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Post by claude on Jun 13, 2015 15:15:44 GMT -5
bunny...my brother was planting 2 ft tall tomato plants in. May so that he got tomatoes by the 4th of July ...mine were never in until mid July... but this year he started from seed...they are great..bigger even than in years past and far more healthy!
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Post by Mumsey on Jun 13, 2015 16:04:35 GMT -5
I do the pinching out suckers for a while, til I can't find them all anymore! Strawberries are in full swing around here. Last week I went to dad's and ate all the ripe ones in the patch, just a few, they were just starting to ripen. And they are huge.
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Post by tbird on Jun 13, 2015 16:30:54 GMT -5
I just figure that when they are small and first in the ground the energy is best used to root the plant and get it growing and not into flowers and fruit production. Maybe it's not necessary, but it just makes sense to me. to me, getting the first fruits is the most important part.....later in the season, there is so much going on usually - I wouldn't want more. also - I think that is recommended against for the determinant ones....they are only going to have so many limbs or something...
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Jun 13, 2015 17:32:34 GMT -5
It does make sense to pinch them so the energy goes for a better root system. That is what happens. I just never thought of it before. And do wonder if it is necessary. They do get pinched when they are seedlings before going in the garden.
You can also pinch off the suckers that do grow additional stems as well. I do that until I can't tell anymore what's what. I do try to get the lower suckers throughout the growing season.
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Post by gridgardener on Jun 14, 2015 0:29:00 GMT -5
suckering is antiquated technique whose perceived benefits have no basis in fact. tomato by june 1. seem bit late but then again I use the graham method to get early tomato most years which can give tomatoes may 1 if transplanted out feb 15
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Post by OregonRed on Jun 14, 2015 9:31:26 GMT -5
I pinch everything! hahahah
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Post by brownrexx on Jun 14, 2015 18:50:01 GMT -5
He says that he has tomatoes that are baseball size I do too but they're green! I never pinch off the flowers and rarely the suckers. I DO however remove all of the leaves and suckers from the lower 12 - 18" of the stems once the plants get growing to prevent Early Blight spores from splashing up from the soil onto the leaves and getting a foothold.
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Post by binnylou on Jun 14, 2015 18:52:37 GMT -5
I do too but they're green! His are green also, but you are a zone warmer than him. The man loves a challenge.
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