# Does anyone else clone their tomatoes?



## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

I take cuttings on my favorite tomato plants and root them under flourescent lights. I took an old nightstand and converted it into a clone box. I use a pc fan to vent out the hot air near the top. I use both compact floros and a 2ft 2 bulb strip light t5 fixture from home depot. Warm white bulb for blooming or a daylight bulb for vegging, seedlings, and clones (cuttings). 
I make cutting from my mums, kalanchoe, tomatoes, poinsettias, etc. and root them in the nightstand. I can also force them to bloom by switching to 12 hour light/12 hour dark cycle with a $10 digital timer from walmart. I can set any cycle I want by programming on times and off times.


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## JPO (Oct 15, 2005)

your not the only one cloneing ur favorite strains! Ive been doing it for several years now. Its definatly the way to go! I start with a dozen or more tomato plants in early march and cut my clones off the best ones around the 20th. always makes a better garden! I use a fluorescent light above a tray of rockwell cubes and dip the clippings in clone-ex. keep the cubes wet at all times and the light on 24 hrs a day. The roots start to come thru the cubes after about a week and are easily transplanted into your garden or pots. Theres nothing like watching your little clippings "take off" after they catch there first glimpse of real sunshine! good luck this season!


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## ebarrera77 (Aug 31, 2007)

How exactly is this done? How do you cut them and where to cut them from?


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

Look for the places where a large branch comes off the main stem. Many of these will have a new smaller branch growing from the "V" formed by the stem and the branch. These are called suckers. These suckers are what we're after. They will grow and add new leaves, whereas the other established branches will not. Look at the other branches and notice how there is no place on them where new leaves are growing. These branches are just food factories for the rest of the plant.
The suckers are like brand new complete tomato plants and will add new leaves, flower, and bear fruit.


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

You can plant each sucker in an individual pot or put several into a planter box or window box. Space them at least 3"-4" apart if you use a common planter. If you use an individual pot, choose one that is at least 3-4" deep to allow room for good root development. And bear in mind that you may need to transplant to a larger container later if they get too big before it's time for them to go outside into your regular garden.


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

You'll want to plant the sucker as deeply as possible keeping leaves and branches about an inch above the top of the soil. If you need more depth, you may need break or trim the bottom-most pair of leaves off the sucker before placing it into the hole. Gently firm up the soil around the newly planted sucker. You want to make sure you don't leave any air pockets around the stem.


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

Water the new plant generously and keep an eye on it for the next few days. For the first few days, you will see it wilting from time to time. Remember it has no roots at all and needs to re-establish an entire root system. For the first week, it should be kept out of direct sun, but still in a bright place. When you see it wilting, you can give it a boost with a light leaf misting to help the plant absorb water. It will most likely wilt every day for 3-4 days until some new roots begin to form. Keep the soil very moist for 3-4 days, then water as you would a normal tomato plant.


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

I make humidity domes by cutting up soda or juice bottles made from clear plastic or I use a small jar. The cutting can only foliar feed until roots develop. The humidity dome creates a mini greenhouse effect and increases the humidity around the plant. It will keep the cutting from wilting.


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## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

What in the world?????? The first thing that pops in my mind with all this growing equipment and humidity chambers and clones and strains of these plants, is there has been some illegal growing done in the past, or ya'll are a heck of a horticulturist of some kind.

Next thing you know, ya'll will be depleting oxygen with Argon in some type of greenhouse, to replicate the mountain region of some South American country. Growing who knows what, in that enviroment.

It's not just coffee, that they grow in them thar hills.:rotfl:


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

Gator gar said:


> What in the world?????? The first thing that pops in my mind with all this growing equipment and humidity chambers and clones and strains of these plants, is there has been some illegal growing done in the past, or ya'll are a heck of a horticulturist of some kind.
> 
> Next thing you know, ya'll will be depleting oxygen with Argon in some type of greenhouse, to replicate the mountain region of some South American country. Growing who knows what, in that enviroment.
> 
> It's not just coffee, that they grow in them thar hills.:rotfl:


 Yes, i am a horticulturist by hobby. I enjoy indoor gardening under lights in the hot summer when tomato blooms begin to fail outdoors. Then in the fall and winter I am eating fresh tomatoes as my clones mature into adult plants. I use passive hydro.
I was a supervisor in a commercial greenhouse for a few years. I learned a lot about growing clones because we had orders for 50,000 poinsettias. Also mums, kalanchoe, geranium, and bulbs for easter lilies.


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## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

ovaforty said:


> Yes, i am a horticulturist by hobby. I enjoy indoor gardening under lights in the hot summer when tomato blooms begin to fail outdoors. Then in the fall and winter I am eating fresh tomatoes as my clones mature into adult plants. I use passive hydro.
> I was a supervisor in a commercial greenhouse for a few years. I learned a lot about growing clones because we had orders for 50,000 poinsettias. Also mums, kalanchoe, geranium, and bulbs for easter lilies.


I'm just picking on you ovaforty. That sounds like a really cool hobby. How does pollination occur????? How much does your electric bill run???? And finally, how much of an investment does it take to grow a half dozen tomato plants, indoors????


