Your opinion please

cecilsgarden1958 · June 3, 2015

One of my tomatoes (Big Brandy) is missing the main growth stem in the middle, do you think it's worth keeping or would you buy another? You do get tomatoes from the side shoots from any indeterminate right? It only about 18" right now.

shelleybean · June 3, 2015

Hi, Cecil. I haven't had this happen with a tomato but it did happen with an eggplant a few weeks ago. The main stem snapped off right above ground level when the plant was still very small. I kept an eye on it for a couple of days and saw that it was still very much alive so I left it. It grew two big stems in place of the one main stem and the plant is now over a foot tall and beginning to flower. It doesn't seem to mind at all. It's maybe a little bushier than it would normally be but it's fine. So if the remaining part of your plant looks healthy, I'd leave it and let it do its thing. Good luck.

Worth1 · June 3, 2015

It'll be fine.
Worth

Bipetual · June 3, 2015

Definitely leave it. It will be fine. It's job is to make tomatoes, and they have to come out somewhere!

Kikaida · June 3, 2015

double post, sorry

Kikaida · June 3, 2015

One of my Roma's suffered the same thing...Now instead of a 'vine' full of tomatoes it's a bush full of tomatoes

AlittleSalt · June 3, 2015

Yes, it has a very good chance to grow more like a bush. It might need extra support too.

Gardeneer · June 4, 2015

Yes, it will grow a branch just at the node below the broken spot.
Also, if there more nodes, it will grow side branches from those nodes.
This way it will become short and bushy, depending on the variety and its growth habit.
Some gardeners do this intentionally and selectively to make a shorter plant.

JMO

Gardeneer

June 3, 2015	#1
cecilsgarden1958 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: swPA Posts: 629	Your opinion please One of my tomatoes (Big Brandy) is missing the main growth stem in the middle, do you think it's worth keeping or would you buy another? You do get tomatoes from the side shoots from any indeterminate right? It only about 18" right now. __________________ Hybrids Rule, Heirlooms Drool!

June 3, 2015	#2
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	Hi, Cecil. I haven't had this happen with a tomato but it did happen with an eggplant a few weeks ago. The main stem snapped off right above ground level when the plant was still very small. I kept an eye on it for a couple of days and saw that it was still very much alive so I left it. It grew two big stems in place of the one main stem and the plant is now over a foot tall and beginning to flower. It doesn't seem to mind at all. It's maybe a little bushier than it would normally be but it's fine. So if the remaining part of your plant looks healthy, I'd leave it and let it do its thing. Good luck. __________________ Michele

June 3, 2015	#5
Kikaida Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Valencia, CA Posts: 258	double post, sorry Last edited by Kikaida; June 3, 2015 at 05:28 PM. Reason: double post

June 3, 2015	#3
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	It'll be fine. Worth

June 3, 2015	#4
Bipetual Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Illinois, zone 5a Posts: 579	Definitely leave it. It will be fine. It's job is to make tomatoes, and they have to come out somewhere!

June 3, 2015	#7
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Yes, it has a very good chance to grow more like a bush. It might need extra support too.

June 4, 2015	#8
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	Yes, it will grow a branch just at the node below the broken spot. Also, if there more nodes, it will grow side branches from those nodes. This way it will become short and bushy, depending on the variety and its growth habit. Some gardeners do this intentionally and selectively to make a shorter plant. JMO Gardeneer