Pruning tomatoes

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Earle34 Grasonville, MD May 31, 2014

Last year my tomatoes did pretty well at first but about mid season they seemed to expend all energy growing vines with little or no fruit. The vines were 0.75 inches in diameter and about 12 feet long. Can I prune them at some point to retard vine growth and produce fruit? If so, at what height should I cut the vines? Many thanks.

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1lisac Liberty Hill, TX(Zone 8a) May 31, 2014

It sounds like the plants were getting too much Nitrogen. That's the first thing I think of when I hear my plants are doing great but they aren't blooming or setting fruit. Tomatoes don't need a lot of Nitrogen but they do need phosphorous, to induce flowering and fruit set.

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Earle34 Grasonville, MD Jun 01, 2014

Thanks for your input 1lisac. I guess I should have tilled a phosphorous rich fertilizer before I planted. How is the best way to get the phosphorous into the soil now that my plants are growing?

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1lisac Liberty Hill, TX(Zone 8a) Jun 01, 2014

You can always use a spray on liqued fertilizer and spray the foliage as well as the soil, there are also granular fertilizers that you put in a hose end sprayer and it mixes with water as it sprays. Phosphorus is the middle # of the 3. Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, I'd pick a fertilizer that has a high middle # and just follow the directions. Just don't spray during the heat of the day, it will burn the leaves. Can't be 100% sure thats the problem without soil samples but it sure seems like it.

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Earle34 Grasonville, MD Jun 02, 2014

Thanks again 1lsac. I also found a product on line called Hoffman super phosphate (0-46-0) which I will sprinkle around the base of the plants.

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1lisac Liberty Hill, TX(Zone 8a) Jun 02, 2014

Let us know how it goes. To some degree gardening is an on going experiment. Lol

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