Accidentally snipped the tips of my tomato plants

luigiwu · May 15, 2014

A friend was telling me to just get rid of my plants where I accidentally snipped their tips off when I was trying to remove the blossoms ( they were all still in their red party cups and not yet planted.) I am doing single stem supported on a string and thought that it was okay to just let a sucker become the main stem instead? Is that not correct?

Worth1 · May 15, 2014

Works for me.

Worth

Delerium · May 15, 2014

Yup let it sucker. No harm done your okay.

JamesL · May 15, 2014

Friends don't let friends throw out perfectly good plants.
And leave those blossoms alone next time!

jmhammRN · May 15, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesL

Friends don't let friends throw out perfectly good plants.
And leave those blossoms alone next time!

Perfectly put!!!

I was doing something a few weeks ago and broke the main growth tip off my burpee grafted plant and it made me so mad. But I just let it be and now there are sucker taking off all over the place. Spending time trying to pick the ones to keep. It it a shame though as on my bigger plant it will set blooming and fruit set back.....but it's still a good strong plant.

b54red · May 16, 2014

I have over 25 plants out in the garden that I am growing as single stem plants and I'm sure I will do the same thing. I did it the last time I grew single stem plants. Only once did I not get a good sucker to replace it and that was because it was an older plant and I had already done a very thorough job of removing suckers. Too thorough.

Bill

feldon30 · May 16, 2014

I do remove blossoms so the plant will focus all its energy on growing roots, but I do so with a pinch of my fingers.

Anthony_Toronto · May 16, 2014

Its fine to remove early blossoms but wait until the stem is formed and strong and the blossom is a fully separate identifyable stem, otherwise pinching off the blossom might just also damage or pinch off the growing tip...I'm always being too aggressive on these things and wanted to jump right into taking them off, and I've taken off tips in the same way by accident. And of course its fine to let a sucker become the main stem.

Stvrob · May 17, 2014

This late in May I wouldn't bother removing blooms. Those might end up being some of your best fruits.

May 15, 2014	#1
luigiwu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: ny Posts: 1,219	Accidentally snipped the tips of my tomato plants A friend was telling me to just get rid of my plants where I accidentally snipped their tips off when I was trying to remove the blossoms ( they were all still in their red party cups and not yet planted.) I am doing single stem supported on a string and thought that it was okay to just let a sucker become the main stem instead? Is that not correct?

May 16, 2014	#7
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	I do remove blossoms so the plant will focus all its energy on growing roots, but I do so with a pinch of my fingers. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

May 15, 2014	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Works for me. Worth

May 15, 2014	#3
Delerium Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: California Posts: 942	Yup let it sucker. No harm done your okay.

May 15, 2014	#4
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	Friends don't let friends throw out perfectly good plants. And leave those blossoms alone next time!

May 16, 2014	#6
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I have over 25 plants out in the garden that I am growing as single stem plants and I'm sure I will do the same thing. I did it the last time I grew single stem plants. Only once did I not get a good sucker to replace it and that was because it was an older plant and I had already done a very thorough job of removing suckers. Too thorough. Bill

May 16, 2014	#8
Anthony_Toronto Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Toronto Posts: 413	Its fine to remove early blossoms but wait until the stem is formed and strong and the blossom is a fully separate identifyable stem, otherwise pinching off the blossom might just also damage or pinch off the growing tip...I'm always being too aggressive on these things and wanted to jump right into taking them off, and I've taken off tips in the same way by accident. And of course its fine to let a sucker become the main stem.

May 17, 2014	#9
Stvrob Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 1,413	This late in May I wouldn't bother removing blooms. Those might end up being some of your best fruits.