Roots growing from the stem?

tennisbossen

Hi,

I am quite new here. Been reading a lot of threads but never posted anything.
Here is my first contribution with a question.

I wanted to see what would happen if I put a tomato plant inside a sealed jar and just left if there.
Now it has started to grow roots directly out of the stem.

What is the reason/how can it happen?
Does it have to do with the high level of humidity inside the jar?

BobTheGardener

Tomatoes will grow 'adventitious roots' whenever conditions suit them.  They will natuarally scramble along the ground and the stem will often root where touches soil.  They don't normally grow upright in the way we like to grow them.

Many other plants also do this.  In your case the high humidity in the jar is likely triggering their production as you suspect.

Blue Onion

I take advantage of this by planting my tomatoes deeper in the soil with each potting on and eventually into the ground.  I remove the bottom set of leaves each time and bury it up to a bit above there.  Makes for a better root system, and deeper roots for reaching moisture in a hot summer.

I love that you are experimenting with plants, how exciting.  

tennisbossen

BobTheGardener said:

Tomatoes will grow 'adventitious roots' whenever conditions suit them.  They will natuarally scramble along the ground and the stem will often root where touches soil.  They don't normally grow upright in the way we like to grow them.

Many other plants also do this.  In your case the high humidity in the jar is likely triggering their production as you suspect.

Thanks Bob for your detailed answer. Yes, I have grown a fair share of tomato plants over the years, but I have never stumbled upon this before. It is probably, just as you say, becuase of me growing them upright so that I never see these adventitious roots.
Thanks again! I will further be inspecting the roots and see if they continue to surprise me!