Took me two and a half day to get it done, and it was worth it. All my soil is sterilized, I've mixed some new potting soil and the bonsai tomatoes has got new homes. Four cuttings from the old tomato plants keep them company - I hope that at least one of the methods will be successfull.
I got the tip about taking cuttings from tomatoes from the Swedish seed preservation society "Föreningen Sesam" (link in swedish only, sorry). Since I'm convinced that tomatoes are among those species that can handle most mistakes and are friendly to newbees I decided to give it a try. I haven't used cutting as a method often so I followed a rough basic plan. First I cut a good looking twig (healthy green leaves, perhaps flowers but not fruits) taking more rows of leaves than I needed above surface. The I cut away the lowest leaves from the stem - if I'm correct new roots will sprouts from the leafe joints - and put the 'deleafed' part into the soil. To finish I packed the soil gently around the stem and then put a plastic bag with a cut off corner over the plant. Now I'll leave everything alone to allow the plants to settle.
The bags you see on the picture are protective packing I saved from those glossy magazines I've subscribed to (and some free ones that are sent to me weather I like it or not). They are pretty sturdy and I don't have the heart to throw good stuff away. Since I don't put food in them (who knows what they put in printing colours these days) I've despared over my rapidly filling drawers. Finally I've found a use for the bags!
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