Suckering Tomatoes

If you live in an area with a growing season that just manages to provide 90 frost free days like I do, removing suckers on your tomato plants is a worth while task. It is especially helpful on some of the old  open pollinated indeterminate varieties. They seem to put on suckers as fast as you can pinch them off but pinching them off forces the plant to put it's energy into maturing the fruit already on the plant instead of growing more shoots.A sucker is the shoot that grows out of the junction of a limb and the main stalk like the one my knife blade is resting on. I just pinch it off with my fingers. I also like to stake my tomatoes rather than using cages. I tie them up with stripes ripped from old tee shirts. I tie the strip to the stake and then make a loose loop around the main stalk of the plant.

Here on the left is a recent pic in the high tunnel. I have the stakes fastened to the frame of the tunnel so they can easily support the tomato plants. So far they seem to like the extra heat they are getting although if this heat wave continues it won't matter. We have had to start watering the garden and new trees and shrubs again. It is hovering around the 90 degree mark which is nice compared to what much of the country is getting but still enough to make plants suffer quickly without enough rain.
 The pic to the right is interesting because of those bees lined up with their butts in the air on the right edge of the landing board. They are on fan duty, moving air into the hive to help cool it. Notice how the rows alternate spacing to maximize the effect. Amazing creatures!