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Muddy Waters

I learned someting this year! Keep it a secret!SHHHH!well the plant will either develop a mega when small or not.If it doesnt develop one early.You must let the plant keep growing till you see the mega fruit develop.

8/24/2014 6:42:37 AM

Muddy Waters

Is this correct or am I crazy?

8/24/2014 6:43:41 AM

Central NY

I say yes, and yes....

8/24/2014 8:23:31 AM

East Carbon, Utah

I've observed that early heavy pruning of a healthy, fast-growing tomato plant actually INDUCES megabloom production! Especially the really impressive megablooms, say 5X plus.

Untested hypothesis - perhaps next year I'll do side-by-side tests. Prune some aggressively early on, and let others go for a few weeks before pruning.

Anyone else noticed this phenomenon?

With Dan MacCoy's amazing achievement, you better believe that I, for one, will be even more aggressive with pruning in the future! My plants are 3 times the size of his and his tomatoes are 3 times the size of mine. Hmmm....

8/24/2014 9:41:04 PM

Muddy Waters

yes but if you prune the wrong branches you might shoot yourself in the foot??Is it smarter to prune after the fruits appear??Just asking as I feel I have a lot to learn yet on maters.

8/25/2014 5:37:03 AM

Allentown, PA

When Godzilla was growing on my 3.01 Christensen which is from the 6.51 Meisner the plant decided not to to continue to grow a leader thus keeping it at 32 inches in height.

So on a plant that was less than three feet tall I grew a tomato that was 4.14 LBS. Could this contributed to the plants small stature? Perhaps. Could it also be that the weight of the tomato was due to the fact that the mega bloom was a X6? I believe both of these factors contributed to the weight of this tomato. Godzilla was also the same shape as Master P's but was only half the size.

I believe the small plant size had quite a bit to do with the plant focusing it's energy into the fruit itself as opposed to it being used for further plant survival and growth.

Next season I will be topping my plants with exceptionally large mega blooms in order to keep the plants as compact as possible.

8/25/2014 7:20:34 AM

Allentown, PA

Addendum; I always top my plants at approx six feet in height, what I was meaning to say is that I will top my plants to keep them as short as possible thus having the plant focus it's energy towards the tomato.

8/25/2014 7:23:22 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Will you be building a greenhouse too? And, my problem, look at the lower leaves on Dan's plant. My lower leaves are usually dead by about day 30 in the ground due to what has been deemed "old age." Why did Dan's lower leaves stay so healthy? Lots to think about for next year. Right now I am getting ready to eliminate the wireworms in my garden. I can't have them eating my stems again next year.

8/25/2014 9:29:52 AM

Allentown, PA

Marv, I have a very nice portable green house that would fit right over a section of my tomato planting area. It would be large enough to accommodate three to four pruned plants with enough room for me to maneuver around them on boards. Plus There are hooks for me to hang fans for air movement. I will be using this next season.

8/25/2014 11:10:33 AM

Muddy Waters

The voodoo Juice might have helped keep them green & healthy.

8/25/2014 12:51:28 PM

France

The Voodoo Juice is a good product!!

8/25/2014 1:44:13 PM

Corbin, KY

No your mistaken Bubba, It was the Dunkels!

8/25/2014 4:42:08 PM

France

The next year i try the Dunkels,with Piranha + voodoo juice on 20 Plants and 20 plants whith Or Brun products.

8/25/2014 5:10:20 PM

Ely Mn

hey bubba and tim lets get along!:)
Both great produts!

8/25/2014 5:21:54 PM

Wixom MI.

just for thought !!! everyone seems to wont to prune all the branches off and just leave the one main stem !! but with pumpkins we wont to save all the branching before the pumpkin to help feed the pumpkin !!! my thought is for tomatoes is to allow all the branching for only 4-5 leaves and then prune them !! so this will allow for more foilage below the tomato and may help expand the food supply to feed the tomato above. and also prune off the vine after the tomato like always or at 30"

8/25/2014 6:35:08 PM

Corbin, KY

LOL! Maybe both, I was just kidding.

8/25/2014 9:56:06 PM