Another tomato question

[NOTSOGREENTHUMB]

This is my first year growing vegetables and it has become sort of an obsession for me. I only have a small space to use. It is about 6 foot x 12 foot. I still seem to get a fair number of plants in there. The question is now that the tomato plants are getting so large is there a way to prune them a bit so there is still room for the other plants. I only planted 2 and they are taking over now that they are taller than the cages.

[msmeg]

tomatoes grow tall those silly 3 ft cages they sell will not support a 5 ft tomato plant... leave then in the cages but add some stakes.. I like rebar as it lasts for years and is cheap but 2x2 wood stakes will work also just puond into the ground my rebar will usually just push in the1 ft needed to support the plant.


You do not want to prune off the top but if the are far to bushy you can prun some suckers off it will cut down on your yeild but the tomatoes will be bigger

then take twine ot tie the plants to the stake and keep doing it as they grow.

If you want short plants plant plum tomatoes...

tomatoes are either determinate meaning they have a certain height they get to and that is it or inderterminate mening they geep growing from the top until the frost kills them.

[garden-gal]

You can purchase 5-foot cages at Ace Hardware that work great. My mother also uses these for passionflowers in big pots. They cost more but are way worth it. Using string or twine to tie the lower branches of the plant to the cage helps to keep those tomatoes off the ground. You never want your tomatoes to rest on the ground, it will ruin them.

Sounds like your tomato plants did great this year, congrats :)

[Sheraz]

Don’t Crowd Seedlings.
f you are starting tomatoes from seed, be sure to give the seedlings room to branch out. Close conditions inhibit their growth, so transplant them as soon as they get their first true leaves and move them into 4" pots about 2 weeks after that.