Pruning to single stem - Page 3

Salsacharley · May 29, 2013

Here's a link to a great video on pruning suckers off of indeterminate plants.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJgA4n-sCE8

Stvrob · May 30, 2013

This is the first year Ive stuck to single stem (or maybe two stems) but they are just reaching the top of my trellis at 7 feet. Should I top it? Let it grow? I was thinking of letting a sucker from about mid height take over, and then after the main stem fruit has been harvested, remove it and let the sucker be the main stem. Does anyone else do this?

Andrei · May 30, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stvrob

This is the first year Ive stuck to single stem (or maybe two stems) but they are just reaching the top of my trellis at 7 feet. Should I top it? Let it grow? I was thinking of letting a sucker from about mid height take over, and then after the main stem fruit has been harvested, remove it and let the sucker be the main stem. Does anyone else do this?

Hi, not sure if I understand you correctly, but in this forum I've seen this french page being linked to as an example for something (I think) very similar:
http://www.tomodori.com/3culture/taill_sur_2-tiges.htm

b54red · May 30, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stvrob

This is the first year Ive stuck to single stem (or maybe two stems) but they are just reaching the top of my trellis at 7 feet. Should I top it? Let it grow? I was thinking of letting a sucker from about mid height take over, and then after the main stem fruit has been harvested, remove it and let the sucker be the main stem. Does anyone else do this?

I usually turn them along the top of the trellis and then guide them down. Eventually I can't tell what vine I'm getting toms off of because they have all crisscrossed so many times. Sometimes if I have a good sucker started that looks like it will develop well I will let it go and top the main stem.

Bill

tlintx · May 30, 2013

The tomodori link recommends letting them grow no taller than they've set fruit that will ripen in your climate.

My plants got about four clusters set before the weather got too hot to set much more, so that's what I'm aiming for in height, with two to three vines at that length and erring on side of taller. If nothing else, it'll give me a benchmark for next year's fall crop.

beeman · May 30, 2013

I was always taught to top out at 5 trusses, all on a single stem. That's the maximum, given a 'normal' summer, to ripen all fruit. Otherwise we get tons of greenies.
Seems to work, as we don't have lots of vegetation taking away growth of fruit.

Father'sDaughter · May 30, 2013

I set out to do single stem the last couple of years, but failed to pull it off. If I missed a few days and once a sucker had buds, I weakened and would let it stay. This year I'm allowing myself two stems and letting one of the early, low suckers become stem number two. I think I'll wait to see how the second stems come along and if they're doing well, maybe I'll also try topping the main stem once it gets too tall. Most of my problems start once they grow beyond the top of the stakes and entangle with each other, so maybe this method will eliminate that problem!

JRinPA · August 24, 2013

I have a question about the tomodori pruning technique that was linked.

Why is the stem cut after 3 sets of flowers, with the growth continued on a sucker for three more sets?

Why not just leave the stem for 6 sets of flowers on the first pair of stems?

Is the sucker thought to be more vigorous?

Are the first three sets of fruit thought to ripen faster if the stem above them is cut off?

b54red · August 26, 2013

I had planned to do some single stem plants again this year but since almost all of the plants I set out were grafts I decided to go with more stems since I was setting out far fewer plants than usual. I am now glad I did because of the constant rain and disease problems we have had. I would have had no foliage for most of my tomatoes with a single stem. I didn't have enough on a lot of them with many stems because of the foliage loss from disease. Hopefully next year I will get a better start on my grafting and will have enough plants to do another single stem experiment since I was so happy with it last year.

Bill

zipcode · August 26, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRinPA

I have a question about the tomodori pruning technique that was linked.

Why is the stem cut after 3 sets of flowers, with the growth continued on a sucker for three more sets?

Why not just leave the stem for 6 sets of flowers on the first pair of stems?

Is the sucker thought to be more vigorous?

Are the first three sets of fruit thought to ripen faster if the stem above them is cut off?

By cutting the main stem, there will be a pause until the sucker starts growing strong. That time is used by the plant to exclusively grow the tomatoes, so you have earlier crop.

Zenbaas · September 27, 2015

.I have a question regarding the single stem pruning. My black from tula plant has some interesting growth at the top at the moment(looks like 4 stem). Two suckers, one growth stem and the main stem I believe. Where do I prune..? Only remove the two suckers?

Zenbaas · September 27, 2015

uploadfromtaptalk1443367558054.jpg

Gardeneer · September 28, 2015

That is a very interesting formation.
The main is forked and then 2 more secondary branches are growing. I would probably prune the side branch on the right and keep the other 3.

