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.
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I have been struggling to grow Tomatoes for quite a few years they grew to bearing and the plant die’s. Being stubben I treated the soil heavelly with Compost LAN & Superphosfate and have sprayed weekly with a Trace eliment and insectiside. The Plants are over 2 mtr high and over 2months in growth. very few vine tomatoes to date and those that have flowered are taking a long time to develope. The seed originated from over ripe long life vine tomatoes, I had planted/spread into the soil by squashing the fruit.
I this normal?????
Hello. It doesn’t sound normal! That’s a lot of height growth in 2 months – are you feeding them with a lot of nitrogen – that will have them growing lots of leaf but not get them in the right growing phase for fruiting! Where you are growing sounds very different from here in the UK – so I am so sorry not to be able to offer specific advice.
By the way I love the idea of just seeding them by squashing ripe fruit into the soil- very direct action!
Here in the UK that’s how home growers would often seed their potatoes – just by scattering the peelings onto the soil.
Good Luck and apologies for not being able to offer specific help.