Prune for one or multiple stems?

[flashback]

Hello everyone,

I am new to this site and wanted to know some of your opinions on pruning.

I have just bought seedlings for this season from Craig (nctomatoman) in Raleigh. I bought these varieties;

Cherokee Purple
Cherokee Green
Opalka
Sungold
Nepal
Lillian's Yellow Heirloom
Orange Heirloom
Brandywine (Pink)

My question is should I prune to grow one stem and prune all other suckers or sould I prune for two or more stems?

I plan on growing five in 24 gallon containers in the yard staked and three in 20 gallon containers caged on the back deck.

Thanks for any help, John

[Gobig_or_Gohome_toms]

There are many different views and factors on to prune or not to prune and I am sure if you searched on here you would find lots of discussions this subject.

I grow in containers and they are in close proxcimity to each other so I do prune generally to 1-3 main stems on indeterminant varities so that they are growing more vertically then horizontally. But I do not think there is a right or wrong answer.

[nctomatoman]

Howdy and thanks!

Here are my thoughts on pruning....because tomatoes can be fussy with respect to temp and humidity when blooming and setting fruit, I am a non-pruner - I let everything grow! Say that you are pruning to one or two main stems....indeterminates flower every so often as you go up the main stem. Once those flowers form, that is it - so if you prune to a main stem, the lead grows to 6-7 feet tall and few of the flowers pollinate, that is it. But, each sucker or side shoot represent additional flowering and fruiting potential - this to me helps to guarantee that over a season, sufficient flowers will pollinate and fruit set so that you get a reasonable yield. Plus, the extra foliage from the additional stems provide protection from sun scald.

But as mentioned above, there are as many pruning opinions and methods as people who grow tomatoes!

[flashback]

Thanks for the input on pruning. When I grew my first tomato plants my parents would look at my plants and start pinching off suckers with or without permission. They had been taught from parents and friends to pinch the suckers off.

I thought that with all the tomatoes grown by the people on this sight that there would be more tomatovllians that perfered one method over the other. Well I guess I have to grow more tomatoes and make my own educated guess.

Thanks to nctomatoman and his seedlings I finally have some real tomatoes to grow.

Thanks again for the input, flashback

[barkeater]

flashback, I'd have to say most people cage their tomatoes on this site, some do the Florida weave and might prune a little.

[cottonpicker]

My practice is to watch each plant's progress and decide whether to prune to 1 or 2 or 3 stems or to not prune at all. It depends on plant size, vigor, growing habit, health, etc. and it varies from plant to plant. I realize this is kind of a "wishy-washy" answer, but it's truthfully my answer and, generally, I have pretty good luck with it.

[carolyn137]

They had been taught from parents and friends to pinch the suckers off.

*****

And that's b/c many folks in the past and even now think that suckers, aka lateral branches, suck energy from the plant and are not productive themselves.

If they'd only let some of those suckers grow they'd have seen that they form blossoms and fruit and are just fine.

I don't prune either. The more foliage the more energy made via photosynthesis and more leaves as backup when and if foliage diseases appear.

[flashback]

Thanks everyone,

With both Craig and Carolyn not pruning at all I think I will try that this year. It seems almost to easy.

[Worth1]

Suckers grow on corn, new growth = tomatoes on tomato plants.

I don't prune and never will if I cant keep it in the air then it will just have to grow on the ground.

Worth

[tomatoguy]

I agree with Carolyn and Craig. I don't prune. I have tried it both ways. When I used trellises and pruned vigorously, I got larger but fewer fruit. I also had more disease problems with my plants.

mater

[Patapsco Mike]

I was taught to prune all suckers and all leaves within about 18" of the ground ASAP. It's a habit born of at least 4 generations. My grandfather in Germany had annual contests for several decades with neighbors as to how many good fruits they could get from tomato and pepper plant. They pruned heavily, and it worked well for them.

I find that keeping my leaves pruned away from the soil helps with some foliage diseases. My theory on pruning around the central leader is that it keeps the plant more open, which keeps the plant more airy and sunny and I would imagine also helps with foliage diseases, for finding pests like stinkbugs, and for making sure all fruits get picked at the right time. When I let things run all over without pruning, I always end up with fruit rotting close to the ground. Once this starts, it seems like the next fruit rots even more quickly and before you know it I have to pick the fruits before they are even fully ripe.

I believe that my heavy pruning may lower my yield marginally, but it results in easier and more trouble-free gardening and better looking tomatoes. I know for certain that I am picking tomatoes until a month after my neighbors have given up on their sprawling plants. As with everything, your experience could be very different depending on location.