What do you mean by touching their hips? Could you possibly post a picture?

Its literally like the branches are arms and they are planting their hands (leaves) on their hips. Think of you wife standing there hands on hips and tapping her toe when your kids get busted doing something wrong. Ill try and post a pic tomorrow.

You really should post a picture. with out seeing the plant it could be any number of things.

what are you fertilizing with? are the leafs deficient in something? Any yellowing? or are the tips burning or browning?

What is the plant growing in? (could be a PH issue?)

is the plant wilting?

& removing suckers will not be the cause.

Sounds like your plants just have a little attitude...I would too if I had to grow in the crazy weather we've been dealt this year!

What are your water and light conditions like? Could they be sitting in soggy soil?

Pic

Pic2

Pic3

CB, I've been following this thread because some of my plants are exhibiting the same symptom (if that's what it is): down-pointing petioles (leaf stems), something like a divining rod, especially on the lower part of the plant. Perhaps we'll get some helpful responses here. In general, your plants look pretty healthy.

Gary

When the lateral leaders "suckers" develop between the leaf branches and the main stem, the leaf branches' orientation is shifted down by the new growth. Doesn't look like a problem to me.

Im a worry wort. Lol

When the new laterals (suckers) come on they tend to push the old leaf/branches downward. It's pretty normal. Your plants look healthy to me. Do I see some tiny tomato plants just underneath the big ones in pic 2?

Naw drew those are a weed that grow around here everywhere.

Is that rag weed?

Hey, I've had this happen to me a lot this season. Some of my plant's leaf branches are pointing almost straight down! The lateral branches push the leaves downwards sometimes, but it also seems, on closer inspection, that the leaves bend down on their own when the plant matures.

After the plants are set out in their final locations and their stalk thickens, it seems that the lower leaf stalks also thicken at the base, pushing the angle of the leaf down. Not sure why it's happening more this season than others, but those were my observations so far...

I have the same thing happening here in northern MN.

It is much more pronounced this year than previous years. It is also happening on all of my varieties.(5)

What you call "Branches touching hips" ate NOT branches. They are LEAVES. Tomato has so-called COMPUND leaves. Some of the can get quite long. So those leaves ten to CASCADE.