If you have read my pruning article, you should know all about sideshoots, and why we prune them on cordon/indeterminate plants. Sideshoots are extra leaders/main stems which indeterminate plants produce at the junctions between the main stem and the leaf stems. These can be used to grow additional plants, since tomatoes root very freely and easily. Other growth can also be used this way, and suckers (new stems growing from the root ball at ground level) are brilliant for this as they already have some root matter attached.

If you have a sideshoot or a sucker that is around 6 inches tall or more, it is easy to get them to root, and create a whole new plant. It is usually best to use shoots which are 6-8 inches tall, since bigger ones will have a harder time getting enough nutrition without roots, and smaller ones have more to do, to establish themselves.

The process is very easy. Pinch or snip out our sideshoot, or pull up the sucker to maintain as much root material as you can. Then place your shoot in a jar of water. You can, actually, root them straight into the ground or a pot of compost, and people do this successfully, but for best results and the least stress on the plant I prefer to do this first stage in water. You don’t need to add rooting compound, but I do find that it speed things up. You can either dip the end of the shoot in the powder, or sprinkle a coulple of pinches into the water.

Roots will appear after 3-7 days, and I like to establish them for a few days before planting in compost. You should expect a bit of transplant shock when you plant your rooted shoot, but it should pick up in a few days, and as it came from an already established plant, your rooted shoot will produce fruit much quicker than a young plant of an equivalent size!