Does anyone know the proper way to cut back tomatoes. Every year mine seem to have alot of tops. If fact they look like trees. I know that you can trim the tops but where are you suppose to cut them so that it don't effect the blossoming limbs? I don't need to do it right now but I know that it will be soon enough. Thanx.

 

http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplo...ort/g06460.htm

http://www.naturalgardening.com/shop...tructions.php3

http://pages.prodigy.net/footes/Jour...o%20Plants.htm

 

Hi Toni,

What are you fertilizing with? It sounds like you're using one with too much nitrogen.

Some plants will get tall. Rather than cut them off, you might stake them. You can buy 7' stakes at the farm stores. There are lots of other ways to stake plants--wire cages, tomato cages (that you can buy), etc.

I don't think it's a good idea to top your tomato plants. I could be wrong.

Gami

 

Hi Toni

I agree w/ Gami. I rarely cut mine off, opting instead to use cages. I have, on occassion, used the bamboo stakes she alluded to. However, it became my opinion that tomato plants get too leggy for the bamboo stakes, hence the cage. I tie each leg to the cage, and as it grows, continue to tie it. I use the stakes for my eggplant, as you will all see this summer Good luck!

Eric

 

Tom,

If you cut or trim the main stalk it will stop growing. Howecer, the sucker shoots will take over and continue to grow.
As mentioned, you may have applied too much fertilizer, or you have my problem - not enough sunshine and the plant is reaching up. I'm almost (read am) in the woods with not enough sunshine, and my plants get about six feet high. I just stake them up.

fred

 

When my mother got to old to stake her tomatoes, she planted them farther apart, mulched them in good with straw, and let them grow with wild abandon.

 

Hi Toni, when you plant your tomatoes next year, did your hole deep and bury over half of your tomato plant. A tomato plant will root up the stem and make for a sturdier plant. The others gave you some great advice. To much nitrogen means more plant and less fruit.

 

Yes I may be overdoing the fertilizer. I usually dig a hole for each tomato then I fill it almost up with rotted manure and some 5-5-5 fertilizer and then cover that with a little dirt then place the plant on top. Oh yes I definitely have to use cages to hold them up because if I didn't they would topple over for sure. I'll check out those websites to see what they say. Thanx for the help.

 

Be thankful you're so successful with growing tomato plants-- that is, assuming yours produce lots of tomatoes!

I often lean my too-tall stalks over onto the cages of their next-door neighbor tomato plants.

Also, do you pinch out the growth that comes up between where a shoot comes off the main stalk? (I wish I could draw a picture to explain it better?) That saves energy for more fruit bearing.

And, on a rare occasion or two, I HAVE broken off the top of a plant to keep it from growing any higher and it's been fine.

Hope this is helpful...

 

Hi Toni 1595,

There sure are alot of good Tomato growers here. Toni a Tomato is a vine & just like any vine if you cut the growing tip it will not have near the Tomatos it could have.

I have seen a metal spiral stake, made to train those long tomato plants. You also have 2 types of tomato types to choose from, the Determinate: Short Compact plants or Indeterminate the plants could grow as long as 15 feet long.

I learned this method from a friend in Guam, she grows the long Heirloom types that grow very long. We make a long T- Pee with 10 foot bamboo poles then use string like a spider web on both sides. Plant your plants 24 inches apart on both sides.

The plants will grow up and over the top & down again. Use clean straw under the T-Pee to control weeds and keep the mosture in. I found this method to produce the nicest Tomatos I have ever grown. Also with the fruit hanging down under all that folage no sun scald or spoting.

Marturo

 

Wow, Thanx for all the info. I did't realize there were so many tomato growers out there in the DIY world........Maybe its a good thing to have such prolific plants. I am just doing it the way my father taught me to. Its just that sometimes these plants are unbelieveable! I've had some beefsteak tomato plants that are about 4 feet tall. The cages usually won't hold them unless I put a stake in the ground and tie them up.... Happy Gardening.

 

Pruning tomatoes Another school of thought.

The fruit load of a tomato is dependent on the amount of foliage (chlorophyll)
size of the main stalk and the size of the root ball.

Fruits are more subject to sunscald on a pruned plant.

Certain varieties that can have a 3ft dia by 3ft deep soil, unprunded can grow over 50 lbs per plant.


Byron

Moderator
Tomatomania@yahoogroups
675 members.