If they are Romas then they are a determinate variety, not an indeterminate, so your experiment isn't going to work, sorry. Yes they have quit growing. That is what determinate varieties do. And unfortunately, on the single vine plants you lost most of your production. Determinate varieties are never pruned.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Determinate vs. Indeterminate FAQ

Its pretty easy, just break it at the point where it meets the original stem. Plant it in a pot, KEEP IT OUT OF THE SUN but don't exclude light, and keep the ground nicely wet. It will root in about a week or so, but don't be too anxious to plant it out, give it some additional time for those roots to develop properly before planting it out in the sun. Good luck ;)

Cheers,
Djole

*In addition to what Dave said, to my knowledge, you can grow new plants from suckers, both determinate and indeterminate.

Ya'll are right they are determinate, #$@%# don't know why I didn't notice that when I bought the seed or I never would have bought them. oh well you live and learn.

Determinate varieties don't have what are called 'suckers'. They are all lateral branches with terminal growth tips. Terminal tips are just that - terminal, end growth - so trying to root them is a waste of time.

Dave

How do semi-determinates work, sucker-wise?

Determinate dont have suckers? Thats news to me. Ive been taking cuttings from my determinate plants and rooting them for the last two years. It does reduce the overall yield of the mother plant, but I usually grow out a large mother and take a ton of cuttings from her. Works great.

Determinate dont have suckers? Thats news to me. Ive been taking cuttings from my determinate plants and rooting them for the last two years. It does reduce the overall yield of the mother plant, but I usually grow out a large mother and take a ton of cuttings from her. Works great.

Nope, they have lateral branches that produce fruit. Sure you can cut a lateral branch off a determinate and root it. But if you do it will not be replaced as an indeterminate would and you sacrifice the fruit production from that part of the mother. So is your goal max fruit or just more plants? For most it is fruit.

Unlike indeterminates which genetically can live indefinitely, determinates have a genetically defined life span so clones from them are already aged and closer to termination. That results in more lost production when compared to new plants grown from seed.

Breeding a "clone mother" to act as a donor only is fine as long as you recognize that you will lose all that fruit the mother would have produced while you are making middle-aged clones out of her that will have a shorter life span. :)

So where is the gain?

Dave

PS: Djole - semi-determinates would be better called semi-indeterminates since they are genetically indeterminates that have been hybridized to shorter vines.

Thanks Dave for clearing it up with semis, you are truly a living encyclopedia :)

Back to the topic - in a T&M catalog Romas are defined as semi-determinate. Maybe Sneakys experiment isn't doomed if thats the case with his Romas?

Djole, I would have sworn when I bought the seed they said indeterminate. But after Dave said they were determinate I went back to the website and it said they were determinate. Maybe it is like Celebrity tomatoes. Depending who you ask or the website some say they are determinate and some say they are indeterminate. I know that used to be all my neighbor grew and his get up to around 7'-8' tall. It would be great if they turned out to be semi-determinate.

If not I am also growing some Delicious and Red Beefsteak up a string as part of the experiment also. Although I don't have as many of either of them.

Guess we won't know until you actually go through it :)
Best of luck!