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Topping Tomatoes?

ColdSmoke

ColdSmoke

Extreme Member
I have some really leggy tomato plants that are falling all over the place in their solo cups. They're 2 feet tall and barely have any branches. They are flat out funny looking right now. They are growing inside but I'm going to harden them off this week and move them outside. 
 
Should I top them to slow the vertical growth? They haven't split yet. How do I do this?
 
Thank you
 
A little research and I discovered if you top them they will not grow any taller. I think my main problem is that they are growing under a 400W MH bulb and they are just reaching and reaching. I started them waaay to early. They are early varieties, but I still can get myself to put them outside when I know low 40s and upper 30s is not only a possibility but a guarantee. Not sure that I have much of choice at this point though.
 
Jamison said:
Id recommend just burying them deep when you plant out.
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Yup, support them as best you can and when you get outside bury the stem. Put the rootball normal depth or maybe a little deeper and lay the stem in a small trench leaving the leafy part above the soil. it will grow roots all along the buried stem.
 
Agreed w last two posters - if you take a leggy mater and plant it lying on its side it will root from the stem and be ok.  Going to look like this when you lay it out ______] with the ] part being the bottom (or first) leaf juncture.  Here's a vid that shows exactly what they're talking about.  Way better than starting over ;)
 
     Do what Jameson and SmokenFire said to encourage the stem to root. But if you absolutely have no room right now, you could chop the plant down to just two or three nodes before you start hardening the plant off in sunlight. All the new growth at the nodes will be vigorous and hardened off from the get go. Gradually prune the branches down to just one and that will be your new main stem.
     This will reduce your plant's height right now, but it won't slow it down at all in the long run. I did that to my tomatoes (started too early) last year and I ended up with some mortgage lifters that were between 10' and 16' tall at the end of the season.
     Good luck!
 
Good video, though I don't remove any stems when I trench my leggy tomatoes.  Dig a trench about 4-5" down calculating how long depends on how tall you want your tomato.  I usually leave the plant at about 6" tall.  Mix fertilizer with the dirt and add to the trench once the tomato is planted.  Cut off any branches that are touching the ground OR mulch around the plant with straw, leaves, or . . ., and then water.
 
Using a 3+' bamboo stake in the ground to stabilize the carefully curved plant is suggested.  After a couple of weeks, I cut all branches touching the ground/mulch/dirt.
 
I usually grow my tomatoes in 4" pots to start with. Once they reach about 1' tall (and the weather is nice) I prune all the leaves and growth, only leaving the top new growth. I then bury it all the way up to this new growth node, effectively making the main root ball 1' deep. The plant will then create new roots along the stem as mentioned. This also helps in Australia where we get seriously hot weather in summer as the main root ball is low down and stays cooler and moist.

Check out praxxus55712 on YouTube. He has many videos on how he plants his tomatoes this way.
 
Remember that if there's room for the plant itself to be wider there should also be room below for a larger pot which encourages it to get wider, even if you have to repot into a larger size before transplant outside.
 
Of the six plants, I potted up two, cloned two (took the tops off) and planted two sideways in my garden. All six are healthy as can be but I can tell you the ones I planted sideways and the ones I cloned will be the big producers. The ones I potted up into 7.5 gallon pots are still quite leggy but are flowering and should be fine. Thanks again for all the help
 
I planted 4 plants sideways in about a 18 inch x 24 inch trench. It is the first time in years that my plants have looked this good in June. We get destroyed by high winds where I live and usually all plants are struggling right about now. 
 
I have buried mine in a 4 ft high container from the very bottom to see what happens cutting off the leaf stems as I go..
So far the growing tip is real thick n strong 3 ft up after being buried...
So what would happen if I allowed it to get 2 foot taller and then top it? How would it grow and produce tomatoes with all that root sprouting all along the stem 4ft deep?
How would it grow and produce tomatoes with all that root sprouting all along the stem 4ft deep?
Would it stop growing taller? If I let the suckers go crazy from sideways growth they should produce a ton of tomatoes in their own right? LOL..
I guess its best I just try this and see.. At least on one plant and then post pictures later and answer my own question!
Cheers,
Fred.
 
fred42 said:
I have buried mine in a 4 ft high container from the very bottom to see what happens cutting off the leaf stems as I go..
So far the growing tip is real thick n strong 3 ft up after being buried...
So what would happen if I allowed it to get 2 foot taller and then top it? How would it grow and produce tomatoes with all that root sprouting all along the stem 4ft deep?
How would it grow and produce tomatoes with all that root sprouting all along the stem 4ft deep?
Would it stop growing taller? If I let the suckers go crazy from sideways growth they should produce a ton of tomatoes in their own right? LOL..
I guess its best I just try this and see.. At least on one plant and then post pictures later and answer my own question!
Cheers,
Fred.
Click to expand...
How did that work out? Good?
 
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