Fill Your Garden With More Fresh Tomatoes Using A Simple Gardening Trick

If you're hoping for a bigger tomato harvest this year, there's a surprisingly easy trick that doesn't involve buying more plants or even starting new seeds. Did you know that you can grow additional tomato plants from the suckers you remove while pruning? Getting rid of the extra shoots growing between the main stem and a branch is known as desuckering. This common practice helps improve the health of the tomato plant by increasing air flow, focusing energy into fruit production, and controlling the growth of the plant. Rather than tossing those suckers, frugal gardeners use them to create free new plants.

The process is simple. Choose healthy suckers around four to six inches long and root them in water or directly into moist soil. Within a week or two, they'll develop roots and can be transplanted to the garden or a container. It's a clever way to maximize your harvest without having to purchase more plants. It's also a great alternative to growing tomatoes from seed vs. seedlings, since it gives you a low-cost way to expand your tomato bed once the season is underway. You can even replace tomato plants that may become damaged or are just not growing well for whatever reason.

To root a tomato sucker, simply snip it from the main plant using your fingers, or if the sucker is too thick to cleanly pinch off, use clean garden shears. Remove any lower leaves and place the cutting in a jar of water, making sure no leaves are submerged. Set the jar in a bright, warm spot, but keep it out of direct sunlight. Roots should start to form within seven to 10 days. Once the roots are about an inch long, transplant the sucker into a pot with quality soil and keep it well-watered until established.

Alternatively, you can plant the sucker directly in the soil. Gardeners in warmer climates may have better success with this approach. Just insert the cutting a few inches deep into the soil next to the mother plant and water daily until new growth appears. Once your sucker shows new growth, gently lift it out of the ground and transplant it where you want it to grow.  For best results, try to avoid common tomato garden mistakes, like disturbing the roots too early or planting too shallow.

Late-season suckers are especially helpful if your first batch of plants is slowing down or you want to stagger your harvest. In some regions, this technique can extend your tomato season well into fall. If you've already started using seeds to grow your first round of tomatoes, rooting suckers gives you a second crop for very little effort. Having the ability to root suckers into new plants means that even a small garden can become a high-producing space. Rooting the plants that already grow well in your location will ensure your new tomatoes will be strong and healthy.