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Mixed up tomato seedings - cordon vs bush how to tell?

Cat FleetCat Fleet Posts: 15
in Fruit & veg

It's my first time growing tomatoes. I've sewn bush and cordon varieties but I've mixed by seedings up! Are there any ways to tell which ones are which? Should I sacrifice the cordon plants and not pinch anything out just in case I ruin my bush plants? 

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    I've done the opposite before and grown bush types as cordons and got good crops.  The trick is to ensure that there are always two growing points as on bush types a growing point can end 'blind' or as a flowering truss, so don't be too quick to remove side shoots.  I think this is a better way as if you don't remove any side shoots on indeterminate (cordon) types, they can grow huge and flowering could be delayed so much that the fruit doesn't have time to ripen before the cold weather arrives.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Cat FleetCat Fleet Posts: 15

    Not really sure what you mean? Sorry I'm new to this. What would you class as a growing point? 

     

    Just to clarify I should do what you did and grow all the seedlings as if they were a cordon variety so they don't get too big? 

  • Cat FleetCat Fleet Posts: 15

    They are about 4 inches tall at the minute, would this be a time to start with the tomato feed or is this only for when they have been put into grow bags?

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    A growing point is the top of the plant or top of a side shoot.  What I really mean is to say is always leave at least one side shoot growing just in case the top of the plant stops growing and turns into a flowering truss instead.  Even cordons should have two growing points for the best crop.

    Hopefully you will be able to tell before long once the first fruit ripens - easy if the varieties are very different in size or colour.

    Don't start feeding them until the first flowers have set and tiny tomatoes appear.

     

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Cat FleetCat Fleet Posts: 15

    Thanks for the advice! 

  • LoganLogan Posts: 2,532
    I think with the bush ones they start to bush out early on so the cordons will keep

    on growing as one stem then they will shoot from the sides
  • darrylpqX8tHsZdarrylpqX8tHsZ Posts: 11
    This is a new experience for me. I've been growing tomatoes for years and have always grown them as bush tomatoes - inside round cages. Watching Monty, this past fall, I learned about cordons and thought I should try it with my tomatoes. The advantage, as I see it, is that I can grow more plants in a smaller space. Now, I read that some tomatoes are cordon-types and some are bush-types. How can I tell which is which? As a rule, I try to get as many tomatoes (better boys [a table tomato] and plum or Roma tomatoes) as I possibly can to ensure I have enough for canning - roughly 60 pints per year - so I need volume.  

    I realize I came to this discussion rather late, but if you chance upon this and know the answer, please share your knowledge.

    Best regards,
    Darryl
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384
    @darrylpqX8tHsZ 'Better boys' appear to be an indeterminate (cordon) type, see here:
    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/growing-better-boy-tomato-plants.htm By growing as a cordon (ie removing side-shoots), you'll prolong the fruiting season, ideal for table tomatoes.
    Roma are a determinate (bush) type:
    For canning, you'll want them all coming ripe at once, I would expect, which is why determinate types like Roma are best for that.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
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