A friend recently told me that she pinches back her tomatoes for maximum
production. Does anyone else do this? I'm not sure exactly what to pinch,
just extraneous branches?

On May 27, 4:07*pm, "BD" wrote:
A friend recently told me that she pinches back her tomatoes for maximum
production. *Does anyone else do this? *I'm not sure exactly what to pinch,
just extraneous branches?

This article explains all
http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/...-tomatoes.aspx

"BD" wrote in message

A friend recently told me that she pinches back her tomatoes for maximum
production. Does anyone else do this? I'm not sure exactly what to pinch,
just extraneous branches?

Traditional wisdom is to pinch out the axils. I'm yet to be convinced that
it makes a great deal of difference to the no. of tomatoes produced - it may
or it may not but I guess it does no great harm to do it.

Just in case you don't know what an axil is (and forgive me if I'm teaching
grandma how to suck eggs) an axil is the growth that appears between the
main stem and the leaflets. It first appears as a small set of leaves, but
as it grows it looks more branch like.

wrote:
On May 27, 4:07 pm, "BD" wrote:
A friend recently told me that she pinches back her tomatoes for maximum
production. Does anyone else do this? I'm not sure exactly what to pinch,
just extraneous branches?

This article explains all
http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/...-tomatoes.aspx

Good article. Well worth reading even if you are an old hand.

--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]
http://johnmcgaw.com

On Wed, 27 May 2009 22:07:51 GMT, "BD" wrote:

A friend recently told me that she pinches back her tomatoes for maximum
production. Does anyone else do this? I'm not sure exactly what to pinch,
just extraneous branches?


I have never done this. But I have removed the first two branches to
encourage the tomato to grow upright on a stake or cage. Other times
I allow the tomato to vine on the ground, mulched with straw. I
doubt pinching back would increase production, though.

On Wed, 27 May 2009 15:34:17 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On May 27, 4:07*pm, "BD" wrote:
A friend recently told me that she pinches back her tomatoes for maximum
production. *Does anyone else do this? *I'm not sure exactly what to pinch,
just extraneous branches?

This article explains all
http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/...-tomatoes.aspx


Good reading. Thank you for sharing.

I did not prune my Husky at all; it grows like a tidy bush and gave
excellent production last year, outlasted the other varieties.
Beefstake, Early Girl, Better Boy were desuckered and caged. I'm
curious to see if the Husky or Early Girl will produce the first ripe
tomatos.

"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 27 May 2009 22:07:51 GMT, "BD" wrote:

A friend recently told me that she pinches back her tomatoes for maximum
production. Does anyone else do this? I'm not sure exactly what to
pinch,
just extraneous branches?


I have never done this. But I have removed the first two branches to
encourage the tomato to grow upright on a stake or cage. Other times
I allow the tomato to vine on the ground, mulched with straw. I
doubt pinching back would increase production, though.

Thanks everyone, the info - especially the article- was helpful.

"BD" wrote in message
...
A friend recently told me that she pinches back her tomatoes for maximum
production. Does anyone else do this? I'm not sure exactly what to pinch,
just extraneous branches?

Yes, no, maybe, and it depends.

Mostly on where you live, and the type of tomato. Some varieties do better
when pinched back to one or two main stalks, then tied to a trellis,
maximizing output, and keeping the number of fruit lower so they all mature
before winter. There are some varieties that are bush types, and others
that do nicely on the ground. Check with local nurseries or university and
state co-ops for help for YOUR area. Your question is like, "How is the
weather going to be tomorrow." Well, where I am, the forecast is for warm
and clear. But where you live, it may be entirely different.

I suggest you read the article, and probably the types of tomatos you grow
will be mentioned as to the best method.

Steve