Topping tomato plants?

chiefbeaz · May 8, 2015

I use the Florida weave system to hold up my plants. I use about 7 foot tall fence post aka T post. Once the plants reach the last string support they start droping towards the ground like a weeping willow tree. I would guess the plants reach on the average 10 foot tall, maybe more. This is not a big problem, but it is messy looking. I have no problem picking the tomatoes, I just get my arm under the hanging branches and raise them up and pick any tomatoes I find under the branches.

My question is, what would happen if I topped the plants once they reach a certain height? Do the plants quit producing or do they keep bearing fruit? I don,t have a clue . Any one have any idea about topping the plants ?

Worth1 · May 8, 2015

They will produce more limbs to grow tomatoes on if you didn't cut them all off.
Worth

Ed of Somis · May 9, 2015

C...I wondered about that myself. I think W is right. I know with my fruit trees...topping will simply force side shoot growth. Makes sense maters would do that too.

AlittleSalt · May 9, 2015

I agree that Worth is right on this because I've seen it myself year-after-year. I personally only cut healthy looking branches or leaves that are too close to the ground. As far as tomato plants growing upward, at 200 feet you might want to buy some lights http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_warning_lights

I planted 24 of those mixed seeds in cells 4 days ago. If they produce, I'll send you seeds from the ones Identified.

saltmarsh · May 9, 2015

Growing up on a truck farm in the 50's and 60's, we staked, tied and pruned our tomatoes to 2 stems. When each stem had 4 clusters of tomatoes the stems were topped. The plants would continue to produce suckers, but these were removed as well.

Topping the plants and removing the suckers caused the plants to ripen their existing fruit 2 - 3 weeks earlier than normal.

This was done because early tomatoes sold for 2 - 3 times the price of later tomatoes. These were sold in 1/2 bushel baskets with a pink to ripe pack (2 layers of tomatoes just showing good color on the bottom, 2 layers of half ripe on top of those and 2 layers of ripe tomatoes on top). By the time the grocery store sold all the tomatoes from the basket all of them had ripened. And they all tasted good.

When the garden tomatoes came in, the market flooded and you couldn't sell a tomato for love or money. In other words, there wasn't any lost production from the vines, because tomatoes produced from untopped vines had no value.

It's a different market today with greenhouse tomatoes, gassing, and the consumer expecting all red tomatoes. Not to mention tomatoes retailing for 88 cents a pound in February. Claud

Gardeneer · May 11, 2015

If I was planning to top at certain height ( say 5ft), I would let several lateral at about 2- 3 ft from the ground to stay on. When you topthe main, those lateral grow faster but won't grow too tall.
What you are doing is just making a vine type indet a more bushy plant. But have to plan it early so when you top the plant, there will be strong lateral to take over production role.

chiefbeaz · May 11, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I agree that Worth is right on this because I've seen it myself year-after-year. I personally only cut healthy looking branches or leaves that are too close to the ground. As far as tomato plants growing upward, at 200 feet you might want to buy some lights http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_warning_lights

I planted 24 of those mixed seeds in cells 4 days ago. If they produce, I'll send you seeds from the ones Identified.

My plants haven't reached the 200 foot mark at this time, but it is nice to know where to get the Aircraft warning lights if needed. let me know how the seeds I gave you turned out. I have plenty of the Red brandywine , but none of the Red Oxheart

AlittleSalt · May 12, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefbeaz

My plants haven't reached the 200 foot mark at this time, but it is nice to know where to get the Aircraft warning lights if needed. let me know how the seeds I gave you turned out. I have plenty of the Red brandywine , but none of the Red Oxheart

I tried choosing seeds from the pack that sort of looked different from each other. Growing them through the heat of the Texas summer will be challenge for sure. I have some ideas for over-summering tomatoes here. I figured why not try two of the hardest to grow types here in the southern part of north America. (Brandywine and Heart) Something I'm looking forward to try.

An Idiom, "Nothing ventured - nothing gained" applies here. Why not try it?

May 8, 2015	#1
chiefbeaz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Middle, TN Posts: 271	Topping tomato plants? I use the Florida weave system to hold up my plants. I use about 7 foot tall fence post aka T post. Once the plants reach the last string support they start droping towards the ground like a weeping willow tree. I would guess the plants reach on the average 10 foot tall, maybe more. This is not a big problem, but it is messy looking. I have no problem picking the tomatoes, I just get my arm under the hanging branches and raise them up and pick any tomatoes I find under the branches. My question is, what would happen if I topped the plants once they reach a certain height? Do the plants quit producing or do they keep bearing fruit? I don,t have a clue . Any one have any idea about topping the plants ?

May 8, 2015	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	They will produce more limbs to grow tomatoes on if you didn't cut them all off. Worth

May 9, 2015	#3
Ed of Somis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Somis, Ca Posts: 649	C...I wondered about that myself. I think W is right. I know with my fruit trees...topping will simply force side shoot growth. Makes sense maters would do that too.

May 9, 2015	#4
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I agree that Worth is right on this because I've seen it myself year-after-year. I personally only cut healthy looking branches or leaves that are too close to the ground. As far as tomato plants growing upward, at 200 feet you might want to buy some lights http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_warning_lights I planted 24 of those mixed seeds in cells 4 days ago. If they produce, I'll send you seeds from the ones Identified.

May 9, 2015	#5
saltmarsh Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: 2 miles south of Yoknapatawpha Zone 7b Posts: 662	Growing up on a truck farm in the 50's and 60's, we staked, tied and pruned our tomatoes to 2 stems. When each stem had 4 clusters of tomatoes the stems were topped. The plants would continue to produce suckers, but these were removed as well. Topping the plants and removing the suckers caused the plants to ripen their existing fruit 2 - 3 weeks earlier than normal. This was done because early tomatoes sold for 2 - 3 times the price of later tomatoes. These were sold in 1/2 bushel baskets with a pink to ripe pack (2 layers of tomatoes just showing good color on the bottom, 2 layers of half ripe on top of those and 2 layers of ripe tomatoes on top). By the time the grocery store sold all the tomatoes from the basket all of them had ripened. And they all tasted good. When the garden tomatoes came in, the market flooded and you couldn't sell a tomato for love or money. In other words, there wasn't any lost production from the vines, because tomatoes produced from untopped vines had no value. It's a different market today with greenhouse tomatoes, gassing, and the consumer expecting all red tomatoes. Not to mention tomatoes retailing for 88 cents a pound in February. Claud

May 11, 2015	#6
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	If I was planning to top at certain height ( say 5ft), I would let several lateral at about 2- 3 ft from the ground to stay on. When you topthe main, those lateral grow faster but won't grow too tall. What you are doing is just making a vine type indet a more bushy plant. But have to plan it early so when you top the plant, there will be strong lateral to take over production role.