Sucker disposal?

BruceinGa · May 17, 2012

After pruning my plants to one and two stemmed plants I had a bag full of suckers. Should I compost them or should I dispose of them away from my garden?
Thanks in advance!

PA_Julia · May 17, 2012

If you composted them it would be like the tomato version of Soylent Green.

Julia

kurt · May 17, 2012

For your area and if you feel you have enough time left in season bury them into pots and you have new plants(probaly to late now should be done right after plucking).If there is no disease makes good compost.

**carolyn137** · May 17, 2012

The proper name for suckers is lateral branches so if you're not going to use them to grow more plants dispose of them any way you want to, compost or otherwise.

BruceinGa · May 18, 2012

Thanks everyone!
I'll be calling them lateral branches in the future!

Mojave · May 18, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by PA_Julia

If you composted them it would be like the tomato version of Soylent Green.

Julia

Oh that's a good one, made me laugh.

**carolyn137** · May 18, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by BruceinGa

Thanks everyone!
I'll be calling them lateral branches in the future!

And I wish everyone would but it isn't going to happen b'c the word sucker has been around so long.

Somewhere someone in the distant past called them suckers b'c they thought they sucked energy from the plant and thus they should be removed. But they're just normal branches and put out blossoms and fruit like all other branches.

I can see removing branches if one is staking tomatoes b/c they usually prune to one or two leader stems, but other than that, I don't see it as a problem.

More branches, more foliage, more photosythensis to make all the energy compounds that allow for plant growth and then blossom formation , fruit set and fruit maturation.

And it's always nice to have some extra foliage if one or more of the foliage diseases hits.

Kazfam · May 18, 2012

Use against aphids:

Chop 12 or so tomato leaves and 1 chopped onion in 1/2 cup of of 70% isopropyl alcohol for a few minutes. Apply the mixture directly on aphids with a cue tip or paintbrush.
http://www.ghorganics.com/page9.html

May 17, 2012	#1
BruceinGa Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Marietta, Ga Posts: 83	Sucker disposal? After pruning my plants to one and two stemmed plants I had a bag full of suckers. Should I compost them or should I dispose of them away from my garden? Thanks in advance!

May 17, 2012	#4
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	The proper name for suckers is lateral branches so if you're not going to use them to grow more plants dispose of them any way you want to, compost or otherwise. __________________ Carolyn

May 17, 2012	#2
PA_Julia Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Princeton, Ky Zone 7A Posts: 2,208	If you composted them it would be like the tomato version of Soylent Green. Julia

May 17, 2012	#3
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,491	For your area and if you feel you have enough time left in season bury them into pots and you have new plants(probaly to late now should be done right after plucking).If there is no disease makes good compost.

May 18, 2012	#5
BruceinGa Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Marietta, Ga Posts: 83	Thanks everyone! I'll be calling them lateral branches in the future!

May 18, 2012	#8
Kazfam Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Upstate South Carolina Posts: 113	Use against aphids: Chop 12 or so tomato leaves and 1 chopped onion in 1/2 cup of of 70% isopropyl alcohol for a few minutes. Apply the mixture directly on aphids with a cue tip or paintbrush. http://www.ghorganics.com/page9.html