The tomato plant will continually try to grow new main stems out of the crevices between the existing stem and leaf-bearing branches. Keep a close eye on your garden and try to prune your tomato plants every few days. Leaving them for too long will make it difficult to know which stem is the true main stem and which needs to be pruned away. Once the clusters of tomatoes start to grow, pinch off some of the smaller duds. This will help the remaining fruit to grow bigger and faster. The same applies for diseased fruit or tomatoes that have been attacked by pests — pinch them off.
If you maintain your beefsteak tomato plants by adjusting the stake ties and pruning off new attempted main stem suckers, along with regular watering, weeding and fertilizing, they should grow to be 5 or 6 feet tall and produce some fairly large fruit.
Pinch back the top of the stem to the topmost set of leaves or side branch when it grows to the top of the trellis to slow upward growth. Jenny Harrington has been a freelance writer since Her published articles have appeared in various print and online publications. Previously, she owned her own business, selling handmade items online, wholesale and at crafts fairs. Harrington's specialties include small business information, crafting, decorating and gardening.
By Jenny Harrington. Related Articles. Before you harvest, consider which varieties you might want to save seeds from so that your harvesting practice includes plants chosen for seed saving. Be sure to check out our newest seed packs, available now from Heirloom Organics. The Super Food Garden is the most nutrient dense garden you can build and everything you need is right here in one pack. The Genesis Garden s a very popular Bible Garden collection. See all of our brand-new seed pack offerings in our store.
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Heirloom Herb Seeds. Seed Catalogs. Heirloom Organic. Many cherry tomatoes, however, have a tendency to crack if they stay on the plant, so they should be picked at the peak of redness, or even a tad before. Watch the bottoms carefully; that's where tomatoes start to ripen.
Some varieties, primarily large heirloom types, ripen before they reach full color. Pick tomatoes when the skin still looks smooth and waxy, even if the top hasn't turned its mature color whether red, purple, pink or golden yellow.
Cut off the top of the plant, or remove all new flower clusters about a month before the first expected frost. That way, you'll direct the plant's energy into ripening existing tomatoes rather than producing new ones that won't have time to mature. When daytime fall temperatures are consistently below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, fruit will no longer ripen on the vine, so it is time to bring all mature green fruits indoors, either on the vine or off.
Every tomato seed is covered in a gelatinous sack which contains chemicals that inhibit seed germination. This prevents the seeds from sprouting whilst inside the tomato fruit. In nature the fruit drops from the plant and slowly rots away on the ground. This is the natural fermentation process and it is during this that the gelatinous sacks are destroyed.
To save tomato seeds yourself you need to duplicate the fermentation process. This will not only remove the gelatinous sack but also kills any seed borne tomato diseases. Firstly cut the tomato fruits across the middle and then squeeze the tomato seeds and the gel into a container, making sure that you label the container with the tomato variety.
The container of tomato seeds then needs to be put to one side to ferment for about three days. During this time the container of seeds will smell horrible and will go mouldy. When the mould has covered the top of the container add water and stir the mixture.
The good seeds will sink to the bottom of the container and the mould and hollow seeds can then be poured off. Add more water and continue the progress until only clean seeds remain. You can also put the mould and seeds into a sieve and wash under running water until just the clean seeds remain. Next spread out the seeds on a glass or ceramic plate to dry, which can take about 12 days, making sure that you label the plate with the tomato variety.
The dried seeds can then be put into a labelled envelope. Saved seeds should store for 5 - 10 years if kept in the right conditions. Seed Packs. Indoor Seed Starting. Seed Starting Calendar. Seedling Care. Natural Pest Control Guide. Companion Planting. A-Z of Garden Pests. Beneficial Garden Friends. About Non-Hybrid Seeds.
Organic Gardening Resources. Non-Hybrid Seeds. Organic Growing Guides. Pre-Seeded Pellets. Pre-Seeded Pots. Pre-Seeded Mats. Pre-Seeded MicroGreens Mats. Pre-Seeded Wheatgrass Mats. Pre-Seeded Baby Lettuce Mats. Private Label Seed Products. Guide to Growing Vegetables. Bok Choy. Brussels Sprouts. Guide to Growing Fruits. Goji Berry. Guide to Growing Legumes. Guide to Growing Grains. Guide to Growing Herbs.
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