Down Growing Branches ?

[AlittleSalt]

While building garden #2, I let garden #1 do it's own thing. Today, I'm removing branches that are growing down to the ground from 65 tomato plants. While trimming, I noticed almost every place where a branch is growing downward - there's a branch growing upward right beside it. The upward growing branch is almost always smaller. Is there a word or term for this?

I'm also curious to why branches would grow downward? It seems like they would grow upward towards the sunlight.

In the pictures, the first two pictures are of the same plant (Yellow Riesentraube) The third picture is a Snow White plant. I could have taken pictures of just about any of the plants out there that would show the same results.

[maf]

The ones that are growing down are the leaves. The ones that are growing up are the branches (also called suckers, shoots, stems, vines etc.) that emerge from each leaf axil. When people prune their plants to a single stem these young branches are the shoots that they remove.

[Worth1]

Salt if you take this downward growing leaf and support it like in the picture here.
At the fulcrum point it will still continue to grow down.
Here is an example, you can clearly see where it starts to bend down again.
Worth
IMG_201504204608.jpg

[Worth1]

I have two ideas about these leaves and their growth habit.
One, they help provide energy directly to the new branch coming out.
Two, they grow down so the new branch can have sunlight and room to grow up.
Soon these big leaves will start turning yellow and start to die.
As soon as that happens I cut them off.


Worth

[AlittleSalt]

Thank you maf and Worth.

I was thinking of the tomatoes that I planted out in the compost bin (I know, sounds crazy)
They were extra plants that I want to see how they grow completely unsupported. Some of them are growing like the supported ones in the garden. While others are snaking across the ground. The ones spreading on the ground are interesting because the leaves are hugging the ground and the braches curve up off the ground.

I'm curious if the leaves growing down is also so they can grow roots if need be?

[Stvrob]

I call those suckers. Most people pinch em off. I let them grow two leaves, then pinch. And the one growing to the ground, consider removing it, or at least at the first hint of disease.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Stvrob

I call those suckers. Most people pinch em off. I let them grow two leaves, then pinch. And the one growing to the ground, consider removing it, or at least at the first hint of disease.

No some people pinch them off not most.
If I and many others here did that we wouldn't get half the tomatoes we do.
My tomato plants are covered in branches and they are all producing tomatoes.


Worth

[Stvrob]

Originally Posted by Worth1

No some people pinch them off not most.
If I and many others here did that we wouldn't get half the tomatoes we do.
My tomato plants are covered in branches and they are all producing tomatoes.


Worth

You are right! I should have been more clear. If your plan calls for pruning the lower suckers, I was trying to point out you have the option of pruning it after it grows two leaves, which would be more upright and not lay on the ground like the leaf just below the node. If you arent looking to limit the leaders, you dont have to prune it at all, though I think its ok to say that most people will eventually remove the lowermost leaves that are in the splash zone.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Stvrob

You are right! I should have been more clear. If your plan calls for pruning the lower suckers, I was trying to point out you have the option of pruning it after it grows two leaves, which would be more upright and not lay on the ground like the leaf just below the node. If you arent looking to limit the leaders, you dont have to prune it at all, though I think its ok to say that most people will eventually remove the lowermost leaves that are in the splash zone.

For some odd reason this year I have only had to remove the very lowest leaves.
And the first sucker/branches on some of the plants I did this to aren't doing anything they are just sitting there.
The rest above them are growing like crazy.

My sun golds I couldn't even tell you which one was the first main leader coming up.

Solar Fire just doesn't want to grow up at all it keeps growing out.
Bushiest things I have ever saw and covered in blooms.

Worth

[AlittleSalt]

I want to revive this thread.

For a year, I've looked up online what the leaves do for the tomato plant, and I still have no real idea.

The way I look at plants - is like with any product - you don't add useless parts. Useless parts cost money for the manufacturer. Why would nature add a useless part to a tomato plant? Downward growing leaves must have have a purpose, and it's not to produce flowers or tomatoes on them, but are they needed to build a healthier and stronger plant?

Tomorrow is a day that I'm supposed to trim leaves sections and suckers again.

There will be pictures tomorrow.

[pmcgrady]

My downward growing leaf plants, have bigger stems.

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I want to revive this thread.

For a year, I've looked up online what the leaves do for the tomato plant, and I still have no real idea.

The way I look at plants - is like with any product - you don't add useless parts. Useless parts cost money for the manufacturer. Why would nature add a useless part to a tomato plant? Downward growing leaves must have have a purpose, and it's not to produce flowers or tomatoes on them, but are they needed to build a healthier and stronger plant?

Tomorrow is a day that I'm supposed to trim leaves sections and suckers again.

There will be pictures tomorrow.

Plant's purpose is not necessarily our purpose !!
Our purpose is to get more fruits in a limited time period, as we do not eat the leaves.
Tomato plant, being naturally a perennial has a long term never ending plan. That is why it keeps growing and has no sense of the end of season. But we do.
Side branches, given time, would produce tomatoes. But until then it will draw resources from the mother plant without making a significant contribution. An analogy is like a baby born to an old time farmer in the agrarian society . The farmer has to take care of the baby many years until he/she becomes a helping hand. That is just an analogy.
In a short growing season it will take about couple of months for a side branches to grow to maturity, then flower. From from flower it will take about 45 days to produce ripe tomatoes. Maybe some of the early branch outs are worth keeping but not the " Johnny comes lately" ones

Gardeneer

[AlittleSalt]

Gardeneer, thank you.

I just found this in a Google search after reading your reply. I did not know they are perennials when grown in their native habitat. That explains a whole lot.

"Although in their native habitat, tomato plants grow as perennials, they are usually grown as an annual for cultivation. Tomatoes are referred to as tender perennials, as they will generally succumb once temperatures drop, especially once frost hits." https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...l+or+perennial