Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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June 13, 2015 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ny
Posts: 1,219
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Pruning Indeterminate DWARFS
I only container garden and mostly in 5 gallon buckets or 7 gallon root pouches. Last year I supported everything with clips and baler twine - only one stem per plant allowed. This year I'm trying two stems per plan - craaaazy stuff, right? lol
My question is regarding DWARFS (dwarves?) - do you prune them as you would a regular indeterminate? Will their relative shortness in height (and I don't actually know how short they will are) be okay if I let all suckers etc to just grow?
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Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7! |
June 13, 2015 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Illinois, zone 5a
Posts: 579
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I'm no expert but I think I would just let em grow, suckers and all. Maybe you could prune the very bottom a bit to keep the leaves from getting wet or making contact with the medium, but other than that I tend to think you would be limiting your yield. Especially if this is your first year growing them. See what they do and how big the different varieties get, how they yield, etc. Then next year you can make a more informed decision. Better safe than sorry?
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June 13, 2015 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
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I dont prune thei laterals, but I will thin out some of the leaves so there is better air flow. Less disease.
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June 13, 2015 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Southern WI
Posts: 2,742
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June 13, 2015 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: England
Posts: 512
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In my experience there is no need to treat indeterminate dwarfs any different from regular indeterminate plants. If you normally train to one or two stems then do the same with the dwarfs. They are happy to grow when pruned this way.
P.S. many of them will get to around four feet tall or even more when grown this way, expect them to be around half the height of non-dwarf indeterminates grown in the same conditions. Last edited by maf; June 13, 2015 at 04:15 PM. |
June 13, 2015 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 6a - NE Tennessee
Posts: 4,538
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I've grown a lot of the Dwarf Project varieties, and I can't think of a single good reason to prune. Rugose foliage keeps the fruit from sun scald. Now, I've planted in both containers and in the main garden. I don't see any difference in their performance or in the amount of foliage I get.
I know some of you will find a reason to prune them. But, for the life of me, I can't think of a reason to trim such a small plant. Of course, I respect your right to carve up your plants. After all, they're yours. But why destroy an opportunity to get more fruit??? Of course, I'm against any and all pruning. I don't want "pretty" plants. I want "productive" plants. I'm not looking for the biggest fruit. I'm looking for fruit that tastes good. Just a 70 year old opinion. Your opinion may be different.
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Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch |
June 13, 2015 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ny
Posts: 1,219
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Thanks all for weighing in and I think I will just let them go and see what happens. Its gonna be exciting!
I am trialing dwarfs - have never done them before and thought they might be a good fit for me who has very very limited space and need to container garden (I live in a city.) I have a single string stabilizing the main stem and wonder if I should invest in a bunch of cages if the plan now is to let it grow WILD!
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Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7! Last edited by luigiwu; June 13, 2015 at 08:04 PM. |
June 13, 2015 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Near Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 1,940
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Mine have been pretty upright and don't sucker a lot. Last summer I had a lot of foliar issues so now am pruning the lower leaves to get things up and away from the soil. You could probably use a cage that is a lot smaller diameter than for the regular varieties - in my experience they just wouldn't fill those in.
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June 14, 2015 | #9 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ny
Posts: 1,219
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Quote:
The only one I'm a little worried about now is Wild Fred. Its crazy and kinda all over the place... all the others like Rosella Crim & Rosella Purple are quite compact in their growth.
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Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7! |
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June 14, 2015 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
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Last year with my non dwarf indeterminates(indys for short), i pinched off the laterals until the first inflorescense. This year I did not. This year the production was unreal crazy so much more than last year. Last year I only grew 3 dwarfs, but all 3 were indy. One was Wild Fred, which was really good BTW! I didnt prune the laterals on it either, just thinned out the leaves a bit to get better airflow.
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June 14, 2015 | #11 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ny
Posts: 1,219
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Quote:
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Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7! |
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June 14, 2015 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
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Yes, an inflorescense is a bloom cluster. I have mine about 1 foot apart, 2 to an Earthbox.
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June 14, 2015 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ny
Posts: 1,219
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Really?!! I would love to see some pictures of your earthbox farm! The bloom cluster is pretty low correct - and if you stop pruning above that then, man, your plants must be like hedges! I want more fruit but I am also worried by letting them grow how every they want, it will invite bad air circulation thus disease...
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Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7! |
June 15, 2015 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6
Posts: 1,582
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I prune them, just like normal indeterminates.
New Big Dwarf does really well this way, serious production if you can mantain them disease free. |
June 15, 2015 | #15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: No.Central Arkansas - 6b/7a
Posts: 179
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Sorry but I find it difficult to believe that folks are actually pruning dwarfs - of any kind. But then pruning of any tomato plant is strictly a personal option. It sure isn't required for any reason. Fruit production is the whole point of growing tomatoes. Sacrificing that fruit production by removing stems and fruit producing lateral branches defies the logic of growing tomatoes. Especially growing indeterminate dwarfs!
Sure if you are growing in a GH and using only string support for single stem plants it could make sense. Or you could just add more strings. And I suppose if you are trying to grow in a container that is far too small for the plant then pruning may be required. Or you could just use the right size container. And perhaps, if you insist on over-crowded planting you may have to do some pruning. Or you could just use better spacing. That fixes the air circulation issue too. Dave |
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