ajsmama,

I did some research and found a couple of things other people have did that might work for you. First, There was one person who used duct tape around the broken growing tip and put it in a shade for a couple of days and it was fine. Secondly, another person used the broken growing tip as a cutting. Just continue to take care of them like you have been doing. Even if the growing tip dies the plant will still live. Instead of growing up it will get bushier. At least this is what I have read. I am new to gardening and I'm learning so much.

Not enough of the growing tip left to root as a cutting. I know indeterminates the plant will keep growing and the highest sucker will take over as the growing tip. But since determinate plants (which Bush Celebrity is supposed to be) set all their fruit when the growing tip stops growing (when it reaches its genetically predetermined height), and these plants don't have any flower buds yet, I'm wondering if they're total losses? Or will they still get flowers on lateral branches (though they won't get any taller) and set fruit?

The good thing is, I won't have to worry about them outgrowing the pots!

Well here is something that I found. It says here that they will still produce even if tip is broken.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hope this helps

Darn, it doesn't have any lateral branches yet. Thanks

Well being new to gardening I'm still learning, but I believe that with love and attention the new growth should happen. Giving it fertilizer and enough water should help to produce the lateral branches.

Don't know if it works that way with determinates. If Dave says it has to have laterals (aka suckers) before the growing tip dies, then all the love and fertilizer in the world ain't going to make them appear. I'll check again (already chucked the worst one), maybe I have something budding in the axials, but I don't think so.

OOH! The one I have left DOES have some tiny laterals, so we'll see what they do. I can't sell that one, but I'll keep it in the 3-gal pot and maybe get some tomatoes off of it. I don't have room to plant it in the ground (not good ground - unless I want to put it directly in the manure pile with the volunteers!) but maybe it will do OK in the pot since it was a small det. to begin with and it's going to be a lot smaller now!

well you should still be able to get some tomatoes off it after it flowers. I think it will be fine if you take care of it.

Plant looking OK, like top lateral may replace growing tip, but no flowers yet. The one same age in same sized pot had flowers open today, I gave it to my aunt since the ones she bought at Mother's Day plant sale are dying (EB and maybe just neglect - she never planted the 2 cherries and 1 eggplant I gave her last month, looks like she didn't even water the eggplant!). The last one I took from 4" pot to 3gal pot is a little behind since it's only been in the big pot 2 weeks. Don't know if I can sell that one at market (will transport OK, the big one with flowers I didn't want to risk, aunt's car 1/2 mile up the road should be OK). May keep it as a "control".