Missouri pruning american tomatoes

[MrBig46]

Dear friends. I did not plant american varietes of tomatoes never. I planted one american variete Beefmaster VFN last year. I have seeds these american heirloom varietes, which I want to plant this year: Brandywine Red, Brandywine Black, Delicious, Cherokee Purple, Black Trufle and Beefsteak. I ussualy plant indeterminant varietes on convolutes and use simple pruning. This metod I used for planting my Beefmaster, but it dont acquited me.
I too combined simple pruning (two suckers) and missouring (one sucker) and it (I think) was better. And now my questions:
1.Do you use missouri pruning, when you planted for exlample Brandywine?
2.How do you do (each)?
3.Do you think, that missourin pruning is better (than simple) for beefsteak tomatoes?
4.How many flowers do you leaves on the cluster?
Thank you.

[Redbaron]

Only certain varieties require Missouri pruning. Some varieties like Rutgers provide plenty of foliage and don't need Missouri pruning. It depends on the variety and growth characteristics. As a general rule, no determinates should be pruned this way. Also varieties with thick foliage don't need it. Only certain heirloom varieties with sparse foliage are helped by Missouri pruning.

In general if you Missouri prune, you may leave all the tomatoes on a flower cluster to develop, since Missouri pruning encourages enough extra foliage to support full development.

I hope this helps.

[Stvrob]

This is interesting. I did not know what "Missouri Pruning" is, and I am from Missouri. So I googled it just to find out that it is exactly how I prune tomatoes.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by Stvrob

This is interesting. I did not know what "Missouri Pruning" is, and I am from Missouri. So I googled it just to find out that it is exactly how I prune tomatoes.

I have been Missouri pruning longer than I knew the term myself. Actually came up with the idea independently as a way to replace foliage damaged in some way, then found out later it was already being done!

[MrBig46]

Originally Posted by Redbaron

Only certain varieties require Missouri pruning. Some varieties like Rutgers provide plenty of foliage and don't need Missouri pruning. It depends on the variety and growth characteristics. As a general rule, no determinates should be pruned this way. Also varieties with thick foliage don't need it. Only certain heirloom varieties with sparse foliage are helped by Missouri pruning.

In general if you Missouri prune, you may leave all the tomatoes on a flower cluster to develop, since Missouri pruning encourages enough extra foliage to support full development.

I hope this helps.

Thank you for your answer. I don´t know tomato Rutgers. I look at this tomato and I like it. I like your enthusiast for this tomato and your Rutger project.
I used single pruning for all my indeterminant tomatoes and I am comfortable. But I want taste something new. Are you the fan NJ Devils? A nice day.

[MrBig46]

Originally Posted by Stvrob

This is interesting. I did not know what "Missouri Pruning" is, and I am from Missouri. So I googled it just to find out that it is exactly how I prune tomatoes.

Can you write me, which tomatoes do you prune in this way? Thanks.

[MrBig46]

It is snowing outside, but the spring is near. I shall plant these tomatoes:
1.Brandywine Red
2.Brandywine Black
3.Cherokee purple
4.Delicious
5.Black Trufle
6.Beefmaster
7.Beefsteak
Can we write me how do you prune these tomatoes? Thank you.

[Stvrob]

I prune everything that way. Except determinant varieties. But just because I prune that way doesn't make it right.

[MrBig46]

Originally Posted by Stvrob

I prune everything that way. Except determinant varieties. But just because I prune that way doesn't make it right.

Do you prune each sucker by missouri way?

[b54red]

I like this pruning technique when I am keeping plants to a single stem. On plants with more than 2 stems it can sometimes create too much foliage for good air flow and that is critical down here in the humid gulf coast.

[Stvrob]

usually i prune that way, unless I feel that there wont be enough room for two more leaves in that part of the plant. By the summer heat though I always fall behind with pruning. Pruning to two leaves can make more work, because another sucker will try to grow.

My plants face into a pretty steady SE breeze, but I don't have quite as much sun as I'd like because of a laurel Oak that has grown too big (I need to take it down). I feel like the extra foliage is a benefit, but I'm not an expert on these matters.