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daylilyfanatic4

Organic Tomato Magic trial redone

daylilyfanatic4
15 years ago

Hi, My previous post was very confusing so I'm posting it again I hope nobody minds.

A couple years ago there was a very interesting thread on the gardenweb (not that I was a member then) If I have read it correctly somebody asked about a book called Organic tomato magic (basicly a radical form of pruning were all the leaves are taken off below the flower branches) . After much discusion (with some people saying they thought that it was a scam) kubotabx2200 decided to do a trial l with the two beefmaster plants. The results showed that the pruning cuased early growth and fruit set but the plant slowed down during harvest season.

Beefmaster (which was the variety used in the test) is very tolerante of hard "pruning" ex last year a wind storm broke the top of my beefmaster plant in august the plant hadn't flowered all year 2 weeks later a lateral branch had grown and had 7 flowers on it. My point is that different tomato plants don't always grow the same way.

Taking that in mind I would like to test this method out again. This time however I wouldl like to have a much larger trial. I was Thinking of trying this method out all over the country and with many different tomatoes. Since my 9 tomatoes are pretty much stuck here in SE NY I was hoping some of you would step up and try this method out in your gardens.

I'll be trialing superbeefsteak one plant with all the leaves pruned off below each flower branch (OTM method) and one with all the suckers taken off but the leaves left on.

hopefuly some of you will test different varieties in your gardens. I'll post photos of my plants starting from the time they sprout all the way till frost

By the end of the year if enough of you join in we should have fruit counts from the OTM plants and the unpruned/convetionaly pruned plants and we'll be able to really compare the two methods.

Comments (51)

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    hi, I understand that this topic has been discussed many times and that the majority of the people involved considered it a scam. (including many tomato experts who i very much trust) However and correct me if I'm wrong I've only seen two people actualy try the method out and in both cases they had very encourging results. Anyway I was just hoping people would be willing to try the method out on one or two of their plants.

    Thank you for the encourgment.

  • digdirt2
    15 years ago

    Sometimes the underlying assumptions and arguments behind a theory are so patently false in and of themselves that actual practice/testing of the theory isn't necessary for one to know it won't work. ;)

    I think that is why so many of us are unwilling to waste the time, plants, and energy to test it out. But I still wish you good luck.

    Dave

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  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    hi, I guess I might not be able to get as many people involved as origanaly planned but I hope you all follow a long and share your thoughts as a try out this method again. Please share your thoughts I don't mind if there negative.

    here are some pictures of my vegtable seed packs

    {{gwi:1296801}}

    all my seeds together

    {{gwi:1296802}}
    sophies choice determinet plant I will not be pruning this one
    {{gwi:1296803}}
    super beefsteak
    I will prune one according to OTM and just the suckers off the other plant

    {{gwi:1296804}}
    the beefmaster variety trialed before I will grow one plant and prune it according to OTM.

    {{gwi:1296805}}

    beefmaster

    Ok I hope everyone enjoys the pictures And I'm still hoping that at least sombody else will "bite".

  • jll0306
    15 years ago

    I can't remember the thread, but Hoosiercherokee posted an explanation for why plants increase production after having leaves removed. It also seems logical that plants would slow down afterward, without foliage to fuel the ripening process.
    As a desert grower, I think our plants do better with no pruning it all. Foliage helps to keep roots cool and protect the fruit from boiling on the vine, but good luck with your experiment.

    Jan

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    hi I know there are a couple of reasons why pruning creates rapid tomato development. If a plant is prunded hard and is under stress it will rush to seed (producing lots of blooms and fruit) onions do this when they are drought stressed. If the plant is under stress due to lack of leaves the lack of food will catch up to them and the plant will stop producing as much. However there is another explanation. when you deadhead a plant it diverts the energy from producing the seed back into producing new flowers, the same is true about removing leaves from a tomato. (at least this is what I understand from what I have read) The bottom leaves of the tomato plant actualy often use up more energy then they produce since they are big and often shaded by the upper leaves. By removing them you divert the extra energy in to fruit production and you also let light get to the fruit which is needed for ripening.

    So anyway I guess I'm trying to say that I realize there are horticultural reasons behind the idea but I think that there is more than one explnation. I'm trying to find out which one is the correct one.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    hi, I'm posting a link to this article becuase I think it says what I tried to in my post last night. Also I think it may persuade (maybe) a few of you to try OTM pruning. If I got the wrong idea from this article please let me know I'm just a tomato newbie.

