Bent Stems: Toss or Prop?

[My Foot Smells]

The wind has been brutal, along with torrential rain. Three maters went down with twisted stems (might have had a mini twister). Plants still look healthy and are attached, but flopped over at the twist. I can tie a brace on the cage and give support, thinking it will heal itself; or just yank and replace with a much smaller specimen.

Should I toss, or prop?


(sorry no picture available at this time)

[clkeiper]

Bummer. the weather has been brutal everywhere. it wont have good growth after that. I would say cut it off above and below the twist. let the bottom regrow if you haven't pruned all the suckers off and re-root the top part. just put it back in the ground and put a bucket over it for a few days to let the roots start forming. if it is an indeterminate you will still get something but the broken central stem makes for a wimpy plant. We had some tips freeze out a few years ago and the growth was not the nicest after that. we got tomatoes but they were nasty plants.

[ContainerTed]

Put a brace on the injured area and give it a few days. It will heal itself. If it's already in the ground, put a splint and extra support to help keep movement to a minimum. Move indoors if possible.

This year, I had one seedling that broke in the middle of the main stem. It was worse than a simple break, in that only a small bit of the outside of the stem held everything together. I'd estimate that it was 60% or more severed.

It only took about a week and it actually raised itself up off the small piece of plastic I put under it to keep it off the mix. It now has its third set of true leaves.

My call on these breaks, bends, partial severs, and other stem damage is that you have to decide whether or not you want the seedling. If so, give the repair a chance. What do you have to lose?? Around here, I call it putting the plant into "ICU".

[My Foot Smells]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

Bummer. the weather has been brutal everywhere. it wont have good growth after that. I would say cut it off above and below the twist. let the bottom regrow if you haven't pruned all the suckers off and re-root the top part. just put it back in the ground and put a bucket over it for a few days to let the roots start forming. if it is an indeterminate you will still get something but the broken central stem makes for a wimpy plant. We had some tips freeze out a few years ago and the growth was not the nicest after that. we got tomatoes but they were nasty plants.

It is naked below the twist, I am pretty strict about nothing touching the ground (which may have aided in the incident).

Yes. All are indeterminate.

I do not want wimpy, prefer robust.

I have about a dozen transplants still in the greenhouse, but that are rootbound in a 4" pot. Maybe yank and replace or **gulp** buy a couple different types and replace.

[My Foot Smells]

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

Put a brace on the injured area and give it a few days. It will heal itself. If it's already in the ground, put a splint and extra support to help keep movement to a minimum. Move indoors if possible.

This year, I had one seedling that broke in the middle of the main stem. It was worse than a simple break, in that only a small bit of the outside of the stem held everything together. I'd estimate that it was 60% or more severed.

It only took about a week and it actually raised itself up off the small piece of plastic I put under it to keep it off the mix. It now has its third set of true leaves.

My call on these breaks, bends, partial severs, and other stem damage is that you have to decide whether or not you want the seedling. If so, give the repair a chance. What do you have to lose?? Around here, I call it putting the plant into "ICU".

Plants are in the ground for past 5 weeks and are about 3.5 feet tall.

Plants are not "snapped," but just twisted with some breakage. and unable to stand erect at this time.

I guess time is of the essence, but bracing is easy to do. I have had some success in the past with splint/brace, but being May 4; not a good timeframe for experimentation.

I have seen people neglect tomato plants and they thrive, have even witnessed someone mowing over a plant and the thing came back like rocky balboa. It seems like the more you baby a plant, the more problems....

[oakley]

I agree with what Ted says. (looking for thumbs up smiley)

Worth a prop-up/repair. If just for the experience, if it happens again. I've had good
success with taping, splinting...depending on the damage. I've read that an open
wound/stem can invite disease but not in my experience so far.

Case by case if it is worth the surgery. I've repaired two so far in 4inch pots. I have
many extra plants but i wanted to see how they did. Curiosity. Had the time.
They seem fine now.

[clkeiper]

Been there done that. You need to decide what is best for you.... I don't think you will end up with a robust plant ever. If I have replacements they get replaced. I don't have time to baby them all summer.

[ddsack]

Does anyone else remember a post quite a few years ago, where someone was purposely twisting tomato stems to the point of damage in order to grow sturdier plants? There were photos too, but I had no luck in finding the post. I think there was a recommended age for the young plant to have this done. Seemed rather cruel to me at the time!

[oakley]

Originally Posted by ddsack

Does anyone else remember a post quite a few years ago, where someone was purposely twisting tomato stems to the point of damage in order to grow sturdier plants? There were photos too, but I had no luck in finding the post. I think there was a recommended age for the young plant to have this done. Seemed rather cruel to me at the time!

It is called 'knuckling', or 'super-cropping', and maybe some other terms. 'Elbowing' ?

Rolling the stem between your fingers until you feel a crunch. Gently. Supposedly
forces stronger side stems while the 'bruised' area repairs itself. It does somewhat
'build' a stronger stem if done a few times after potting up, a couple weeks after
potting up, while waiting to plant out, 'knuckling' a few times at different points along
the stem. I did it a few times last year and again on a couple this year. (meh) not sure
if it is good policy, but interesting to watch. (i just wanted to see it for myself)

I grew all winter and had the snow dreary time to play around. Cloning, tissue culture
cloning...i find it all interesting.

[oakley]

A dozen or so years ago the pot growers were looking at the tomato grower for advice.
Now they have some of the best advice and methods for growing indoors being such a
cash crop. Their forums have some of the best listed methods for identifying and dealing
with indoor pests and developing plants with short stalky stems with wide canopies for
good 'bud' harvest in small spaces. Avoiding leggy plants.

[ddsack]

You're right Oakley! Thanks for the supercropping term. Turns out the thread with pictures I was thinking of was on old GardenWeb back in 2008. Anyone interested can find it there under the thread title "Innovative Indoor Tomato Grow"

And turns out we did have a short discussion here too back in 2009. http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=9969

Strange how my brain remembers some things and not necessarily what I need it to.

[My Foot Smells]

interesting, just like a bone.

think I may support and wait a week to see if they can maintain an erection. I think the TTC are just too large to give any support in the early stages (but work very well in late stages).

I have a ton of 42" cylindrical cone supports that I can slip into the TTC and give the plants some support and get them off the ground. Might become regular practice b/c with the torrent of spring weather I get yearly, I always lose plants to being weather beaten.

The "backups" I will bring back out in the sun and re-harden and probably pot up to get them going as well. Only three plants - so a manageable proposition.

[My Foot Smells]

put the cones inside the TTC last night and worked like a charm in regards to plant support. may become a new practice, as the TTC - 24" - is just to big to give early support. one plant suffered the biggest twist, the other two faired better. we shall see.

[ContainerTed]

Here's the one I referred to above. The little white dot on the left side of the stem is where it was damaged. The healing is so good that if it weren't for that white dot, the damaged area would be hard to find. I've also experienced this same great results with larger plants up to 3 feet tall.