I am also growing a semideterminate variety, Moskvitch, for the first time. I have never grown this tomato or any other semideterminate variety before! I have some of them caged and some of them staked. The question is, do I prune them and remove the suckers or just let them go wild?!

Any thoughts? Especially from those of you who have experience with Moskvitch?

Thanks!

Dave

PS: you might want to read through the other posts further down the page on pruning too.

I'm following Margaret Roarch's advice this year: http://awaytogarden.com/how-to-grow-tomatoes-good-tomato-hygiene

So, I am dedicated to pruning my indeterminates to a long, vine-like habit. I've always let my determinate varieties do their own thing, though. However, this year I only have 1 determinate plant. All the others are indeterminate except my Moskvitches, which are labeled in the seed catalogue as "semideterminate." I have so little experience with semideterminate varieties, period. This is why I'm asking to see what has worked for other people when it come to this variety of tomato.

Thanks.

Ok then you will just have to determine how many fruits you want from the Moskvich since semi-determinates produce their fruit on those lateral side branches just like indeterminates do. Pruning them will reduce production. Personally I have never pruned Moskvich but you better know the limitations you have to work with.

IMO the label semi-determinate is misleading. Better they be called something like semi-INdeterminates of short indeterminates since that is essentially what they are, a shorter plant that produces like an indeterminate does rather than as a determinate does.

But when making your decision please do some research into the validity, or lack thereof, of the claim that it will result in faster crops of larger fruit.

Dave