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Help with two questions

TheveggardenerTheveggardener Posts: 1,057
in Fruit & veg
My tomatoes are producing lots of fruit, I stopped them at three bunches. The problem I have is the fruit is hidden behind lots of leaves would it be OK to remove some of the lower leaves or should I leave them on. I have grown money maker, Maskotka Cherry Tomato and Yellow Delight.

Second question my Golden Bantam sweet corn has tall fronds coming from the top and the corn has only just started to form down the stem is this OK or should I remove the fronds at the top. Thanks for any advice as I've never grown either of these before.
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  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I usually remove some of my tomato leaves at this time of the year to let any sunshine we get ripen the fruit. 
    Can't help with the sweetcorn query l'm afraid  :)
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    The fronds at the top are the male parts whose pollen needs to fall on the femal parts below to make corn cobs.  Leave them be and keep the plants well watered and occasionally fed as the cobs start to grow.

    By all means remove some of the leaves form your toms to allow the sun to get to the fruits and aid ripening and flavour.  Again, keep regularly watered and fed to avoid problems like blossom end rot.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • TheveggardenerTheveggardener Posts: 1,057
    AnniD and Obelixx, thank you for your replies. I have noticed there are a couple of cobbs growing, I only noticed them as there is fluffy hair like stuff coming out of the top of what I first thought was a side shoot. I'll go and remove the lower leaves which will make it easier to get round and water. Had my first tomato today which was a cherry tomato very tasty totally different from the shop ones, can't wait for more to come. Want to try a different tomeate to Moneymaker next year, any suggestions?
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Yes remove leaves up to the first truss so you can water without wetting leaves @NannaBoo .

    Pete8 and I was talking last year about removing leaves( which I had always done to give sunlight to ripening toms) but he said not to, so this year just the bottom leaves and any damaged ones have been taken off. It makes it much harder to keep an eye on trusses so the tom weight doesn't bend them, but the plants do seem healthier. 🤔
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I thought my ears were burning :)
    I remove any lower leaves that touch the soil and soon as I see any manky leaves I remove them too. If it makes life easier to remove some more leaves then that's fine, but remember that the leaves supply energy to your plant - fewer leaves means less energy for the plant, but as the plants are now mature, they won't miss a few more.

    Sunlight doesn't ripen the fruit, it's warmth (but below 30c) that ripens the toms, so exposure to sunlight isn't important.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    You learn something new every day @Pete.8  :)
    I grow my tomatoes in baskets,  this year's are not very successful . They are called "Montello",  and were recommended in another garden magazine (not GW) as being suitable for baskets. The packet says they are suitable for "containers", but trust me, they aren't for baskets. 
    They are huge and l have been cutting them back to try and keep a restricted amount of fruit going. They are a plum tomato shape and only just starting to ripen.
    I had much more success with "Maskotka" in previous years 🙄
  • TheveggardenerTheveggardener Posts: 1,057

    purplerallim and pete.8, Thanks for your replies. I have just been out and remove the leaves below the first set of fruit and one or two of the much bigger leave but there are still lot's ove leaves left on the plant. I was just about to give them a good watering when Mother Nature stepped in and did it for me. I expect to have some ready for picking by the weekend as they are already coloring up. I have a feeling that I might have planted them to close together, I planted them 2 foot apart but it was like a jungle out there plus I need to get longer cains 4 foot wasn't long enough.

    Thanks again all for your advice much appreciated.

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I tried growing Maskotka in a basket a few years ago - it got nearly 3ft high so I had to keep it in the greenhouse - it got to be a huge plant with lots of toms which were much tastier than Tumbling Tom that I usually put in baskets but this huge plant hanging in the middle of the greenhouse was very restrictive

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • TheveggardenerTheveggardener Posts: 1,057
    Has anyone tried Yellow Delight it looks like a pear shaped tomato, can you tell me what they taste like if you have grown them. I have them growing in the garden the packet says full of flavour and can be grow in the garden or the greenhouse. 
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    edited August 2019
    Have wondered about them @NannaBoo, but haven't tried them yet. I wish I'd known Roma grew so big across, not up so much, I would have given it more room.🙄 Its a jungle in the greenhouse.

    What big ears you have Pete8 😈 good job someone knows what they are doing😁
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