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'You're not growing tomatoes, you're growing leaves'

Jennie Sims
16 years ago

I visited my neighbor's garden yesterday and she had the strangest looking tomato plants. All the branches that did not have a flower patch on it had been removed except the very top leaves. She found a "tomato growing guide" on the internet that she bought that explained this "grooming secret". She explained that when a flower cluster appears, she removes the branch below it as this will not have flowers form on it and only takes nutrition away from the fruit. But always leaves the leaves at the top. I have never heard of this practice. I would think the fruits would get sun scald without protection from the foliage. I do remove many branches during the growing season to keep disease down and get more air flow into the center of the plants, but certainly not this many. According to the guide, she would get more and better tasting tomatoes. I think I will leave this experiment to her for this year!!! I'll see how hers are doing later on in the summer. Has any one heard of this practice or have any thoughts on it?

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