Pruning and Pruning and Spacing Spacing

Tomatoes in High Tomatoes in High TunnelsTunnelsTerrance T, NennichTerrance T, Nennich

Extension ProfessorExtension Professor

Fruit and Vegetable Fruit and Vegetable ProductionProduction

University of Minnesota University of Minnesota Extension Extension

NCROC NCROC

These studies were conducted at the These studies were conducted at the North Central Research and North Central Research and Outreach Center , Grand Rapids Outreach Center , Grand Rapids Minnesota Minnesota

PruningPruning Increases fruit size.Increases fruit size.Promotes earlier harvest Promotes earlier harvest Reduces disease Reduces disease incidence.incidence.

Reduces grey wall.Reduces grey wall.Better air flow Better air flow

Pruning is most practical for…

•Small tomato plantings.

•High Tunnel tomato varieties.

•Late-season determinate varieties.

PruningPruning

Timeliness is of Timeliness is of the most the most Importance Importance

Determinate TypesDeterminate Types

Bush tomatoesBush tomatoes

Ends with terminal budsEnds with terminal buds

Easier to pruneEasier to prune

Growth is smallerGrowth is smaller

Most new releases are determinateMost new releases are determinate

Act different in high tunnels Act different in high tunnels

Pruning Pruning Determinant TypesDeterminant Types

Wait until plant has first flowers and Wait until plant has first flowers and tomato is the size of a nickeltomato is the size of a nickel

Going down skip one branch Going down skip one branch

Prune out everything belowPrune out everything below

Can be pruned to one or two leaders Can be pruned to one or two leaders

This will increase size and make a earlier This will increase size and make a earlier harvest. harvest.

Non-pruned

Pruned

Determinate Tomato Pruning Study

    Lbs/Plant

%

Ripe Fruit Harvest

 Pruning 1stEarly* Ripe

# Fruit/ Lbs / Lbs/

Treatment Ripe Good Plant Fruit Sq. Ft.

2003-Cultivar Debut          

Single Stem 7/24 2.5 8.8 63% 17.0 0.534 1.40

Double Stem 7/21 1.9 12.3 58% 25.2 0.505 1.95

2004-Cultivar Sunshine

Single Stem  7/26 1.6 10.5 76% 19.6 0.534 1.67

Double Stem 7/23 1.2 12.1 73% 23.2 0.523 1.92

No Prune 8/9 0.0 22.1 81% 47.8 0.462 3.51

* Early harvest through 8/2

Do not over prune. Fruit needs leaf cover to Do not over prune. Fruit needs leaf cover to prevent sunburn.prevent sunburn.

Source: L. KamarSource: L. Kamar

Indeterminate TypesIndeterminate Types Continual GrowthContinual Growth 7-15 foot of height.7-15 foot of height. Continual tomato productionContinual tomato production Even production Even production Smaller production in given time. Smaller production in given time.

Pruning Pruning Indeterminate TypesIndeterminate Types

Wait until plant has first flowers and Wait until plant has first flowers and tomato is the size of a nickeltomato is the size of a nickel

Going down skip one sucker branch Going down skip one sucker branch

Prune out everything belowPrune out everything below

Can be pruned to one or two leaders Can be pruned to one or two leaders

All suckers must be removed during the All suckers must be removed during the season. season.

Sucker or axillary shoot

Must be less than 4 inches long.

PRUNING TOMATOES

Indeterminate Tomato Pruning Study- Cobra

  2004   Lbs/Plant

%

Ripe Fruit Harvest

 Pruning 1stEarly* Ripe

# Fruit/ Lbs / Lbs/

Treatments Ripe Good Plant Fruit Sq. Ft.

Single Stem 8/6 0.1 15.5 74% 35.6 0.436 2.46

Double Stem 8/12 0.0 17.0 73% 46.4 0.367 1.70

No Prune 8/19 0.0 13.6 61% 47.8 0.286 2.16

* Early harvest through 8/2/04

2006 Indeterminate Tomato Production - Cobra

    Lbs/Plant

%

Ripe Fruit Harvest

  1stEarly* Ripe Total

# Fruit/ Lbs / Lbs/

Treatment Ripe Good Plant Fruit Sq. Ft.

Spacing                

18" 7/20 5.8 15.7 24.9 b 64% 40.7 b 0.392 2.50

24" 7/20 7.2 19.5 29.7 a 66% 48.1 a 0.407 2.32

Stems                

Single 7/19 6.7 16.2 24.8 b 65% 37.7 b 0.428 a 2.23

Double 7/21 6.4 19.0 29.8 a 64% 51.1 a 0.372 b 2.58

* Early harvest through 8/2/06

SanitationSanitation

Prune with clean toolsPrune with clean tools

Disinfect while using Disinfect while using

If there any plants that are If there any plants that are stunted or diseased do stunted or diseased do them last or pull them out. them last or pull them out.

Spacing StudiesSpacing Studies

Spacing StudiesSpacing Studies

Will plant spacing make a difference Will plant spacing make a difference with with

Earliness??Earliness??

Tomato Size ??Tomato Size ??

Total yield??Total yield??

Determinate Tomato Spacing Study

    Lbs/Plant

%

Ripe Fruit Harvest

  1stEarly* Ripe

# Fruit/ Lbs / Lbs/

Spacing Ripe Good Plant Fruit Sq. Ft.

