Q How much should I trim my tomato plants? Some are in the garden and some are in pots.
A How much to trim tomato plants -- and even whether to trim them at all -- depends on whether they have an indeterminate or determinate growth habit. (The seed packet or plant label should indicate this.)
Most tomato plants are indeterminate, which means they continue to grow taller all summer. You often see indeterminate tomatoes pruned to one main stem, which is tied to a tall stake. This keeps fruit and foliage off the ground and allows for good air circulation, which in turn, keeps the plants healthier. But it also removes much of the potential foliage, leaving the fruit more vulnerable to sunburn, and reduces the plant's total yield.
A better solution is to remove most, but not all, of the suckers so there are two or three strong, upright stems, which produce more leaves and ultimately, more tomatoes. To trim an indeterminate tomato, cut most of the sucker growth (the young growth that develops in the axils or crotches between the main stem and the leaves or branches) until the plant has only a few stems.
Determinate plants grow several feet tall, then fill out, rather than continuing to grow upward. Determinate plants often are grown in cages for support. They typically need no trimming, except for the few leaves that might droop down and touch the soil, which makes them more susceptible to fungal diseases.
Determinate tomato varieties will be easier to manage in containers, but you can grow any tomato variety in a container if it's large enough and has drain holes. (A container that's too small allows the soil moisture to fluctuate widely, making tomatoes more likely to develop blossom end rot.)
What, no pawpaw? Q I'm a recent transplant to Minnesota and wonder if I can grow two of my favorite fruit trees here: pawpaw and persimmon.
A Unfortunately, neither the pawpaw (Asimina triloba) nor persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) can be grown successfully here. You might keep a persimmon tree alive in a very protected location, but it wouldn't produce fruit.