Extreme Tomato Plant Pruning

[johno]

Curiosity got the better of me. I went out today and pruned my tomato plants like the ones in Chucks video. They are just getting their first flowers. I noticed as I was going along that they were starting to shed the lower leaves, anyway. So it's starting to make sense that this is just speeding up nature - not so different from tree maintenance, come to think of it.

I don't know if I'll have the guts to keep pruning them that way or not. But another thing occurred to me. Even if this makes them produce more earlier, but not as much total, that'll be great, because my tomato plants quit producing by the end of July, anyway. The heat, I guess...

I did leave several unpruned, just for the sake of comparison.

I also have to wonder if there is some evolutionary reason tomato plants react well to severe pruning? Perhaps in the wild there is some creature that eats the leaves or breaks branches or something? Does anyone know about the native ecology of wild tomatoes?

[organichris]

I want to try pruning, but I couldn't quite get myself to do the deed! I struggled so much with these seedlings, now to finally see them grow, is proof that they are going to be okay. Then to prune them, it's just hard for me to do.

I know, there's no "wrong way". I just don't want to do anything that will cause me to not have tomatoes! Silly I know. It's just hard for this first time pruner.

If I was in your position, I would be concerned about plant stress. If your plants are already under stress and trying to recover, you would be completely justified in not pruning. You would probably give them a serious shock if you did.

I had no idea that softened water could cause that problem. Do you add the water softener yourself or how does that work exactly?

[ChuckBartok]

I also have to wonder if there is some evolutionary reason tomato plants react well to severe pruning? Perhaps in the wild there is some creature that eats the leaves or breaks branches or something? Does anyone know about the native ecology of wild tomatoes

?

It is so easy for man to explain things in the first person.
Plants don't think, they operated under the Genetic Code, and in most of nature that code says:

"I am under stress, must reproduce"

So as I prune, we are sending stength and vigor to that function of Making Fruit = Reproduction.

Secret of Horticulture under the guidence of man is top find that balance. We farm for susitenece and economic thresholds. We garden for enjoyment, beauty and food production.

Our family Gardens for the financial outcome...
Healthy food and enough to sell or barter for other needed services and products.

So we are always striving for production as natural as possible. But our Plants are not as pretty as most

[johno]

Plants don't have to think to evolve. It's called natural selection.

But yes, I understand that stress = must reproduce, as well.

[ChuckBartok]

Back again.

I was pleased to count 17
"made" Tomatoes on one of my Stupice Plants in
the first level fruit set.
05-29-08

Plants about 35" tall

Second level is doing better with flower and some set.

Hope these Photos show up.

I can send Full 1200 pixel Urls is anyone wants them

[organichris]

Looking good. Looks like they'll be putting on the fruit quite heavily.

[ChuckBartok]

The key now will be enough shade and water balance as we move into 3 digit Temps.

I really monitor moisture, terying to keep goobalance for s bit of stress to set fruit and then a spurt of Green growth.

Tomatoes and Cotton are so alike.

It is nice our nights still are in the 60's and low 70's in June

[organichris]

Chuck, I was meaning to ask you...In your last video you said that one of your plants was replaced after it died. Out of curiosity, what killed it?

[ChuckBartok]

OMG...
I take full responsibilty.
When I pruned the plant before transplant I pruned the termimal buds.
And I didn't want to wait for it to come back.

[organichris]

Chuck,

I just watched your most recent video. Fruit set is looking good. I will really be amazed if you get a thousand pounds.

[ChuckBartok]

I am always amazed at any Harvest.
This, as you know is a "business model" for
my Membership Resource Community.

The First thing anyone does in a Business is
STATE a purpose and Write down A reasonable
Target within a time span.

The results are not as important as "Getting it Going"

Playing with nature is tricky
(I know watched three hundred acres of
beautiful wheat never Fill out,
5 days of brutal North wind in the
dough stage, but the plants would
have carried the heavy crop).

I have had 50# Tomato yields in the past,
so I thought that was a good number to shoot
for and because of that WRITTEN and PUBLICLY
stated Goal, I am really working harder to do
my best to Achieve.

"the results are not what is Important, Doing It Is".

[karpes]

There may be some logic behind this but I have never heard of it being applied to a tomato plant which is always more than happy to produce fruit. Fruit trees are sometimes slow to fruit and some people recommend that you do some drastic things to make the tree think that it is dieing. A couple of these things are to cut off the water to the tree or cut off all but 1” of the bark around the base of the tree. All of the above seem to be more than I would be willing to do. I am also curious and will be watching to see the next episodes to see if it works. Oldude

[matt_]

I work on a friends organic farm part time and he has two temperature controlled Hoop Houses with tomatoes in the ground and string trellis with vine clips for support ,He also cuts all the suckers and any laterals below the first Fruit node the Tomatoes get drip irrigated for two minutes twice a day and are about 3 ft tall .

He also told me that in a few weeks he will force the tomatoes into drought like conditions which he can replicate in the hoop house easily to force fruiting and create a sweeter tomato so Chuks methods don't seem that strange to me .

Im going to plant my own tomatoes in a week or two (I can get tomatoes that are already growing in gallon pots from my friends greenhouse) and might try Chucks methods on them.

[robin303]

Welcome Matt, Keep us posted.

[Tomatovator]

Chuck, When will the nexr video be posted? It is already Wednesday and.......