Garden Question

[whomper]

Thankfully my garden is doing great this year on the heels of a terrible year last year..I have a quick question about the tomato plants..Should I get rid of the leaves on the plant that dont have any tomato or tomato flowers on them ? If so should I pull it off from the stem of the plant or cut it ? I have heard it drains nutrients and if you cut them it streamlines the nutrition to the leaves that have tomatos on them . Is that true ?

[aqualung]

Yep. They're called suckers because they suck the juice away from the rest of the plant. Don't go hog wild on them, cut the bottom stems away from the main stalk. You can also cut the little ones off the branches of ones that have blossoms or fruit also.

Edited June 29, 2007 by aqualung

[whomper]

Yep. They're called suckers because they suck the juice away from the rest of the plant. Don't go hog wild on them, cut the bottom stems away from the main stalk. You can also cut the little ones off the branches of ones that have blossoms or fruit also.

 

 

 

Thanks aqua..My plants have a ton of them and I figured that would be the answer..In some cases I have groups of tomatos that are being blocked a little by these useless stems . I want to make sure those tomatos get direct sun ..Im glad you said dont go hog wild though because I probably would have cut them all off and shocked the plant..Ill start from the bottom and prune it a little at a time I suppose

Edited June 29, 2007 by whomper

[Hugh 0ne]

Do you cut them off before 9am?

[isleseeya]

Thanks aqua..My plants have a ton of them and I figured that would be the answer..In some cases I have groups of tomatos that are being blocked a little by these useless stems . I want to make sure those tomatos get direct sun ..Im glad you said dont go hog wild though because I probably would have cut them all off and shocked the plant..Ill start from the bottom and prune it a little at a time I suppose

 

 

And keep the woodpecker away from them

[whomper]

Do you cut them off before 9am?

 

 

 

What is this AM that you speak of ?

[aqualung]

Thanks aqua..My plants have a ton of them and I figured that would be the answer..In some cases I have groups of tomatos that are being blocked a little by these useless stems . I want to make sure those tomatos get direct sun ..Im glad you said dont go hog wild though because I probably would have cut them all off and shocked the plant..Ill start from the bottom and prune it a little at a time I suppose

 

 

If you have any hanging on the ground cut all those off.

 

Just as long as they don't look like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree after you are done with them.

[polksalet]

that is a myth about cutting the suckers off

[HowboutthemCowboys]

that is a myth about cutting the suckers off

 

Some people swear by it....I've never done it and my plants were always fine.

[Azazello1313]

i prefer my tomatoes uncircumcised

[polksalet]

Some people swear by it....I've never done it and my plants were always fine.

 

 

A friend of mine has a mater ranch in bradley county arkansas, google that place. They have about 100k plants annually as it is their main income. He has tried everything to make more mater including suckering them. He says the only things you cn do are more light, water, and fertilizer, everything else is a waste of time.