    Here is a link that might be useful: tomato pruning

  • dave1mn2
    15 years ago

    Daylilyfanatic4,

    That article is one of my favorites on the subject but the accompanying video is IMO fairly extreme in that pruning to single stem and pruning much larger suckers than I do.

    The method used in OTM is more radical yet.

    I prune but nothing like that. On this forum you will find it is a very contraversial subject. Some vehemently believe it is only detrimemental and have vast experience and knowledge to support their opinions. While my personal experience, many articles from credible sources and at least one trial by a univercity, runs counter to that, there is a lot of in-between twixt OTM style and no pruining at all.

    Good Luck!

  • digdirt2
    15 years ago

    Yes, the approach you linked to, which as Dave said is much less radical than the Organic tomato magic approach, has been well-tested and documented and is used by many. Lots of discussions here about it and the various degrees of it - 2 or 3 stems. Another one is the so-called Missouri pruning approach. No problem there. ;)

    Also, removing all the leaf branches up to the lowest bloom cluster is commonly done, even by those of us who don't advocate pruning in general. ;)

    As Dave also said, there are many, many variations on pruning. Many are commonly practiced and well-tested and of benefit in some parts of the country just as NOT pruning is beneficial to many of us in the hot south where sunscald is a severe problem on pruned plants.

    Specifically, it is the OTM approach, not pruning in general, that is commonly regarded as bunk and developed, despite the history story, just to sell the book.

    Dave

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    hi everyone, Thanks for all your replies. I just want you all to know that when I first saw the add I thought it was a scam however after looking at the trial that was done here I'm not sure anymore. The fact that some people use fairly radical pruning methods (maybe not as radical as OTM) just supports the fact that this method (OTM) needs to be tested again. I can't believe How much I've learned and this posts only been here for a couple of days! I'm looking forward to reading more replies from you.

    Jeremy

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Hi, here is a study that shows that pruning decreased the total yeild. Just thoughteveryone would be interested. I can't wait to try this method out although I think my "unpruned" plants will do better.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Pruning trial

  • freemangreens
    15 years ago

    This sounds somewhat similar to the method I use; Single Truss.

    Basically, as the plant grows, much of the lateral vegetative growth is cut out (I cut out every other node) and the tops of the plants are cut out, leaving only one fruiting or flowering truss (cluster). As the plant matures, the plant's resources are concentrated on the fruit. This method produces stronger, healthier fruit and production quantities can be more easily controlled.

    As soon as I begin harvesting a truss, I allow another one to develop above the first and so on. I grow indeterminate tomatoes.

    Here's a link to a Web site that discusses it:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Single Truss Tomato Production

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    hi, Freemangreens would you be willing to trial a OTM pruned plant against a single truss plant?

  • freemangreens
    15 years ago

    Daylilyfanatic4:

    Not sure what you mean, but I post pictures of several tomatoes on my Web page. You can go take a look and compare if you want. The URL is posted in my profile.

    As spring approaches, I will be doing a close-up documentary on tomato growing, showing several tips and tricks with pictures, downloads and so on.

    The Web page is under construction right now. There are only a few pictures. Wait a few weeks and the 'caterpillar' (Web site) will turn into a full-fledged butterfly!

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    hi freemangreens, Nice website! What I meant was that you would take two (or more) plants one you would grow and prune your normal way and the other plant you would grow the same way but prune it according to OTM (pruning all the branches off below each flower cluster). ex when the first flower cluster appears you pinch off all the branches below that and when the second flower cluster appears you pinch all the branches off below that (not the flower cluster! lol) and so on...

    as the season goes on you post your results here.

    Anyway just hoping someone will join in.

  • mule
    15 years ago

    Im not here to defend tomato magic.

    however there is benefit to removing leaves for several reasons. greenhouse growers in particular do this.

    One recently published study looking at this found that the accumulated dry matter when removing leaves was not statistically different from leaving them (meaning that the sugars from the leaves really had little effect on the clusters they were next too).

    There is mixed data as to whether or not removing the leaves changes the flavor qualities of fruit. Must of what has been said is subjective.

