Is it better to prune tomatoes to about four feet and let them grow
outward, or just keep staking them as high as they want to go?

On Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:24:47 -0400 in wrote:
Is it better to prune tomatoes to about four feet and let them grow
outward, or just keep staking them as high as they want to go?

Depends on the variety and how you're growing.

If you are growing a determinant variety, they'll reach a maximum size
and stop.

Indeterminant varieties will keep right on going.

And since you're growing in containers, you probably want to limit the size
of an indeterminant tomato variety so you aren't having to water them
multiple times a day. With a determinant variety, you just need to make
sure the container is a proper size for the plant.

But with an indeterminant variety, you can root some of your prunings
so you have smaller plants ready to produce when the bigger ones become
water hogs.
(In theory you could keep rooting prunings all winter and never buy another
tomato plant, but I don't have that much patience).

--
Chris Dukes