Go right ahead if you have the room. I prune heavily, just
like you do. I let 4 main leaders (stems) go and nip the
rest. I use PVC cages and there are four uprights to each
cage, so it's easiest to tie one to each upright.

It's a neverending job at the beginning of the year, but
if you don't, you'll end up with a jungle. I know. every
year I swear I'll keep up with the pruning. Somehow, though,
I still end up with a lot more than just the 4 main leaders
per plant at the end of the year.

I have two plants on my small balcony. They're only up to the top of my leg at the moment but they've been flowering for a couple of weeks. A friend recommended pruning them at this stage.

One of the plants has branched off into what could be considered almost 2 main stems. I'm afraid to take off the smaller branch as the main stem has already bent right over to the left. Should I prune it off or leave it?

Also, how big should the containers be for a tomato plant on a balcony?

Thanks!

juliapage - your question has been answered already in the other pruning post where you posted this same question.

Phil - you already posted in the other pruning discussion currently running that you are experimenting with pruning this year and you believe it is required. So I'm not clear on why this additional post. There are literally 100's of posts here on pruning that have discussed every conceivable aspect of it.

It's clear from the other discussion that many of us don't agree with you nor do we agree that just because it is a vertical garden that pruning is required. Sprawling is hardly your only other option.

However, it is not producing many blossoming points.

That's because it has been excessively pruned and from the stress that results. Stressed plants don't bloom. They are busy trying to survive. So should you remove every sucker? If you do you'll end up with a 15 foot tall plant with very few tomatoes on it assuming it survives the stress. Stressed plants are also more prone to attacks from pests and disease.

But it is your plant and your experiment so you can do as you please with it. Some valuable lessons may be learned in the process.

Dave

Thanks, Dave, I should have read that post before posting this, but my question pertained to the extent to which I should prune, not whether I should prune or not. You answered it in your last response, though! :)

Hi Phildeez,

With the almost sure knowledge that what i have to say will be a repeat I would still give my position on pruning.

I prune my tomatoes by the type. that is i prune cherry tomatoes different then slicers and different then caners.

first i prune the bottom leafs so none touch the grown. this helps keep the disease down.

people want big slicers so i prune to one or two main branches and remove all the water sprouts i can catch. one of the ladies that cans does not bottle whole tomatoes and does only stewed tomatoes and sauces and salsas and she like just large tomatoes because they peel faster. one or two branches will give larger tomaotes.

most of the ladies i grow tomatoes for like there tomatoes to fit in a large mouth jar whole. so canning tomatoes i keep 4-6 branches. this keeps the size down.

on cherry tomatoes i just string all of the water sprouts on the out side up to the top bar. it makes it kind of the treasure hunt to find the garden candy.

let's keep gardening fun and productive.

Dean

Yes, Dean, let's always keep gardening fun, otherwise it would be farming, hehe. I realize now I should not have pruned the cherry so tightly, because fruit size is not very important.

If I let a sucker near the top emerge now as another major stem will I run into trouble? It would be a good 8 or 9 joints up at this point, and I know one would usually use the first joint for 2nd stem and so on.

Thanks

Hello,
quick question; I started seedlings this past early spring and got the tomatoe plants hardened and planted them. I think I may have made a mistake though, bcz when I started the seeds I didn't do just one seed per container, I did 3 or 4. Then when I put the seedlings in the garden they are now like 3 plants in one planting?? The problem now is that they are healthy and all but they are not growing in height?? I am wondering if I should just prune the other smaller shoots and leave the one main or strongest looking shoot for each plant? Please any help would be greatly appreciated as I (and my kids) have been working hard on these babies and would be TOTALLY bummed if we get no nice healthy maters this year!
Thanks!
Chris