I just bought a couple tomato plants. I am pratically a novice when it comes to gardening. The plants I bought already have two stems coming out of the soil. They're only about a foot high now, with quiet a few leaves already on them. They are "Better Boy" tomato plants. I just put them in the ground 2 days ago. Should I let the two stems continue to grow up together, and just look for suckers, or should I cut one of the stems away for better production?? I read one article and it says to wait til the plant is about 2ft. high before starting pruning, and never to prune above a blossum. Also, since I'm aware that this type tomato plant is an
"indeterminate" plant it will grow high. Should I go ahead and drive stakes before the root system gets any bigger, so as not to damage them later? Thanks for the help. I am looking forward to having a good output.
You only need to prune off suckers if it is necessary for your support method. Caged plants generally are not pruned, or are pruned/suckered later in the season when useless, shaded, suckers start to clog up the interior of the cage (you'll understand when you see it). Staked plants usually get pruned to 2-4 vines because it is difficult to tie more than that to the stake.
It sounds like you have two plants growing side by side, which is common because seeds often stick together. You can either let them both grow and get 1/2 production from both or cut off the weaker plant and get 100% from one plant. It really doesn't matter too much which way you go, although you might get more early season production from 2 plants befor they start severely competing with each other for soil nutrients.
As far as trimming off lower leaves goes, I usually let those grow for a while because the young plant needs them. When they start to get foliage disease I then cut them off. You can look at the BER sticky thread for an idea of how timing of that pruning may help prevent Blossom End Rot.
It sounds like you have two plants growing side by side, which is common because seeds often stick together. You can either let them both grow and get 1/2 production from both or cut off the weaker plant and get 100% from one plant. It really doesn't matter too much which way you go, although you might get more early season production from 2 plants befor they start severely competing with each other for soil nutrients.
As far as trimming off lower leaves goes, I usually let those grow for a while because the young plant needs them. When they start to get foliage disease I then cut them off. You can look at the BER sticky thread for an idea of how timing of that pruning may help prevent Blossom End Rot.
Thanks for the reply, but I thought pruning had to do with allowing more nutrients to go to the main branches so the tomatoes wouldn't be deprived.... Also about the staking, do I need to wait til the plant gets bigger or should I go ahead and stake it now so as not to damage the root system?? Thanks....
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Ozark Lady
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Most of the pruning advice is aimed at commercial growers where pruning makes for ease of harvest and consistent fruit size. Production per plant is made up by putting in more plants. Greenhouses have 20 ft tall vines full of fruit with most of the lower leaves pruned off, and we all know how those grocerystore tomatoes taste.
If you are selling tomatoes, a little bit of pruning [4-6 vines total plant size] will give you less small fruits and less irregular fruits, but also less total pounds of fruit per plant.
Flavor/nutrient content of the fruit is based on soil fertility, soil moisture level, temperature and sunlight. Sunlight can only be utilized by leaves so a huge plant with only one fruit is going to have all of the sugars and building blocks go to that one fruit. A plant with few leaves and many fruit will not be able to grow large fruit or flavorful fruit.
If you are selling tomatoes, a little bit of pruning [4-6 vines total plant size] will give you less small fruits and less irregular fruits, but also less total pounds of fruit per plant.
Flavor/nutrient content of the fruit is based on soil fertility, soil moisture level, temperature and sunlight. Sunlight can only be utilized by leaves so a huge plant with only one fruit is going to have all of the sugars and building blocks go to that one fruit. A plant with few leaves and many fruit will not be able to grow large fruit or flavorful fruit.
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rainbowgardener
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Yes, as OL says you need to put your stakes or cages in when you plant or soon, because later the root systems will be bigger and you will risk damaging the roots by putting stakes in.
There is a nice piece that TZ did that is now a sticky at the top of this section about different ways to support your tomato plants. It's pretty difficult to do with just one stake per plant and usually only works if you are willing to do a lot of pruning of your plant.
There is a nice piece that TZ did that is now a sticky at the top of this section about different ways to support your tomato plants. It's pretty difficult to do with just one stake per plant and usually only works if you are willing to do a lot of pruning of your plant.
Welcome to the Helpful Gardener 
!
