Pineapple Tomato Plants and Pinching

lakelady · August 24, 2011

I've planted Pineapple tomatoes for several years, with good success. This year, I started pinching suckers with the idea that I wouldn't have such massive out of control plants that cannot be contained in the cages (as I had in previous years). For some reason, the tomatoes they produced were much smaller than usual, about 1/2 the size and I'm wondering why.

There was a description somewhere I read that you should NOT prune Pineapple tomato plants and now I'm wondering if somehow that led to smaller fruit? Doesn't make sense to me, but I'm stumped as to why the fruits are so small. Any thoughts?

kath · August 24, 2011

Not sure about the "why" question, but just wanted to share that I grew Pineapple last year and pinched out the suckers and had very large fruits. Never heard about the suggestion not to prune them, but pruning is usually said to increase the size of the fruits.

piegirl · August 26, 2011

I have also been pinching out suckers in an attempt to get the dang plants to set. One green fruit so far but now I notice one has set at the top. You are right - it is a huge plant. Piegirl

lakelady · September 4, 2011

Well all of a sudden my Pineapple Tomatoes are putting out lots more fruits, and this late in the season, I have no idea what will become of them. Today I pinched off any other buds forming so hopefully the plants will just focus on what they have growing. I guess the cooler temps agreed with them. I lost a lot of earlier flowers to inconsistent watering when my other tomatoes started getting fungus. I sure hope they hurry up and grow!

kath · September 4, 2011

Glad to hear you have at least the hope of more tomatoes from this plant- I guess now it just depends on how much warm weather we'll get into the fall. Last year the weather was pretty good for ripening many fruits that I thought would never have time to get to blushing. Just before the first frost, I also decided to harvest not only the blushers but many that were all green and very hard- the only criteria was that it be a reasonable size- and I had tomatoes ripening indoors into December. Some tasted better than others, had better texture, rotted less, etc., with Sandul Moldovan being the overall winner. Sadly, my Pineapple plant didn't survive that long. Best of luck!

piegirl · September 4, 2011

Yesterday I went out with pruners in hand to trim back and/or remove my massive pineapple vines - ONLY to find that one has about 20 or more fruit set on. I did prune out new suckers. I do that beginning Labor Day every season on most of my plants. I hope the fruits have enough time to mature. I was very surprised but our weather finally took a turn for the better - lower temps and humidity. piegirl

August 24, 2011	#1
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	Pineapple Tomato Plants and Pinching I've planted Pineapple tomatoes for several years, with good success. This year, I started pinching suckers with the idea that I wouldn't have such massive out of control plants that cannot be contained in the cages (as I had in previous years). For some reason, the tomatoes they produced were much smaller than usual, about 1/2 the size and I'm wondering why. There was a description somewhere I read that you should NOT prune Pineapple tomato plants and now I'm wondering if somehow that led to smaller fruit? Doesn't make sense to me, but I'm stumped as to why the fruits are so small. Any thoughts?

August 24, 2011	#2
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	Not sure about the "why" question, but just wanted to share that I grew Pineapple last year and pinched out the suckers and had very large fruits. Never heard about the suggestion not to prune them, but pruning is usually said to increase the size of the fruits.

August 26, 2011	#3
piegirl Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 791	I have also been pinching out suckers in an attempt to get the dang plants to set. One green fruit so far but now I notice one has set at the top. You are right - it is a huge plant. Piegirl

September 4, 2011	#4
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	Well all of a sudden my Pineapple Tomatoes are putting out lots more fruits, and this late in the season, I have no idea what will become of them. Today I pinched off any other buds forming so hopefully the plants will just focus on what they have growing. I guess the cooler temps agreed with them. I lost a lot of earlier flowers to inconsistent watering when my other tomatoes started getting fungus. I sure hope they hurry up and grow!