Hi All!!
I have 3 heirloom (indeterminate) plants in a cedar box on my roof in New York City which are growing profusely (which I am very happy about!!!). All plants are STAKED...
I have a few questions though -
1 of my plants has maintained a single stalk and growing good fruit off of that stalk.
My 2 other plants have both split about a foot and a half up the main stalk into 2 stalks. Each "sub" stalk has since split into 2 other stalks. These last stalks are fruiting well - abundantly well - I have a TON of flowers growing of sprouting from the tops of each of the 4 salks on each plant. I have staked these two plants with two stakes each, one supporting each sub stalk.
I have read that for the best quality tomatoes, it is best to have only one main stalk. I am afraid it is too late to prune one of the stalks from the original split, although I think I could prune one of the two stalks from the second split(s) on each plant. My concerns are - 1. quality of fruit - will enough sugars get to all the fruits growing on 4 stalks per plant??? If not, should I trim off the budding flowers or one (or more - I.e. A B C or D) of the four stalks??
2. Support - I think I have devised a way to support all 4 stalks per plant if I decide to leave them on, although I am sure it will take 2 or 3 more stakes (not a big deal if it is reccomended I leave them on).
Attached is a (crude) sketch of my plants (pictures did not fully convey the whole plant... The green lines represents fruinting stems - and oddly I have what appears to be a large sucker or two which is bearing a lot of fruit...) (See Bottom diagram for example)
Any advice?
Thanks, Tom
PS my 3 plants are orange oxheart, black brandywine and bucks county - the two which I specifically reference are the orange oxheart and black brandywine...
[img]https://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn132/tcy1227/TomatoDiagram.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn132/tcy1227/Suckerdiagram.jpg[/img]
Pruning tomatoes is done by some (but usually when the "suckers" off the branch are very small). Others just let the plants grow wild with no pruning. If you are concerned the plant is growing too big, then prune conservatively. Otherwise, just make sure the vines are staked and supported, well watered and fed and the fruit should be good to eat!
For this year your only option now is to stop any more flowering by removing the flowering trusses as they appear or by pinching out the growing points of all the extension growths. This will divert energies into the fruit already formed. If you just let them go on you will get smaller and smaller fruits - although the eating quality may remain the same.
Indeterminate types are grown cordon style (single stemmed) and all side shoots removed when large enough to be rubbed out with the thumb. How many trusses you allow depends on the height you want the plants to grow to and the size and quantity of fruit desired. Basically, the less root run the plant has the fewer trusses you should expect the plant to support otherwise size of fruits will reduce. Feeding will to a degree compensate for a restricted root system but a plant can be overfed causing harmful salts to build up in the soil/compost
Sometimes a tomato plants stem will branch before reaching the height you want it to grow to - that is, a side growth will appear and have so much vigour that it suppresses the main stem. In this case you can cut it out or let it grow on as you have done, adding support for it. If that occurred after four trusses had been secured I would stop all upward growth and have four trusses of good sized fruits.
[url]https://www.raffia.plus.com[/url]
Indeterminate types are grown cordon style (single stemmed) and all side shoots removed when large enough to be rubbed out with the thumb. How many trusses you allow depends on the height you want the plants to grow to and the size and quantity of fruit desired. Basically, the less root run the plant has the fewer trusses you should expect the plant to support otherwise size of fruits will reduce. Feeding will to a degree compensate for a restricted root system but a plant can be overfed causing harmful salts to build up in the soil/compost
Sometimes a tomato plants stem will branch before reaching the height you want it to grow to - that is, a side growth will appear and have so much vigour that it suppresses the main stem. In this case you can cut it out or let it grow on as you have done, adding support for it. If that occurred after four trusses had been secured I would stop all upward growth and have four trusses of good sized fruits.
[url]https://www.raffia.plus.com[/url]
Hi tcy1227 - yes, vacation time is always a problem if we don't have anyone to take over the watering etc.
I have a very light window in my apartment so I thought this year I would experiment and try a pot grown determinate type indoors. It is a variety called 'Totem' from Thompson and Morgan seeds. I'm now wondering about holiday care the first 2 weeks of July.
[img]https://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1364/11129867/19750997/320885343.jpg[/img]
[url]https://www.raffia.plus.com[/url]
I have a very light window in my apartment so I thought this year I would experiment and try a pot grown determinate type indoors. It is a variety called 'Totem' from Thompson and Morgan seeds. I'm now wondering about holiday care the first 2 weeks of July.
[img]https://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1364/11129867/19750997/320885343.jpg[/img]
[url]https://www.raffia.plus.com[/url]
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beachbum757
- Full Member
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Sat Apr 05, 2008 4:41 pm
- Location: Tidewater, Virginia
Hi bb757
I prefer to rely upon my own resources. What I've decided to do is to fill the large plastic storage bin that the pots are in with compost well charged with polymer granules. Tomatoes root easily from the stems so they should have sent out plenty of roots into the compost by the time I go away. This will at least extend the safe period before the plants suffer.
Interesting to know that water absorbent polymer granules were first produced in massive quantities to stabilise desert soils for agricultural reclamation and now we use little packets to aid water retention in our hanging baskets etc.
I prefer to rely upon my own resources. What I've decided to do is to fill the large plastic storage bin that the pots are in with compost well charged with polymer granules. Tomatoes root easily from the stems so they should have sent out plenty of roots into the compost by the time I go away. This will at least extend the safe period before the plants suffer.
Interesting to know that water absorbent polymer granules were first produced in massive quantities to stabilise desert soils for agricultural reclamation and now we use little packets to aid water retention in our hanging baskets etc.