Keep Spring tomato plants through Fall?

16 years ago

In my area of Texas, my tomato plants (Early Girls & Sweet 100s) have already produced a significant amount. The nighttime temperatures are now too high for new fruiting. Besides browning / dying lower branches, the plants are mostly healthy.

My question is: Should I tear them up and plant new ones for a fall crop, or nurse these old ones along through the hottest months (August and September) so they can produce in the Fall?

Another way of thinking about it: In the Fall, will new young plants be more productive than older ones that survived through from the Spring? Thanks for any advice.

Featured Answer

praxxus55712

16 years ago

I root tomatoes constantly. If you have the space, you can easily remove most of the leaf branches, lay the plant down along the ground and bury it a few inches under the soil. Keep it moist and it'll start sending up multiple plants. I turned one plant into 6 and it's out of control in the corner of my garden. Experiment with your plants. It's fun as heck and you find new and interesting things you never knew your plants could do. Good luck! :)

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Comments (9)

suburbangreen
16 years ago
Yep, it's best to tear them out and put in new plants. Here in the Dallas area the time to put out new plants is now or last week.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tomato/msg072240396231.html?1

Pete
taz6122
16 years ago
If they are indeterminate, I would think that plants with a much larger root system would produce better but I've never grown tomatoes in Texas. If it were me, I would try cutting them back(indeterminates) and feeding them just a little nitrogen until temps got low enough to start producing again. Then give them what they need to start fruiting.
They have slowed a bit but never really stopped for me, here or in CA. But I do spank my plants when not setting fruit.
If determinates them I would definitely plant new plants.
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taz6122
16 years ago
Another thought, if you decide to cut them back always cut above a node(where a leaf and/or sucker was/is).
Maybe try this with an extra plant if you have the room to spare?
I'm sure someone else who has grown in your situation (TX or similar) will chime in if I'm dead wrong/right. LOL!
shaneajohnson
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the replies. I think I'll tear most out, but will leave one or two as an experiment.

S
gardenvt
16 years ago
Have you thought about taking one of the healthy branches and potting it up? Tomatoes grow roots from the stem/branch area so you could "start" a new plant from the old one.
jeremyjs
16 years ago
Agreed. Probably the easiest way to get new plants is too root a sucker then tear out the old plants. Never actually done it myself from beginning to end; since my season is much shorter than yours, but I have rooted a sucker just to try it out and it's fairly easy and from what I've read the resulting plants grow vigorously.

Heck you could just put a sucker close to the ground while it's still attached to the mother plant and cover part of it with dirt. Wait a week or two until it develops it's own root system and sever it from the mother plant. Then remove the original plant.

There are lots of variations of this same principal; since tomato stems put out roots so readily.
shaneajohnson
Original Author
16 years ago
Gardenvt and Jeremyjs,

Rooting a branch / sucker is the coolest idea! Thanks so much. It sure beats buying a bunch of new plants. I have never rooted a tomato plant, but I will give this a try.

Shane
karlp2
11 years ago
I kept a producing cherry plant from spring of 2014. Water and food. It's still alive. I now have 7 from spring plant I'm experimenting on.they all have new growth. It's fun.