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Pleasant Hill, Or

Ok, time to show my rookieness with tomatoes...

Some of my plants are growing normal. What I mean by that is they are growing with 1 main stem and shooting off suckers at the leaf nodes. I have a few plants though that fork, or split the stem into what looks like 2 main stems. Is this normal? I really can't tell any difference between the 2 new main stems so it isn't just a sucker that got too big.

My guess is to cut one of the 2 stems and return it to a single stem shape. Is this correct?

Thad

5/15/2010 12:05:32 PM

South Finland pumpkinfinland@gmail.com

Lot of my plants are doing that again this year. I would let both stems grow for while so you can see which of them are producing more promising looking flowerbuds.
Maybe waiting that you have tomatoes set before cutting another one and let it be feet or so long to get more power to fruit producing. Thats what Im planning to do this year.

Many big ones have been grown from early flower buds, at least big boys say so:)

Miika AKA not even near to tomatoexpert,yet;)

5/15/2010 12:15:25 PM

Belgium

that's what I did last year ....

5/15/2010 12:27:58 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

The 7.18 Harp plants are doing that all over... if the structure of the plant is sound leave it. Else you can always air layer one off and get two plants. This early I'd suggest doing that instead of just cutting it.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=126398 this is a branching

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=126399 this is a sucker

Unless you are propagating those suckers, try to remove them while they are small (under 1" or 3 cm) to allow the main plant to grow better. I found the Harps prone to toss big suckers well up near the top of the plant, so you are looking near the bottom and not finding much, and blammo, it has a foot tall sucker near the top. So check your plant carefully. My .000002 cents worth

5/15/2010 1:28:38 PM

Joliet, IL

thad...thanks for the rookie questions coming from another rookie tomato head this year. lol. i hope someone with your pumpkin growing experience and success keeps adding some questions and 2 cents into this board. i am excited about the tomato thing this year and will be giving 5 plants everything i can think of. i too will be asking many of a rookie question once the megabloom flowering and pollination stage comes up.

5/15/2010 9:09:48 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Bag your females! :) Q tip pollenation ... hehehe

5/15/2010 11:20:33 PM

Joliet, IL

yes deb...all of the above...i will need to learn about the birds and the bees, or should i say the bags and the q tips, when that time comes for this giant tomato virgin. lol.

5/16/2010 6:54:20 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Thad,
I asked a few Tomato experts and here is what one told me:
They're called fasciated stems and I don't know if they're associated with specific varieties but I have seen them from time to time and have considered them to be a somewhat normal deviation and have just let them grow and they do fine.

I hope I'm understanding what you're saying, which is a main stem that looks like two stems fused together

5/16/2010 12:54:17 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

I have a bunch of pictures I will post tonight, of the quasi stems tomato plants can produce. :) Big thing is look at the structure of your plant... and clean all the suckers out as soon as you know they're suckers.

5/16/2010 1:43:22 PM

Joliet, IL

appreciate the advice deb and will be following your diary for pics

5/17/2010 4:23:31 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

I added some tonight finally, mostly of what suckers look like. If you page I did have some 'is it a branching or is it a sucker' already.

5/17/2010 11:43:08 PM