I got this Big beef tomato plant from Lowe’s last month. It had been previously cut the way it is shown and I noticed these suckers growing on the cut down.. leaders? Should I remove these two suckers? Or do I let them grow out? Also any advice as to why my tomato has these little crusts?
by GypsyTreez
2 Comments
Pruning those suckers is optional; just depends on how you want to do things (one stem? two stems? ten stems? It’s a matter of choice)
The crusty thing is just a minor blemish and nothing to worry about.
More importantly than either of those things, though, is for you to be aware that Big Beef is a pretty vigorous, full-sized “indeterminate” variety of tomato; in good conditions the plant can easily get 8′ – 10′ tall, and several feet across (even if you keep it to a single stem, it’ll be about 2′ wide)….which is to say, it’s gonna get far too big for that pot and little rinky-dink “cage” it came with 😉
Tomato plants are funny little things. In the space between the main stem, and the foliage, suckers will shoot out.
Suckers are essentially a whole new tomato plant growing from your tomato plant. You can even let them grow a bit, prune them, put them in water to grow roots, and plant them like transplants.
I’m assuming big beef is a larger heirloom tomato and an indeterminate variety.
If so, I think a good healthy place to start is 3 stems. This means, when suckers shoot out, you prune all of them but 3. Those three you allow to grow. It helps encourage growth and new fruits.
If you notice the plant getting too tall for you support cage, trellis etc you can allow more stems to grow. This is slow the overall height growth and spread it out to new stem growth.
If you notice your tomato’s might get sun scald from not having enough cover from folkish on the fruit you may allow more stems to grow to help cover.
If you allow too many stems to grow, it slows growth of fruits at crucial points, and too much foliage will foster an environment of disease.