What Garden Centers Don't Want You to Know about Tomatoes

If you have been gardening for a while, you probably have a list of your favorite tomato varieties and wish you could keep them growing all year long. Seed catalogs and garden supply stores want you to think you need to depend on them for your seedlings or to order those special seeds each year. The truth is: There is another way.

Tomato Secret #1 - Tomato Plants are Perennials and Do Not Need to Die Off in the Fall!

Tomato plants are actually tender perennials that will grow for several years in tropical regions.and only die off in Maine because of the cold winters. That means you can cut back tomato plants grown in containers in late summer or early fall and keep them alive all winter inside your home. Follow these steps if you decide to give it a try.

1. Check that your tomato plant is free of insects, such as aphids. If you notice insects, wash the plant in soapy water before bringing it inside.
2. Cut your tomato plant  back to within 2 to 4 inches from the soil so that the stalks have several small leaves on the stems. New growth will soon appear and your tomato plant will send up a flush of new growth.
3. Place the container in an area that receives full light for 6 to 8 hours a day. You may need to use plant lights for your tomato plants during the winter.
4. Pinch the plants back frequently to keep them small and to force dense, compact growth.
5. If your tomato plant blooms during the winter, you will need to hand pollinate the blooms to produce fruit. Fruiting should not be the goal, but it can be a fun to try and who knows you may produce hothouse tomatoes of your own.

Tomato Secret #2 - You Don't Need Seeds to Propagate Tomato Plants!

Taking cuttings from healthy tomatoes plants will produce plants identical to the parent plant. That means you can start your own seedlings and don't need to rely on the greenhouse or garden supply store. By taking cuttings now you can start new plants and keep them alive during the winter to plant them in the spring. Here's what you will need to do.

1. Take a 4 to 6 inch cutting from the growing tip of your tomato plant.
2. Remove the foliage from the bottom 2 inches of the tomato cutting.
3. Place rooting powder in a paper cup.
4. Dip the bottom 2 inches of the tomato cutting into the rooting powder. Tap the cutting on the rim of the cup to remove the excess rooting powder.
5. Insert the cutting into a pot of seed starter or moist peat moss. Tiny roots will form along the stem within a week or two.
6. Place the tomato seedlings in an area that receives full sun and provide supplemental lighting during the winter.
7. Repot the seedlings as necessary.

Note: You can root tomato cuttings in a glass or vase of water, but the roots may be brittle causing stress to the plant when you pot it in soil. Rooting them in soil encourages strong root formation.

The object should be to keep the tomato plants alive throughout the winter so you can plant them in the garden in the spring. I intend to give it a try this year. If you enjoy experimenting with your garden, I encourage you to give it a try too. Remember you don't need hoards of plants, but trying two or three to see how well it works for you may prove fruitful.