Pruning Tomato Plants

 Tomato plants........to prune or not.......that is the question. My answer is no, and here is why;

• do you know the difference between a fruiting and non-fruiting stem?
• removing excess leaves can expose tomato butts in the sun, burning them (technically referred to as sunscald)
• the leaves are the food making source for the plant (photosynthesis) remove the leaves, remove the food source
• a plant under stress will pull resources from the extra leaves to continue the process of fruit development (like a person with frostbite, our body keeps the 'core' warm first, we can live w/o our fingers)
• a plants only purpose is to produce seed, so all resources are channeled there, save the leaves!
• it would be helpful to prune out yellowed or diseased leaves, but that is a different matter

Above is a corn plant, the side shoots are called tillers. Years ago, 'some' farmers used to prune these off too, thinking they drew energy off the plant. Several years ago I read a study that showed the opposite was true. Corn with the tillers (aka 'suckers') out performed the pruned corn by about 20% in total harvest weight. Really, the same principles would apply, more leaves = more available nutrients & water.

Tomato Tips

Check out a few of my past ramblings by clicking on 'older posts' at the bottom of this page.

April 23 (planting)
Jan 5 (foliar diseases)

Dec 1, 2011 (variety of tomato issues)

Can you plant in straight 'compost?'

This question arose the other day.........Simple answer - you can, but you shouldn't, and here is why.

• If it's not totally finished, it will continue to decay and will 'heat up' possibly burning the plant
• 'humus' (finished compost) can sometimes like peat material become impervious to water
• water can drain too freely, leaving plants to dry
• humus should be considered a vitamin pill for soil not the entire meal
• humus does not contain all the necessary minerals (13) the garden soil has
• good soil only contains 5% of organic matter (humus)
• humus is very lightweight, plants installed in just that, especially in pots, will tip over more easily in bad weather........less stability

I know it's tempting as it's so loose and fluffy, but it's not a good choice. If you are a container gardener, mix the humus with some bagged 'garden soil.' Be sure it is garden soil, not 'potting mix' which typically contains no soil and then you have the same issue! At the most.........I would use 25% humus with the bagged garden soil.

What if you already have? For pots, mix in some soil on the outer edges, and a few inches on the top. If the plant seems to be burning, yellow leaves, etc. you may need to transplant it. If so, keep it out of the sun for 2-3 days to adjust.  In a garden situation, scratch in real soil near the plant, being careful of the root systems.

Purple leaves on Tomatoes

You may notice this happening on your plants this late spring. When soil continues to be cool, tomato plants can sometimes get a purple cast to them. It is a issue with the plant being able to take up phosphorus when the soil is cool/cold. As the season progresses and soil temps warm up, it should correct itself. No need to intervene  if your soil is healthy. If it continues throughout the year, you may have soil deficiencies. Warm weather crops like tomato, peppers, basils etc. do not like temps below 50 degrees. Well, that's about every night this week! Still not too late to plant veggies transplants, two more weeks might be stretching it, but then pick shorter day crops. Don't plant late season peppers July 4th!

Beware the chewing caterpillars!

 Yes, they try to look so innocent..........clearly not the case. This year is already starting out bad for these leaf destroyers! Above is a typical inch worm type larvae. These green ones typically feed during the day. Inspect the under sides of freshly chewed leaves, that's where they hang out. Often, once disturbed they will drop to the soil, so peek there too in your quest to find them. When they drop to the soil, they roll up in a ball, hoping to get so small you won't see them. If no green guys are present, could be the cut worm on the photo with the penny, as they are night chewers.

This is the adult inch worm moth, looking so innocent......not! Moths often spend their day hiding under debris and on the sides of flower pots. There is no good moth.......really.

I found these 3 gross guys under flats of plants in the hoop house Sunday. Is no place safe?  Not finding the green guys I searched further and there they were. All I can say is they ain't eatin' no more! These are cut worms who burrow into the soil during the day. Normally a little scratching around and you will find them.  It looks to be an active year. Daily checking for damage will help, don't wait until your plant is but a stem. June Beetles are also night feeders on plants, you just never know who is out to get your crops! Mayhem in the garden! Dusting can help, but since many skelotonize the 'undersides' of leaves, makes it more difficult to effectively apply dust.