16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

My indeterminate is throwing out what looks to be many "main stems." How to prune? I've taken off all suckers ( as you can see one attempt removed the branch tip unfortunately). I'm using a trellis system this year but haven't yet tied up the main stem. should I tie up 3 or 4 ? This is my first year with the trellis! Thanks

It's difficult to tell what's going on there, dobieone, what with the mulch and the photo being upside-down.

But regardless, if this is a determinate, it shouldn't be pruned at all. Since I almost never grow determinates and cannot explain their growth pattern well, I will let someone else explain why.

Only indeterminates should be pruned (and only if there is a serious lack of space).

I agree with Dave. With 2ft and less spacing, plus short season, pruning is necessary.

But in general I prun lower part, pinching off sucher and leaves. I belive in having room underneath yo get air movement and preven some of the deseases and rotting.
Then you have to have good staking system. and tying up the the branches. I do like FLORIDA WEAVE type. that I learned here at GW few years ago.

So I am for pruning.

I use the Florida Weave method of support and I never prune.

That being said, I think even with heavy pruning, you are going to find that two feet between ROWS will be too close, unless you aren't planning on walking between the rows. Personally, I have my rows 4 feet apart and even then it is sometimes difficult to get down a row.

Betsy

This post was edited by bets on Tue, May 7, 13 at 13:26

Looks like early blight.

Well that's what I thought - but then I read that EB only sets in in humid and warm temps after fruit set. We have had chilly temps, not a lot of rain and my plants are only about 3 weeks old. So is EB even possible??

Personally, I'd do it the other way around. Drop Sungold
and Black Cherry.

Big help, huh?

Everyone has different tastes. But I think if you've got one
you're happy with, like Sweet 100, keep with it.

My vote would be exactly as Dave's. I'm one of those people that didn't care for Black Cherry, but you should try it yourself. Some people love it.

Thanks Raybo for sharing this excellent grow system!!! Im only growing one or two containers this year (hopefully more next year) so ordering a Burpee pea fence would cost me a lot more than 4 tomato cages (around$16). Looks like a Burpee Pea Fence would cost $34 for two: http://www.burpee.com/gardening-supplies/garden-growers/supports-ties-and-fences/pea-and-cucumber-fence-2-pack-prod001250.html?catId=2320&trail= is that the right fence? If so how many
Earthtainer cages could I fashion from the order of two in the link above? I found it nearly impossible to use a bedliner (to block roots from reaching water reservoir) using 3 legged tomato cages (all I had) so I had to improvise by mounting the two outer legs of each cage to the side of the inner Earthtainer, see pic:
[URL=http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/Remodeller/media/Gardening_plus_WaterPurification/473138_10201002348249591_630854343_o.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x468/Remodeller/Gardening_plus_WaterPurification/473138_10201002348249591_630854343_o.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
The center legs just sit on top of the bedliner, and the top ring of the cages are joined together by a wire rope clamp. This also adds further support to the aeration bench since the side mounted wire rope clamps go through both layers of rubber, I used washers on the outside of the Earthtainer for these side mounts:
[URL=http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/Remodeller/media/Gardening_plus_WaterPurification/472690_10201002451252166_1920797485_o.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x468/Remodeller/Gardening_plus_WaterPurification/472690_10201002451252166_1920797485_o.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
It seemed really sturdy when it was all done, also I cut a round hole in the bedliner for the wicking basket- then I realized you didnt specify doing that- did I defeat the purpose of the bedliner? See pic:
[URL=http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/Remodeller/media/Gardening_plus_WaterPurification/472338_10201009822476442_1146976258_o.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x468/Remodeller/Gardening_plus_WaterPurification/472338_10201009822476442_1146976258_o.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
Also- I saw on another forum that panty hose (lol) works great for keeping the mosquitoes out- youll notice a piece on my watering tube in that last pic above. I also used pieces of pantyhose on the overflow holes for added insect protection:
[URL=http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/Remodeller/media/Gardening_plus_WaterPurification/IMG_20130506_190733.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x468/Remodeller/Gardening_plus_WaterPurification/IMG_20130506_190733.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
Im new to this forum so some of this may be old news, if so sorry!- but let me know if there is a cheaper way to get a pea fence for a small amount of containers or if you think the side mount cages are the way to go for 1-3 Earthtainers, thanks again for all your info!!

