Episode 14 of 15 · August 26, 2025
No more energy should be wasted into tomato growth
Every tomato that sets after that time mark won’t ripen.
The next 2 months are the crucial ones. They will confirm whether it is a good season or not.
As we saw on the last email of Ghost House tomatoes, they had harvested 2.5 lbs/sq.ft already, and still have 4 pounds more to go. That's almost double what they already got!
While keeping disease away is key (see email on the subject). Properly managing energy is equally important.
9 weeks before the date we want to end the crop, we need to top off the plants.
Why?
Slicer tomatoes take about 9 weeks to ripen in the fall. Every tomato that sets after that time mark won’t ripen.
So they are only an energy waste. Energy that should be used to increase fruit size and ripening speed.
How to top off?
Cut off the stem above the newest cluster that have sets. Make sure to keep a leaf above it for energy production.
Wait for cherry tomatoes
Cherries ripen 2 weeks faster than slicers. Don’t top off both at the same time! You will lose 2 weeks of harvest. Learn from my mistakes!
Next week: how to manage plants after topping off!