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Garden Gate:  prunning tomatoes Help please  |
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SusieK
True Blue Farmgirl
167 Posts
Texas
167 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 23 2010 : 10:32:20 AM
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| can you prune tomato plants after they up in size? Please help |
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Karrieann
True Blue Farmgirl
1900 Posts
Karrieann
Northeast
Georgia
USA
1900 Posts |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2010 : 11:37:02 AM
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Yes you can, pinch off to make fuller and cut all sucker branches off, mound the soil up higher onto the stem to the top of the nubs you see on stem, this will increase the root system and make your plants stronger and more productive.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2010 : 4:16:41 PM
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the saying i share is more root more fruit. teresa is right on. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2010 : 4:30:31 PM
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Sherry, I'll have to remember that saying, cute...
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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Fiddlehead Farm
True Blue Farmgirl
4562 Posts
Diane
Waupaca
WI
USA
4562 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2010 : 5:07:57 PM
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If they are indeterminate tomatoes you can prune all the suckers and the bottom leaves off. I grow mine up clothesline rope that is tied to a stake behind the plant. I prune the heck out of them and I get a lot of fruit that way. Go to DavesGarden.com there is a tutorial about it. I think there is also one at Grit magazine website.
Age only matters if you are wine or cheese.
http://studiodiphotosite.shutterfly.com/
farmgirl sister #922 |
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Karrieann
True Blue Farmgirl
1900 Posts
Karrieann
Northeast
Georgia
USA
1900 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2010 : 5:36:33 PM
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..another question on tomatoes... I went to pinch mine.. then I notice very few yellowing leaves on the bottom... does that mean too much watering? I can control that.. they're in a large planter.
Karrieann ~ Farmgirl Sister #766 (29 Sept 2009)
My Blog: ...following my heart, dreams and Jesus
...http://karrieann-followingmyheartandjesus.blogspot.com/
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Fiddlehead Farm
True Blue Farmgirl
4562 Posts
Diane
Waupaca
WI
USA
4562 Posts |
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knead2garden
True Blue Farmgirl
359 Posts
Ashley
Spring City
TN
USA
359 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2010 : 10:42:47 AM
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The bottom leaves drop sometimes and I was raised pulling them off. Some do and some don't. If you want, you can "trench" them as you go. You'll need a little more room, but my plants always do a little better when I take the time to trench.
~Ashley
#1677
"In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we have been taught." -Baba Dioum |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2010 : 11:59:23 AM
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the yellow leaves might be the "first leaves", not true leaves and those will yellow and fall off...
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jun 28 2010 : 07:55:10 AM
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Suckering will promote bigger fruit but not as many, leaving the plant alone will produce lots of smaller and more.
We sucker all the offchutes, so the tomato grows tall.
We also plant all the way up to the first or second row of leaves. Deeper = a stronger root system |
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OneCraftyBugger
True Blue Farmgirl
626 Posts
R
USA
626 Posts |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1160 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1160 Posts |
Posted - Jun 30 2010 : 05:55:10 AM
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I just did some research on that. Of course, you will always have one side saying 'do it' and the other says 'don't'. From what I gathered, the downside to pruning is that there is not as many leaves to perform photosynthesis, which of course is the lifeblood of the plant. I should also mention that I am discussing pruning AFTER fruiting for my indeterminate heirlooms. I did use to prune off all the suckers, but then it got to be too overwhelming since I have a LOT of mater plants and I couldn't keep up. So, I let the vines run wild until frost. Some plants produce both a great early summer and fall harvest. I try to keep those varieties around!
Anyway, I won't be pruning again this year, with exception to the yellowed leaves you are talking about. As the plant gets more mature, they do tend to lose those bottom leaves. Plus, by removing those, you are allowing more airflow, which will help to prevent a possible fungal infection, too.
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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Garden Gate: prunning tomatoes Help please |
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prunning tomatoes Help please