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

Electric cost depends on the type of lights. I use compact floros and t-5 strip lights from home depot. My electric bill is about the same as running a security light outside. 
I find things that can be recycled for free. I found a large Armoire sitting by a dumpster so i loaded it into my truck bed. I re-glued the doors and made a new top for it from good plywood. The bottom drawer was missing so made false dawer front with hinges on it for passive air intake. I took an old outdoor extension cord and screwed in some light sockets that tap into the wire. Electricians use this method to obtain temporary lighting in new commercial construction. I learned to do this while working as an electrician's helper building the TGIFriday's at the Rim in san antonio near Bass Pro Shops. 
The armoire has over 5 feet of growing height and I can move the lights up or down with the canopy. I have a year round garden in my air conditioned bedroom. 
I also use 2 nightstands for my cuttings, seedlings, and mother plants. I use a 10 dollar digital timer from Walmart to turn the lights on and off.


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

if I need to pollenate, I use a paint brush to spread pollen where I want it. I use small fans inside the armoire also. I use a 4 inch inline fan in a duct to vent the hot air outside.


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

Here is a pic of the inline fan i use.


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

my armoire cost me almost nothing to build. Some plywood, and light sockets and bulbs, and an extension cord, and the fan. Some of stuff I already had laying around my work shed.


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## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

Now all that, is really 2cool. I'm impressed. Especially with the low cost. Now, is there a certain ph level that you need to maintain, to give those tomatoes that good tomato taste like out of the garden, or can that be duplicated indoors.

Passive hydro, is that just running water across the root system or is there soil involved in the maturing of the plant??


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

pics of my armoire.


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

Gator gar said:


> Now all that, is really 2cool. I'm impressed. Especially with the low cost. Now, is there a certain ph level that you need to maintain, to give those tomatoes that good tomato taste like out of the garden, or can that be duplicated indoors.
> 
> Passive hydro, is that just running water across the root system or is there soil involved in the maturing of the plant??


I dont bother with Ph. I experiment with different growing media. Perlite/vermiculte is one. Coco coir is another. Turface and a bag of decomposed granite from home depot is another. I use General Hydroponics 3 part nutes mainly. Add some molasses and epsom salt as needed when i water. 
You can use regular potting soil and get good results. Grow it as you would outdoors. 
My passive hydro containers are plastic folger's coffee cans or 5 gallon buckets, depending on the size I want to finsh out. Larger pots give bigger plants. I drll a hole 2 inches up from the bottom of the pot, on the side of the pot. This gives a 2 inch reservoir of nutrient solution in the bottom of the bucket that the roots will seek out and grow into.


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## JPO (Oct 15, 2005)

*make you a deal gator gar!*



Gator gar said:


> What in the world?????? The first thing that pops in my mind with all this growing equipment and humidity chambers and clones and strains of these plants, is there has been some illegal growing done in the past, or ya'll are a heck of a horticulturist of some kind.
> 
> Next thing you know, ya'll will be depleting oxygen with Argon in some type of greenhouse, to replicate the mountain region of some South American country. Growing who knows what, in that enviroment.
> 
> It's not just coffee, that they grow in them thar hills.:rotfl:


Now Gator Gar, just dont go spreading any rumors about me on FishinTx! and actually we use Co2 on the indoor gardens! Indoor growing is fairly inexpensive and easy once you get the general idea. Keep the PH around 7 and you will be impressed with your tomatos. make you a deal.......Ill teach you how to clone and grow indoors if youll do something for me.......... TEACH ME YOUR SECRET METHOD FOR CRABBING!!!!!! bwahhaaahaaahaaaaa!!!!!! LOL!

RATRED


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

Here is a pic of my clone from last season's crop.


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## JPO (Oct 15, 2005)

And by the way, great information ovaforty! good idea on dumpster diving for the boxes! hadnt even thought of that!


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

JPO said:


> Now Gator Gar, just dont go spreading any rumors about me on FishinTx! and actually we use Co2 on the indoor gardens! Indoor growing is fairly inexpensive and easy once you get the general idea. Keep the PH around 7 and you will be impressed with your tomatos. make you a deal.......Ill teach you how to clone and grow indoors if youll do something for me.......... TEACH ME YOUR SECRET METHOD FOR CRABBING!!!!!! bwahhaaahaaahaaaaa!!!!!! LOL!
> 
> RATRED


A lot of indoor growers use supplemental co2. It can be expensive. There is usually enough co2 occuring naturally in fresh air, so i use air intakes and exhaust to accomplish it.

If you put a big ballon or a condom on the neck of a 2 liter coke, shake it up a lot, and when the ballon inflates with the co2 you just let it out into your growing space.


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

I love it when my neighborhood has their brush pick up. You can find free growboxes that just need a little TLC.


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## JPO (Oct 15, 2005)

good tip! my fat clumsy butt uses 1 gallon milk cartons..........they dont spill as easily when im not paying attention! LOL!


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

JPO said:


> good tip! my fat clumsy butt uses 1 gallon milk cartons..........they dont spill as easily when im not paying attention! LOL!


 the plastic container that cat litter comes in make great containers for passive hydro. Just cut them off at the neck, drill a hole in the side, fill it with a growing medium, and you are good to go.


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

I mix my nutrient solution and water from the top with a small watering can. This is why it is passive hydro. No expensive pumps and reservoirs needed in such a small growing space.


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

My nightstands also cost me nothing. They were being thrown away. I spent around 20 bucks to buy the 2 foot 2 light t-5 strip light at home depot. I attached with screws to the ceiling of the nightstand and wired a 3 prong extension cord (appliance replacement power cord from home depot.) that is rated properly for the light. I use bonsai techniques to train the mother plants to stay small. I wire the limbs down and let them grow towards the light.


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## ovaforty (Aug 27, 2006)

Depending on the crop I am growing, I use the mother plants for cuttings, and by placing new plants in my armoire as I harvest my crop, I have a perpetual harvest going on.


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