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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Market Farming

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Subject: Market Farming

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  • From: "Shoemaker, William H" <wshoemak AT illinois.edu>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Market Farming
  • Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2022 16:11:09 +0000

I've never read the studies done on suckering, but I've heard several researchers talk about results from their studies and who've offered recommendations. I sucker all my tomatoes as a result. The determinates I remove all the suckers starting with the one at the base of the plant up the main stalk to the one just below the first flower truss. That one I leave as studies show removing it can have a negative impact on the first flower sets. I do the same with indeterminates, but then I train them up poles to keep them off the ground. I still leave the one below the first flower truss but the I remove others as they emerge further up the main stalk, and the sucker I left under the flower truss, which becomes a second stalk. Inevitably, I miss some. I will sometimes use pruners to remove those, which often get too big to just break out at the base. With my cherry tomatoes, I often wait until fruit set several trusses up the plant, then look for another sucker near the base. I'll then train that one up the pole, treating it just like the main stalk. That gives me a later crop. I can keep my indeterminates going right up into Fall if pests don't get in the way.

Anyway, that's my brief take on suckering tomatoes.

Bill

William H. Shoemaker

Retired fruit and vegetable horticulturist

University of Illinois

wshoemak AT illinois.edu

Now in NE Oregon, near Walla Walla, WA


From: Market-farming <market-farming-bounces+wshoemak=illinois.edu AT lists.ibiblio.org> on behalf of E C GRANATA <elainegranata AT msn.com>
Sent: Monday, July 11, 2022 5:06 PM
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Market Farming
 
I'd love some advice on suckering tomatoes.  I sucker the indeterminates, both heirloom and cherry, but not the one determinate cherry I grow.  And a local famer (Denver area) said not to sucker Romas.  

Is there "science" behind suckering, or "druthers".

Almost no rain for weeks and 100 degree days.  June had some 100 degree days and some of my transplants fried, even under row cover.  It was brutal.

Good to hear from folks checking in after so many years of silence.

Elaine
Denver

From: Market-farming <market-farming-bounces+elainegranata=msn.com AT lists.ibiblio.org> on behalf of Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
Sent: Monday, July 11, 2022 4:41 PM
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Market Farming
 
Nothing really stopping us from starting up again, is there, if there are people still willing to answer?

I'm hanging in here, getting old now and working mostly on my own, definitely small scale; but still doing a batch of veggies and some fruit and herbs, mostly for a small-town farmers' market, some from box order sales, and an occasional mail order garlic over the net.

I can advise that plantskydd really is useful for discouraging deer -- as long as there's something else around they're willing to eat, and the crop's not their super favorite. Chard and beets I have to grow under low hoops with deer fence netting over them; the lettuce ditto in the fall but in summer shadecloth instead of the deer netting.

Weather's been pretty erratic; we've got longer frost-free than we used to, but very erratic moisture -- seems it's either flood or drought. Hoping for rain tonight, but the forecast is thunderstorms, so it's hit or miss.


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 6A now I think
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale


On Jul 11, 2022, at 5:12 PM, Mike Rock <mikerock AT mhtc.net> wrote:

Hi Deb, and all other's still receiving this,
Yes, I miss those good days.  Ask a question, get an answer, friends like you say, scattered over this great country.  









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