We planted seedlings for the first time this year in a spot that gets good sun all afternoon (though none in the morning). It has been very humid over the past several weeks. We went with 6 hierloom varieties and until the last week or so had little to no fruit. My question is: Is it allright to cut the plants back some? Some are now over 8 feet tall and if I straightened some of them out they could be as high as 10 to 12 feet. I am trying to tie off as many stems as I can but aside from the control of the weight of the stem I'm wondering if the size of the plants are hurting the fruit production. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Joe & Dorothy
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- Super Green Thumb
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I would think that it would be okay to prune the plants back some but, I'll ask a local expert for you. My plants just started to produce fruit a few weeks ago so, don't despair.
Don't go pruning until I can get back to you on the topic. I'll send my friend an email right away. (I don't think that the height will have anything to do with fruit production though).
By the way, what heirloom do you have?
Don't go pruning until I can get back to you on the topic. I'll send my friend an email right away. (I don't think that the height will have anything to do with fruit production though).
By the way, what heirloom do you have?
Wow! That was a quick response! Thank you and I'll wait to hear before I do anything. We have six varieties, which I already know we planted way too close to each other (about 12 inches or so between them). The varieties are: Arkansas Traveler, Brandywine, Burbank, Garden Peach, Red Calabash, and Yellow Pear. We picked out first two Garden Peach just the other day and they had a pretty good flavor and it looks like a Red Calabash is just about ripe enough to pick. Some of the taller "branches" have blossoms on them but they don't seem to be setting very well.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
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- Super Green Thumb
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Oh, I misunderstood what you were saying. I thought that you hadn't gotten any fruit yet. If you have fruit, that is just fine. You can prune the tomatoe plants back, and around the begining of september it is best to defoliate the plant because the plant will then put all of it's energy into ripening the fruit.
Enjoy your tomatoe plants and be sure to save some seeds! Maybe we can swap tomatoe varieties, I have about twenty heirlooms myself.
Incidentally, tomatoe plants love to be fertilized with liquid fish and liquid seaweed fertilizer.
Enjoy your tomatoe plants and be sure to save some seeds! Maybe we can swap tomatoe varieties, I have about twenty heirlooms myself.
Incidentally, tomatoe plants love to be fertilized with liquid fish and liquid seaweed fertilizer.
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- Mod
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I have a 'Matt's Wild Cherry' that would have been much the same as what you described without serious intervention; I have been whacking it back HARD for weeks now and it is still threatening my other heirlooms (not sissies either).
Remember that many of these heirlooms are indterminates and WILL get to be as big as you say unless drastic measures are taken. Next year 'Matt's' gets it's own trellis and I am going to see how big it gets (get the ladder out, Becky...)
Scott
Remember that many of these heirlooms are indterminates and WILL get to be as big as you say unless drastic measures are taken. Next year 'Matt's' gets it's own trellis and I am going to see how big it gets (get the ladder out, Becky...)
Scott
Thank you both again for the replys. Now that the weekend warrior in me is getting the itch I thought I'd better check in again to ask for pruning tips. Is there anything that I could do that would seriously injure the plant or should I just go about pruning from the top?
I'm happy to tell you that we have picked a few more of the plum tomatoes red and yellow, and more seem to be almost ready to pick.
I'm happy to tell you that we have picked a few more of the plum tomatoes red and yellow, and more seem to be almost ready to pick.
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- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
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Generally speaking, tomatoes ripen from the bottom of the plant up so, I think pruning the plant from the top down, would actually encourage ripening of the lower tomatoes.
I wouldn't go pruning all of the foliage off until mid september (depending on what your climate is like) such that any fruit that is still to set will recieve enough sugars to do so.
I'm actually going to wait until October first to prune my plants.
I wouldn't go pruning all of the foliage off until mid september (depending on what your climate is like) such that any fruit that is still to set will recieve enough sugars to do so.
I'm actually going to wait until October first to prune my plants.