Tomato Growing Secrets: Pruning Tomatoes

[leapingfroglady]

I once took those suckers and put them in soil. They grew another tomatoe plant. Just a tip.

[headgardener2u]

@leapingfroglady yeah, no problem rooting them at all - the issue in short season climates is that by the time you root them, and then grow them to fruiting stage, then you're looking frost right in the eye and the harvests aren't worth the space in the garden. And if you try to take them indoors, you're looking at low light levels so they don't fruit well. Fun project though :-)

[CearaQC]

I generally prune the varieties that keep producing and not the varieties that are pre-determinant

[headgardener2u]

@CearaQC you're right - the indeterminate (keep on growing and harvest over a longer time) are best trained and pruned while the determinant (bushy varieties that harvest mostl all at once) are best trained to a cage or left to sprawl

[pamtime22]

I have also heard that pruning the suckers out will allow more nutrients to go to the fruits (tomatos), instead of the suckers. Is this correct?

[headgardener2u]

@pamtime22 that's one way of looking at it - if the plant isn't growing more foliage, there's more nutrients available for other things such as producing fruit.

[Tcharptyler]

Whats wrong with it overgrowing

[headgardener2u]

@Tcharptyler you have a choice - maximize per square foot of garden space (by training or pruning) or maximize the yield per plant (by allowing plant to run all over and take up lots of space) So this is about maximizing per square foot of garden space and pruning. You can't do both at the same time. Well, you can but it would be a mess... :-)

[ratdavid9]

I've heard of a method where you allow one "sucker" to grow. The one right after the first fruit set. Any thoughts on that?

[headgardener2u]

@ratdavid9 allowing the second shoot/sucker to grow is a greenhouse technique where you take 2 leaders and train them onto two separate strings. Normally, you take the first sucker produced no matter where on the stalk it comes from. But if you're not training them up strings, there's not advantage as it only clogs up the air circulation.

[pinkladydownunder]

thank u for good video....

[dzuck99]

i live in fl when would be a good time to start growing tomatoes??

[GradyWhite2007]

@dzuck99 Right now! In Florida we have two growing seasons. Spring and Fall. Plant around the end of February...by July it's over...then plant again around mid Sept. Dont forget to enrich your soil.

[mbrosset318]

I think hes in the KKK

[headgardener2u]

Leave all existing green tomatoes alone. And no -pruning leaves will not help with pollination of flowers. Simply have patience and grow them properly with lots of water and compost

[wonnep]

I had a couple of big tomatoes that still in green color but other flowers didn't produce small tomato. Will pruning the leaves and / or pick the green big tomatoes help the flowers become tomatoes ? Thanks

[G0MPgomp]

Put those suckers in watr, and they wil lset root, and be new ready tomato plants! :D

[headgardener2u]

@G0MPgomp absolutely they will - but too late for any kind of harvest in a USDA zone 4 ;-(

[G0MPgomp]

@headgardener2u I live in Norway, In zone H4 .. I keep tomatoes all year round.

Do not get much tomatoes when it is snow outside. But one really get a nice and early start. I would save those suckers that for that.. :p

[beautifulbutterfly82]

I am nipping the offshoots (suckers is so american lol) when they are still small, only a few centimetres at most which has resulted in very strong 3' high Ailsa craigs grown under glass in the cool climate of Scotland, is there a particular reason why your offshoots are so big or have you let them get this big prior to the plant fruiting, or are you just a bit busy and its got out of hand.

[headgardener2u]

@beautifulbutterfly82 Normally, I get them at that small size as well but indeed, this group got away from me and I decided to video it.

[operatorbowhunt]

would you do the same thing to jalapeno or habenero plants?i have a VERY limited space to grow out with an abundance of space above.one would ideally want to prune this way before the tomatoes started developing? and i have a few tomato plant that will be hard to identify the main trunk,how do i know the right one to prune?

[headgardener2u]

@operatorbowhunt peppers don't grow upwards as do tomatoes so it would be trickier as they're more bushlike but in a long greenhouse growing season, could be done. as for which is the sucker - see my other videos on this there's one that shows you the sucker coming off the main stem at a leaf axil

[StatenIslandSlim]

those so called suckers are part of the plant and will produce a lot of fruit as long as there is sunlight & nutrients there is no need to prune those suckers and that is a fact.

[headgardener2u]

@StatenIslandSlim you're partially right - if you want to maximize yield per plant (because you have a lot of garden space) then you leave the suckers on the plant. However, If you want to maximize the yield per square foot then you train the plant upwards and prune off the suckers. In other words, if you want more tomatoes per square foot of garden space, (more in less space) then you train and prune out suckers. And those are the whole facts.

[swoop1111]

i started seeds indoors & even with the grow light & heat mat 2 of my biggest plants are leggy 16in w/5 branches - can i hard prune them back to promote a stronger stem & maybe take the cuttings & root them. i hate this i start seeds & go to home depot & get crazed at how thick & vigorous their tomato & eggplant starts look. what am i doing wrong or what is their supplier doing right????

[headgardener2u]

@swoop1111 I have no idea how you're actually growing them but if they're that large, you're obviously sowing too early. Probably too warm a growing temperature and not enough light at the leaf surface (it should only be inches above the leaves and is moved up as the plant grows) But without knowing what you're doing - hard to say what to do. I've written a ton of stuff on my sites (check out the channel websites) on seed growing and that may help (under the propagation area)

[MrMohamelabara]

Hey one important silly question , how can i tell the difference between a Sucker and a normal branch??

[headgardener2u]

@MrMohamelabara check out my video on pruning tomato suckers - they're the growth that starts at leaf axils (between a leaf and the main stalk). That video shows them and how to prune them easily

[forrest1840]

... but you did a great job !!! i'm italian gardener man NO MAFIA, PIZZA E MANDOLINO hehehehe ^_^ only tomatoes

[forrest1840]

why take away the suckers now you made it too might as well let them grow ?

[akwolfsong]

I live in Alaska (Anchorage area) and have an impossible time getting them to fruit. They flower then stop I believe due to cold. Any tips please?

[headgardener2u]

@akwolfsong tough climate! Check with your local newspaper columnist (Jeff Lowenfels) as he'll have all the facts. In northerly areas - you have to pick your varieties carefully (short term varieties) heat up the soil in the spring with a black plastic and protect the plants with tunnels for both late and early frosts. Or build a small greenhouse. Or.. all of the above

[horlacsd]

@akwolfsong

Green house? ie Brick wall 3ft high around your raised bed, and have a tarp or something to drape over during nights in late summer/fall

[wolf2351]

I live in Central Florida and would like to know what is the tomatoe growing season here?

[headgardener2u]

@wolf2351 Sorry - I'm a Northern gardener and really can't offer advcie for the South. Check wtih a local garden center and they'll give you the good dates.