September 1st seems to represent a step into something different, a date and day to cross over and be on our way to somewhere new.
If it was back to school then that step might be made in new shoes, shined high for new beginnings. In this spirit, I decided to spruce up the tomato plants and give them all a sharp haircut.
With warmth and sun back in the same kind of abundance as is held within the stitched folds of a doubled-over, plenty of room to let-down-for-growth hem, it seemed a good time to ditch the leaf canopy and let the tomatoes ripen in full glare.
I had to wait to do this as it’s the sort of task where my ‘enough’ alarm bell never sounds. I just keep going until the word pruned is scratched and replaced by ’scalped’. So I wanted to wait until late enough in the season when defoliation or even deforestation could occur and the plants get by without.
It also meant I got shot of all the Yellow Balconi leaves that I have so taken against. And with more split stems I decided to protect the whole lot under fleece. Hopefully it will also act as disguise to prevent the return of the slimy squatters, all of whom were evicted as part of the great clear up process.
So now the only game left to play is the ripening one…… and it’s happening in full view !
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Sally-
How do I determine when to start snipping? Is there a “so many days before first frost” guide date?
THANKS!
Hello
Thank you for stopping by and getting in touch.
I can’t give a definitive answer – and I am sure there are lots of growers who wouldn’t countenance doing what I have done !
It’s not related to frost dates – Instead I thought about it like this – at the end of the season if you still have unripe tomatoes on plants – you can literally cut off the vines with the tomatoes on, hang them up somewhere and let them get on with ripening off the vine.
So if effect that is what I have decided to do with my plants – but still on the plant. I’ve stopped the plants from growing upwards by pinching out the growing tip some time ago – and there are no new tomatoes to come through. So all I really need to happen is for the exisiting tomatoes to ripen – which I have decided they can do without leaves etc.
I don’t know if this is right or wrong – and so I really don’t want to say do this or that! But as it seemed to make sense to me I decided to go with it !
I’ve never heard of giving tomato plants a crew-cut before. IMO, that’s quite a drastic thing to do, how are the poor, leafless plants supposed to breathe or photosynthesise? The first frost usually isn’t until November, so you should have plenty of time to ripen the fruit.
OTOH, it might prevent or delay blight from taking hold as there are fewer leaves to hold onto water, less surfaces for spores to land on and far more ventilation around the fruits. I’ve seen slug or snail damage in a couple of my cherries; your plants have fewer hidey-holes for them to lurk in.
Whatever happens, it should be a useful experiment; I hope your fruits ripen forthwith.
Drastic indeed ! I hope there’s not some kind of tommy abuse hotline – otherwise I think calls will be being made to tell of terrible tomato going-ons !
I knew once I had those secateurs in my hand there would be no half measures ! But I really tried to think how much photosynthesising they would need to do – and concluded not much ! What I am thinking though is that I may have stopped them too early – in that I could probably have more trusses on some of the plants… but given that was already done…. then saying bye-bye to the leaves seemed ok !
I’m hoping it will be a blight deterrent – but also because there are less (!) leaves that the plants will need less water – and so therefore that might be better for flavour – and lessen the amount of skins that split.
I like the term ‘useful experiment’ – sounds more rational than ‘secateur rampage’ which…. well… doesn’t !!