How do you prune your tomatoes?

[ducks4you]

@thejenx
"I prune almost weekly after they reach 3ft, I start with the lowest leaf branches to avoid disease from getting wet. I take away all suckers and remove leaves from the bottom up, above tomatoes that start ripening so more light falls on them."
I Like this method!
Do you compost the leaves?

 

[thejenx]

@ducks4you
No just chop and drop the leaves where I cut them. They fall on the grass clippings that cover the soil to reduce weeds, water vaporization and feed the soil. If leaves have diseases I get rid of them elsewhere.

 

[AMKuska]

@ducks4you
No just chop and drop the leaves where I cut them. They fall on the grass clippings that cover the soil to reduce weeds, water vaporization and feed the soil. If leaves have diseases I get rid of them elsewhere.

@thejenx I just started experimenting with mulching my garden. Do you keep the mulch on all year? Does it increase/suppress/do nothing for diseases or pests?

 

[Artichoke Lover]

@thejenx I just started experimenting with mulching my garden. Do you keep the mulch on all year? Does it increase/suppress/do nothing for diseases or pests?

Mulching helps retain water, keep weeds down, improves soil as it breaks down, and prevents water and dirt from splashing on leaves which prevents some soil borne diseases. If you till just till it in.

 

[Ridgerunner]

@thejenx I just started experimenting with mulching my garden. Do you keep the mulch on all year? Does it increase/suppress/do nothing for diseases or pests?

I leave the mulch on until I'm ready to replant if it lasts that long. It suppresses new weeds and grass growing. If it is still petty thick and in decent shape I rake it off and reuse it somewhere else. If it is pretty much broken down I just turn it under. Having an area covered with mulch until planting time usually makes it easier to get it ready to plant. I do not practice no till. I'm always mixing compost into the soil and rotten or rotting mulch is compost.

I'm sure mulch can give certain pests a place to hide and even overwinter. There is always a downside to anything we do. It's all trade-offs as far as I'm concerned. To me suppressing weeds and especially grass is worth leaving the mulch on during the off season. One possible drawback is that mulch does keep the soil moist. Some stuff should be planted as soon as you can work the soil, green peas for example. For some people that might mean waiting for the ground to thaw. For me it means waiting for the ground to dry out enough. So I usually rake off any mulch that isn't going to be turned under a little before planting time so it can dry out. When I was in Arkansas my windows where the soil was dry enough to work could be pretty tight in spring, especially early spring.

During the growing season one way some diseases like blight spread is that rain drops or sprinkling watering can splash disease spores up on the plants. If you have a layer of mulch during growing season that stops disease from splashing up.

 

[Zeedman]

@thejenx I just started experimenting with mulching my garden. Do you keep the mulch on all year? Does it increase/suppress/do nothing for diseases or pests?

I'm not @thejenx , and mulch is a complex issue that could be a separate topic in its own right. That being said...

Most of the disease in my area is soil-borne, plus most of my vegetables respond poorly to mud splash... so a thick layer of mulch in definitely helpful, and I usually lay 20-25 bales of hay per year. I can watch plants literally go from yellowed to bright green 2-3 days after applying mulch & spraying the plants to wash off any clinging soil. With the exception of garlic, I don't apply the mulch until the plants have at least 2-3 leaves. In the case of tomatoes, the mulch helps to stabilize soil moisture, which in turn reduces cracking & BER. I use hay as mulch, which also releases some nutrients as it breaks down, and provides a good food source for the earthworm population.

Possible downsides:
Mulching does provide cover for slugs & crickets, so mulching too early - when seedlings & young plants are very vulnerable - could result in excessive losses. And in a wet year, the mulch can sustain higher local humidity around the plants - which can promote fungal disease. Under those conditions, I would first prune to remove diseased foliage & open up the canopy for better air circulation; removing the mulch would be my last resort. Last but not least, a thick layer of mulch can harbor mice, especially late in the season as tomatoes begin to ripen... something to watch for, and deal with at the first sign of damage. Mice are reluctant to climb into exposed locations, so staking or trellising tomatoes will partially compensate for the negative effects of the mulch, and in my experience greatly reduces damage.

 

[ninnymary]

I grow indeterminate tomatoes and remove all leaves about a foot off the ground. This helps to prevent water from splashing on them. I also prune any suckers and try to leave only the main stem. Otherwise my tomatoes are a jungle. Having less foliage helps with air circulation especially since my plants are about 20" apart.

Mary

 

[Zeedman]

I leave the mulch on until I'm ready to replant if it lasts that long. It suppresses new weeds and grass growing. If it is still petty thick and in decent shape I rake it off and reuse it somewhere else. If it is pretty much broken down I just turn it under. Having an area covered with mulch until planting time usually makes it easier to get it ready to plant. I do not practice no till. I'm always mixing compost into the soil and rotten or rotting mulch is compost.

I'm sure mulch can give certain pests a place to hide and even overwinter. There is always a downside to anything we do. It's all trade-offs as far as I'm concerned. To me suppressing weeds and especially grass is worth leaving the mulch on during the off season. One possible drawback is that mulch does keep the soil moist. Some stuff should be planted as soon as you can work the soil, green peas for example. For some people that might mean waiting for the ground to thaw. For me it means waiting for the ground to dry out enough. So I usually rake off any mulch that isn't going to be turned under a little before planting time so it can dry out. When I was in Arkansas my windows where the soil was dry enough to work could be pretty tight in spring, especially early spring.

During the growing season one way some diseases like blight spread is that rain drops or sprinkling watering can splash disease spores up on the plants. If you have a layer of mulch during growing season that stops disease from splashing up.

Very well said, you covered a few other mulching issues I neglected. With my heavy, poorly-drained soil, I too have to remove any impediments to the soil drying in Spring. When weather allows (as it did this year) I chop the mulch & garden debris in the Fall by mowing, and then turning it under to begin breaking down. That is similar to what most of the local farmers do. The organic matter - when turned under - helps the soil to drain better in Spring, and destroys places where insects could winter over. If I am unable to till in Fall, I try to at least mow everything... if I leave the applied patches of mulch undisturbed over Winter, they will be wet spots in Spring (as I found out the hard way). In my climate, the planting window is too short for me to spend it waiting for soil to dry.