Re: Update on Seed Starts

**trolleydriver** 5/22/2016, 3:58 pm

sanderson wrote:
YorkR88 wrote:Sanderson, What about the tomatoes? should I start snipping suckers or just let the plant do its thing?
I never answered. I'm not a tomato expert but it seems that with shorter, bushier, determinant tomatoes, mainly let them do their thing. For taller indeterminants, generally remove suckers, maybe leave one or two if you want to train them upwards like the main stem. Again, others are more experienced than I am.

I'm not an expert either but what sanderson said is exactly what I do. For indeterminates I may allow one sucker to grow but sometimes I just keep the main stem. However, it's a good idea to keep one or two suckers just in case the main stem gets damaged.

YorkR88 5/23/2016, 9:04 am

trolleydriver wrote:
sanderson wrote:
YorkR88 wrote:Sanderson, What about the tomatoes? should I start snipping suckers or just let the plant do its thing?
I never answered. I'm not a tomato expert but it seems that with shorter, bushier, determinant tomatoes, mainly let them do their thing. For taller indeterminants, generally remove suckers, maybe leave one or two if you want to train them upwards like the main stem. Again, others are more experienced than I am.
I'm not an expert either but what sanderson said is exactly what I do. For indeterminates I may allow one sucker to grow but sometimes I just keep the main stem. However, it's a good idea to keep one or two suckers just in case the main stem gets damaged.

I pruned all the lower branches and suckers before I left town on Friday and came back last night to some serious growth in the tomatoes. A new sucker developed that is almost as thick as the main stem and branch. It is HUGE!

YorkR88 5/23/2016, 10:31 am

Here are some pics of the growth since Friday. I was amazed at the growth and how well the slow drip water bottles helped while I was gone. Again, I pruned all the lower branches before leaving. Update on Seed Starts - Page 3 Img_3810

Would you removed this sucker even/since it is so big??
Update on Seed Starts - Page 3 Img_3813

**sanderson** 5/23/2016, 4:26 pm

As the tomatoes are planted 1/square, I'm guessing you should remove the sucker. I think you can remove suckers at any time or stage, as needed for the growing conditions.

YorkR88 5/23/2016, 4:29 pm

sanderson wrote:As the tomatoes are planted 1/square, I'm guessing you should remove the sucker. I think you can remove suckers at any time or stage, as needed for the growing conditions.

Okay, Thanks! I will remove them tonight. I probably will try and get the Florida Weave going tonight!

YorkR88 5/31/2016, 2:35 pm

I've been so busy with work that I haven't time to do any sucker pruning or trellising yet but you can see that my plants are thriving.. This is a week worth of growth since my last post in this thread.

Do any of you know how/ you would do next with these plants? I have this afternoon off so i'm going to get some work done in the garden. Is the florida weave really what I need to do... Update on Seed Starts - Page 3 Img_1010

**sanderson** 6/1/2016, 2:49 am

Your tomatoes look so healthy. Mine are starting to 'feel the burn' of +100*F weather.

YorkR88 6/1/2016, 10:20 am

sanderson wrote:Your tomatoes look so healthy. Mine are starting to 'feel the burn' of +100*F weather.

Thanks! surprisingly West Texas has been getting some rain. But I feel the 100* days are not too far off. I felt terrible pruning all of the healthy leaves and branches yesterday on the lower end after trellising. Just doesn't seem right to do. But my peppers in the second row were getting crowded because of the tomatoes

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