Pruning technique
 

The following link has been posted here before: [url]http://translate.google.com/translate?depth=1&hl=en&nv=1&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://www.tomodori.com/3culture/taill_sur_2-tiges.htm%26safe%3Doff%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D639&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=fr&u=http://www.tomodori.com/3culture/taill_sur_2-tiges.htm[/url]

... yet I never hear of anyone actually pruning in this way. I will be pruning some tomato plants in my square foot garden that are growing up a trellis. They have two feet each, so I'm planning on pruning each to 2-3 growing tips.

Questions:

1. Is there a benefit to cutting each growing tip after the third set of flowers, and then continuing to use a sucker as the growing tip for that branch?

2. Is there a benefit to cutting the main stem above the third sucker and allowing the third sucker to take the place of the main stem?

3. Is this stuff worth worrying about at all, or should I just use my judgment to prune enough so that the plants do not get out of control and maintain enough air circulation?

I will be the first to jump in the pool and give my opinion.
One the link never came up but I didn't really need it to.
First as you well know never prune determinants or dwarfs.
Second I never prune anything but the leaves that are close to the ground, this is where you get most of your problems.
I dont grow for giant tomatoes so in that respect I dont prune.
In my interpretation a sucker is something that comes up from the stump and robs nutrients from the main plant like what is called a tiller with corn.
The natural branches that happen along the plant is its natural way of growing and therefore opportunity for more tomatoes.
Where I live if I started pruning all I would do is limit the amount of fruit I got because it would take longer for the plant to produce more blooms.
By this time it would be too hot and the later blooms wouldn't set.

During the growing season I will any and all suspect leaves and branches that dont look right.

I am not saying this is the right way or only way just my way.:)


Worth

[QUOTE=Worth1;455134]I will be the first to jump in the pool and give my opinion.
One the link never came up but I didn't really need it to.
First as you well know never prune determinants or dwarfs.
Second I never prune anything but the leaves that are close to the ground, this is where you get most of your problems.
I dont grow for giant tomatoes so in that respect I dont prune.
In my interpretation a sucker is something that comes up from the stump and robs nutrients from the main plant like what is called a tiller with corn.
The natural branches that happen along the plant is its natural way of growing and therefore opportunity for more tomatoes.
Where I live if I started pruning all I would do is limit the amount of fruit I got because it would take longer for the plant to produce more blooms.
By this time it would be too hot and the later blooms wouldn't set.

During the growing season I will any and all suspect leaves and branches that dont look right.

I am not saying this is the right way or only way just my way.:)


Worth[/QUOTE]

Worth, as you mentioned an I also think the same ; there is a difference between natural branching and a sucker branching. Where sucker start at a leaf nove, natural branching take place at the tip, often forming a "V". I trim ALL sucker branchings on indeterminant and leave determinant alone on their own.

I am also with you on trimming lower leaves and suspect. Those branches/leave are just burden on the plant and a weak point for diseases get started.

How you prune depends on a number of factors. As Worth points out, your growing season can determine how you should prune. Gardeners who live in areas where extreme heat cuts the growing season short (like Worth's Texas) may have pruning strategies that are very different than those of us with long growing seasons.

I have an exceptionally long growing season. This year I planted out a few early varieties in February. I expect ripe fruit in May. I often have ripe fruit in December. My pruning has more to do with disease control rather than fruit size. I remove any leave that threatens to touch the ground. I remove diseased leaves at the first sign of trouble. (My main nemesis is Early Blight). I prune to increase air flow when the plants get too dense.

When the summer heat kicks in in August, I might prune a bit to reduce stress on the plants. I don't get much fruit set in late August anyway. For me, the hot, dry weather of August helps keep the fungal disease under control and when the weather cools down, the plants can take off again.

I couldn't make heads or tails from that translation. From the pictures, it didn't look like the way I prune at all.

[QUOTE=Stvrob;455194]I couldn't make heads or tails from that translation. From the pictures, it didn't look like the way I prune at all.[/QUOTE]

Your not the only one I read it and everything didn't make any since to me either.
Worth

I noticed it is a French site, so I assume the English gibberish is the result of some kind of auto translation. But I sure would never prune that way, either. I have occasionally accidentally snapped off a main stem and let the next sucker down grow out and take over, but it always slows the plant down. I never viewed it as any kind of advantage. Just a recovery from an oops.

[QUOTE=FarmerShawn;455215]I noticed it is a French site, so I assume the English gibberish is the result of some kind of auto translation. But I sure would never prune that way, either. I have occasionally accidentally snapped off a main stem and let the next sucker down grow out and take over, but it always slows the plant down. I never viewed it as any kind of advantage. Just a recovery from an oops.[/QUOTE]

Possibly at the latitude of Paris, with such a long extended period of ideal weather and such long days, they can afford to do things that slow the plant down.

Yeah, I found the auto-translated text pretty worthless (I guess the literal translation of the French word for "sucker" is "lover"?). But I think that the diagrams demonstrate what they're saying. Maybe I'll try the technique on one plant and see if it improves production or health of the plant.

I'm specifically talking about growing on a trellis with limited space across. And I'm in Central Florida, so we have two short growing seasons. I planted about a month ago, and the season will be over around mid-to-late July. Then I'll start new seedlings and plant out about a month later for the fall. Humidity and disease is so bad here that I don't think over-summering will ever work.

Yes, for my caged plants, I do not prune at all unless something is touching the soil. This is my first time growing on a trellis. I guess it might just be guess-and-learn on the trellises this spring.

Elight, are your trellises really only 2 ft tall?

[QUOTE=Stvrob;455237]Elight, are your trellises really only 2 ft tall?[/QUOTE]

No I think as was said it is a square foot garden and each plant has one square foot.

Me thinks.

Worth

Sorry for the confusion. The trellises are 5 to 6' tall. They are in a 4x4 raised bed, and I planted two across... So each plant has two square feet and thus two lateral feet across the trellis.

The pruning shown in the given link, in the sketches is a radical method. It is something like pruning grape vine. I bet French know about it all. They aim at making "U" shape braching by cutting the main off. You have to do that early on, like when the plant is about 2ft tall and continue ....
I might try to do one plant like that as an experiment.

[QUOTE=Gardeneer;455318]The pruning shown in the given link, in the sketches is a radical method. It is something like pruning grape vine. I bet French know about it all. They aim at making "U" shape braching by cutting the main off. You have to do that early on, like when the plant is about 2ft tall and continue ....
I might try to do one plant like that as an experiment.[/QUOTE]
What would a more traditional method be for pruning on a trellis? Just pruning suckers once the trellis seems to have all the growth it can handle?

[QUOTE=elight;455319]What would a more traditional method be for pruning on a trellis? Just pruning suckers once the trellis seems to have all the growth it can handle?[/QUOTE]

On a trellis, say 6ft tall, probably there is no need to top (like done in the link). Once the plant over grows the trellis, just let it drape. The amount of pruning would depend on the spacing. Under 2ft I would keep 2-3 branches, 3ft+ you can keep all branches. To me suckers that grow later , here, there, everywhere .. are not worth keeping, especially if your season is short. Until the time the suckers start setting fruits they use up a lot of plant's energy. They are just like babes that need to be fed.
So, to me, pruning has to be with timed and calculated.
Now , trimming is not a pruning. I clean out all lower leaves and ANY lower leaves that show spots, yellowing,..They are just burden on the plant and often invite diseases.