Pruning to single stem

[mikej]

Fairly new to this, but here is my experience, but limited. I have grown hybrids in the past and never pruned them. They sure provided many tomatoes, but most of the later ones were small and the foliage was so thick. Last spring and fall, I grew Brandywines and had the same results. My indeterminates crop growing now, (I have Cherokee Purple, German Giant, and Better Boy), I have kept them pruned to 5 or 6 stems per plant. Some of my pruning has been simple pruning and some I do the Missouri pruning. I do the Missouri prune if it is in an area where I think the foliage may be a little thin. Here in South Florida the sun can be brutal on the fruits, so I want some foliage to provide shade. So far the plants look good and my first few fruits have been large and well- flavored. I, like Carolyn, think the foliage and the photosynthesis it provides is important for the flavor.

[Tom A To]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

And then there are some of us who never prune tomato plants, either grown in containers or inground, and I'm one of them.

Carolyn

Ditto.

I also never treat the plants with anything for pests, diseases, etc. If it's infected or performing poorly, its out of there.

I do prune any branch that touches the soil.

[carolyn137]

(Hi Everyone,
I live in Zone 10 a few blocks from the ocean. It stays pretty cool here and I have found that growing cherry varieties work best for me. Last year I started growing in Earthboxes and had my best harvest ever.)

&&&&&&

Same introduction above as you gave at GW, so I put two and two together and realized you were using different user names.

But at GW you went on to say which graftred varieties you were growing, etc.,

So slightly different focus, but I finally understood it was you posting in both places, and with the same introduction.

I've answered here, but not there and only one response, form Dave who asked you the question there if you're growing in Earthboxes why even use grafted plants?

There's a long thread here at Tville on grafting here in this Forum.

Carolyn

[MrBig46]

The other country, the other varieties of tomatoes, the other concepts of growing. All Czech indeterminant varieties ( with exception of Stupice) are recommended to prune to a single stem. And each gardener in Czech republic do it as. Only bigginers don´t pruning Czech tomatoes, but only first year. Small harvest, little tomatoes. This don´t apply for outland varieties for example Cuor di Bue, Beefmaster, San Marzano, etc.,where I used Missouri pruning with the better effects. Anybody don´t use cages for growing tomatoes in Czech republic.
Vladimír

[Deborah]

OK, I did it this morning. Took off with clean scissors all the branches that look like they're not serving any purpose and aren't going to, plus a few yellowed spotty ones.
My plants look like Raybo's-light, pretty trees.
I can see the good breeze blowing through the plants now.
Vladimir, what is Missouri pruning? What I just did?

[NorthTom]

I believe Missouri pruning is removing the growing tip so the branch does not grow any further, but you still leave the majority of that branch for its foliage.

[Deborah]

Thanks. If I did that I'd be removing flowers. The plants have lots of flowers and sure look better since the pruning.

[Deborah]

Oops, wait a minute, you meant side branches?
I thought you meant cutting down the main stem. My flowers are all toward the top. Look like flowering trees now and I like it much better.

[NorthTom]

Yes side branches.

[tlintx]

Yeah, it's also useful technique when you miss a sucker and it's too thick to lop off.

My Homestead shot a sucker up from underground and I didn't realize right away. Now that sucker is 2/3 the size of the main plant.


Tl

[b54red]

I only use the Missouri pruning on varieties that have sparser foliage or a more open growth habit. On some varieties that are pruned to a single stem if you don't use the Missouri method the tomatoes are just too exposed to sunscald.

[TZ-OH6]

I did a little study a few year ago with twenty pairs of indeterminant heirloom beefsteaks and hearts. I compared staked and pruned to the main trunk and its splits (generally two or four upper stems at the end of the season) vs. caged unpruned plants, which ended up haveing six or more sucker branches, plus the main trunk splits.) --- so generally two 'stems' on the staked vs. eight in the cages.


The results were this: caged plants -- main trunk and splits grew half of the plant's fruit, and they were larger on average than the fruit on the suckers.

The staked-pruned plants had slightly more fruit than the trunks of the caged plants, and the fruit were the same size as those on the trunks of the caged plants.

Conclusion -- two staked pruned plants grown in the same space as one unpruned caged plant will give me better production.


Sprawled plants might be different because light can get to all of the leaves, but in a caged plant there is a lot of shading going on, and a leaf has to be a certain size (half grown in some plants) before its photosynthesis in optimal light will support its growth, so if you have a lot of young leaves and they are shaded in a cage (like suckers generally are), they are a drain on the plant.

One thing that seriously affects my numbers. I get huge first trusses. generally double or tripple the number on the second truss. For example, an Indian Stripe had thirteen fruit on the first truss, six seven or more are not uncommon. Hybrids may not act that way, and it may have something to do with my conditions. I have poor pollination when the heat of August sets in. So it's best if my space is used to maximize those first two trusses of fruit.

If I had a longer season where the September-set fruit could ripen before mid October frost, things might be different.

[svalli]

Through trial and error I have found out that I have to prune to single or double stem all indeterminates in the greenhouse. Our season is short, so the suckers may not have time to produce fruits and too much foliage causes too high humidity and disease in the greenhouse. By pruning I will also be able to fit more varieties in the limited space.

This is first year I am growing Galina's and I have noticed that it is a real sucker machine. The plants grew suckers already indoors and have grown new suckers to same places where I have already cut one away. I was able to root the first suckers and had extra plants to give away.

[Ms. Jitomate]

I am also trying one stem on a nylon trellis. It's a constant checking the vines every other day. I can see I have missed some already. If it's not too long I remove it, but lately I'm thinking maybe my 6 foot trellis is not enough because they are already past the mid-point in the trellis and we still have a longer growing season. So this week the tomatoes that I overlooked pruning I have decided to keep the second stem so that I can stop the tomato growth on the original one-stem when it reaches the top. This is new for me, so I hope I'm doing this right

The benefit of the one stem method is the ability to check the plant leaf very easily for hoop and horn caterpillars, aphids, and other bugs. Washing down the leaves with a spray nozzle is also much easier.

[tlintx]

Originally Posted by Ms. Jitomate

So this week the tomatoes that I overlooked pruning I have decided to keep the second stem so that I can stop the tomato growth on the original one-stem when it reaches the top. This is new for me, so I hope I'm doing this right

I just finished reading over the Tomodori instructions and I think you're on the right track. Hope someone who has done this before chimes in, since I'm going to try the espalier-ish three stem technique and see how it works with my fall crop.

We have a reasonably long fall season (from August 1st to mid-November), so I'm wondering how many fruit clusters I can let form and still have a good chance of ripening. I guess it depends on the lateness of the variety? I think I'll do 5' or 6' stakes this year and see what happens.

I'm just hoping for something a bit more space-efficient and productive than the jungle I've got now!