When I painted my garden fence, it was to provide the green missing from my hard landscaped garden. Now though it’s come into its own; providing a backdrop to ripening tomatoes. The baize to my reds.
This week I have finally stopped all the plants. I was still reluctant especially when I could see I was snipping off tiny little flowers as well as the growing tip. But 8 weeks from now takes us to mid September and whilst there are still flower laden trusses which I hope will set fruit and ripen, it seem unlikely the tiny pinprick ones will have the time and conditions needed to take them to maturity. Better to focus the plant’s energy on what already in production.
To get myself in a snip happy state of mind I did some pruning. I’ve taken the leaves off up to the bottom of the first truss or a little higher if tatty. Unlike stopping, here I have to practise restraint. There’s something very moreish about removing whole leaf stems. I think the plants look better for it – although I realise it should be about function not form. Tomatoes not topiary needs to be my watchword.
And when it comes to directing the plants energy to where its most useful, I removed a good few blossom end rot fruit from the Italian Beefsteak – Il Pomodoro today. A couple had grown quite large and I realised how pointless it is to keep the fruit on the plant once they’ve been affected by this disorder. Much better they come off as soon as detected in order not to take up the plants resources and energy.
The week ahead is forecast to be one of sunny intervals. Let’s hope they are extended and/or plentiful. It’d be great if the ripening momentum of last week gathers steam. I’d be happy to sink and pocket some reds and other colours.
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Your plants are providing much greenery to your garden, it looks lovely. How sad to hear that you’ve lost more fruit to the rot. There’s no signs of it here yet, but I’m looking out for it. I’m looking forward to picking my first Black Cherry, which is colouring up nicely. The others are sporting plenty of green promises, which I’m hoping will be lived up to soon.
I’ve been trimming my plants too – because they’re hitting the roofs of their poly-shelters, which causes condensation – presumably from transpiration – which would provide an ideal home for blight spores. I’ve removed most side-shoots without set fruit, except from the bush plants.
Thank you ! I used to think I liked my minimalist – or more truthfully – bare garden – but now I much prefer the waving greenery – with accents of red, orange, yellow and black ! This is the best time – when there is always something new happening. And now I have it under better control than last year I enjoy the routine of pinching out the sideshoots – it’s become a game – to try and get them all – and then after a round- I’m always amazed the next day to find a sizeable shoot that I must have somehow missed!
Re poly ( thene/shelters/tunnels ) etc I had someone once explain to me that the difference between how poly handles moisture v glass is that it will run straight down glass – whereas it gathers and then drips off polythene. I love getting things like that pointed out to me as it’s the sort of thing that would take me years to note for myself – but once its been pointed out – you kind of know that you had noticed it ( if that makes sense !)