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Will he grow back?

bahacca
12 years ago

Mac, my ginormous volunteer, was just TOOOOO big, so since he slowed production WAY down, I pruned him. I didn't just prune him, though, in my frustration, I cut him down and left all of his branches, but no leaves. All of the branches are about 6-10 inches long, but I accidentally cut all of the leaves. With no leaves, is there any chance of him coming back?

Comments (11)

  • digdirt2
    12 years ago

    Likely no. It might sprout a new branch with leaves from the root cluster but leaves are required for photosynthesis.

    Strange approach to pruning. :) Pruning is removing 'some' branches and its attached leaves but not removing leaves and leaving branches.

    Dave

  • zzackey
    12 years ago

    I used to prune drastically too. I did always leave some leaves and the plants grew back well. I pruned hibiscus and another flowering shrub. It was very theraputic.

  • dickiefickle
    12 years ago

    How do you accidently cut off all the leaves?
    Sounds like you could have saved time by using just one cut.

  • May To
    12 years ago

    It might. Acutally, I think it will come back.

  • bahacca
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I had one large strand WITH leaves and in the jumbled mess of stems that remained, I made a wrong cut:-( And, yes, the thought occured afterwards that I just should have cut the whole stinkin thing from the base. He was SO wound up in a patio torch, and 3 metal cages that it was basically a huge tomato plant maze. And, yes, it is ONE plant. I did save cuttings and seeds from him, so i may be able to regrow-he was a volunteer to begin with and wasn't in the greatest place he could have been.
    Here's a pic I took before I chopped him:

  • tomncath
    12 years ago

    Where are you? I'm Zone 10 Florida and we get two seasons a year, fall and spring. A few years ago I didn't have the time to pull out the old plants and put new ones in so I just cut them back to a little more than a foot from the base, no leaves left, and they did come back, but production was only half of what new plants would have done and they were rather scragly...still, it was better than no fresh maters at all.

    Also, that sprawling sure looks like an Everglades/Matt's/currant. Is it?

    Tom

    {{gwi:5203}}

    {{gwi:5204}}

  • bahacca
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Tom-it was a volunteer, so I cannot say for sure, but the only toms that were in the compost were sweet 100s and whatever was bought at the grocery store that year. So some type of cherry tomato.

  • bahacca
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    UPDATE: I went and looked at him yesterday to see if MAYBE there were signs of life-there is one little set of leaves that came out! So, looks like he isn't going down without a fight. Now this means I have to build him a structure fit for the humongous plant he was before I chopped him up.

  • TomatoMamma
    9 years ago

    Sorry...I know this thread is old, BUT..... First, I'm glad Mac started growing again!

    Anyway... My neighbor behind me was trimming some trees, and stupid me---I didn't think to put something over a volunteer tomato plant that had sprung up next to the fence. It was fine one second, and when someone looked at it this afternoon, a few small tree branches had fallen on it and ripped off all the major leaves (it's a baby plant only about a foot high...) except a few small ones at the top, and one larger one on the bottom. The larger branch is broken but is still hanging on.... I am REALLY frustrated, 'cause I was SOOO happy to see this little encouraging guy pop up all by himself.

    Is there any possibility it will grow more leaves? It's in kind of a shady area, but it was doing so well before this and I'm kinda' heartbroken over it. That, and ticked off at stupid me for not telling the neighbor to be careful or at least putting something over it until he got finished. Thanks for any information. :)

    This post was edited by TomatoMamma on Sat, Apr 19, 14 at 20:25

  • grow4free
    9 years ago

    If it is a foot tall, there is a decent chance it will grow suckers from the stem and produce new leaves. I have had it happen to tomatoes that got almost killed off by a freeze and I left them in the ground to see if they might come back.

  • TomatoMamma
    9 years ago

    Thanks so much! Actually, I propped up one of the 2 bigger stems left with some leaves still on it, and he's doing fine so far. He's about a foot tall and pretty sturdy, so I do think he'll be okay. :D Thanks again! :)

    This post was edited by TomatoMamma on Tue, Apr 22, 14 at 18:33