If you haven’t done it already, now’s the time to cut back your tomato plants.*
Why? To focus the plant’s energy on ripening its existing fruit, rather than on producing new flowers and starting new fruit, which won’t have time to grow and ripen before the first frost. Now you know.
*Technically you’re supposed to do this four weeks before the first frost date for your area. In Vancouver, that’s November 5, but I find that my tomatoes stop growing and ripening long before then.
Thank you, Andrea, for this valuable tip. I have lots of green but not too many flowers. I will trim tonight.
Great minds think alike – I pinched out the growing tips of my tomatoes this morning!
Elaine – glad I could help!
Amanda – Indeed! I’ve just added you to my blogroll.
I’m not a tomato fan but I love your blog! Your baby is super cute. Good luck gardening with her, maybe it will go better than it has for me and my munchkin. :> She likes to “help” but is kind of like Godzilla still at age 5 where the poor tender plants are concerned. Just added you to my blogroll and look forward to further posts!
- Karen
http://greenwalks.wordpress.com
I think you have too pinch the plant after the forth bouquet of flowers.
I also read it is good to sprinkle epsom salt to help the production in late season.
I’m still a fairly novice gardener – when you say “cut back” do you mean simply to prune the main stem growth?
Karen – thanks! Oh, I can see that a five year old might be a bit of a garden terrorist!
Fanfan – that makes sense. And I have heard about the epsom salt thing – has anyone tried this?
V – Good question! What I do is cut off any “branches” that don’t have fruit or flowers on them. I also remove flowers clusters that aren’t yet forming fruit. This focuses the plant’s energy on the existing fruit.
Good Lawd, I’d totally forgotten about cutting back tomatoes. Last year El Hub and I had three huge and productive hanging tomato plants but didn’t think to cut them back. By October each had dozens of tiny young fruit that never matured, not even to cherry tomato size.
If only I’d read your reminder then! Thanks for the tip! :)
Andrea – Thanks! Over here it’s pretty much over and done with in terms of tomato plants but I will keep this in mind for next year.
Karen – no prob! Thanks for leading me to your blog.
Vonnie – ditto. I’ve added you to my blogroll.
Ah ha! Now I know why my tomatoes are not ripening! Just found you on delightful blogs and am so glad that I did!