I planted my tomato plants about 2 weeks ago from a tiny stalk. Since then, it has heightened into about a foot tall. It is growing great and flowers have developed as well. My question is I heard flowers or something called "suckers?" should be removed from the plant as it takes energy from the plant. Is this true, what exactly needs to be removed and when? Also what other steps should be taken to grow a successful healthy tomato plant with abundant tomatoes? Please give me any information you may have, thank you!
2007-06-01 11:00:20 · 7 answers · asked by tb/pb 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
NO don't remove the flowers those are called blossoms and those are what makes the tomatoes. what you are thinking of is starters or shoots. They are, once a plan is more deveolped, are energy takers... they are just branches that have very few leaves on them they can be broken off if you really want to.
2007-06-01 11:09:09 · answer #1 · answered by polarisash 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The suckers do sap some energy from the plant, but it's not so much to cause worry. If, however, you are determined that you don't want them, they can be pinched off. They are when the plant begins to split.
The flowers, which eventually begin to form into the fruit, can be cut off. By cutting off a few (don't cut off all of them, or you won't get any tomatoes!) you can produce larger fruits. However, if you want many smaller tomatoes, this isn't necessary. These should be removed after the flower opens and before the fruit begins to form.
Other than that, using good soil and compost, watering, and necessary sunlight... Also, watching for insects... Are good ways to keep your tomatoes healthy. Tomato stakes are good to have on hand, as the plant may become a little top-heavy as the tomatoes begin to grow. If the fruit is left touching the ground, it will develop a rot that will cause it to become inedible.
Take these precautions, and your tomatoes will turn out great!
2007-06-01 11:20:33 · answer #2 · answered by Seth R 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some tomato plants are determinate in size and grow like a fat bush. However most are not. They have the start of new branches coming out from the stem under each leaf. those new growths are nicknamed suckers. While they are still small you can take a fingernail and flick them out from the stem. That eliminates the side growth that is hard to handle. it will leave you with a single tall stem that can be fastened to a stake so that the growth is under control and plant energy ends up making better yield from the tomato plant instead of being wasted on useless vegetative growth. Getting those suckers off every few days just takes a minute and gives you more tomatoes.
2007-06-01 11:10:22 · answer #3 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best advice is to not smoke around them or allow anyone to smoke cigarettes or through a butt in the pot or near the plant, that's going to kill it. Just the smoke enough. It will begin to turn yellow at the bottom and progress upwards killing the plant as it goes.
I've heard of people trying to grow tomatoes for show that remove other tomatoes from the vine so that all the plant can devote its energy to one or two fruits, but if you're not going to the county fair, I wouldn't worry about it.
2007-06-01 11:11:30 · answer #4 · answered by rann_georgia 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Suckers are sprouts of new limbs that usually grow at a fork in the stalk. Don't worry about them now. Every blossom you see will become a tomatoe. Later when your start getting tomatoes formng, you'll see "suckers" with blossoms. Go ahead and pinch them off, it'll make the ones already started grow better.
Sometimes you'll see 5 or 6 blossoms on a branch that is very small. I pinch these of to leave only three, they'll get bigger. Just don't pinch off alot of them hoping to get HUGE tomatoes, it doesn't work that way, its basically pruning out the punies.
2007-06-01 11:13:25 · answer #5 · answered by GRUMPY 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
supposedly you will help the plant grow taller...I didn't mess with taking one of them off this year,I let my maters run wild. I staked them but I also let them bush up .I loaded them down with ammonium nitrate and I have some whoppers out there right now..I am gonna fry some green ones tonight with catfish and hushpuppys and krinkles.I also picked a bunch of cherry tomatoess this morning.I bought a cherry tomatoe plant by accident one year and that thing put out little salad maters till fall. so I got a huge one out there right now.I didn't remove not one sucker from my plants...don't worry about it
2007-06-01 11:13:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no!!!! if you do that you might as well throw it all away because the flowers are tomatoes just wait a while and they will grow !!!!
2007-06-01 12:12:46 · answer #7 · answered by Margaret 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