Growing bigger, juicier tomatoes

A tomato plant is a “solar-powered sugar factory.” By staking tomatoes, training them to grow on a single stem, and pruning selectively, gardeners can maximize photosynthesis and minimize the chance for diseases.

So writes Frank Ferrandino. If you want to understand how a tomato plant works, this story in Fine Gardening is a must read. Newcomers to tomato growing might find the depth of information a little too much but it’s fascinating. I’ve been following his advice this summer with my seven tomatoes. So far the results look promising.

An excerpt:

“A properly pruned and supported single-stem tomato plant presents all of its leaves to the sun. Most of the sugar produced is directed to the developing fruit, since the only competition is a single growing tip. The result is large fruits that are steadily produced until frost. If more stems are allowed to develop, some of the precious sugar production is diverted from fruit to multiple growing tips. Fruit production, although slowed, never stops. The result is a nearly continuous supply of fruits throughout the season. In general, more stems means more but smaller fruits, which are produced increasingly later in the season. (This is much less applicable to determinate plants, due to their shortened growing season and better-defined fruiting period. Therefore, determinate plants require little pruning.)”