Tomato Question

J

Jack Shellac

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My tomatoes have set fruit and have three to four on the same stem. Size varies from tennis ball to golf ball. Still all green, of course. Is it best to pick the smaller ones off or just leave them alone and take what you get?
 
pduquette

pduquette

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Re: Tomato Question

Wow , Tomatos Already....Jelous.... Me I'd Thin a couple to alow them to grow bigger , more healthy . Use the green ones for picillily / salsa etc . The plant will keep puting it's energy into big healthy tomatoes . BTW , What variaty are you growing ?? peter
 
D

dlngr

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Re: Tomato Question

Geez,my 'mater plants [grown from seed] are only two inches tall .
 
aspeck

aspeck

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Re: Tomato Question

We haven't planted all our tomato plants yet ... frost warnings the last 2 nights, and they are saying next week as well. Will wait till after the holiday to plant the majority.

As for what to pick, depends on what you want. If you want big, firm, meaty tomatoes, but not many, then pick the smaller ones off and use them while green (pickle them, fry them, use in salsa, etc.). If you want quantity over quality, leave them on. I generally have some plants with just a few larger ones so the slices cover a whole slice of bread, and others with lots of smaller ones on for salads and garnish.
 
kenmyfam

kenmyfam

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Re: Tomato Question

Jack Shellac said:
My tomatoes have set fruit and have three to four on the same stem. Size varies from tennis ball to golf ball. Still all green, of course. Is it best to pick the smaller ones off or just leave them alone and take what you get?
Click to expand...

I think you are just showing off !!! LOL
Still a little cold to plant here up in the "frozen" North of South West Ontario.
 
tashasdaddy

tashasdaddy

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Re: Tomato Question

thin them out, and fry the green ones.
 
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Edko

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Re: Tomato Question

My wife thins the beefy's but lets the roma's and cherry's go. I dunno why, I just built the garden and eat.
 
SS MAYFLOAT

SS MAYFLOAT

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Re: Tomato Question

When I was a kid working in the tomato fields, we were instructed to sucker the plants. This makes for a tall plant with nice size fruits. Of course when you sucker a plant, you have to use a nice tall stake to allow for the taller growth of the plant. Bushy plants tend to yield smaller fruit as there are many more stems that will produce the fruit.

BTW, a sucker is a stem that will take off from the main stem. We always plucked them off when the shoot was about 1 to 2 inches. This allows the plant to dedicate more nutrients to the fruit being bared on the main stem.
 
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salty87

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Re: Tomato Question

any of you knowledgeable gardeners have words of wisdom for caterpillars?

i've been evicting a few really fat green, mean caterpillars and had a few of these guys too

DSCF1071.jpg


the greens ones have been eating parts of the tomato plants, maybe that will help 'sucker' it for me. although i feel like the sucker. the brown ones were eating spinach i think.

thanks
 
aspeck

aspeck

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Re: Tomato Question

Be careful with those brown ones ... you remember what happened to Popeye after he ate his spinach ... ;) :p
 
ehenry

ehenry

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Re: Tomato Question

Salty, you need to get some Sevin dust for you plants. That will take care of those worms. Malathion spray or dust for the rest of the vermin that get on your plants.


Jack, dont pull your green ones off. It wont make that much difference to the size of the fruit on that set. Now you can pinch the suckers off your plants and get bigger fruit but its all personal preference.
 
M

mars bar

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Re: Tomato Question

I use a mixture of dish soap and water, then spray it on the plants. The critters take a bite and spit it out. It's safe too!
 
ezmobee

ezmobee

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Re: Tomato Question

We had the scary green ones last year. Had never seen them before. My neighbors said they were horned tomato worms. A quick dose of Sevin took care of them.
 
J

Jack Shellac

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Re: Tomato Question

Thanks for the advice. The variety I planted on March 19 is Park's Whopper that I bought at Home Depot as seedlings.
BTW, for our frostbound friends, it ain't all peaches and cream down here. I have been cutting grass for two months. I think I'd rather do that than shovel snow, though.
 
tashasdaddy

tashasdaddy

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Re: Tomato Question

if you plant a vegetable bush, the a marigold, then veggie, marigold. you will have very few kritters. it will take a little long for the plants to pollenate.
 
M

matthews_jim

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Re: Tomato Question

Leave the little ones on the vine. As they start turning you can pick unless you are going to eat the same day you pcik. I have been picking.eating my tomatoes for over a month. I have better boys, homestead, mr. strippy, and cherry (granddaughter likes these).
 
puddle jumper

puddle jumper

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Re: Tomato Question

salty87 said:
any of you knowledgeable gardeners have words of wisdom for caterpillars?

i've been evicting a few really fat green, mean caterpillars and had a few of these guys too

DSCF1071.jpg


the greens ones have been eating parts of the tomato plants, maybe that will help 'sucker' it for me. although i feel like the sucker. the brown ones were eating spinach i think.

thanks
Click to expand...
You have to get rid of tomato horn worm. The best way is by hand and foot. The hand to get them off your plant and your foot to squish them. If you don't you may not have any leaves left.
 
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