Information overload

9 years ago

I've been reading a lot and now feeling confused. (My plants are caged with rebar support, amended with MG garden soil...planted 2wks ago)

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.

Featured Answer

seysonn

9 years ago

Could you please clarify/confirm a few questions please?

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.

This post was edited by seysonn on Fri, Jun 20, 14 at 1:50

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

fireduck
9 years ago
lil...you have opened up a subject that will be debated by "old pros" and newbies for eons. The pinchers, pruners, and "all natural" forces can guide you as they may. Providing a very sunny location, watering and feeding...will be the subjects that will make the biggest differences in your tomato adventures. There are just some subjects that boil down to "personal preferences".
dbrown2351
9 years ago
Been growing for many years , I usually plant about 30 plants, after eating all we want and giving away as much as others will take, I usually can about 80-100 quarts. What I do:

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.
Related Professionals
Clark Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Fitchburg Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Ilchester Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Lowell Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Cambridge Landscape Contractors · Fridley Landscape Contractors · Pleasant Grove Landscape Contractors · San Antonio Landscape Contractors · Secaucus Landscape Contractors · Waldorf Landscape Contractors · New Bern General Contractors · Bryan General Contractors · Jackson General Contractors · Newington General Contractors · Grain Valley Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures
digdirt2
9 years ago
1. Only done below the first set of blooms, not all blooms. Done to prevent soil contact, splash/disease. Your choice.
2. Your choice to do it or not. Your choice as to when to start doing it but do keep in mind that it can stress the plant more if you wait until they are quite big to remove them. So if you choose to do it, sooner/smaller is better.
3. Your choice. Depends on variety/type, the method of support used, and the spacing.
4. Your choice as long as you don't mind the lost production.

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
lilsprout
Original Author
9 years ago
Fireduck...No wonder I was confused lol!!

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

Thanks a bunch.

Vickie
jimmy56_gw (zone 6 PA)
9 years ago
I pinch off all suckers to allow more sun and air through plant, Less diseases, Less tomatoes but bigger an better tomatoes, Pinch everything off from ground to 12 inches up plant, I pinch off whenever I see them, I never top off, Fertilize about every 2 weeks with MG tomatoe feed, My plants are in cages.
lilsprout
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you all.

Seysonn you are quite the character lol thanks!