    How this kind of pruning increases yield is a little complex to understand but the jest is this: indivual plants may drop slightly but since you are removing leaves it reduces light competition so you can put in more plants per unit of soil - that were the increase comes. there is also the benefit of air circulation reducing disease pressures.

    keep in mind that growing out a few plants in such a trail really does not tell one much. tests must be adequetely replicated and done with enough numbers to rule out chance and environmental factors.

    But if it is fun for you to experiment by all means go for it.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Hi mule, I know I really should use more plants but do to limited space I can only try so many. My origanal Idea was for lots of people to try this out and that way the results would be a little bit more reliable but Nobody has wanted to try it yet so I might be in this by myself. I hope at least everyone will check back to see how the trial goes. Even those of you who are very skeptical (I might be one of them)

    Anyway I be starting my seeds in about 30 days so we'll see how it goes.

  • dave1mn2
    15 years ago

    ~~~ but Nobody has wanted to try it yet ~~~

    "Yet" is where the mistake happend.

    We have already hashed it out. Some have bought the book and given somewhat deeper reports and at least one small but well photographed (and modified) test was done and a final summary given.

    IMO the pruning outlined in the OTM ad is the most extreme of any pruning info I've seen and I've seen and brought back here for review a bunch. We have seen a multitude of pics from people who over pruned and the obvious loss of production.

    There are so many myths that continue, its sad and surprising but if you want to try, please keep a photo record and share it.

    My advice FWIW, especially for those new to growing tomatoes, is that after some reading on the subject and deciding on which growing culture you will use, prune only enough to accommodate that culture and/or to assure good air flow and disease or pest detection.

    Sun scald is a real problem ... Blows me away that there is info out there professing that tomato fruits need sun to ripen.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Hi, I'm definetly going to keep a photo diary and will probally post here once a week or so when ever there is somthing to update. In the trial that was done here they had quite a few early tomatoes but the plant started to slow as the mid season came on. I don't know what results I will have but I hope if there promising that more people will try this experiment.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    hi, after reading through the book again I noticed that the writer says "you'd be lucky To get 10 lbs of tomatoes outside" Well I don't know if that statment is true but I'm starting to be a little more skeptical about this although I'm still going to try this out and keep a careful photo diary I might end up just showing this is a scam but you never know.

  • ddsack
    15 years ago

    Daylily - have fun with your experiment, and do share the results here. Life and gardening are more fun when you veer off the beaten path sometimes just for the heck of it.

    I'm a lazy non-pruner except when the plants get out of control. Last year I ended up with a bunch of extra seedlings that I couldn't get rid of, but had an extra 4x12 foot raised bed that had gone to weeds for a couple of years. I put a cattle panel down the middle of the bed and stuck in about 10-12 plants on each side, very close spacing. My plan was to prune all these to one, possibly two leaders and see if they would fruit any earlier than my unpruned plants.

    Well, I couldn't do it. Though I managed to prune to one stem at the start of the experiment, it just really kills me to take off healthy branches and suckers. Can't do it. LOL! Though these plants did get some suckers removed during the growing season, it was nowhere near the one stem plan that I had envisioned. The plants went in late, it was a cool growing season, it would have been a good year to trial the method, but the only thing I proved was that I'll never be a pruner. LOL!

  • freemangreens
    15 years ago

    daylilyfanatic4:

    About all these "tests": Here's what I plan to do -- I'll create a special page on my Web site and devote it to several tests. One will be the way "I" do it (single-truss method) and one will be "your" method and yet another will be one I've not done for a long time, mainly once the fruit sets -- strip off 75% of ALL the leaves on the plant.

    Off the top of my head, I'd say fewer leaves will make for faster fruit sets and smaller tomatoes. As for taste, I think that has a lot (maybe totally!) to do with what you feed your plants. I, as a rule, back off on the nitrogen once the plants are setting fruit. I also maintain my EC (electrical conductivity) by adding small doses of MgSO4 (Epsom Salt) to my nutrient mixture.

    REMEMBER: I'm a hydro grower, so I can "tweak" these things on a more meaningful basis than the dirt-growing crew! That, by the way is the main reason I grow hydro. There are a skillion more, but that's the main one.

    Watch the Web page. I'll try and get a new page up by this weekend. I'm working on slide shows now (that in itself is lots of work, by the way!).

