skip to main content

Growing Tomatoes

getting a fall crop out of cherry tomatoes?

daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)

12 years ago

Well, I asked this in another forum, and didn't get any good info. Let me try here.

I have several large stands of cherry tomatoes (indeterminate Sweet 100s) every spring. They are hugely productive in April through June, wherein it gets to hot for fruit set. By that time, the vines are 6-7 feet long, spilling over the top of my frames.

So if I work at it, I can keep many alive through the intense summer heat until the fall. Did that this summer. About half survived. Those are fruiting and producing. Not as much as in the spring, but it's nice to see real fruit again. But they are fruiting mostly at the vine ends, where most of the greenery is (the stems lower down have died off). I can't imagine that it's easy for the plant to support that kind of growth, seven feet off the ground.

So the question is, how do you manage cherry plants during the spring and summer to get them ready to eventually start producing in the fall? Should I be keeping the vines trimmed shorter, maybe trying to encourage growth down lower? Should I "top" them occasionally in the spring to encourage growth lower down?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

gardenrod
12 years ago
It was so hot in Oklahoma that not many tomatoes made it thru the Summer. I usually have a crop of SuperSweet 100's and Jelly Beans in the Fall, but this year the Supersweets had lots of fruit, but it got too cold for them to ripen.
I have better luck carrying over container plants rather than in-ground plants.
I prune my plants severly during the Summer, removing all non-productive stems and bigger leaves, and removing bunches where there is more than one bunch on a stem.
The only cherry tomatoes that I was able to harvest this year were a couple of SunGold, which had quite a few that ripened. I had to move the containers into the garage a couple of times when it got down to freezing, but did get the satisfaction of harvesting some sweet tasting cherries in November. I also am harvesting some Celebrity tomatoes that are larger than the Spring ones.
Here's a pic of a Sungold taken November 8th:
daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
Original Author
12 years ago
Yes, that looks a lot like mine. Long vines with the action up at the ends of them.

So I guess the idea, during the heat of the summer, is to start pruning them to give suckers lower down a chance to thrive? The stems lower down have become pretty woody by this time, though, so there aren't a lot of suckers that want to come out down there. Maybe there is a way to encourage such suckers to sprout?
Related Discussions
My Fall Tomato Crop is In - - Now, 27 Container Mix Trials Begin!
Q
Comments (12)
Received my 4 bags today of 80 Quarts total, which will just about fill one EarthTainer. This is an absolutely beautiful mix. Reminds me of sleeping on a Goose-down pillow. Surprisingly (or maybe not so) the listing of Ingredients is EXACTLY the same as Pro-Mix BX: While the percentages of each are not specified, it does resemble the BX formulation of 82.5% Sphagnum Peat Moss, 12.5% Perlite, and 5% Vermiculite. As an effort to get 2 trials out of this $43 worth of mix, I used the "stock" mix in the right half of the 'Tainer, and did a blend of the Gardener's Supply Mix, Bark Fines, and Perlite in a 4:2:1 ratio (on the left): I have a bale of Pro-Mix BX on order, so hopefully soon, I will be able to add several more trial combo mixes into the fray.... Raybo
...See More
heirloom tomato seeds to trade for fall crop items
Q
Comments (3)
what all are you searing for? I might have something for you
...See More
when to put out fall brassica crop
Q
Comments (8)
The Brassicas will tolerate the heat just fine. You have to plant them in some heat otherwise they will be too young when the cold comes and not grow much. The cabbage and brussels sprouts are biennials and the heat won't bother them in the beginning. You want all of these to mature in the cooler temperatures. I would put the seedlings out now and make sure they have enough water, maybe daily watering if it is quite dry and hot. I think you still have a long planting range though. I haven't started my fall crops yet; I'll plant Brussels sprouts and other 90 day brassicas first, and broccoli in September through early October. Instead of shading transplants, I make sure they have lots of water in the first 2 weeks or so.
...See More
Can i get a full crop out of Anne Raspberry in KS?
Q
Comments (2)
We have a patch of everbearing reds, but I got them started 12 years ago, & I don't remember the variety. Since your patch is less than a year old, I don't think that the timing of ripe fruit you are seeing is typical for the variety you have. They will likely do better next year. In the fall, I cut our patch down to 10 inches, and then they are heavily mulched with shredded tree leaves, from the maple in our yard. Green leaves will emerge in April, and by the beginning of June, the canes might be two feet high. Flowering begins in July, with the first ripe fruit in August. Fruit production picks up toward the end of August, and it is heavy through September. It then slows, and continues through mid-October, when I cut the patch down again. It is possible that your canes will produce better, next year, if you leave them standing this fall.
...See More

Related Stories

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Tomatoes

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant tomato seedlings in spring for one of the best tastes of summer, fresh from your backyard

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow Your Own Sweet Summer Crops

By Marianne Lipanovich

This guide will help any gardener get started on growing the freshest warm-season veggies and berries for summer

FARM YOUR YARD If You Have Room for Only One Summer Crop ...

Get an edible that’s long on flavor even if you’re short on space, with a long-time gardener’s favorite picks

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Pumpkins

By Marianne Lipanovich

Start in spring to grow your own fall decorations and have plenty left for pies

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Squash

By Marianne Lipanovich

Almost foolproof and with cheerful flowers, squash comes in a wide range of varieties to plant in spring

SPRING GARDENING Summer Crops: How to Grow Strawberries

By Marianne Lipanovich

Pluck your own sweet strawberries right from the garden vine for smoothies, salads or eating then and there

GARDENING GUIDES Summer Crops: How to Grow Peppers

By Marianne Lipanovich

Some like 'em hot; others like them sweet. With the incredible range of peppers available for home gardens, you can have your pick

SUMMER FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Summer Crops: How to Grow Beans

By Marianne Lipanovich

Grow your own beans for amazing variety and healthy, convenient produce all summer

GARDENING GUIDES Organic Matters: Thwart Insect Pests With Trap Crops

By Therese Ciesinski

Add a few sacrificial plants to your garden to lure insects away from the harvest

SUMMER FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Summer Crops: How to Grow Tomatillos

By Marianne Lipanovich

Grow this Mexican native for the freshest salsa verde — and for fewer problems than its tomato cousins

0

Sponsored

Dream Baths by Kitchen Kraft

12 Reviews

Your Custom Bath Designers & Remodelers in Columbus I 10X Best Houzz

More Discussions

Has anyone heard of a storage tomato? Looking at Giallorosso di Crispi

4

"Purple" tomatoes?

4

What tools and materials for planting tomato

0