Congratulations Alice!

My neighbor last year planted tomatoes in very large containers in his backyard. He said, "They're supposed to grow to be 5 feet tall but I've never seen a 5 foot tomato."

This guy is probably no gardener altho' he did a fairly good job with the yard. (Better than his replacement after the lady of the house gave the tomato grower the boot. ;o) I bet he was over 50 altho' it's hard to say what with his hard drinkin' ways. Nevertheless, I was inclined to believe that he honestly had never noticed a tomato plant over 5 feet tall!

There are too many weather challenges here for very many annual plants including tomatoes to grow to that height. About the only ones that do consistently in my tomato patch are the Large Red Cherries and Big Beefs. And probably most of the BB don't get that tall. I'm talkin' about either in cages or staked - not that I do much more than let-'em-sprawl these days.

I've pruned the ends of tomato branches along about the end of August when the plants just seemed to want to grow rather than ripen fruit. That isn't your problem and it isn't the end of August, either. But, I don't think you should be afraid to do some pruning.

I remember your Black tomato from 2007. Do you think it is true that the plants with the darkest pigmentation are the most flavorful? It seems to be your tomato inclination.

digitS'

Last year I was too slow to get all the stalks inside the cage. This year, it was going to be different!

I kept my eyes on those plants each and every day. On my way to work, I'd tuck a few stems inside. On my way back, I'd tuck a few more stems back inside. Then, I skipped one day, after a rain, and all of a sudden the stalks were sticking so far out that I would have had to break them to fit them inside the cage.

Oops! No way to fix it now! I can't say they are as tall as five or six feet but they are getting rather out of control for their pots. I'd like to think I can bring them inside and outside the house as needed when the weather starts to turn.

I have had sungold cherry tomatoes get 12 feet tall. In years that they didn't freeze until October.I tie them up on a piece of rebar to 8 feet and then put lines down the center of the hoop house on both sides and drape them over the tops of them and then then they start going down again. The black cherry gets up to 8 feet tall. Sweet million and yellow pear only get about 6 feet tall. Most of the tomatoes get 5-6 with some that only get 3 feet tall when staked.

Right now, on my cattle panels, I planted my Sungold 5 feet apart. When I walk by, I stuff the loose branches through a slot in the panel, trying to have them grow horizontally and a bit up. The panels are now full, and the tops of the plants are hanging over by 3 feet. It's getting hard to see in there. Not that many fruit, though. I get a handful a day from 6 plants.

Famous last words.

My black cherry isn't far behind.

Well, yesterday the Black Cherry plant finally exceeded my height, which is approx. 5' 5" ... the others are all between 4' - 5', except the Mini Bush Yellow Cherry, which in a pot on the porch. It's maybe 8" tall, and very cute, though it only has a couple of peas sized tomatoes on it so far. I used 6' stakes, but 6" of them are in the ground, so I guess I need to figure out what to do too, since the Black Cherry has already reached the top of the stake. Three of mine are growing against the fence, but it is only 6' tall. I guess they could grow down the back side of it, but what about the other 5 plants?

I still haven't gotten my first ripe tomato yet, but the race seems to be between Cherokee Purple and Sungold.

Bonnie

Wow! I love the learning that takes place each year with the garden. This year I went vertical in an attempt to get some tasty melons. Here you can see the frame I put up with green vinyl fence between the uprights and on the "roof".

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc79/AliceG8/DSC_5099comp.jpg

Close up of the melon and the green beans - competing for the same vertical space (and seem to be doing okay).

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc79/AliceG8/DSC_5101comp.jpg

And yes, Digit, I guess I do have a thing for the darker tomatoes! Here are the Chocolate Cherries.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc79/AliceG8/DSC_5104comp.jpg

So next year I may try the hog panels... although when I priced them this year they seemed expensive. And I've got to figure out what to do with the squash. As you can see above the butternut is taking over. It seems to have tendrils too. Maybe I can have it climb the chain link fence at the end of the garden? I'd have to give up the morning glories there, but I bet I can relocate them elsewhere.

Alice

hi peeps,
well right now i have a tomatoe TREE .this thing is every bit of 10 ft and still goin . lots of big tomatoes . i have pics !!

I grew one over 13 feet tall a few years ago.

Here's a link to a picture of my plant.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Tomato Plant