    My "end game" has always been to grow quality fruit in the least time. I grow indeterminates and prune them like there's no tomorrow. I also "super-crop" the seedlings. My plants look like little "trees" and I only let them get about 5 feet tall.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Hi, I can't wait to see what kind of results you get from your hydro trial. I also think it will be very interesting to see the difference between the hydro trial and the in raised bed trial that I'm doing. I Hope you'll check back here too and see whats going on with my plants.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Ok It's time to start to give a detailed plan about how I'm growing my tomatoes. I will treat the otm and the single stem "unpruned" (SSUP) the same exept of course for pruning. Since I don't want to make a really long post I'm going to break it up in to sectins. One section every few days.

    Ok So Today I'm going to do soil and nutrients.

    Soil
    I have 4 raised SFG beds one 4x4 and 3 3x3s There filled with a mixture of leaf mold homemade compost peat moss perlite and old potting soil. In the early winter Iworked in 6 tablespoons of coffee grounds as well as some crushed sea shells.

    Nutrients
    On april 1 I'm going to work in a 9 month slow realese fertilizer 7-7-7 at half strength. Once the tomatoes are in the ground I will fertilize them every 30 days with liquid kelp extract. I will also spray the fruit (when they form) every two weeks with a solution of crushed eggshells soaked in water for 24 hours to keep the calcium levels up.

    Ok I hope this is clear to everyone.

    Next time I'll tell you about disease prevention messures i'll be taking.

  • mulio
    15 years ago

    I wanted to bring up something before and forgot.

    Everyone is concerned about sunscald and pruning.

    Something most dont understand is that tomatoes that develop in full sun dont run as much risk of sunscalding.

    The fruit WILL get damaged if it is left in sun with temperatures over 35°C for extended periods. This isnt sunscald as much as it is physically cooking internally.

    The scalding is bad when there is a change to the amount of light that a layer of chlorophyll cells receive. They must physically adapt by reorienting themselves and changing their size. This is why plants growing in less light moved to more light (like transpants this time of year) get burned.

    So if you prune before the fruit develop and let them develop in full sun they should be ok as long as they dont get too hot.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    hi, Thank you mulio I did not know that. So sunscald shoudn't be a problem since you start pruning as soon as the blossoms appear. I'm glad that sunscald won't be a problem and since I'm in the new york we only get about 6 days above 90* in the summer so I don't think it should be a problem.

  • digdirt2
    15 years ago

    mulio - you don't indicate where you live and grow and might want to include that in your new ID.

    I hope you won't take offense if those of us that have to deal with sunscald as a very real problem and on a regular basis are a bit skeptical of that info.

    I'd be very interested in reading through any supporting documentation you might have for your claim outlined above.

    Dave

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    "I'd be very interested in reading through any supporting documentation you might have for your claim outlined above."

    "Sunscald occurs when tomatoes or peppers are exposed to the direct rays of the sun during hot weather. It is more apparent on plants that have sparse foliage or those that may have previously lost a good deal of leaves to a leaf-defoliating disease. Sunscald is especially prevalent on previously shaded plant parts that have been suddenly exposed to the sun. The damaged areas are vulnerable to attack by insects, fungi, and bacteria."

    here is some literature supporting mulio's claim.

    Here is a link that might be useful: sunscald

  • digdirt2
    15 years ago

    Yes, daylilyfanatic, I know what causes sunscald and it is the reason why many of us have to rig shade for our plants. I was not questioning that in any way.

    My question is about the claim made that Something most dont understand is that tomatoes that develop in full sun dont run as much risk of sunscalding. So if you prune before the fruit develop and let them develop in full sun they should be ok as long as they dont get too hot.

    I'm sorry but that simply doesn't hold true in real life, not in my gardens at least, and not for others who have discussed the problems of sunscald here in the past.

    My plants are grown in full sun and pruning, even if done at blossom time and before the fruit develops, only increases the resulting sunscald problem as the fruit develops and ripens.

    I'd like to see supporting documentation for the claim that extensive pruning of plants results in little or no subsequent sunscald since common practice shows otherwise.

    Dave

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Hi Dave, I personally do not know if the claim made is true you would have to ask mulio. I found sevral sourses that indicate sunscald is cuased by SUDDEN exposure to sun. However I have not found anything that says that extensive prunig before the fruit forms will not lead to sunscald later. I will make sure to note if I have a maijor problem with sunscald on the pruned plant.

  • mulio
    15 years ago

    I'm currently in the middle of the country. I mean middle, not psuedo middle like Ohio, Indiana etc...

