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BigShiny | 05-17-2009 03:59 PM
Average Tomato Plant Yield I am new to tomatoes and planted 3 or 4 different heirloom varieties. I have 15 total plants. 5 are in a 10 inch high raised bed with fresh topsoil and peat. 10 are in 2-4 gallon planter pots (each have their own pot). All get at least 8 hours of sun a day and we water them regularly. How many pounds of tomatoes should I expect this year? I have the German Strawberry Tomato, the Super Choice, Reverend Morrow's Long Keeper, and a few Matinee (sp), all bought from rareseeds.com; hope that helps. Any simple ways to improve yield?

Tn...Andy | 05-17-2009 04:46 PM
Re: Average Tomato Plant Yield Next year, don't use the pots.....the plants will get "root bound" even in that big a pot and not do as well. When I plant mine, I use a post hole digger, take off all the side leaves up to near the top of the plant, and put it as deep in a hole of loosened dirt as the plant will stand. Mulch around with newspaper, sawdust, plastic, about anything, to prevent rain driven dirt from splashing up on the leaves, and transferring bacterial wilt from the soil to the leaves....the mulch also being great for water retention. One person I know says even wash your hands before handing any part of a tomato plant if your hands have been in garden soil for the same reason.....that's going a bit far for me.....but there is that thought.... Additions of manure tea and compost or a commercial fertilizer are good for tomatoes.....they produce heavy and need feeding. Yield can vary so much, it's hard to say....but I'd guess 15-20lbs of tomatoes per plant is not a bad average.

Libertarian_Guard | 05-17-2009 04:50 PM
Re: Average Tomato Plant Yield Don't over fertilize and I'd quess that you'll pick at least 50 lbs of tomatoes from 15 plants. If you over fertilize you'll have really big plants with very few tomatoes.

oldmansmith | 05-17-2009 04:51 PM
Re: Average Tomato Plant Yield Good tip on the mulch, only problem here is the soil stays cool with mulch. It is supposed to be around 30 tommorrow night, I have mine under wire hoops and plastic and am hoping for the best.

Zilver | 05-17-2009 05:36 PM
Re: Average Tomato Plant Yield with 15 plants I can highly recommend that you get one of these (or something similar) you should have a LOT of tomatoes if all goes well Italian Tomato Press (Quickly removes the seeds and skins) get one before fall harvest time: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/wsimg...014/img33m.jpg $38.00 http://www.williams-sonoma.com/produ...cm_ite=General

Quixote2 | 05-17-2009 07:40 PM
Re: Average Tomato Plant Yield I use tomato cages 2.5 ft diameter x 5 ft high made of concrete reinforcing mesh. I prune the vines to about 3.5 ft dia x 6 ft high to convince the plant to stop making vine and start making tomatos. I would guess that TA's estimate of 20 lbs per cage would be about right (or more - I typically plat the flat of 4 tomato plants in the same hole/cage).

Tallships | 05-17-2009 09:10 PM
Re: Average Tomato Plant Yield I grew beefsteaks last year, and got about 40 pounds per plant. Each tomato was over a pound. I hope I can repeat that this year, as last year was the best yeild I have ever gotten. I am trying to do the same things this year as I did last.

Dave Thomas | 05-17-2009 11:10 PM
Re: Average Tomato Plant Yield I grew romas last year and if I was johnny on the button I could have gotten at least 20 lbs out of each one easily. I most likely could have gotten more if it was not for the soggy feet, and strange caterpillars and weevil's all over the damn things. In fact if I could stop the birds, weevils, and caterpillars, the yield would have easily been double. But the fortunate things is that I have romas growing in the middle of my backyard now. I guess the birds that snacked on em were local! :s9:

momopanda | 05-17-2009 11:40 PM
Re: Average Tomato Plant Yield I'm gonna guess you'll go over 200 pounds easily, let us know though. I believe all the heirlooms listed are indeterminate, and a great couple tips I've found thereways are to 1) prune the crap out of them as counterintuitive as it seems,(remove suckers and non flowering branches) and 2) when planting , cut all branches off the bottom half (or more) of the plant and bury them. Iow, if you have a 24" potted plant ready to place, cut all branches off the bottom 12 or more inches , at the stem, and bury them, as they will root. And I agree with Andy, - $5 plant - dig a $20 hole. Biggest problem around here for me, mostly Roma's and Ramapos and Brandywines, is slugs. I put some old bar ashtrays filled with beer into the ground to about soil level, and this seems to help immensely. Some fish emulsion/seaweed extract fertilizier one week after planting, and twice monthly thereafter will do wonders as tomatoes are heavy feeders. And I agree also with LG - commercial fertilizers are not all that great for tomatoes unless you like the look of the plant itself. You're aiming for fruit here, not big bushy plants (again with the pruning too). Eight hours is plenty of sun, my Ramapos do fairly well in one section with close to half that believe it or not. But the best producers, as you'd expect, are the ones planted against the foundation of the house. Iow , I believe they're more a heat lover than a sun lover, at least as concerns fruit production. Good luck- post some pictures if you get a chance!

____hoot____ | 05-18-2009 12:38 AM
Re: Average Tomato Plant Yield Depends so much on the soil and attention given. Last year I got 66 canned pints+eaters and give aways off of 45 plants.; maybe 2 pounds per plant. The only place I have to place a garden is pure sub-soil exchavated sand that I enhance with a gallon or so creek bottom mud for each plant. Have a neighbor with good soil that gets 15 pounds per plant.

elroy | 05-18-2009 10:45 AM
Re: Average Tomato Plant Yield We always plant 12 tomato plants. By the end of summer we have canned, frozen and rotting tomatoes. 12 plants make way more than we can use.

BigShiny | 05-18-2009 01:50 PM
Re: Average Tomato Plant Yield Thanks everyone for the replies. I will post some pictures as soon as I feel better. I hope for big crop this year, but more importantly, I hope to have gained the knowledge needed for many more successful tomato yields.

BigShiny | 05-18-2009 02:08 PM
Re: Average Tomato Plant Yield Which GIMMER has grown the biggest tomato?

ImaCannin | 05-18-2009 02:08 PM
Re: Average Tomato Plant Yield 2 Attachment(s) Last year, this one brandywine plant gave about 3 - 3/4 lb tomatoes a day. It was in the dirt, next to the sheep pen, where it got lots of sheep manure. Attachment 70642 Attachment 70643 I agree with getting a strainer. Not only does it work for tomatoes but almost anything! http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...gL._SS500_.jpg This is the one I have. You can find it at amazon, with all its attachments. http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-220-Strainer-Sauce/dp/B000I4Y4PK/ref=sr_1_1/180-8179594-8178950?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1242669912&sr=8-1 Amazon

SilverSirian | 05-18-2009 03:25 PM
Re: Average Tomato Plant Yield Do your tomato plants need to be replanted each year from dieing during winter? I live in California so I am hoping my new beefstake tomato plants, don't die due to the mild weather in California.

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