Why You'll Want To Take A Cutting From Your Tomato Plants Before Winter Hits

More often than not, gardeners treat their tomato plants as annuals. Tomatoes are a warm-season crop that thrives on plenty of sunshine, and they won't develop fruit well once nighttime temperatures fall under 60 degrees Fahrenheit. While overwintering is an option, not all of us are lucky enough to have access to a greenhouse, and it's not always possible to bring your entire tomato plants indoors for the winter, either. Instead, consider collecting cuttings to cultivate new tomato plants inside.

While you won't necessarily be harvesting fruit indoors, this is an avenue to take care of tomato plants through winter so they will be ready for another growing season come spring. It's also a great option if you grew a plant from rare or expensive seeds and hope to enjoy the plant for longer. Before you proceed, know the difference between tomato varieties. There are two basic groups of tomato plants: determinate and indeterminate. Determinate tomato plants produce most of their fruit within a brief period, and stop growing once they reach a certain size. Indeterminate tomato plants grow and produce fruit all season long, and this type of tomato is the perfect candidate for taking cuttings before winter hits.

Use shears to collect a 3- to 5-inch cutting from your tomato plant before the first frost. You'll want to target suckers, or shoots found between the branch and the stem. A regular stem will work as well, as long as it has a few leaves and is actively growing. Be sure to collect multiple cuttings in case some of them fail to grow roots. Prep your cuttings by stripping them of the bottom leaves. Then simply plop them in individual glasses of water and place them in a sunny window. Keep an eye on the waterline and replenish when needed, changing out the water regularly to keep it fresh. The cuttings should start to root in about a week.

In a few weeks, plenty of white roots should have grown from the cuttings. You can then plant them in a pot with well-draining soil. Your tomato plants should ideally get 6 to 8 hours of bright, direct sunshine a day. Since daytime is shorter in the winter, you may need to supplement with grow lights to keep your plants healthy. Be sure to rotate them regularly to ensure even growth.  

When temperatures outside start to get warmer in early spring, you can place your tomato plants outside to harden off and acclimate to the outdoors. Once the danger of frost passes, it's safe to plant your tomato plants in your garden. Alternatively, you can leave them to grow in their pots all season long.