A drive-by rooting!

[beac]

So, that wet stuff FINALLY fell out of the sky last night (after an absence of many weeks) but it rained with such force and violence that this morning my tomato plants look like they got caught in the middle of a gang shootout.

I had been intended to do some experiments with rooting tomatoes (see: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=246x12823) but was waiting until the plants were a bit more established, but the massive thunderstorm kicked the process into high gear as several limbs were snapped almost in half. A few snips and some fresh soil mixed with worm poop and I now have 2 Black Cherry and one Sungold added to my previous rooting of the Grape Tomato that I thought had vascular wilt (the parent plant has actually made an almost complete recovery!)

The rest didn't suffer any actual breaks, so I will wait for them to look a little less wilty (it rained A LOT) before taking cuttings from them, although the way things have been going, so wacky disaster will probably make the decision for me.

On a side note, today there were all kinds of nasty HUGE beetles (think Japanese beetles on steroids) in the garden dive-bombing me while I tried to assess the damage. ICK.

[hippywife]

1. Hope it works for you.

Let us know. I just noticed two volunteers sprouting out in the chicken pen. LOL

[beac]

2. leave it to you to have chickens that actually garden. Now, if you can teach them to

turn the compost pile, you'll be all set!

[hippywife]

3. I bet if we let them in the compost pile

they would. :rofl:

Hey...wait just a minute here! Good idea! :think:

[beac]

6. (picturing chickens with teeny-tiny pitchforks)

Chicken A: "What the cluck? Eggs aren't enough... now she expects us to WORK for our feed too?"

Chicken B: "Hey, you were the one who was all 'We can grow our OWN tomatoes and those two-legged idiots will NEVER notice!' Way to go, you cluckhead."

Chicken A: "Shut up and keep turning before she figures out we can talk too."

[hippywife]

7. Oh, you're good!

:rofl:

[bvar22]

4. Glad you finally got some rain.

Sorry it had to be so violent.

We've been getting enough lately...little afternoon showers.
What a relief...some of the clover and weeds are coming back.

Starkraven has a bunch of tomato cuttings that are doing well.
This is the first year we have tried this.
She said it was surprising easy. I believe all of them rooted.
We plan on transferring them in about two weeks, along with planting a 2nd crop of Zucchini.


We also have a plague of June Bugs

http://knottsislandonline.com/nature/insects/junebug.htm
They are especially annoying this year.

I love the thread title.
:hi:

[beac]

5. Aha! JUNE BUGS... I've heard the name, but this is the first time I've seen the little horrors.

The buzzing of their wings is almost as loud as that of the hummingbirds that fight all day over our feeder. Thanks for the link... glad to know they aren't really harmful (we aren't growing corn.)

I really have been amazed at how quickly the tomato cuttings bounce back from being clipped from their parent. After learning that you can snip and stick a stalk of basil in the ground, I've become kind of a mad rooter. This year, I tried it with successfully with tarragon, vinca, rosemary and alyssum in addition to tomatoes. Even in this wretched weather, it seems that many plants will root given decent soil and enough water.

[awoke_in_2003]

8. Don't know about Virginia june bugs...

but our are harmful. They plant their eggs in the soil, and the next year the grubs begin eating the roots of your grass- killing it. I would imagine the would eat other plant roots.

[beac]

9. Yuck.

Oddly, I haven't seen them since that day after the big rain storm. :shrug:

[awoke_in_2003]

10. as badly as they fly

a bunch probably landed on their back and drowned. They are not a marvel of aeronautical engineering- but then again, birds need something to eat.

[Po_d Mainiac]

11. Grow your tomatos upside down

makes them impervious to rain/hail damage, and easier to keep hydrated.

[beac]

12. I have invested approximately a gajillion dollars in right-side-up pots, so I

am stuck with that method for the foreseeable future. :)

Happily, all my rootings seem to be coming along and should be ready to plant in larger containers soon.