Stopping Tomatoes from growing taller

[gavinl]

Hi all:)

My tomatoes are starting to touch my greenhouse roof and I would like to stop them growing any taller. Any suggestions on where to prune them would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and all the best

gav

[Jonathan Dyer]

They commonly prune the bottom quarter or less sometimes more off the central stem, by removing with securers all leaves and laterals off the central stem you then are able to lay this section of stem down horizontal to the ground while keeping the top half vertically growing. Its hard to put something that really must be seen to understand into words, perhaps look on the net about growing tomatoes hydroponically or training tomatoes should give you some pictures to help understand the procedure.

[djs-sa]

if u have room tie the tops over and let them keep growing like a vine:)

[Murray]

Hi GavinL,
Use a tomato hook. as seen here. (http://www.aquaponics.net.au/category7_1.htm#82)
You should be able to pick them up at garden stores.
The hook is suspended from above the plants , usually off a horozontal wire which is about 1.8 mtrs above the tomato bed.

See photos in my post "Tomato Wall" here (http://www.aquaponicshq.com/forums/showthread.php?t=230&highlight=tomato+wall&page=2)


I hope this helps.

[gavinl]

Thanks for the replies.

I know what you are talking about Jonathon regarding the pruning and laying down of the stem, but I reckon I might be too far gone now, as there are tomatoes on the bottom third - maybe after they have been eaten.:)

I have been using tomato hooks (about 12 of them) Murray and tying them to the top of my greenhouse frame, but unfortunately (or fortunately) they have reached the top of the greenhouse - the plants are about 9 feet tall and still growing.:)

I was wondering whether I should just cut the top the branches off, but reckon I might try djs-as' suggestion and tie the tops down, so they follow the curve of the roof.

Thanks heaps for all the suggestions

gav

[Murray]

I did that last year Gavin with one tomato bush, I had it trained all along the greenhouse. Down side to that is that it cut out the light to the plants below. In the end I had a couple of grow beds immediately below the tomatoes that would not grow anything much due to lack of sunlight.

[gavinl]

Thanks Murray.

I'll have to have a good think about it then.
Cheers
gav

[Murray]

I should add to that, we had great tomatoes...It was wonderful having them hanging down at head height to pick just like bunches of grapes.

[Jason Palenske]

On thing they do around here is gently do cuttings of some of the excess branches and the like and repot them for others as clones. Done right and a one plant can essentially colonize a whole field.

[Jonty]

Thats the big problem with tomatoes. If they are described as "indeterminate" it is unknow what height they will reach in different types of soils/fertilizer rates. They just keep growing until they die.

Off with their head!!

Regards
Jonty

[Murray]

"indeterminate" Tomato varieties could be described as "vines" and behave like a grape vine or a passion fruit vine. They need training along a fence or some similar structure, or use tomato hooks and an overhead suspension wire.
This type of tomato bears fruit only on the newest 1 to 2 mtrs of the growing vine. The leaves tend to die around the fruit once it has set and matures and the tip of the fine continues to grow and set new clusters of fruit.
Really wonderful, I reckon, having a Grosse Lissie vine that is vigorously out of control :)

[Hamish]

My indeterminate vines have just reached my balcony - and I am about to start training them along the balcony railings :D