2003-Cultivar Debut          

12” 7/24 3.1 9.1 68% 16.7 0.558 2.17

18” 7/21 2.9 8.3 68% 18.0 0.476 1.32

24” 7/21 4.0 8.3 59% 13.7 0.583 0.99

2004-Cultivar Sunshine

12”  7/23  1.2  7.9  72%  17.0  0.467  1.88

18” 7/28 1.0 8.1 79% 17.8 0.458 1.28

24” 7/26 1.2 9.8 69% 17.8 0.550 1.17

* Early harvest through 8/2

2006 Determinate Tomato Production

– Sunstart

* Early harvest through 8/2/06

Lbs/Plant   Ripe Fruit Harvest

Early* Ripe Total % # Fruit/ Lbs/ Lbs/

Treatment Good Plant Fruit Sq. Ft.

Stems x Spacing               

Single 12" 5.15 b 7.47 b 11.00 c 69% 18.4 b 0.409 1.78 bc

Single 18" 5.10 b 8.70 b 12.52 c 70% 20.0 b 0.440 1.38 cd

Single 24" 5.20 b 7.95 b 11.99 c 66% 17.6 b 0.459 0.95 d

Double 12" 6.52 ab 9.50 ab 14.51 bc 65% 23.3 ab 0.410 2.26 a

Double 18" 7.60 a 12.13 a 17.62 ab 70% 29.0 a 0.421 1.93 ab

Double 24" 7.51 a 11.95 a 18.66 a 65% 28.2 a 0.425 1.42 cd

2006 Determinate Tomato Production

- Sunstart

* Early harvest through 8/2/06

    Lbs/Plant   Ripe Fruit Harvest

  1st Early* Ripe Total

% # Fruit/ Lbs/ Lbs/

Treatment Ripe Good Plant Fruit Sq. Ft.

Spacing                

12" 7/8 5.8 8.5 b 12.8 67% 20.9 0.409 2.02 a

18" 7/6 6.4 10.4 a 15.1 70% 24.5 0.431 1.66 b

24" 7/7 6.4 10.0 ab 15.3 65% 22.9 0.442 1.18 c

Stems                

Single 7/7 5.2 b 8.0 b 11.8 b 68% 18.7 b 0.436 1.37 b

Double 7/7 7.2 a 11.2 a 16.9 a 67% 26.8 a 0.419 1.87 a

* Early harvest through 8/2/06

Treatment Early* Good Spoiled Immature Total

Single 12" 1.23 b 1.78 bc 0.60 ab 0.24 cd 2.62 bc

Single 18" 0.81 cd 1.38 cd 0.27 c 0.34 bc 1.99 cd

Single 24" 0.62 d 0.95 cd 0.33 c 0.15 cd 1.43 d

Double 12" 1.55 a 2.26 a 0.63 a 0.57 a 3.46 a

Double 18" 1.21 b 1.93 ab 0.46 abc 0.41 ab 2.80 ab

Double 24" 0.89 c 1.42 cd 0.40 bc 0.40 abc 2.22 bc

Sunstart Yield By Fruit Sunstart Yield By Fruit Category (lbs/sq. ft.)Category (lbs/sq. ft.)

2006 Indeterminate Tomato Production – Cobra

    Lbs/Plant

%

Ripe Fruit Harvest

  1stEarly* Ripe Total

# Fruit/ Lbs / Lbs/

Treatment Ripe Good Plant Fruit Sq. Ft.

Stems x Spacing              

Single 18" 7/19 6.4 15.4 24.1 b 64% 61.3 c 0.434 a 2.44 ab

Single 24" 7/19 6.9 17.0 25.7 b 67% 67.9 bc 0.422 a 2.03 b

Double 18" 7/20 5.2 16.1 25.5 b 64% 82.5 b 0.350 b 2.55 ab

Double 24" 7/21 7.6 21.9 33.9 a 65% 96.7 a 0.393 ab 2.60 a

* Early harvest through 8/2/06

Indeterminate Tomato Spacing Study

Cultivar-Cobra    Lbs/Plant

%

Ripe Fruit Harvest

  1stEarly* Ripe

# Fruit/ Lbs / Lbs/

Spacing Ripe Good Plant Fruit Sq. Ft.

2003          

12” 8/8 0.1 9.6 59% 22.8 0.429 2.29

18” 7/28 1.1 11.8 58% 29.3 0.401 1.87

24” 8/1 0.6 15.8 72% 40.3 0.393 1.88

2004

12” 8/9 0.0 13.7 77% 32.7 0.419 3.26

18” 8/6 0.1 14.1 76% 34.6 0.408 2.24

24” 8/6 0.1 21.6 82% 43.6 0.496 2.57

* Early harvest through 8/2

Cobra Yield By Fruit Cobra Yield By Fruit Category (Category (lbs/sq. ft.)

Treatment Early Good Spoiled Immature Total

Single-18" 1.01 2.44ab 0.57 0.81ab 3.82a

Single-24" 0.82 2.03b 0.41 0.62b 3.06b

Double-18" 0.82 2.55ab 0.57 0.93a 4.04a

Double-24" 0.90 2.60a 0.57 0.86ab 4.05a

Pruning and Pruning and Spacing Spacing

Tomatoes in High Tomatoes in High TunnelsTunnels

Questions Questions ?? ??