No diary today – update later in the week.
A key summer job for the tomato grower is nipping out the side shoots/side suckers on indeterminate plants, usually referred to as ‘Pinching Out’ as the growth is soft enough to be removed using your finger and thumb.
If you have determinate or Bush tomato this doesn’t need to be done as a determinate tomato plant stops growing upwards when it reaches a certain height and it’s growth is meant to be (bushily) sidewards.
An indeterminate plant however will just keep growing upwards, until gardener or weather intervenes. It also plans on growing sidewards; it’s what it has in mind when it throws out side shoots. From that side shoot it’s planning a whole new stem, complete with its own leaves and trusses.
It’s what tomato plants do; in the wild.
But given that it’s in your back garden it needs reining in to direct its energy and limited time ( it has no idea how short an English summer is, this is not the time to tell it; just take it unawares ! ) into producing fruit.
The best way to achieve this is to restrict the tomato plant to one main stem (single cordon) and in due course to halt it’s upwards growth by pinching out the growing tip.
Now we know they have to go, how do we make sure we are getting rid of the right thing ?
Sideshoots grow at an angle between the main stem and the leaf stem or if you prefer the main stem and the branch. A place often described as in the crook of the elbow.
Remove when small or if you fancy some more tomato plants leave until it has grown to 5-8 cm/2-3 inches long, pinch off, pop into a glass of water, watch it root and plant out.
For a video showing the pinching out process click here.