OK, I've looked into this one for a while and have to say that there is not a whole lot of really definitive information on it out there on pruning and how it relates to yield. I have seen a few people who have practiced certain pruning techniques, but most of it seems to be "to each his own."
Two things I have found to be promoted somewhat consistently are that suckers grown from the base of the plant will be very hardy, but will take away from the main stem. Conversely, suckers grown from higher up on the plant will keep the main stem hardy, but they themselves will not be as strong. The preference seems to be with having suckers higher up on the plant.
However, in my experience last year, the plants with the suckers growing from the base seemed to yield more tomatoes than the plants with the suckers growing from higher up on the plant. But, what really sealed it for me was seeing what [url=https://www.truehealth.org/tomatree.html]Charles Wilber[/url] did. He grew the world record tomato plants by using really great compost, a long growing season, and concrete-wire cages.
How he pruned the plants was he got 15 (or so) stems growing off of the base and the bottom few branches and trained each one to one of the vertical wires of the cages. He would then stack one cage on top of another as the plants grew, getting them up to 15-20 ft. tall
, with loads of tomatoes! This tells me that letting suckers grow from the base of the plant (as opposed to higher up on the plant) will not stifle it's growth or fruit production.
Now, there is one thing to keep in mind with all of this: there must be enough nutrition for the plant. You can have all of the main-stems you want, but you wont get a ton of tomatoes without having enough nutrients to support all of the plants needs. The man I just spoke about used compost extensively and gave each plant ample room so there would be no nutrient competition from other plants.
In the end, in my opinion: 1.decide how many stems are manageable for you, 2.have them come from higher up on the plant if you soil is really deprived of any organic matter or nutrition or from the base of the plan if they're not crowded and you have some compost (I had fair luck with bottom suckers and I was way crowded
), 3. Enjoy your garden and your harvest 
.
! OK, I've looked into this one for a while and have to say that there is not a whole lot of really definitive information on it out there on pruning and how it relates to yield. I have seen a few people who have practiced certain pruning techniques, but most of it seems to be "to each his own."
Two things I have found to be promoted somewhat consistently are that suckers grown from the base of the plant will be very hardy, but will take away from the main stem. Conversely, suckers grown from higher up on the plant will keep the main stem hardy, but they themselves will not be as strong. The preference seems to be with having suckers higher up on the plant.
However, in my experience last year, the plants with the suckers growing from the base seemed to yield more tomatoes than the plants with the suckers growing from higher up on the plant. But, what really sealed it for me was seeing what [url=https://www.truehealth.org/tomatree.html]Charles Wilber[/url] did. He grew the world record tomato plants by using really great compost, a long growing season, and concrete-wire cages.
How he pruned the plants was he got 15 (or so) stems growing off of the base and the bottom few branches and trained each one to one of the vertical wires of the cages. He would then stack one cage on top of another as the plants grew, getting them up to 15-20 ft. tall
, with loads of tomatoes! This tells me that letting suckers grow from the base of the plant (as opposed to higher up on the plant) will not stifle it's growth or fruit production.Now, there is one thing to keep in mind with all of this: there must be enough nutrition for the plant. You can have all of the main-stems you want, but you wont get a ton of tomatoes without having enough nutrients to support all of the plants needs. The man I just spoke about used compost extensively and gave each plant ample room so there would be no nutrient competition from other plants.
In the end, in my opinion: 1.decide how many stems are manageable for you, 2.have them come from higher up on the plant if you soil is really deprived of any organic matter or nutrition or from the base of the plan if they're not crowded and you have some compost (I had fair luck with bottom suckers and I was way crowded
), 3. Enjoy your garden and your harvest .Nice points garden5. Another thing I read about suckers that applies to people in warmer areas like me, is that they create more shade within the tomato plant and keep the plant cooler. I used to remove a lot of suckers, but now I let more of them grow. Yesterday it hit 95 here so my bushy plants were more protected I hope.
Tate
Tate
That's impressive... but, then, you would have to garden from a ladder !garden5 wrote: How he pruned the plants was he got 15 (or so) stems growing off of the base and the bottom few branches and trained each one to one of the vertical wires of the cages. He would then stack one cage on top of another as the plants grew, getting them up to 15-20 ft. tall...
If I want to see a cage that high, I'll go to a pro wrestling event
(just joking)