Help over 5ft tomotoe in my laundy room

I actually have two them, that are cherry tomotoes. I started these plants from cuttings. Now they are just inches from reaching the ceiling. Can I cut the tops off of them? Or can I train them to grow a different way? They do have a few tomotoes growing on them any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I really can't spell.

LOL! I'm not laughing at the spelling, honest. I have a picture in my head of these two tomato plants starring in one of those 50's black-and-white horror flicks (one of those creature-features)! They could fight Godzilla (maybe not--he came later) or the 50? ft woman (remember her?).

Any way, I'll hop in and answer as I'm not so very experienced with tomatoes, but I pretty good with cherry tomato plants. I would trim them off. I do with the ones I grow outside and it really doesn't seem to bother them. Sometimes mine grow sideways, and then up more, and then sideways again. So you could to that. I usually grow Sungold, Pink Ping Pong, and Coyote. All of those don't seem to mind what I do to them and lond as they get water and some fert every now and again. Do you have good air circulation in the room? If not a fan set on low might help move any pollen around?

What do you all think?

I do remember those shows. I can barely get my laundry basket between them, it feels like I'm in a jungle. I've been using a vibrating toothbrush to pollentate them and its been working. I'll work on trimming them today. Thanks for the help.

garfieldkae ... you made my laugh today ...

I"m glad. It's good to laugh.

I couldn't help but chuckle at your post.because of my "Help, I've got a 15 foot tomato plant in my tiny greenhouse" situation. The GH, smaller than our laundry room, is heated by a couple of heat lamps and keeps us in fruit over the winter.. This year, I was lazy and just let the two winter plants sprawl. The one on the west side has grown like it was on steroids, all down one side, around the end and half way down the other, limbs hanging off the side filling the walkway.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining, we really enjoy the fresh 'maters,

I'd like to see pictures ...

I saw the niftiest greenhouse setup last year - dunno if this will help. The farmer had string going from the floor to the ceiling (heavyweight) and then the plant was kind of swirled around it as it grew (too late for that end of it, I imagine). As he harvested from the lower part of the tomato, he pulled the plant down the support, so when I got there, there must have been no less than 6-10 feet of ropy, leafless tomato vine draped all around the plant. The plant kept growing up and producing while the vine remained intact to provide nutrients. It was kind of fascinating. I think there were some clips involved too, holding the plant to the string. I'm going to have to go back and see it again - it was a really neat setup. (Keep in mind, this was in an indoor greenhouse with cement flooring - I imagine the vine would try to root if it were outdoors!)

At this point though, I would probably try to trim back what I could without stressing the plant. I'd try and train the top sideways along the ceiling or something. Does anyone know if top cropping results in new suckers? If so, that'd be a good way to go too, IMO. Good luck! Jealous of your winter tomatoes!

mevnmart, I just got lazy and let it sprawl. Ordinarily, I'd have supported it. This is a two year old plant with lots of those ropy vines that with an occasional shot of nutrients has produced well all winter. It lost most of its foliage to frost a couple of weeks ago when a circuit breaker tripped and the heat lamps were off all night, but there are several bright green shoots, so I guess I'lll just leave it as is for a few months until the replacement plants begin to bear.

mevn - if you go back, take your camera!!!

tarheel - pictures please. Those of us up in the frozen tundra are Jonesing for eye-candy!

I think just the fragrance of a live tomato plant wafting through the air is pure ambrosia! Especially in the winter season. The next best thing to the Christmas baking and greenery aroma.

I have 2 miniatures hanging in the sunroom, but i think one of them is about to bite the dust. I think the chill from the window was more than it could handle. Won't be long until we start seeding, though. YEAH!

Yes! I'm one of the few Texans I think who is holding off on planting tomatoes until latter this month. But I'll be happy to start as I miss the smell of something growing in the laundry room!

Nope, your not the only Texan holding off until later this month. Lol it has been 15 * cooler here almost every morning compared to Austin. At freezing or below. I just can't plant out tomatoes when the forecast is for on going 40-50 degree days and nights near freezing, which we usually have well into March. It must just be my micro climate. I am going to plant a few plants early just to see, but the onesI planted out early last year just sat there. I finally pulled them when the ones I planted later started putting on fruit. I replaced them and the later plants caught right up. Then the crazy heat of last summer set in.....

LOL! I thought you had mentioned that you were waiting, too.

The old (Fourth of July, one of Cindy's favorites) and the new (Aker's WV, Brandywine, Black Krim). Most of these seedlings are from seed packets for the 2004 season. I was surprised at the germination rate,



This message was edited Jan 6, 2012 8:57 AM

Oh, what a good idea--using the cupcake tins to hold the "Dixie" cups! I bet if thos are placed in a sunny window the tins heat up just a bit a provide bottom warmth for the seedlings. Cool!

I am still waiting to see the "5ft tomatoe plant in your laundy room" !!
Picture??

drthor, what little is still alive in the greenhouse after losing the heat lamps one night a couplenot long ago a scraggly looking mess with, thankfully, a couple of surviving green shoots that were under everything else and escaped the frost. I cut all the plant off except a little that still had some green fuit on it. After that ripens here in a few days, we'll be without fresh tomatoes for six or eight weeks.,