12-branch pruning method

arnorrian · June 30, 2019

arnorrian · July 1, 2019

jtjmartin · July 1, 2019

Love it! I would not have the patience to count to 12 but . . . I use the same single stem lean and lower system outside. Great tips on where to cut long stems of fruit, etc.

Thank you!

zipcode · July 2, 2019

Related: https://link.springer.com/article/10...580-014-0049-y

They don't have the 12 leaf but 14, and even that is too much (as in, too much pruning).

arnorrian · July 2, 2019

It would be interesting to see if the leaf-counting method is the same. The ladies in the video above start counting from the first leaf that has descended into the horizontal position, regarding the upturned young leaves as a part of the growing tip.

I try to leave more leaves is they are high enough from the ground and there are no signs of disease. So far all my 20 main plant are blemish free.

JRinPA · July 2, 2019

Good videos...I am doing about the same thing this year with 25 or so big beefs. Last year was two stems and it worked great, but this year I am going with one. Similar to the videos, close spacing over plastic mulch, but florida weave outdoors instead of overhead support indoors like they have. My tomatoes get a lot more stout than those shown, but it is about time I double up the posts to add height. I had not considered counting branches like that and I wonder how 12 would work out for me.

In the videos they make a good point of not messing with the leader until it is clear where it is headed. I had a couple go awry this season when I took the AG19/hoops off. The plants were pushing the fabric, stout and ready to go, and I made a few questionable choices in the failing light that evening. Generally, that first pruning a few weeks or a month after plantout is when I run into the seemingly co-dominant stems and have to make a choice on which is the sucker, but really I'm not sure how much it matters. It is only a few days set back in June if the "wrong" choice is made.

zipcode · July 3, 2019

Something that no one seems to talk about is that the sucker before each flower truss is much stronger growing. I always try to pinch those even if very small, if I don't have time for a week or so, or it will get very large.

June 30, 2019	#1
arnorrian Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2019 Location: Serbia Posts: 199	12-branch pruning method

July 2, 2019	#4
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	Related: https://link.springer.com/article/10...580-014-0049-y They don't have the 12 leaf but 14, and even that is too much (as in, too much pruning). Last edited by zipcode; July 2, 2019 at 04:30 AM.

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July 1, 2019	#2
arnorrian Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2019 Location: Serbia Posts: 199

July 1, 2019	#3
jtjmartin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Williamsburg VA Zone 7b Posts: 1,110	Love it! I would not have the patience to count to 12 but . . . I use the same single stem lean and lower system outside. Great tips on where to cut long stems of fruit, etc. Thank you!

July 2, 2019	#6
JRinPA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: SE PA Posts: 963	Good videos...I am doing about the same thing this year with 25 or so big beefs. Last year was two stems and it worked great, but this year I am going with one. Similar to the videos, close spacing over plastic mulch, but florida weave outdoors instead of overhead support indoors like they have. My tomatoes get a lot more stout than those shown, but it is about time I double up the posts to add height. I had not considered counting branches like that and I wonder how 12 would work out for me. In the videos they make a good point of not messing with the leader until it is clear where it is headed. I had a couple go awry this season when I took the AG19/hoops off. The plants were pushing the fabric, stout and ready to go, and I made a few questionable choices in the failing light that evening. Generally, that first pruning a few weeks or a month after plantout is when I run into the seemingly co-dominant stems and have to make a choice on which is the sucker, but really I'm not sure how much it matters. It is only a few days set back in June if the "wrong" choice is made.

July 3, 2019	#7
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	Something that no one seems to talk about is that the sucker before each flower truss is much stronger growing. I always try to pinch those even if very small, if I don't have time for a week or so, or it will get very large.