first tomato grow

[rhm3769]

Buds, right? All four plants (beefsteak) are about 8" tall from the soil to that point, about 6" from the cotyledons.... let them go or pinch or are they like peppers and the first set usually don't produce?

 

[StAugieHotPeppers]

I typically dont headback my tomatoes! I do pinch off any buds that may appear when the plant doesnt have the size to handle the tomatoes... i use a japaneese tomato ring when i grow tomatoes..a tomato is a rare plant in which if u lay it horizontal on the ground it will send additional roots out the stem--using this theory i make a four ft diameter ring of chicken wire in october and start putting all my mulchable items in it---ie...egg shell,coffee grinds veg cuttings then i layer cow manure like a lasagne with the compost thru the following march..i then grow six tomato plants on the outside of the ring and they send additional roots into the compost as it grows upward ..imagine the health and size of a plant utilizing six sets of roots rather than just one...my tomato plants ae now about six foot tall and yielding an unbelievable amout of nice tastey tomatoes..check it out for next years crop...
ed

 

[rhm3769]

So pinch the buds? I'm not big on tomatoes, the seeds came with some others I wanted and figured I'd add in some variety with my peppers....

 

[PepperDaddler]

I wouldnt, just let them grow.

 

[armac]

Lots of plants will root if you let it lay on the ground.....watermelons pumpkins cucumbers.

 

[Pepperhead]

Lots of plants will root if you let it lay on the ground.....watermelons pumpkins cucumbers.

Yeah, but most people look at a tomato as an upward growing plant (like a pepper) as opposed to a vine (which is what it really is).