Pruning And Staking Tomatoes

For most short-stake culture systems for tomatoes, some pruning is usually done. There are some real advantages to pruning and staking.

Pruning is the removal of suckers (axillary shoots) and can vary from no pruning to removal of all suckers up to the first fork (sucker immediately below the first bloom cluster). The cost of pruning ranges from nothing to about $40 per acre and comprises a very small part of the total production costs. This operation, however, can have a very large impact on yield and quality.

The degree of pruning is variety dependent. With weak determinate varieties such as Solar Set (Seminis), Equinox (Seedway), Solar Fire (Harris Moran), and plum types, only minimal pruning is necessary. With these varieties, only the ground suckers (those located at the cotyledons) need to be removed, or sometimes none at all. Heavier pruning, especially to the fork, with these varieties will result in significant yield losses and can lead to increased sunburned fruit, blossom end rot, and catfacing.

With more vigorous determinate varieties such as Agriset 761 (Seedway), FL 91 (Seminis), and FL 47 (Seminis), heavier pruning, such as removal of ground suckers plus two additional suckers, may result in increased yields and fruit size. Again, heavy pruning (removal to the fork) has resulted in reduced yields or no effect.

A second pruning may be necessary to remove late-emerging suckers. Pruning should be done before the first string is applied. As new varieties are available, growers will need to experiment as to the proper pruning for each variety. Many times the seed company that sells the variety will recommend the amount of pruning needed. It is important to remove suckers when they are small (2 to 4 inches) to minimize damage to the plants.

Successful Staking

Staking increases yield and improves fruit quality by keeping plants and fruit off the ground. It also improves spray coverage and allows better air circulation so plants dry off quicker. Staked tomatoes are also much easier to harvest and less damage is done to the vines.

For determinate varieties, wooden stakes 1 inch square and 48 to 54 inches in length are used. A stake is placed between every plant. Some growers have used a stake every other plant successfully at times, but, under extreme rain and windy conditions, they may not support the plants enough. For the indeterminate grape varieties, 1¼-inch-square stakes 84 to 90 inches long are used, and a stake is used between every plant.

Tie The Knot

Tying should begin as soon as the plants reach 12 to 15 inches in height, but before they fall over because picking up the plants greatly slows the tying process. The first string should be about 8 to 10 inches up the stake.

Additional strings are made as needed and are usually spaced 6 to 8 inches above the last. It is important to keep the string tight so that plants do not flop over. Usually four strings are sufficient for a short-stake crop. As with pruning, tying should be done when plants are dry to prevent disease spread.