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  • From: Etienne Goyer <etienne AT lejardinduvillage.ca>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Tomato suckering, if and how
  • Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2012 18:04:05 -0400

I don't have much experience, so take the following with a grain of
salt. In 2010, I interned on two different farms. One was doing
unpruned Florida basket weave both in field and tunnel, and the second
was doing proper string trellising and suckering in tunnel only. The
difference was staggering. The basket-weaved tomato on the first farm
where a tangled mess. The plants would eventually droop and harvesting
was difficult. On the second farm, harvesting was a lot easier and
quicker, and the yield was like 4-to-1.

As I said, I cannot claim to be an expert. However, that experience
really imprinted on me. If you invest in a tunnel and in growing tomato
transplants, you may as well maximize the return on your investment by
doing proper trellising and suckering. The time you invest in doing it
right will be recovered at harvest both in efficiency and yield.

Obviously, the above only apply to indeterminate. For determinate, he
would remove suckers (but otherwise leave foliage) to the first cluster.


On 12-06-17 01:44 PM, Richard Moyer wrote:
> We've never suckered tomato plants before. But we have about 800 out
> this year, 100 in High Tunnel and 700 in field. 2 feet apart in row,
> 3-4 feet between rows. We grow early blight resistant varieties, and
> tend not to spray, only 1-2x per year if blight is getting bad.
>
> We trellis with Florida weave, stake and string.
>
> Should we make the time to remove all foliage and suckers below the
> first flower clusters? (We do have the labor.)
> Different method for cherry toms, or between determinants and
> indeterminants? Sucker some of those over others?
>
> Thanks,
> Richard Moyer
> SW VA In need of rain, late seeds just sitting in ground waiting.
>
>
>
>
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--
Etienne Goyer - Le Jardin du Village
http://lejardinduvillage.wordpress.com

"Changer le monde, une betterave à la fois"





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