    I originally learned of this in North Carolina from Dr Gardner.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Hi, I would assume middle of the country means Kansass Nebraska Oaklahoma area? It gets pretty hot in oklahoma and kansass. I would think you have lots of sunscald in your area? I would love to see were Dr Gardener got this info.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    OK It's about time I layout my organic disease prevention plan.

    At transplanting time I will spray the tomatoes with harpin protein. Harpin is a natrually occuring plant protein that stimulates the plants growth and defence mechanisms. after the inital application I will try to repeat every 30 days.
    I'm also going to apply a tablespoon of cornmeal to the base of each plant to help prevent fungus attacks.

    every 3 weeks I will apply one tablespoon of baking soda in a quart of water also to help prevent fungal attacks.

    Any disease problems I encounter will be treated with the least harmful organic control I can find.

    Next week I'll tell you how I'm going to keep the animales out. I havn't figured this out completly though so maybe I'll do insects instead.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Just a quick note about hard pruning If you do a google video search for growing tomatoes for health and wealth you'll come up with a series of videos made by someone in northern california. I won't go in to the details since it really doesn't have anything to do with OTM () but he prunes verry hard (maybe not as much as OTM but approaching that. His yeilds were very good. Also in one of the videos he says that he was pruning hard to increase yeild and this guy was a farmer for many years.

    Ok next post should be about how I'm planning to keep critters out. I know it doesn't have much to do with OTM but I just want to have lots of backround so when I do the trial you know exactly how I'm growing. Some strange things can effect yeild.

    Thanks for your patience with me.

  • omydog
    15 years ago

    I'd like to grow a couple of Early Girl tomatoes for your trial.Am I supposed to do all of the things you're doing,as far as fertilizer.etc.?

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Hi, I'd love to have you participate! You don't have to use my method of fertilization or anything. Just prune all the leaves and suckers off one plant below each flower branch and don't prune the leaves off the other plant. I'm pruning all the suckers off both plants becuse I don't have room for multistemed plant. The reason I'm telling everyone exactly how I'm growing the tomatoes is in part so if you want you could try and replicate it as best as possible though frankly the idea was to test OTM over a wide range of growing conditions and it's partly just for fun while I'm waiting till the tomato seed starting season starts for me.

    Thanks again for being brave enough to join In. It will be extremly interesting to see if our results are simmilar.

  • omydog
    15 years ago

    This will be fun-love experiments!I also plan to prune off suckers on both plants (is that ok?)as I grow my tomatoes in large pots.Love your feeding & and disease prevention tips.I'm usually so lazy-I start with my husbands wonderful soil mix-I think he puts in a bit of dolomite also,and then just feed them fish fertilizer & liquid kelp every 2 weeks.I'll try your suggestions,though.Do you apply the coffee grounds @ 6 T.per plant?And is the baking soda solution sprayed on?Thanks for the motivation!

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Hi, Pruning off the suckers is fine it will lower production since you won't have as many fruiting branches but If your growing in a container it would be a good Idea. The coffe grounds I added 6 tablespoons to my entire 4x4 vegtable bed not 6 table sppons per plant. I am going to sprinkle some coffe grounds on the soil surface to ward off squirells though. the baking soda spry is applied to the leaves in the early morning so You don't burn the plant or encorage fungal diseases by letting the leaves stay wet overnight. One last point, grwing tomatoes in containers is great (I grow all my determinet varieties in containers) However early girl plants get big so make sure your container is also big.

    I'm so glad your going to participate this should be very fun.

  • elskunkito
    15 years ago

    I might give it a whirl with a control and one experimental plant. No promises due to work load.
    Both will be containerized.

    Note: I expect the OTM plant to get it but kicked but it'll be fun just the same.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    hi, elskunkito please give the experiment a try. the control plant may do better but at least will know right? I hope you get a chance to give it a try it might work you never know.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    16 Days till seed starting!! I was going to layout my plan for critter control but since I already have a post on veggie fourm (groundhogs and rabbits) I think I'm not going to post it. Also although critters do effect production (good by tomatoes) they certainly don't effect the taste. so instead of critters I think i'll focus on insects (they effect the taste by putting plants under stress. The maijor pest here is cutworms they'll kill all your plants before you know what happened. this isn't really a mater of stress on plants. If cutworms get your tomatoes the plant is dead. luckily there I use cutworm collars and have 100% control of damage that way.

    hornworms are the tomato growers biggest enemy If I must I'll knock them out with BT (a natrually occuring bactiera) however at least last year I had 0 hornworms why? birds I hope its the same this year too

    slugs are my personal worst garden nightmare. I ca't grow marigolds cause tey only last a matter of weeks. my solution coffee and oats! they dislike the coffee and they eat the oats which later expands and the pop! ha serves them right those nasty creatures.

    there are lots of other insects but I havn't really had a problem with any of them. Hope this keeps everyone who is following our experiment (there's 4 of us now) enjoys this post.

