This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Tomato plants - leaves growing at the end of trusses - is this normal?
January Man
Posts: 212
in Fruit & veg
Hi
Back with another tomato question!
I have the occasional truss which has a stem/branch (with leaves) growing out of the end of it. Is this normal? And should it be left or snipped?
Many thanks
Max
0
Posts
All too normal Max. I've snapped off 10-15 in the last few days.
A bit later in the season, you'll probably find new shoots coming out of the leaves!
Do keep an eye on the base of the plants too - they'll throw up shoots from almost any part of the plant.
Seems to happen to mine once I've pinched out the tops
Snap or cut them off - or you'll have another plant growing there which is not where it should be
Last edited: 18 July 2017 12:53:34
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
hi there
I'm growing my first ever plum tomatoes. I've got a number of green ones - should I be cutting anything off? (branches, I mean...)
Many thank
Siobhan
I find the same as Pete, yes take off the excess growth to get the plant to concentrate on fruit, if you have not already done so switch to a high Potash feed to encourage fruit to ripen up. Also don't over water, too much water encourages excess leafy growth and makes fruit insipid.
Siobhan, if lower leaves are shading the fruit trusses then they can be removed to encourage ripening. Take out any side shoots as well.
Only if there are leaves appearing at the end of the truss, cut the leaves off so that there are only tomatoes on the truss. Otherwise a new tomato plant will try and grow from the end of the truss.
You need to pinch out the top of the plants when they have formed 5-6 trusses (depending if they're inside or outside)
I only remove leaves at the bottom of the plant if thy're looking a bit manky or touching the ground. No point in removing leaves unless needed as they are powering the plant. Around mid-late August you can start removing more leaves to allow air around the plants and deter blight
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.