Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Ran across this video on YouTube which I thought was interesting and might be of use for someone with lots of room to try out. This is for Indeterminant Tomatoes but I probably wouldn't use it for cherry tomatoes or Roma type even if they are Indeterminant (still, you could try if your curious, it might work )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKbSCtLmBMo

The video quality isn't particularly good so here's the basic drift.

1. Remove leaf branches without growing tips below lower suckers but leave suckers on the lower part of the plant.
2. Remove suckers from upper portion of plant

The lower suckers will branch out and fall to the ground where they form roots, helping to anchor the plant. The rooted suckers will have tomatoes but will also help provide additional nutrients to the mother plant causing it to have more tomatoes as well. Makes sense to me, just growing out rather than up but appears to have some additional benefits.

Cheers

Makes sense

Because of lack of room in the green house I have been trimming the tops of mine on determinate plants and noticed the bottoms would sprout new limbs. Just making the plant more bushy.

I believe Romas are determinate

Yep, I think you're right. I couldn't remember. Definitely wouldn't want to use this pruning method on determinate plants. Thanks East.

Cheers

When i planted this last lot i placed them in the bed up to the first leaves,out of the 14 i planted three have stalled but the others are going great guns with a root system now also growing from the stem that would have been above ground,these are Cherry Toms.Its still a bit hot here so there under shade cloth hopefully when the rainy season really kicks in the average temps will come down.