Growing too tall!

Stampy · June 7, 2017

I have a couple Esterina (yellow cherry) plants growing in my greenhouse, and I've been removing suckers to keep it to 2 main stems. These plants have been easily the tallest plants of any of the varieties I'm growing and have now hit the roof of by greenhouse.

I topped one of the stems and am days away from having to do the same on the others.

I've noticed only a few flower clusters on the plant and was really hoping for more production.

My question is this, now that I have suckered the plant, and topped it, is there any way to get more flower cluster on the main plant? Will it sucker more down the stem or push out more flower clusters? or does it always need to be advancing new growth out the top?

Thanks,

S

BigVanVader · June 7, 2017

It should sucker like crazy. Especially if you fertilize regularly. You may want to try the lower & lean technique for GH growing as well.

Father'sDaughter · June 7, 2017

My cherry tomato plant is the one I don't single stem, I'll only thin leaf branches as needed. I figure the tomatoes are so small, there isn't much l point in concentrating growth energy, and I want volume from my cherry.

zipcode · June 8, 2017

That's one of disadvantages of less stems, they will grow taller. But yeah, you can cut the lower leaves, the fruit is probably picked there, and just lower the plant down. The stems sometimes do crack a bit when you rotate them on the ground but that doesn't seem to affect them for some reason. Greenhouses grow sometimes 10+ meter long tomatoes like this.

StrongPlant · June 8, 2017

It should put out new suckers,even at the same nodes they were previously removed.In fact,most of my plants put out suckers from the same spot the whole season and I have to pluck them relentlessly,

You could do this: Leave 1 lowest sucker growing for each stem,and remove some foliage to allow light to reach it.Once all the fruit has ripened on the old stems,you can cut them down and lead suckers that you left as new stems.It's almost the same as planting new plants again,except the growth is much faster because the roots are already developed.I did this with one plant that was very tall but I accidently broke it at a low point,the sucker I left growing as replacement eventually flowered & fruited.

June 7, 2017	#1
Stampy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario Posts: 14	Growing too tall! I have a couple Esterina (yellow cherry) plants growing in my greenhouse, and I've been removing suckers to keep it to 2 main stems. These plants have been easily the tallest plants of any of the varieties I'm growing and have now hit the roof of by greenhouse. I topped one of the stems and am days away from having to do the same on the others. I've noticed only a few flower clusters on the plant and was really hoping for more production. My question is this, now that I have suckered the plant, and topped it, is there any way to get more flower cluster on the main plant? Will it sucker more down the stem or push out more flower clusters? or does it always need to be advancing new growth out the top? Thanks, S

June 7, 2017	#2
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	It should sucker like crazy. Especially if you fertilize regularly. You may want to try the lower & lean technique for GH growing as well.

June 7, 2017	#3
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,917	My cherry tomato plant is the one I don't single stem, I'll only thin leaf branches as needed. I figure the tomatoes are so small, there isn't much l point in concentrating growth energy, and I want volume from my cherry.

June 8, 2017	#4
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	That's one of disadvantages of less stems, they will grow taller. But yeah, you can cut the lower leaves, the fruit is probably picked there, and just lower the plant down. The stems sometimes do crack a bit when you rotate them on the ground but that doesn't seem to affect them for some reason. Greenhouses grow sometimes 10+ meter long tomatoes like this.

June 8, 2017	#5
StrongPlant Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Europe/Serbia-Belgrade Posts: 151	It should put out new suckers,even at the same nodes they were previously removed.In fact,most of my plants put out suckers from the same spot the whole season and I have to pluck them relentlessly, You could do this: Leave 1 lowest sucker growing for each stem,and remove some foliage to allow light to reach it.Once all the fruit has ripened on the old stems,you can cut them down and lead suckers that you left as new stems.It's almost the same as planting new plants again,except the growth is much faster because the roots are already developed.I did this with one plant that was very tall but I accidently broke it at a low point,the sucker I left growing as replacement eventually flowered & fruited.