My heirloom tomato plants are growing very tall, and starting to get "leggy". Should I cut the tops of them?

They are about 6 feet tall. I think I planted them too close together? (about 1 foot apart) I have been tying them up, but they keep growing taller and taller. I need taller stakes to support them.

My heirloom tomato plants are growing very tall, and starting to get "leggy". Should I cut the tops of them?
Yes, you planted them much to closely together. Always plant them a minimum of 3 feet apart, or further. As to pruning- you have planted what are known as indeterminate varities. They keep growing- and producing- until frost. (Determinate varities grow short, produce all their tom's at once, and are done.) I never prune my tomato plants. They know what they are doing. Let them grow and enjoy the produce. If you want "pretty" plants, then get determinate varities next time. I built cages myself. They are 6 feet tall and the plants always over grow the cages. That's okay. I really enjoy the bushels and bushels of fresh tomatoes we get every year. (60 plants!)
Reply:You might like to visit the Yahoo group called tomatomessenger and also see the web-site at http://www.gardenmessenger.net... Report Abuse

Reply:IF THEY ARE 6 FEET TALL AND TIED.....CLIP THE TOP A BIT AND TAKE OFF ANY BRANCHES WITHOUT BUDS ON THEM..... THEY ARE REFERED TO AS SUCKER BRANCHES.........GIVE THEM FERTILIZER ....OR MIRACLE GROW MIXED IN THE WATER......SHOULD DO IT
Reply:clip them- no use for letting them grow as tall as they want - it is the fruit that you want.





one feet span seems too little, but as long as the row of tomatoes gets sunlight, i wouldnt worry about that - they get tall because that is ttheir wayl. it is right time to clip them at the top, because the newly grown parts would not have time and/or energy to make nice fruit - if you clip, you will have bigger tomatoes because the plant will use the energy in the tomatoes and not in growing up and up like mad





i hope you always remove the smaller branches that grow from buds at leaf bases - the same waste of energy in a useless way - u dont want many thin branches.
Reply:tomatoes need to be pruned quite often,not the cherry variety
Reply:Once a tomato plant starts blooming do not fertilize them but one more time. Say, midway thru growing. If you fertilize too much you will get all green and hardly no fruit. It wont hurt to cut the tops off. the fruit will grow on the bottom limbs. 6ft is pretty high for a 'mater' plant. take a picture in case a contest pops up for biggest plant or send it to your local agricultural newspaper. m