Thursday, June 07, 2007
Pruning tomato plants and growing bamboo trees
John Arbogast
Landscape consultant John Arbogast answers your questions every Thursday. Send questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to:
Dear John
5102 Greenfield St. SW
Roanoke, Va. 24018
Or send an e-mail. Answers will be given only in this column. Please don't send pictures or samples.
Recent columns
Q: I live in DC and planted two tomato plants this year. I live in an apartment and have a west-facing balcony. My cherry tomato plant started giving fruits, and it is still growing and producing flowers. Because it was getting taller, just this morning, I pruned the top of the plant. I was wondering if that will affect the condition of the plant.
A: Tomato pruning like you did should not affect the health condition of the plant. However, this pruning might affect the productive condition of the pruned tomato, but only for a couple of days as cutting the height will likely force the plant to temporarily make quick vegetative growth at the expense of flowering and fruiting.
A big condition caused by cutting the main stalk of your cherry tomato plant will be a steady increase in the bushy size of the plant, which will take your time and diligence “suckering” the plant if room on your balcony is limited.
Let me explain. You mentioned that this tomato plant “is still growing and producing flowers” tells me that the plant is of the type called “indeterminate.” This name means that the tomato plant is biologically set up to continue to grow, flower, fruit and generally get bigger until frost or a problem kills it.
Each time that you cut the main stalk of an “indeterminate” tomato plant, a shoot is stimulated to emerge from the intersection of that main stalk and side branch. Those shoots are called “suckers” when they are small. Since, those extra shoots grow freely and eventually flower and fruit. This is OK, and Mother Nature even causes tomato plants to grow “suckers”.
Removal of “suckers” is called “suckering.” Gardeners who want fewer but bigger tomatoes do “suckering” during most of the growing season to keep only one main stalk flowering and fruiting so that fewer tomatoes must share sugars that the plant produces. Plants that aren’t “suckered” becomes bigger as all those “suckers” become stalks, produce flowers, and then tomatoes.
Q: I want to plant some bamboo in my backyard here in Roanoke where the grass does not ever become thick and lush. The area of the backyard where I want to try bamboo gets mostly shade, but for a few hours in midday, this area gets direct sun. Will that be OK? Also, my wife is concerned that any bamboo there will spread into much of the backyard and will become like a permanent weed. What can I do about that? When should bamboo be planted in Roanoke? Are all bamboo varieties evergreen here in Roanoke? Do bamboos need a lot of water?
A: First, let me say that my only direct experience growing bamboo was observing the bamboo border that my parents planted as a screen in West Virginia many years ago, and hearing about the continual emergence of bamboo shoots after my folks had the bamboo removed. I successfully dug up a clump of their bamboo and put it in a big pot to make a pleasing indoor plant.
Read all of the information given about any bamboo variety before you make a purchase. Most large growing bamboos like full sun. These are the varieties that can reach 30 to 50 feet in height. Shorter bamboos like the afternoon shade.
The location for bamboos should hold some water and have humusy soil. Since it is getting too hot to plant bamboos now in Roanoke, spend some time and energy to add organic matter to the soil for the bamboo. Spread grass clippings out on those spots until a 2- to 3- inch deep layer has accumulated, and mix this into the soil where it will decay into humus. This fall, cut up some of you landscape’s autumn leaves with a lawnmower, and mix a 2-inch thick layer of this into those spots.
In Roanoke, bamboos can be planted anytime during the spring until the permanent arrival of hot weather. Bamboo will love all the spring showers that we usually get. Also, bamboos should be planted outdoors early enough so they will be established and will “harden off” sufficiently to survive their first winter.
To address your wife’s concerns, I suggest you do two things. First, select and plant a bamboo variety of the type called “clump type bamboos,” which should not invade surrounding areas. Secondly, construct a barrier around the bamboos using something thick, like 60 mil plastic known as “HDPE” (high density polyethylene), in a 30-inch deep trench. Then, rent a trencher machine, like the “Ditch Witch” one I’ve used.
All bamboos are evergreen. Of course, bamboo varieties that are not fully hardened can have winter browning.
During the first year, newly planted bamboos need watering twice a week. After they’ve reached the desired size, they’ll survive with less frequent irrigation.
