i resuced from a garden centre when it was looking very sorry for itself. I repotted it and then again as it grew bigger. It had just started to flower when PLOP, a football landed on top of it and broke the main growing stem right off, about 2 inches down. Thankfully, as it's a tumbler, you don't pinch out the side shoots and they have some flower buds on too. It just doesn't look as pretty and it is sad as I know I won't get as many toms.

I have now moved the plants to where I hope they will be safe, but the boys have been told no football unless they are being supervised closely and the balls are put away otherwise.

looby-loo_2

Oh dear, go and get it out of the compost bin and stickit in a jug of water over night, They are very tough. If it perks up do as said above, plant it deep (5-6") in some compost. Make a little greenhouse over it with a cut off plastic bottle or plastic bag to keep the moisture in.
I do this with early sideshoots to make a few more extra plants.

Lord_Gardener

Yes, it will grow new shoots! We always have one or two broken plants a year (children!)