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How do you keep your indeterminates from turning into a tomato jungle? We've had such challenges with indeterminate varieties; they produce fabulous fruits, but they turn into such garden-gobblers. By the end of August, we can't even get a foot into the garden; have to try to harvest with baskets on long poles. And it's so sad to see a lovely, perfect ripe 'mater just out of reach.
We're back to Viva Italia again this year, which is a determinate variety that produces a plethora of lovely Roma-style tomatoes. They're great for eating, salads, or cooking, and we generally wind up with 30 or 40 pounds in the deep freeze, from 8 or 10 plants. The spouse wanted a couple of plants that would produce big sandwich-style fruits, too, so we broke down and got Wisconsin 55's, even though they're indeterminate.
If we ever reach the point of having unlimited time and space, I'd like to go back to Amish Paste. They're another Roma-style that produces even better than the Viva Italia, but they wind up 6 or 7 feet high and about 5 or 6 feet across, so they need a lot more space than we've got available.
I've heard that professional farmers nip back the indeterminates to control their tendency to take over the entire yard, but I've never known how that's done. Does anyone have experience with that sort of thing?
I'll explain it as best as I can with this 4 month old kitten trying to bond on me at the moment. It goes like this. You need tall stakes at least 5.5' long. I had a driver made from heavy pipe with a steel plate across on end and handles on the side to drive the stakes in the ground. One stake goes at the end of the row. Plant 3 plants about 30" apart and add a stake. Continue this patten to the end of the row where you place the last stake. These tomatoes need pruning to about 3 main stems from near the base of the plant and the rest of the suckers kept pinched out. Here is a link showing a pruning concept. Not the best example. Google tomato pruning and you'll find a good one somewhere out there.
When the plant get up to about 18 inches high you can use baling twine to build a type of trellis. I bought an inexpensive roll of the plastic type that lasted several seasons. Simply tie the twine to the end post and take it to the next post and wrap and so on to the end of the row. The twine only goes on one side of the plants. Now from the other end repeat this until you get back to where you started. As the plants grow keep the suckers out except for the 3 best ones you originally left and do another wrap of twine about every foot of upward growth trainig the vines to stay between the strands of twine. It's real easy once you do it. Litteraly thouands of acres are planted this way commercially. They only use determinate varieties that ripen almost all at once which is not good except for canning time in a home garden. Only pruce indeterminate varieties or you will severly limit production. With this system we planted our rows about 4' apart and had room to harvest all season long. We did put them up on raised beds to keep their feet dry with the heavy midwestern soil. Many bales of wheat straw were used to keep weeds out and to preserve ground moisture during dry years. If I find one of the head high tomato photos I'll DM it to you. Enjoy your garden. I so miss mine. And the same trellis worked for tall growing sweet peas. HTH.
Noma, thanks for the suggestions! I'll copy 'em off to my gardening file for when we get brave enough to try another indeterminate. It's pretty clear, though, that we'll either need to take in more ground for the garden or else plant fewer plants, possibly both.
Wish the silly website would let me rep ya for the post but it seems to be acting up tonight; will come back and try again later.
Noma, thanks for the suggestions! I'll copy 'em off to my gardening file for when we get brave enough to try another indeterminate. It's pretty clear, though, that we'll either need to take in more ground for the garden or else plant fewer plants, possibly both.
Wish the silly website would let me rep ya for the post but it seems to be acting up tonight; will come back and try again later.
If you have one 50' row of indeterminates you can get 20 plants in pruned to 3 stems and 25 if you limit to 2 stems. That's a lot of tomatoes. I had around 600 jetstars alone done this way. If pruned to 2 stems and not allowed to set to early and thinned some of them got up to around 12 OZ each. Real nice slicers. We had Big Girls up to about 20 OZ when manicured properly. Largest tomato I ever grew was a Pink Tomboy at 3 lbs 5 1/4 ounces. I'll have to work up a drawing and scan it to show the ideal pruning technique that allows more shade and better sized tomatoes too. I think that a lot of the heritage tomatoes are indetrimate so if you go for those pruning and staking will help too. One of the characteristics that I measured for a tomato to be a favorite in addition to having great taste and heavy production was to have good sun protection. Ample foliage is a must for full sun tomatoes. My look at the time. No wonder my eyes are heavy. G'nite.
Cherokee Purple is one of the best we have found. Also like Old German and Black Krim. Another one we plant is Fourth of July, nice flavor, ripen early, and we get tons of tomatoes off each vine.
My favorite are the ones that have leaped into the canner already.
If only! LOL
I grew Celebrity, Early Girl, and Roma this season. Got a few Sweet 100 volunteers from last season; I don't care for Sweet 100, but instead prefer a larger cherry tomato that I can't find anymore. Guess I'll have to start seeds if I want something other than what the local garden store carries.
Last year I grew a yellow pear cherry tomato. It was incredibly delicious. I couldn't find it again, and no volunteers.
Halladay Mortgage Lifter. Huge, ugly, sweet and juicy.
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And the same trellis worked for tall growing sweet peas. HTH.
