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Tomatoes - cut back?
meN0A5NeCK
Posts: 15
in Fruit & veg
Thanks for reading - hoping you can help. I still haven't cracked growing tomatoes, they seem to arrive/ripen very late. Still looking very green in both varieties - one Italian beef tomato and one a cherry tomato. Should I cut back any flowers/branches above the ripening tomatoes? I figure there flowers are far too late in the season anyway? I only have a tiny green house so bringing them in there not an option. I could bring a couple into the house eventually I guess?!
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I've stopped all of mine, and I'll probably take off some of the flowers too, on the ones which are outside. I don't usually grow them outdoors, but they're sheltered beside the little growhouse, and are from a supermarket variety, so probably fairly tough. The indoor ones have been fruiting for a week or two, but lots of fruit still to ripen. In about a month or so, any fruit still there will come into the house, as long as it's started changing colour. I'll just keep reviewing them over the next week or two.
Mine go in the growhouse around mid to late May. They were a bit later this year as I had to start again at the start of April, but they grew well and aren't too much later than usual. I wouldn't normally get fruits before the end of July here, so they've been much the same.
I'm sure you've done well with them so far, so not having too many ripe toms yet isn't necessarily a problem. It's always a bit of experimenting with them, and working with your conditions
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Growing tomatoes is easy – once you know how! Good advice already but it might help to let people know a bit more on how you grow them e.g. where, in what, what you feed them and how often. I’m assuming they are cordon plants and if so they are best with the “suckers” removed (especially in this country ). For most people new to growing them this is the hard bit, I’ve tried to show many, and with a lot totally failed… Also with some types it is very difficult as the top sucker is often confused with the growing tip. Personally I always cut the suckers out at the earliest stage i.e. as soon as I could see them (harder with my eyes these days). It’s also worth an experiment to see what number of trusses is optimum for you. Previously in the North East, green house in a little shade, I would not have more than 6 on most of the plants, but up to 8 on some.
thank you again
Okay closer look. They all look like they have suffered from the cold weather we’ve had as the leaf veins have a blue tint (unless someone knows something else that causes this?). Can’t see much of them, but are the pots a tad small? The sucker situation does not look bad on the first picture, but the other two there is multiple stems with number two (the cherry) gone wild very early on. Like I said it can be very difficult with some varieties to know which to keep when they split at the top, and yes, they may both have the start of flowers. Both varieties from what I see and have read are greedy and vigorous, so might benefit from a mulch after the first truss stage. I'm still learning, I guess we all are, hence we are on here...