  • jleiwig
    15 years ago

    I don't think your going to proove anything with one plant. The beauty of the system is that I can keep 4 tomato plants in the space normally occupied by 1, so even if I get 9 less fruit per plant, I'm still up overall due to extra plants in the same space.

    It's how greenhouse growers grow tomatoes regularly. Two plants are grown side by side, one trained to the right and one trained to the left. Everything below the fruit clusters is removed. You can remove up to three branches a day for most fruit without any setback to the plant. Once that cluster is removed, the branches up to the next flowers are removed, so on and so forth. Usually in a long season, the tomato vine can grow around 150 ft in length.

    I did this last year in my SWCs and had great results all season long. I will try to document my procedures and results this year for you, but I cannot guarantee anything.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I have been thinking a lot about the problem of only having two plants a control and an OTM plant the problem is that I only really have room for 10 indeterminet plants which leaves room for no more than one variety with more than one plant. I hope you get a chance to post the results of your tomato growing.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    hi everyone, i've been working my planning magic and by eliminating some "unnecessary" snap beans I found room for more tomatoes!

    So instead of two super beefsteak plants I'm going to have 2 Matina and 2 jetstar tomato a control and experimental plant for each. I can also compare the OTM plants to the Other 12 varieties 13 plants That I'm growing.

    Wish me luck! tomato seed starting season is 15 days away.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    hello everyone it's time for an update, I've finalized my seed varieties and I'm working on finishing the garden I thought it would be good to quickly lay out my objectives for the little experiment. anybody else who will be experimenting is welcome to do the same on this thread.

    1) of course to see if OTM increases production or not.

    2) to see if the taste any different depending on how you prune

    3) Is the season of harvest changed in anyway by pruning

    4) is the size of the fruit effected at all by pruning vrs not pruning

    5) does pruning cut down on disease ( I won't be testing this one don't have enough plants to even try)

    I look forward to seeing everyones progress.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Todays the magic day 8 weeks till last frost I started my tomato seeds. I'll post pics when they come up . has anybody else started seeds yet?

  • elskunkito
    15 years ago

    had several disasters here. not sure which ones I will try.
    wont know for a couple mroe weeks.
    I started seeds Dec 22nd, and a few times more after that.
    the last was a week ago.

  • omydog
    14 years ago

    I planted my tomato seeds March 30th.They are up and doing fine.Probably won't be transplanting outside till June 1st-weather permitting.

  • april01
    14 years ago

    Just found this forum thread. Very interesting, so my question is why has the author continued to leave the book as a free pdf? Is it because he feels guilty that it's a nonsense or is it because he truly believes that there are plenty of good people out there who will buy it.

    On an aside - I grew up in the Channel Islands and I remember quite clearly my friends who were commercial tomato growers having plants well over 10 feet with the leaves stripped off all the way down the stem. they used to get to a certain height and then train them along the top of the pipes in the greenhouse, it was only at the top that they had leaves

    Here is a link that might be useful: tomato facts

  • anney
    14 years ago

    april

    FWIW, many commercial tomato growers don't allow tomatoes to vine-ripen but harvest them while still basically green and subject them to ethylene gas to make them turn red for the markets. So sunscald would be less likely to occur on exposed tomatoes.

    Maybe different countries grow vegetables commercially in different ways. I once lived in a tomato-growing part of the US, I think for the Campbell Soup company. They did allow the tomatoes to ripen on the plant and they let the plants sprawl, but certainly didn't strip them of leaves! They machine-harvested the majority of them and spread the word among the locals that they could come pick the rest for the taking. They were very good table and sandwich tomatoes though not very large.

  • daylilyfanatic4
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    hi, I started a new thread for this topic since I will be posting regular updates on how my two plants are doing and by the end of the year we will see if the Claims made on "Joyfultomtoes.com" are true.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Other thread