Hey everyone! I'm working with a hydroponic setup that gives me about 36 inches of height, and I'm trying to grow tomatoes during the winter. Since I have a limited growing season in the PNW, I initially searched for determinate varieties. I was excited to find a supposedly determinate Brandywine, but when the seeds arrived, it turned out they were actually indeterminate. I contacted the vendor, who refunded me but didn't really apologize for the mix-up.
Now, I'm wondering if I could manage to prune the indeterminate plant to keep it small and under control. Has anyone ever tried pruning indeterminate tomatoes to restrict their size? I once topped a determinate tomato and it didn't produce flowers afterward. Any success stories or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
3 Answers
If you top the plant, you might see some growth from the suckers, but you'll have to keep managing those too or they’ll get out of control. You should really look into dwarf indeterminate tomatoes; they only reach a max size of about three inches to five feet at most!
I’m not sure if that will work, honestly. Topping an indeterminate plant can stop its growth, but you might not get new flowers afterward. Have you considered growing dwarf varieties? There are some indeterminate types that stay pretty small!
But if it had flowers already, would they still mature?
I’ve tried this before, and it didn’t work for me. The plants seem to only want to fruit on the new growth and tops. Definitely check out indeterminate dwarf varieties, though. They might suit your needs better!
Oh wow, that’s what happened with another plant I grew. I kept having to chop the tops constantly. I didn’t even know dwarf indeterminate varieties existed. I thought dwarf plants were just determinate!