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Old July 14, 2018   #1
Old chef
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Default Does size of main stem matter?

I have 19 foot long raised beds. 7 weeks ago they were planted. I use the Florida weave, however I forgot to put in the middle supports. Plants are upright however can move with the wind. I have other plants that are growing in Texas tomato cages.

The main stems on the plants in the raised beds using my forgetful weave are twice the diameter of the one in the cages.

Does the size of the main stem matter

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Old July 14, 2018   #2
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I don't think that's related to how they were supported, but mostly to nutrition and sun. I think to a certain degree it matters, to me it seems if it's under a certain diameter the taste suffers, probably not due to the diameter itself but to the lacking conditions.
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Old July 15, 2018   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old chef View Post
I have 19 foot long raised beds. 7 weeks ago they were planted. I use the Florida weave, however I forgot to put in the middle supports. Plants are upright however can move with the wind. I have other plants that are growing in Texas tomato cages.

The main stems on the plants in the raised beds using my forgetful weave are twice the diameter of the one in the cages.

Does the size of the main stem matter

Old chef
What matters is the effect that WIND has on tomato growth,which is positive,
and that's what you are dealing with.

Savvy folks run fans on their young transplants,it was Cornell who first discovered why commercial farmers saw much better plants near those narrow aisles in green houses since the farmer would brush up again the plants nearest to the aisles,not wind related but actual thigomotropism (touch alone).

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&....0.TDP8MvwTMd8

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Old July 20, 2018   #4
Fritz77
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My healthiest (looking) tomato plant this season has a stem which is twice the size of any other plant in my garden. At one point it also had a beautiful and promising fused blossom.
This said, so far, it has zero tomatoes
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Old July 20, 2018   #5
slugworth
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I've had similar double stuff stems on plants in the past but they were mutants and didn't perform well.
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Old July 20, 2018   #6
Old chef
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Quote:
Originally Posted by carolyn137 View Post
What matters is the effect that WIND has on tomato growth,which is positive,
and that's what you are dealing with.

Savvy folks run fans on their young transplants,it was Cornell who first discovered why commercial farmers saw much better plants near those narrow aisles in green houses since the farmer would brush up again the plants nearest to the aisles,not wind related but actual thigomotropism (touch alone).

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&....0.TDP8MvwTMd8

Carolyn
Thank you Carolyn for responding. This was my thoughts when I became aware of the difference in diameter size. I do have an oscillating fan in my seeding rack. I must say that the plants are doing extremely well.
As I have learned thru the years in the kitchen cooking- Sometimes its the technique not the recipe that makes a difference
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Old July 20, 2018   #7
whoose
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Quote:
Originally Posted by carolyn137 View Post
What matters is the effect that WIND has on tomato growth,which is positive,
and that's what you are dealing with.

Savvy folks run fans on their young transplants,it was Cornell who first discovered why commercial farmers saw much better plants near those narrow aisles in green houses since the farmer would brush up again the plants nearest to the aisles,not wind related but actual thigomotropism (touch alone).

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&....0.TDP8MvwTMd8

Carolyn
I studied thigomotropism in Grad School (with mice) and had a GTA who had sever mental disorders one of which was a thigomotropism response, have not heard the term in 40 years, cool. I also will do the fan on seedlings trick next year.
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