Growing tomatoes

HUENEME GIRL · ‎05-23-2010

I live in El Paso, Tx. The weather has been so warm I am harvesting tomatoes already. I have one plant (don't know variety) that has grown like a weed. It is above the cage. My question should I chop off the top of the plant to get more fruit? It only has 3 tomatoes and the blossoms are not setting fruit. The energy is going into growing. I am wondering if it is to early to do this. Thanks for your opinion, Sonnie

gardensla · ‎03-09-2010

I think if you lop off the top, you'll just encourage branching and more leafy green rather than fruits. Instead, cut out all suckers and if you're feeding lots of nitrogen, cut back on that.

Also, very hot weather discourages plants from setting blooms, and there's not much you can about that except provide a bit of shade.

If I were you, I would also buy a second plant right now and get it potted up with a plan to start pinching out suckers right away.

Fortēs fortūna adjuvat

HUENEME GIRL · ‎05-23-2010

Thanks Gardenisa, I already have another plant that is loaded and have had 3 ripe already. 2 more are orange. The severe heat is starting this week. 99 for several days, so I was trying to get a jump on it and not spend the summer with big leafy bushes!

I moved from socal so I am trying to learn how to garden(?) in the desert. One of my newly planted lilys bloomed today.

I did put shade cloth around the tomatoes to avoid the afternoon sun, as we face west. Not feeding as they have only been in the pots a few weeks! There was fertilizer in the soil,Sonnie