Sorry my images did not post to my last reply, not sure why, here is a pic of two 3 legged stands side mounted

Here is a link that might be useful:

Thank you, Dave. I was hoping you'd weigh in (and soon), as I'm doing the transfers right now.

Gary

i have a shade cloth over mine and they do fine from the lights to greenhouse.

Thanks everyone.

I too found the Yellow Brandywine a great producer. I'm hardening off a few of these right now. Beautiful heirloom.

It is always fun to see what everyone is growing. I just realised that I planted my tomatoes in ground this year earlier than I even went to buy my plants last year. Already there is a slight amount of growth on the seedlings.

This is my first year gardening. Yesterday I planted:
4 Supersweet cherry
4 LaRoma II
4 Health Kick
4 Beefsteak

I realized later that at least 2 of them are hybrids, which as I hear does not bode well for saving seed, but oh well. They were cheap and happened to be near where I was grocery shopping which saved me a 3hour trip to the nursery I had intended to go to. I'll have to be a little more prepared next year!

Are plants from "Big Box Stores" really hardened off when you buy them? The stores do not look like my garden. I would buy them several days before I wanted to plant them, then go through a hardening-off procedure before I transplanted them to my garden.

I use a 3-4 day process for moving my tomatoes and peppers from my greenhouse to my garden. I have an outside shelter made from old storm and patio doors and screens, that reduces the wind velocity and sun exposure by 1/3 to 1/4 where my plants spend several days before they are introduced to the cruel outside world.

Both the Lowe's and the WM here keep their tomato and veggie seedlings outdoors. At the Lowe's, the plants are on the side of the building which faces ESE, so they get sun at midday and all afternoon. WM's plants are on the south side of the building, so they get sun all day.

These are mostly Bonnie Plants seedlings. Where Bonnie keeps them before delivery, I have no idea, but I know that Bonnie (and, I think, also Metrolina Greenhouses at Lowe's) send staff to the stores to water the plants. The store staff don't handle any plant care, and I'm sure they don't move seedlings around to harden them off.

I don't know if the seedling display shelves have wheels or not, but Lowe's outdoor display tables in the same area are simply metal mesh panels set on cinderblock legs. If there are wheels on the seedling shelving, I suppose Lowe's or WM might bring those displays into the fenced garden area at night to prevent theft. But there certainly isn't space indoors (particularly during the day) for plants being hardened off.

We have a HD as well; I think I've been there a whole 3 times over the years, but as it happens, I was there last month. The tomato seedlings were in a fenced area near the outdoor check-out area; Google's satellite view shows that area with some sort of roof, maybe translucent fiberglass panels.

No most won't return to green. You can remove them or they will eventually die and fall off.

They needed more light while growing - the leggy stems and long node lengths indicate that. Assuming you will be planting them out soon and will be burying them deeply so that all that bare stem is below ground they will be fine. If not then any way you can increase the lighting will help.

Dave

Do you use "Miracle Grow" potting mix?

I also call tomatoes acidity but what i really mean is a tomato that's not sweet..i really don't care for very sweet tomatoes. i grew up eating Celebrity and Champion thats the flavor that i like, then years later i found Old Brooks and Big Boy that to me taste acidity or not sweet..does any one else think these tomatoes taste acidity ???

Acidic... tart... assertive... I use the term zingy. :)

Situation 1: I live in central Saskatchewan and have an aunt who lives in Alberta. One year, we unknowingly both planted Sunstart tomatoes (I don't recall the seed sources). I brought along a big box full of my extras to share with family when we visited that fall. My aunt tasted them and said that my Sunstarts were much sweeter than hers. That year I had kept up on the weeding and watering.

Situation 2: Another year, our youngest was born at the end of June and was a colicky baby for her first four months. Weeding never happened that year and we scavenged what we could from the garden through the summer and fall, whatever managed to grow under the tall cover of thistles and other weeds. There weren't many, but those were THE zingiest tomatoes I have ever tasted. I had grown that variety before - Applause - and I have grown it since. Even plants grown from that same seed packet, zingy as they *have* been, have not had the... well, KAPOW!... that those fruits did that particular year.

My opinion is that while there is a predisposition towards sweetness or away from it built within the variety, environmental factors can be a bigger determinator of ultimate flavour punch.