My tomato plants, post end-of-summer pruning.
It’s not quite time for the annual winter garden clean up (just typing that made me feel a little ill), but it’s a good idea to start to prepare for fall by planting your winter garden, and by pruning your tomato plants.
Why prune? Two reasons: 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, and to allow light to reach and ripen still-green fruit. Now you know.
Prune off flower and leaf brachs, leaving just the fruit and the main stalk(s). And if that doesn’t work and frost is imminent, you can always harvest and ripen your green tomatoes indoors.
Stevie says
…and to remove all the blight! Damn blight.
Kristin says
so glad mine are in greenhouse, no blight and the season is just a bit longer. Great post!
Gigi says
Thanks for tip on pruning.
Thought you might appreciate this cool time lapse video about an urban community that turns their junkyard into a sustainable garden in just one day.
http://www.youtube.com/kiacanada#p/a/u/0/13x4lySlXW4
Take a look at how Kia is driving change.
Enjoy!
Gigi
@kiadrivechange
facebook.com/kiacanada
youtube.com/kiacanada
Laura says
I think I may do this! I’ve got a bunch of big plump brandywine’s that just need to ripen. I’m worried they won’t before we leave for vacation. I hate to rush a season, but common baby!
dining table says
Those tomatoes looks so healthy and I think they are ready for harvest. I can tell that you are taking good care of those tomatoes. I wish I can help you harvest your tomatoes.