5 Best Ways to Propagate Tomatoes | Propagating Tomatoes

Sheri Dorn is a versatile homesteader and culinary artist with a strong focus on organic and heirloom gardening. Holding a Master's degree in Culinary Arts, she combines her love for cooking and gardening in a unique way. Sheri is an active contributor to online gardening communities and enjoys quality outdoor time with her family and pets.
Learn About Our Editorial Policy

2-Minute Read

Learn the different Ways to Propagate Tomatoes and grow your favorite veggie all year round. Have a look at the article for details!

Do you like to explore new gardening techniques and want to enjoy more of them? Then, try your hands on the different Ways to Propagate Tomatoes and fill your garden with the juicy red fruit!

Learn how to grow tomato as a tree here


Best Ways to Propagate Tomatoes

Tomatoes are the first vegetable every gardener sharpens their skill on, for their simple and outgrowing nature. This is why propagating tomatoes is much easier than any other vegetable and can be done in myriad ways. 

1. From Seeds

Growing tomato from seeds is a novice task and can easily be done keeping certain conditions in mind:

  • Get seeds from a local nursery or a freshly cut tomato. Wash thoroughly and dab them clean with a cotton cloth.
  • Prepare a seed starting bed in a 3-4 inches pot or a starting tray.
  • Sprinkle the seeds 1/4 inch deep, at a distance of 3 inches.
  • Cover with the starting mix and keep the medium moist at a temperature of 70-80F or 21-27C.
  • The shoots will emerge within a week. You can transplant the seedlings to bigger pots after 2-3 true leaves.

Learn some brilliant tomato growing tricks from seeds here

2. From Tomato Slices

gentlysustainable

You can grow new tomato plants easily from tomato slices under proper conditions:

  • Cut a thin slice of tomato and place it on the seed starting bed. You can put 2-3 slices, depending on the surface area of the tray.
  • Cover up with the starting mix.
  • Keep the medium moist, but not too much, as the gel around the seeds is susceptible to fungus rot.
  • Keep the pot in a place that receives bright sunlight for two hours a day.
  • The seeds will sprout in two weeks, which then can be transplanted into a bigger pot.

Find out the vegetables you can grow from slices here

3. From Cuttings

Propagating tomatoes from cuttings might sound crazy for new plant parents, but it is one of the coolest ways of propagating tomatoes.

  • Get a clean 6-8 inches cutting from a healthy plant. Make sure the stem has 2-3 new leaves.
  • Scratch the cut end a little to initiate fast propagation.
  • Put the cutting in a glass of water. Keep changing the water every 3-4 days.
  • Keep the glass in a warm place with indirect sunlight.
  • Roots will be visible in 10-15 days, after which you can transplant the cutting to a bigger pot.

Learn how to grow unlimited tomatoes from cuttings here

4. From Whole Tomatoes

 

You can also grow tomatoes from whole tomatoes. The process is simple and rewarding!

  • Smash a healthy tomato with your hand in a way that it gets out its pulp and seeds.
  • Now, plant it in a pot filled with a well-draining potting mix.
  • Water well and keep it where it gets plenty of bright light.
  • You may witness several seedlings after 2-3 weeks as a tomato is full of seeds.
  • Keep the best ones in the pot or transplant them into different containers or directly in the garden.

Learn this technique to produce sweeter tomatoes

5. Growing Tomato Cuttings in Water

Another easy method to grow tomatoes is to propagate them in water.

  • Take cuttings and place them in a glass/vase of water.
  • Keep them in a place that gets plenty of bright but indirect light.
  • Change the water once in 3-5 days.
  • The cuttings will form roots in 3-5 weeks. You can then transfer them into a pot filled with well-draining potting mix.

Sick of tomato hornworms? Get the remedies here

Recent Posts

Join our 3 Million Followers:

[easy-followers hide_title="yes" new_window="yes" nofollow="yes" show_total="no" total_type="text_before" columns="3" template="roundcolor" nospace="no" hide_value="no" hide_text="no"]

Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here