Pruning an indet to a single branch is not going to be a good idea. The branch will keep growing live a bean, morning glory for ever. I am in the "Prune It!" camp but i think pruning to a single plant is counter productive.
Gardeneer

AKmark · September 28, 2015

Next year I am almost going to prune everything to one stem. I usually prune to two, three, or more stems, in 10 gallon or larger containers. I am going to smaller containers and single stem because I miss out on the first truss potential. I will get 50 percent more trusses set on the first truss with smaller containers single stem. 100 containers two vines equals 200 vines, 100 first trusses. 200 containers, single vine equals 200 first truss. If we figure a truss adds up to 5 pounds that is 500 extra pounds right out of the gate.

Zenbaas · September 28, 2015

I will try and take a better picture tonight with some annotations on it. I agree I think I will have to keep one of the lateral branches as well as the main one.one lateral branch already has blooms forming whereas the other one doesn't.

May 29, 2013	#31
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	Here's a link to a great video on pruning suckers off of indeterminate plants. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJgA4n-sCE8

May 30, 2013	#32
Stvrob Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 1,413	This is the first year Ive stuck to single stem (or maybe two stems) but they are just reaching the top of my trellis at 7 feet. Should I top it? Let it grow? I was thinking of letting a sucker from about mid height take over, and then after the main stem fruit has been harvested, remove it and let the sucker be the main stem. Does anyone else do this?

May 30, 2013	#35
tlintx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: SeTx Posts: 881	The tomodori link recommends letting them grow no taller than they've set fruit that will ripen in your climate. My plants got about four clusters set before the weather got too hot to set much more, so that's what I'm aiming for in height, with two to three vines at that length and erring on side of taller. If nothing else, it'll give me a benchmark for next year's fall crop.

May 30, 2013	#36
beeman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 692	I was always taught to top out at 5 trusses, all on a single stem. That's the maximum, given a 'normal' summer, to ripen all fruit. Otherwise we get tons of greenies. Seems to work, as we don't have lots of vegetation taking away growth of fruit.

May 30, 2013	#37
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,917	I set out to do single stem the last couple of years, but failed to pull it off. If I missed a few days and once a sucker had buds, I weakened and would let it stay. This year I'm allowing myself two stems and letting one of the early, low suckers become stem number two. I think I'll wait to see how the second stems come along and if they're doing well, maybe I'll also try topping the main stem once it gets too tall. Most of my problems start once they grow beyond the top of the stakes and entangle with each other, so maybe this method will eliminate that problem!

August 24, 2013	#38
JRinPA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: SE PA Posts: 964	I have a question about the tomodori pruning technique that was linked. Why is the stem cut after 3 sets of flowers, with the growth continued on a sucker for three more sets? Why not just leave the stem for 6 sets of flowers on the first pair of stems? Is the sucker thought to be more vigorous? Are the first three sets of fruit thought to ripen faster if the stem above them is cut off?

August 26, 2013	#39
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I had planned to do some single stem plants again this year but since almost all of the plants I set out were grafts I decided to go with more stems since I was setting out far fewer plants than usual. I am now glad I did because of the constant rain and disease problems we have had. I would have had no foliage for most of my tomatoes with a single stem. I didn't have enough on a lot of them with many stems because of the foliage loss from disease. Hopefully next year I will get a better start on my grafting and will have enough plants to do another single stem experiment since I was so happy with it last year. Bill

September 27, 2015	#41
Zenbaas Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: South Africa Posts: 340	.I have a question regarding the single stem pruning. My black from tula plant has some interesting growth at the top at the moment(looks like 4 stem). Two suckers, one growth stem and the main stem I believe. Where do I prune..? Only remove the two suckers?

September 28, 2015	#43
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,915	That is a very interesting formation. The main is forked and then 2 more secondary branches are growing. I would probably prune the side branch on the right and keep the other 3. Pruning an indet to a single branch is not going to be a good idea. The branch will keep growing live a bean, morning glory for ever. I am in the "Prune It!" camp but i think pruning to a single plant is counter productive. Gardeneer

September 28, 2015	#44
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	Next year I am almost going to prune everything to one stem. I usually prune to two, three, or more stems, in 10 gallon or larger containers. I am going to smaller containers and single stem because I miss out on the first truss potential. I will get 50 percent more trusses set on the first truss with smaller containers single stem. 100 containers two vines equals 200 vines, 100 first trusses. 200 containers, single vine equals 200 first truss. If we figure a truss adds up to 5 pounds that is 500 extra pounds right out of the gate.