Could you please clarify/confirm a few questions please?

1. Only pinch suckers below new flowers?
2. When to start pinching?
3. Pinch all suckers or just some (since caged)?
4. Top off....pinching all new growth and flowers when it's reached the height you want?
5. How often to fertilize?

Thank you so much.

Make sure they get at least 1 inch of water per week, I water overhead with an oscillating sprinkler.

Others will have different advice. I can tell you that most tomato plants are hardy and with enough water and fertilizer don't require much attention.

I never pinch or prune except to take off bottom stems , keeping plants about 12 inches from the ground.

I fertilize about every 30 days using MG .

I do mulch with straw about 8-10 inches deep.

I move the garden every 3 or 4 years to a new location.

I plant at least 4 different varieties every year.

See the pattern? :) It is all your choice as long as you understand that it is not required for any reason, simply an option available to you. Try both - pruning and not pruning - and learn the advantages and disadvantages of both. That way you see which works best for you..

5. That depends on many things. A general guide - follow the recommended application schedule on the label of the fertilizer you choose to lose.

Personal opinion: since my goal is the most production possible, I use cages, I do not prune at all except for any branches touching the ground, and would never top a plant.

Dave

DB and Dave...you're the pros and I like your methods....au natural it will be!

Thanks a bunch.

Vickie

1. Only pinch suckers below new flowers?
2. When to start pinching?
3. Pinch all suckers or just some (since caged)?
4. Top off....pinching all new growth and flowers when it's reached the height you want?
5. How often to fertilize?
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Before I answer your questions, I have to give a brief introduction.
There are two schools when it come to growing tomatoes:

SCHOOL 1: don't you dare to touch that plant ! :-)
SCHOOL 2: Prune the heck out of that plant and keep it down to size. lol.
SCHOOL 1: let the nature do its work. Tomato plant knows better than you do how to grow, what to grow.
SCHOOL 2: You are the master of destiny in your garden: You should decide , not the mother nature nor the plant.

It is no secret that I am a student of SCHOOL 2. So what I will say will be according to the principles of that school. Also, let me make it clear that we are talking about INDETS.
1st question: " Only pinch suckers below new flowers?"
I make a distinction between "Branching" and "Suckering". By that , any lateral growth under any flower cluster is a sucker. Branching take place above all flowers. They(branches) are as strong as almost the main. So I would pick and keep those.

Question 2: "When to start pinching? "
Earliest is the best. This way there will be no wasted energy and the plant will not get shocked.

Question 3: " Pinch all suckers or just some (since caged)?"
I already answered it in part 1. But it is up to you if you want to keep some EARLY ones, if you have enough space and long growing season.

Question 4: "Top off....pinching all new growth and flowers when it's reached the height you want?"

It depends. There is a matter of your convenience and your growing season. Do you mind getting a ladder to look for tomatoes ? The other factor is the length of your growing season. Let me just tell you my case. I have 5 months of growing season (plant out to FFD) It takes almost 2 1/2 month to get the very first ripe tomatoes. Now then I have another 2 1/2 month (= 75 days) left. Studies indicate that under favorable growing conditions it takes about 50 days from bud to ripe fruit.
So this tells me that ANY GROWTH and ANY NEW BUDS AFTER 100 DAYS INTO THE SEASON (50 days before FFD) ARE JUST WASTEFUL.
Knowing that, I give it another 10 days (benefit of doubt) and start topping my plants.

DISCLAIMER: This is the practice that I have adopted after some years of experience and with the reasoning that I have behind it. So , in NO WAY I am claiming this is the best method.

Seysonn you are quite the character lol thanks!