Beginner's Qs about pruning after wind damage

leshachikha · April 26, 2013

Hey everybody! I'm a beginner gardener (my family always used to have a big garden when I was a kid, but this is my first time gardening by my lonesome), and I've kinda been flying by the seat of my pants with respect to my three Black Krim plants. I'm in Philadelphia (zone 7) and am using homemade earthtainers. I was so excited about this season that I jumped the gun and started my seedlings way too early. By the first week of April, they were just too big/leggy to keep inside anymore, so I rolled the dice and transplanted them into the earthtainers after a very brief hardening-off.

The plants had a hard first few days. In the space of a week, the weather went from windy, to unseasonably hot (90 F!!), to rainy, to cool, then back to windy again. They survived, but the foliage was pretty tattered. I pruned off one or two of the very worst boughs on each plant, but left the rest of the damaged leaves because I didn't want to get too wild with the shears.

Well, now the tomatoes seem really happy! The tops are bushy and vibrantly green. 2 of the plants are already blooming, and the third has buds. However, several of the older boughs still look rough. Would it be best to remove these boughs? Also, the scars along the stem where I previously cut off the damaged branches are now sprouting new branches! Some of these are a little too close to the soil for my taste, but if I cut em off, won't I just get new ones again? And the plants are sending up TONS of little sprouts in the elbows between the boughs and the main stem! Is it true that those branches won't bear fruit, or that they sap energy from the rest of the plant?

What would you advise me to do? I'm so afraid of killing my these poor plants that unfortunately got stuck with me for a caretaker!

Thanks!!

Redbaron · April 26, 2013

Wouldn't hurt to do a Missouri pruning to replace those tattered leaves.
Missouri prunning

Dewayne mater · April 26, 2013

The lower leaves are typically the first to get diseased and have to be pulled at some point. As long as you aren't scalping the plant too severely, you should be safe to remove the tattered leaves. I usually have to do that every year since spring weather is typically volatile and windy.

Dewayne mater

Iochroma · April 26, 2013

I will just add that it is very important to me to use clean tools when pruning, and I sterilize between plants, and even between cuts into diseased areas. I use a torch to do the sterilizing. I may be a little OCD about this but I worked in a pathology greenhouse in college, and I saw how easy it is to transmit debilitating viruses.

leshachikha · April 26, 2013

Thanks so much for your guys' help so far!

Redbaron: In response to the "Missouri Pruning" thing... One thing that I'm always a bit unclear on (and this shows what an ignoramus I am), is that when people talk about "pinching" something off, do they literally mean to use your fingers to pinch off the stem? Or is it just an expression for using a tool to do so?

EDIT: Nevermind! It looks like on that resource your linked, it says to use your fingers. Got it!

Dewayne: Good to know that I'll be safe to take 'em off! My plants will look much prettier when they're cleaned up.

Iochroma: I've heard the bit about sterilizing tools, but I don't know if I have a blowtorch, haha! Would rubbing alcohol on kitchen shears work alright, or should I use something else?

ginger2778 · April 27, 2013

Quote:

Iochroma: I've heard the bit about sterilizing tools, but I don't know if I have a blowtorch, haha! Would rubbing alcohol on kitchen shears work alright, or should I use something else?

I use Lysol wipes thoroughly on the pruner. I also wear exam gloves because they are smoother than my own hands so I can wipe them between plants too. Lysol is a good disinfectant and uses ethanol, that is denatured grain alcohol, that is what does the job.
I even spray my mango skins with Lysol and it works well to keep Anthracnose off.
Sort of reminds me of My Big Fat Greek Wedding's father and his Windex!

Marsha

Iochroma · April 28, 2013

not to denigrate the expertise of others, but we were always told that the only effective methods to field-sterilize tools were heat, or a 5 min. soak in a strong bleach. I find the torch quick and efficient.

April 26, 2013	#1
leshachikha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 23	Beginner's Qs about pruning after wind damage Hey everybody! I'm a beginner gardener (my family always used to have a big garden when I was a kid, but this is my first time gardening by my lonesome), and I've kinda been flying by the seat of my pants with respect to my three Black Krim plants. I'm in Philadelphia (zone 7) and am using homemade earthtainers. I was so excited about this season that I jumped the gun and started my seedlings way too early. By the first week of April, they were just too big/leggy to keep inside anymore, so I rolled the dice and transplanted them into the earthtainers after a very brief hardening-off. The plants had a hard first few days. In the space of a week, the weather went from windy, to unseasonably hot (90 F!!), to rainy, to cool, then back to windy again. They survived, but the foliage was pretty tattered. I pruned off one or two of the very worst boughs on each plant, but left the rest of the damaged leaves because I didn't want to get too wild with the shears. Well, now the tomatoes seem really happy! The tops are bushy and vibrantly green. 2 of the plants are already blooming, and the third has buds. However, several of the older boughs still look rough. Would it be best to remove these boughs? Also, the scars along the stem where I previously cut off the damaged branches are now sprouting new branches! Some of these are a little too close to the soil for my taste, but if I cut em off, won't I just get new ones again? And the plants are sending up TONS of little sprouts in the elbows between the boughs and the main stem! Is it true that those branches won't bear fruit, or that they sap energy from the rest of the plant? What would you advise me to do? I'm so afraid of killing my these poor plants that unfortunately got stuck with me for a caretaker! Thanks!!

April 26, 2013	#2
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	Wouldn't hurt to do a Missouri pruning to replace those tattered leaves. Missouri prunning __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

April 26, 2013	#5
leshachikha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 23	Thanks so much for your guys' help so far! Redbaron: In response to the "Missouri Pruning" thing... One thing that I'm always a bit unclear on (and this shows what an ignoramus I am), is that when people talk about "pinching" something off, do they literally mean to use your fingers to pinch off the stem? Or is it just an expression for using a tool to do so? EDIT: Nevermind! It looks like on that resource your linked, it says to use your fingers. Got it! Dewayne: Good to know that I'll be safe to take 'em off! My plants will look much prettier when they're cleaned up. Iochroma: I've heard the bit about sterilizing tools, but I don't know if I have a blowtorch, haha! Would rubbing alcohol on kitchen shears work alright, or should I use something else? Last edited by leshachikha; April 26, 2013 at 04:12 PM.

April 26, 2013	#3
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	The lower leaves are typically the first to get diseased and have to be pulled at some point. As long as you aren't scalping the plant too severely, you should be safe to remove the tattered leaves. I usually have to do that every year since spring weather is typically volatile and windy. Dewayne mater

April 26, 2013	#4
Iochroma Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: San Francisco Posts: 49	I will just add that it is very important to me to use clean tools when pruning, and I sterilize between plants, and even between cuts into diseased areas. I use a torch to do the sterilizing. I may be a little OCD about this but I worked in a pathology greenhouse in college, and I saw how easy it is to transmit debilitating viruses.

April 28, 2013	#7
Iochroma Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: San Francisco Posts: 49	not to denigrate the expertise of others, but we were always told that the only effective methods to field-sterilize tools were heat, or a 5 min. soak in a strong bleach. I find the torch quick and efficient.