Tomatoes

Posts

• John Roberts2 Posts: 6

  May 2014

  Hi Growing grafted tomatoes for first time please can someone help by advising me :- Should I be pinching out side shoots as with cordon method? What size pot should I pot on up to? Many thanks

  0
• John Harding Posts: 541

  May 2014

  It depends on what variety of tomato plant is being grown: determinate (bush) no picking out, or indeterminate (cordon) - remove side shoots. The root stock doesn't change the variety - just makes for a stronger plant and will need at least a 12" (30cms) dia pot as the roots are very vigorous and will need the space to grow well.

  If for instance, you are growing 'Red Alert' then it is a determinate and you do not pinch out the side shoots: If the plant is say 'Shirley' or 'Alicante' or 'Ailsa Craig' then they are all indeterminate and are best grown as cordon.

  Best way is to google the variety name and see what the type is but whatever it is don't start using tomato feed until the first truss has set fruit or you will get loads of foliage and little fruit.

  0
• John Roberts2 Posts: 6

  May 2014

  Many thanks for your reply.
  
  My plants are Grafted Tomato Plants - F1 Orangino/F1 Florryno Twins.
  
  They have two stems each. Another dilemma - I have been advised not to plant deeper than the graft. Is that where the two stems start please?

  0
• John Harding Posts: 541

  May 2014

  Yes, if you allow compost above the graft the plant will send out roots from the original variety and negate the benefits of using the more vigorous root stock. Orangino F1 is an indeterminate variety so yea again you would expect to pinch out the side shoots and grow as a cordon plant. I don't know the Florryno F1 and cannot find it described on the internet but I do note that Suttons do the Orangino/Florryno F1 twin grafted plants so it would be an idea to email them and ask the question.

  I'm guessing the Florryno F1 is a new variety and not listed yet, and I would be surprised if Suttons graft Determinate and Indeterminate on the same root stock, though it never pays to 'Assume' anything!

  Hope this helps, John H

  0