This may be a little hard to explain in writing but here goes. The tomato plant will have a main stem with branches growing from this stem. At the junction of the main stem and these branches a "shoot" or another small limb will grow. These growths are called "suckers". To sucker the plant you simply pinch this "shoot" off. This will prevent the plant from going all to vine and will allow it to use the nutrients to make tomatoes. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Virginia Long" <vlong38@yahoo.com> To: <tnweakle@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 9:54 AM Subject: Re: [TNWEAKLE] TOMATOES > What does it mean to "sucker the plants" ? I'm a novice at growing > tomatoes and I planted my first two this year....only yesterday. > > Virginia > > Lee Cate <leecate@cddn.com> wrote: > > Don, > > Back in the "dark ages" when I was in college I took a course in > horticulture. We grew tomatoes in a field that is now covered with > dormitories. At that time we had to "sucker" the tomato plants. The > reasoning is that the plants will bear more tomatoes. > > Lee > > >> Quite some time ago, there was information submitted about the Japanese >> Tomato Ring..... Wellllll....I am trying it this year. Only going with >> three plants instead of four, because that is all the wire I happened to >> have. Plants are growing like mad and made my first cloth tying supports >> yesterday. >> >> My question though, and there is controversy on this I'm sure, should I >> "sucker" the plants or just let them go wild?????? > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TNWEAKLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > --------------------------------- > Don't be flakey. Get Yahoo! Mail for Mobile and > always stay connected to friends. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TNWEAKLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

I figure I'm never too old to learn new things and/or tricks. And believe me, I'm old. LOL Thanks, Lee. I think you explained it very well. Forever grateful, Virginia in MO, ( and, no, I did not grow up on a tobacco farm, but I did live in Gleason, TN for a short time and often wish I still lived there.) ( Big smile.) Lee Cate <leecate@cddn.com> wrote: This may be a little hard to explain in writing but here goes. The tomato plant will have a main stem with branches growing from this stem. At the junction of the main stem and these branches a "shoot" or another small limb will grow. These growths are called "suckers". To sucker the plant you simply pinch this "shoot" off. This will prevent the plant from going all to vine and will allow it to use the nutrients to make tomatoes. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Virginia Long" To: Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 9:54 AM Subject: Re: [TNWEAKLE] TOMATOES > What does it mean to "sucker the plants" ? I'm a novice at growing > tomatoes and I planted my first two this year....only yesterday. > > Virginia > > Lee Cate wrote: > > Don, > > Back in the "dark ages" when I was in college I took a course in > horticulture. We grew tomatoes in a field that is now covered with > dormitories. At that time we had to "sucker" the tomato plants. The > reasoning is that the plants will bear more tomatoes. > > Lee > > >> Quite some time ago, there was information submitted about the Japanese >> Tomato Ring..... Wellllll....I am trying it this year. Only going with >> three plants instead of four, because that is all the wire I happened to >> have. Plants are growing like mad and made my first cloth tying supports >> yesterday. >> >> My question though, and there is controversy on this I'm sure, should I >> "sucker" the plants or just let them go wild?????? > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TNWEAKLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > --------------------------------- > Don't be flakey. Get Yahoo! Mail for Mobile and > always stay connected to friends. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TNWEAKLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TNWEAKLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message --------------------------------- Get the free Yahoo! toolbar and rest assured with the added security of spyware protection.

Nobody SOUTH of Dresden grew up on a tobacco farm. Joe Stout -----Original Message----- From: tnweakle-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:tnweakle-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Virginia Long Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 11:42 AM To: tnweakle@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [TNWEAKLE] TOMATOES I figure I'm never too old to learn new things and/or tricks. And believe me, I'm old. LOL Thanks, Lee. I think you explained it very well. Forever grateful, Virginia in MO, ( and, no, I did not grow up on a tobacco farm, but I did live in Gleason, TN for a short time and often wish I still lived there.) ( Big smile.) Lee Cate <leecate@cddn.com> wrote: No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.8.7/830 - Release Date: 6/3/2007 12:47 PM

Obviously, none of yall grew up on a tobacco farm. You sucker plants so the growth goes into the main stems and is not wasted growing extra frivoulous plant growth that is of no use for selling or eating. http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/media/g00031_01.jpg See this drawing.... And happy eating! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lee Cate" <leecate@cddn.com> To: <tnweakle@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 11:00 AM Subject: [TNWEAKLE] TOMATOES This may be a little hard to explain in writing but here goes. The tomato plant will have a main stem with branches growing from this stem. At the junction of the main stem and these branches a "shoot" or another small limb will grow. These growths are called "suckers". To sucker the plant you simply pinch this "shoot" off. This will prevent the plant from going all to vine and will allow it to use the nutrients to make tomatoes. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Virginia Long" <vlong38@yahoo.com> > To: <tnweakle@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 9:54 AM > Subject: Re: [TNWEAKLE] TOMATOES > > >> What does it mean to "sucker the plants" ? I'm a novice at growing >> tomatoes and I planted my first two this year....only yesterday. >> >> Virginia >> >> Lee Cate <leecate@cddn.com> wrote: >> >> Don, >> >> Back in the "dark ages" when I was in college I took a course in >> horticulture. We grew tomatoes in a field that is now covered with >> dormitories. At that time we had to "sucker" the tomato plants. The >> reasoning is that the plants will bear more tomatoes. >> >> Lee >> >> >>> Quite some time ago, there was information submitted about the Japanese >>> Tomato Ring..... Wellllll....I am trying it this year. Only going with >>> three plants instead of four, because that is all the wire I happened to >>> have. Plants are growing like mad and made my first cloth tying supports >>> yesterday. >>> >>> My question though, and there is controversy on this I'm sure, should I >>> "sucker" the plants or just let them go wild?????? >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> TNWEAKLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> >> >> --------------------------------- >> Don't be flakey. Get Yahoo! Mail for Mobile and >> always stay connected to friends. >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> TNWEAKLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TNWEAKLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >