Too tall tomatoes, it's still only June!

[Dak]

I suppose this is a good type of problem, but my tomatoes are getting too tall, I have some now that are over seven feet. I'm keeping them upright by using the Florida Weave.

If I top them, how to best manage tomatoes growing wider rather than taller?

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by Dak

I suppose this is a good type of problem, but my tomatoes are getting too tall, I have some now that are over seven feet. I'm keeping them upright by using the Florida Weave.

If I top them, how to best manage tomatoes growing wider rather than taller?

Wrap another weave around them

[Dak]

Originally Posted by Redbaron

Wrap another weave around them

Right, but then I'll be burying/covering the fruit along the inside, making it harder to see and pick. Guess no one said gardening would be easy, LOL.

[Redbaron]

Well you asked. In Florida, where it was invented, they generally let them flop over.

[AKmark]

Chop the tops and let two new suckers from lower become the main plant, and keep them pruned like vines. Done it, works great, and besides; when you chop the top of your plants the flowers set fruit out of normal parameters.

[Dak]

I did ask, and thank you, Redbaron for your answer, I do appreciate it. I was just thinking out loud. One year I did let them just flop over, that was a real mess.

[indigosand]

How close are your rows, Dak? I am doing florida weave as well, have quite a few plants that have reached the top. I was brainstorming the other day about weaving and enclosing across the top in a "X" from post to post. that would at least give something to support the branches when they flop and theoretically the fruits should be pulled to the inside of the tunnel to pick.

[Dak]

Originally Posted by AKmark

Chop the tops and let two new suckers from lower become the main plant, and keep them pruned like vines. Done it, works great, and besides; when you chop the top of your plants the flowers set fruit out of normal parameters.

Great idea, thank you!

Originally Posted by indigosand

How close are your rows, Dak? I am doing florida weave as well, have quite a few plants that have reached the top. I was brainstorming the other day about weaving and enclosing across the top in a "X" from post to post. that would at least give something to support the branches when they flop and theoretically the fruits should be pulled to the inside of the tunnel to pick.

That's an interesting idea, my bed is 20 feet long, 4 feet wide. I've staggered two rows of tomatoes, but it's my back row that is super tall, so feasibly, I could have them cross inwards, something to think about, thank you!

[crazyoldgooseman]

I let mine flop out of my 5 ft CRW cages each year and just hang down. This year with all the rain they are at the top allready and I have not picked a tomato yet.

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by AKmark

Chop the tops and let two new suckers from lower become the main plant, and keep them pruned like vines. Done it, works great, and besides; when you chop the top of your plants the flowers set fruit out of normal parameters.

That's what I'm doing this year. I stake and grow close together, so I really didn't want more than two stems. With our weather patterns this year some of the plants are already at the top of the stakes with very few tomatoes between the first low trusses and the top of the plant. This week I started pinching out the tops and selecting a couple of lower suckers to develop. Last year I let them flop over the top and ended up with a tangled mess and a few toppled stakes.

[AKmark]

This plant was 8ft with 5 tomatoes until I chopped the tops. I also let two suckers from the bottom become the new tops, and I would say it worked

[COMPOSTER]

Originally Posted by AKmark

This plant was 8ft with 5 tomatoes until I chopped the tops. I also let two suckers from the bottom become the new tops, and I would say it worked

I'm new to actively attempting to control my plants by pruning. I have always just let them grow and continue to tie them up. However, that gets kind of out of control and frustrating. I actually had several plants blow over, stake and all last year in a storm. Lots of tomatoes in contact with the soil and you can guess the rest.

Can you explain the process of topping to me?

Glenn

[AKmark]

I am no great tomato grower, but have tinkered for quite a few years with different methods, and have formed a few opinions. I have never read a tomato book, just gathered tid bits along the way, so my fine print may be way off in actual fact.
In AK our summers are short, so I always let my indeterminates form two forks, or more, by letting a sucker form the growth extension. By doing this tomatoes set faster because of the extra trusses that are available within the forks. However in the world of heirlooms... every now and then I get a beast that grows, and grows, (plant matter), but has whole trusses of flowers break off. Now the reason for this is only my hypothesis, and I am open ears to professional interpretation, or correction in thought. Cal- mag wont stop it, even watering, nothing works, additives that is, bear with me here, and correct me if I'm certainly off base too.
With an OP in nature, there is always a tussle between root capability to deliver versus plants ability to take, an equilibrium between parts. In nature, when the equilibrium is broken, survival kicks in and flowers and fruit are the first to go in order to reset the balance for survival of the plants. As growers we want the plant part to produce flowers and fruit over plant matter, to an extent that is, at peak capacity in regards to root ability to provide.
In the case of my plant, for whatever reasons, GROWTH was stripping away the plants ability to set fruit because it was absorbing the root output at full capacity. I guess the good part of this can be that, these observations also allow growers to tailor strains, by selecting tolerate individuals for future endeavours.
Anyway; to remedy a current problem like this, simply cut the tops above the last trusses with flowers, and let suckers from lower on the plant become new tops. You should also take note how much pressure it takes to push nutrient way up through a tall plant, and with that said, there is a two pronged advantage to this method.

[COMPOSTER]

AKmark,

Thanks for the very good explanation. I am going to experiment with this method and see what happens.

Glenn