Ok Folks, I've been growing tomatoes for 11 years, and I still don't know if there is a "right way" to prune these devils. I usually wait until the fruit is set, then prune off almost every shoot that has no fruit on it. But some years (like last year) I don't touch them at all, and I don't see a mentionable difference in their production. Is pruning just intented to aid in ripening? Is it beneficial at all? Am I doing it right? Oh, and another thought - staking vs. caging....any thoughts?
I do the same as you Hank and take off almost every shoot that doesn't have either flowers or fruits. This year I have more fruits than ever before but it's probably because we've got better weather this year. I've never caged my tomatoes always staked them. Maybe I'll try caging one year to see if it makes any difference - what method do you use yourself?
I use cages. Simply because that's how my dad did it. Staking seems like a lot of work. My step dad grew up in Cali, and he said all of the commercial tomato growers stake them, and they'd be 6 ft tall! This year my plants are huge and healty. I'll give some credit to the weather, but I also have to pat myself on the back for my new watering method - I have my plants in two rows about 18" (50 cm) apart with a deep trench between those two rows. I only water that trench, and I fill it once a day. Supposed to encourage the roots to grow deep.
