My tomato plant snapped in half during a windstorm last week

I was out on my 8th floor balcony in Chicago around 6pm when a sudden gust came through. My cherry tomato plant had gotten pretty tall maybe 4 feet and I had it staked but the wind just ripped the main stem clean in two. I panicked at first then remembered reading somewhere you can prop up broken stems with tape. So I grabbed some medical tape from my first aid kit and splinted it with a chopstick. Wrapped it tight but not too tight and watered it right after. It's been 5 days now and the leaves above the break are still perky so I think it actually worked. Has anyone else tried taping a snapped stem back together? How long before I should take the splint off?

2 comments

2 Comments

williamd7018d ago

Wait, does tape actually work for that? I always figured a snapped stem was just done for, but seeing your leaves stay perky makes me think I was wrong.

elliot_king17d ago

Oh man, I gotta push back on that a little, @williamd70. In my experience, tape is a total crapshoot. Sure, it might hold the stem together for a day or two, but I've had more plants die from rot underneath the tape than actually recover. The moisture gets trapped, and before you know it, you've got a mushy mess that spreads to the healthy part. I'd argue that a snapped stem is usually a goner unless you catch it within like, five minutes and keep it bone dry. Your mileage may vary, but I've learned the hard way that tape gives a false sense of hope.