Question: I am a novice gardener. I have a question about the stronger limbs coming off the main stem of my Sweet 100 tomato plant. This branch - and several others - doesn't seem to be fruit-bearing and may be drawing nutrition from the fruit.
Can some or all of these be removed? Ed Chan-Henry,
Vancouver Answer: Yes, they can be removed, but you may not wish to remove all of them.
The side branches that emerge from the main stem of tomato plants always start life as "suckers." These originate between the main stem and a leaf. The leaf ceases to properly develop and the sucker grows into a thick side branch.
At first, these side branches are non-productive, because they're focusing on stem and leaf growth. But later they flower, fruit and develop their own suckers. By the time they fruit, it's later in the season and only the first few side branches have a chance of producing ripe tomatoes in this climate.
Unless almost all the suckers are removed the plant will grow into a massive uncontrolled bush.
Tomato fruit will ripen slowly because it's shaded by stems and foliage, and some fruit may rot, and slugs will have a feast.
Most healthy plants can handle, one two or even three side-branches, but the crop is better quality if you remove all the other suckers while they're very young. It's only the main stem and the first three side branches that have a chance of ripening fruit.
It's a balancing game between quantity and quality. The more suckers that become side branches, the more tomatoes you get. Some will be large and ripe, but most will be smaller and green. Many of these can ripen on a sunny windowsill.
Your tomatoes are producing suckers because they belong to an indeterminate variety. All indeterminates aim at becoming huge bushes which keep growing, flowering and fruiting until they get killed by frost or blight.
But you could also get seed or plants of determinate tomatoes. These never produce suckers, and they stop growing when fruit sets. Then they ripen all their crop quickly and die. Container gardeners like them. Determinates are very easy to manage but produce fewer tomatoes than indeterminate plants.
Question: We are the proud owners of a Monrovia Dancy tangerine tree. At the moment, it has produced eight great looking oranges. When would we be able to pick them? Deni, by email
Answer: You can pick your oranges when they look very orange, are not as hard as they were and when they separate from the stalk if you gently lift them.
Question: I have a small, new fig tree growing very well in front of my house and leaning against the wall. Will this be a danger to the foundation of my house? Should I pull it out and give it to my neighbour? I already have a humongous fig tree which bears purple fruit as well as a small fig tree which bears green fruit.
Florence Salama,
via emailAnswer: Yes, fig trees can damage foundations. It all depends how good your foundation is. But since you're not short of figs anyway, I'd suggest giving it to your neighbour.
Anne Marrison is happy to answer garden questions. Send them to her via amar [email protected].
