Tomatoes - Doubling Your Yield with Two Main Stems

We tried leaving two main stems on each of our tomato plants--and nearly doubled our yield!
For more, check out our other videos:
How to String & Sucker Tomato Plants: • How to String & Sucker...
Indeterminate, Determinate & Semi-Determinate: • Tomatoes: Indeterminat...
Tomato Q&A: • How to String & Sucker...
Suckering Tomatoes (a review of the basics): • How to Prune or "Sucke...
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[@FrontPorchFarm]

Right now you can have my job because I fell and broke my ankle rounding up our cattle and I'm stuck inside! Glad you're enjoying our information and hope you're successful.

[@quenuk]

Such a helpful video. I appreciated that you used the tomato names. Thank You for providing such great imagery to support your technique of selective pruning & the successes associated with it.

[@FrontPorchFarm]

We have found the sucker that comes from the leaf terminal just below the first blossoms seems to be the largest and strongest. Probably depending on how deeply the tomato is planted, it is usually about the 3rd or 4th sucker, just don't get too aggressive about suckering until the first blossoms appear if you are unsure.

[@FrontPorchFarm]

We have a thermostatically controlled fan and vent that will keep the greenhouse from getting dangerously hot, and we have 6 to 8 circulating fans that we keep going constantly. The sides of the greenhouse roll up, and that't how we keep the air flow and temperature controlled. It takes a lot of vigilance to keep it an even temperature. We try not to let it get over 85 to 90 degrees. When our summer gets hot, we put a shade cloth on the greenhouse, and the tomatoes seem to ripen more quickly

[@krautbeer100]

I definitely will try this one! I already mentioned that I am in the Philippines. The weather is like Honolulu. My Canadian friend will bring different seeds. I definitely want to raise the beefsteak variety here. There are many Foreigners here and they would appreciate having these available. One can lease land for agricultural purposes cheaply , and a worker makes about $4-5/day. There are no seasons, so I will see how long a plant lasts. Thanx again for the expertise

[@FrontPorchFarm]

I leave 3 or 4 main stems,stringing each one, then suckering for a couple of feet on each and then just let the plant go. This way you can tame down the growth a bit but still have plenty of fruit. Just my experience, no science behind it. Sorry this reply is so late, but hopefully it's in time for this year's tomatoes!

[@81errol]

Great. I screwed up the pruning and ended up with two stems. Who says you must have one main stem!?

[@FrontPorchFarm]

Yes, we grow all our indeterminates with two main stems now.

[@satx110740]

Very informative. Best detail about growing tomatoes I've seen on youtube. ... Joseph

[@drmikeyg]

WOW! I want your job! I have learned so much from your viids. Thank you.

[@FrontPorchFarm]

Sorry for my late reply...I broke my ankle and am just looking at my mail. If you have the space, I would go with 2 stems. I didn't notice the tomatoes were any smaller, and there were twice as many!

[@FrontPorchFarm]

Thanks, it always pleases us to help others.

[@FrontPorchFarm]

Sorry I'm answering so late...it's a long story, Yes, you continue to sucker each of the two stems and string them. It doesn't mean to keep leaving two suckers on each stem and keep going that way. I hope this answers your question in time for this year's growing!

[@FrontPorchFarm]

The tomatoes were nice and big, the same size on both stems. Of course further up on the plant they got smaller as they always do.

[@FrontPorchFarm]

I have not had any experience in warm climates, but I would say tomatoes would last a long (continuing to grow up) time. I would think in a grow room you would run out of space and/or not have enough light.

[@m99037]

How do you feed and water your tomatoes in the greenhouse? Love your instructions on pruning and stringing the tomatoes. Marty Welch

[@yergman]

Great podcasts! Did this process produce a smaller average size of tomatoes? It doesn't look like it. Thanks again!

[@FrontPorchFarm]

How did your tomatoes do? We visited Kauai and were told by growers at the farmers markets that they couldn't grow anything but cherry or small tomatoes because fruit flies damaged the larger tomatoes.

[@SherryBell]

This is my second year doing this so Im a bit new. I have seen on youtube many people do thier tomatoes many ways, so I wanted to ask... when you say you let 2 main stems grow, does this mean you pull all the rest of the suckers off and dont let more then 2?

[@ezrabrooks12]

Plants LOOK GOOD.

[@stavrosglitsos7587]

Hi from Greece. Great video. Which varieties of heirloom and cherry are you growing in the green house?thanks in advance

[@danelle4314]

I would be curious to learn how long indeterminate tomatoes produce in the Philippines. I am experimenting with growing indoors, so knowing how long they produce in a tropical environment will help me estimate if I am offering the right conditions in my grow room. Thank you.

[@chevyredneckguy487]

How much do one of those green houses cost?

[@matricafranca]

How do you usually fertilize your tomatoes?What kind of fertilizers do you use!Thanks!

[@nikkochoy9550]

nice vid..thanks...

[@Augvald]

mmm Nice tomatoes

[@yes350yes]

I guess its a little hard to follow. I get it two main stems but how many side shoots do you keep if any. It a little hard to see to tell for sure.

[@AbiSarav]

I think they mean no side shoots at all, except for the initial one which becomes the 2nd main stem. They have pinched out all the other side shoots (suckers).

[@AbiSarav]

They mention in one of their replies that, "We have found the sucker that comes from the leaf terminal just below the first blossoms seems to be the largest and strongest.Probably depending on how deeply the tomato is planted, it is usually about the 3rd or 4th sucker, just don't get too aggressive about suckering until the first blossoms appear if you are unsure."

[@lucasgrowsbestyt]

Yeah what fertilizer do you use?

[@FrontPorchFarm]

Composted chicken manure and feathermeal as needed.

[@ChupaChoddy]

is better to have 2 main stems or not ,,

[@tangobayus]

What if you let more suckers grow to a certain point then terminate them?

[@FrontPorchFarm]

That would just slow down the growth of the desirable parts of the plant.

[@Ross28645]

360 tomatos i get that off of just 1 plant