# too tall tomatoes



## buckweet (Aug 8, 2011)

have been blessed with a great crop so far but have an issue.
plants are growing way over the height of cages (around 6'), and they are starting to droop over and bend. I figured I would just cut off at the top. is there any adverse effect doing this??


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## mchildress (Jul 11, 2009)

I have always pinched the tops out to keep them from getting too tall and making them spread out.


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## golfpro02 (Jun 15, 2006)

I'm dealing with the same problem this year. I stuck some 10-foot t-posts in the ground next to the plants and tied them up straight with decoy cord. Not sure if I would lop the tops off, but I'm sure somebody on this board will have some insight.


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## Trash2 (Jun 26, 2013)

Planting them deeper initially will help this issue for most varieties, however some are just growers.


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## westexas (Oct 14, 2006)

Take a look at these http://tomatocage.com
You can get a two ft extension. They are a little pricey but heavy duty and fold up.


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## Tail_Pincher (Jul 5, 2011)

Guess that's one solution...Plant them upside down and they never droop.


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## buckweet (Aug 8, 2011)

have the Tx tomato cages. and you can stack them fairly high. but then you need extra support as wind will blow them over. 

have two stacked now, so that is around 5-6' tall 

cut the tops of today, will see what happens now.


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

I bought some 1/2" PVC pipe to brace my cages up. Working so far.


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

Making a assumption that you planted ( Indeterminate) tomatoes..Meaning they like the energizer bunny ,just keep growing and going..If you plant(Determinate ) varieties..They have a predetermined size and only get so big..When buying plants most tags will say ...When buying from seed catalogue they are labeled as such...Might help next time..


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## westexas (Oct 14, 2006)

Tail_Pincher Guess that's one solution...Plant them upside down and they never droop.

Yea right! Lol not sure how to post pics with iPad they are always upside down?


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## monkeyman1 (Dec 30, 2007)

Tail_Pincher said:


> Guess that's one solution...Plant them upside down and they never droop.





westexas said:


> Tail_Pincher Guess that's one solution...Plant them upside down and they never droop.
> 
> Yea right! Lol not sure how to post pics with iPad they are always upside down?


Sorry westexas, had to laugh at Tail_Pincher! :rotfl:

I tie up mater limbs every afternoon. I've read where it's fine to top them, but impossible for me to cut off limbs with blooms.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

I'm jealous that you have tomatoes that are already going over the 6 ft mark. Up north, we are just getting going. My plants are barely over 2 ft tall. Now, with the 10 day forecast showing no temps above the 70s, growth will stay slow. Once we get some days in the 80s, they will make up for lost time.

My cages are only 5 ft high. Several varieties want to push up to the 7 ft mark and beyond, and other varieties will barely clear the cage. I try to even this out by how I treat each variety. The ones that want to stay shorter, I will pick off some of the sucker leaves as they grow, to get them taller. Keep them as a single stem. The ones that I know want to go taller, I leave all of the sucker leaves on. These will become multi-stem plants, so some of their growth energy goes wide rather than up. I use wider diameter cages for the plants that I grow this way. Some of these may avoid the need to be topped that way.

Any plants that go 15 or more inches above the top of the cage, do get topped. Much beyond that and I start to get collapsing of the vine. I'd rather push the existing blossoms an be happy with those results. You may have to prune multiple times. Cherry tomatoes are notorious for going for the moon.

Here a couple of my past plants that are ready for topping.


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

Might try this next year......

http://www.thegardengates.com/upsid...9CKg9fP9_YFt5vFHDMRHIfxBaGxNsNq-yESctSEPD_BwE


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## jamesvaughan (Apr 29, 2012)

*Let them grow*

Mine are over 6" just letting them spread I don't get all day sun so being tall they get the sun the garage can't block. I have 9 tomato plants in this 8x16 bed. I lost my first plants to the March freeze.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

jamesvaughan said:


> Mine are over 6" just letting them spread I don't get all day sun so being tall they get the sun the garage can't block. I have 9 tomato plants in this 8x16 bed. I lost my first plants to the March freeze.


You better pick that mater.


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## jamesvaughan (Apr 29, 2012)

*She likes em mature.*

One more day


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## jamesvaughan (Apr 29, 2012)

*Fresh Pickings*

Cukes Japs and Hillbilly Toms


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## albert white (Feb 3, 2008)

Too much nitrogen


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Albert... I do agree that it is too much nitrogen that spurs this extra growth. However, it is a very fine line with some inherently tall varieties, especially some of the Cherry varieties. If you hold back the nitrogen to the point that they won't get over 6 ft , the plants will likely be anemic. Pale, yellow/green leaves that can't do a proper job of making food to build the tomatoes. It can be a tough balancing act for some of the tall varieties.

This gets especially tough when you are growing just a few plants each of a lot of different varieties. Some can get a lot of nitrogen and not grow out of their cage. Other varieties, on less nitro, will go for the moon. At my age, and growing more varieties than ever, this is getting more difficult to get right if I don't keep good notes on growth habits and conditions.


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## valery865 (Jun 10, 2014)

*Pinching the tops*

Had the same problem. They get taller than me and I am 5"9". Tried to cut the tops but plants didn't produce as much. Have them in pots inside old grape vine and they seem better. However, the wind will blow them around anyway.


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## trout250 (Aug 24, 2005)

i have 6ft cages 2ft in dia made from concrete reinforcing mesh. my indeterminate plants are hanging over the top 2ft, my celebrities are just about 5ft and fill the cage. I have only been getting maters for about 10 days. my sweet 100's are out of the cage both the sides and top, i use torn strips of old bed sheets to tie them back up to cage to prevent them from breaking off. Had to put bird neeting over the 4 rows to even get a decent mater before the birds or squirrels got to them

good luck


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## Law Dog (Jul 27, 2010)

Sounds like to much miracle grow!!


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