Using grafting tape, to heal tomatoes

[pepperhead212]

Today I did something, after that terrible wind I had snapped (fortunately only) a couple of tomato branches. They were barely hanging on, and I was just about to pull them off, and I got an idea to hold them together - grafting tape! Here's a photo of one of them, showing it held together:
Grafting tape, holding the tomato stem together, after being torn by the wind. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[Setec Astronomy]

I didn't even know there was such a thing as grafting tape. I wish you had posted this last week although I'm not sure anything could have saved my plant where the main stem got snapped off. I tried some clear packaging tape but wound up putting it in some water to try and root it and maybe replant it.

[slugworth]

I would have attempted cloning, for disaster recovery.
I did it with a plant last year that got decapitated.

[EdieJ]

Last week I was trying to get a "runaway" tucked back into its cage when it snapped. I took all the bottom leaves off & stuck it in a tall glass with about 3" of water and it is already rooting all along the length of the stem that is underwater. Now my problem is, where in the world am I going to put it when every conceivable spot is already full?! However I sure am glad to know there is an alternative. Where do you get your grafting tape?

[pepperhead212]

[mention]EdieJ[/mention] I also have that problem of not having anywhere to put another plant, if I clone the broken off branch. Plus, this was a VERY LARGE branch! Things like that don't always root, with their woody stems, and have too much to support from just putting it in water.

Here's the cheapest tape I found on Amazon - very much like the one I have:

[Nan6b]

I have used duck tape in the past. Also, if it's dangling by a bit of skin, sometimes that's enough to keep the branch alive without any tape. Tomatoes are really tough like that. Grafting tape would be ideal. As to where to put the new plant, put it about a foot away from the old one. Two plants in the same hole is doable. Maybe each will be somewhat less productive, but the overall yield will be just fine. Or put it in a pot.

[pepperhead212]

[mention]Nan6b[/mention] All these tomatoes are in SIPs, so there's not really anywhere to put anything, except in one of my raised beds, or something like that, where they would be on the ground. With all those in the SIPs, I'd rather grow something else in the raised bed! But if I can heal it, I'll do that.