Pinching out growning tip, what happens to rest of plant?

[finglas]

Hi everyone back with another wee question.

Some of my tomato plants have 5,6 and 7 fruit trusses aand on the sweet million cherry tomatoes they have loads of fruit set. However a lot of them are still green and we are now into august, the summer doesnt seem to have been great and I want them to ripen. I noticed the other day that the nights are already starting to get that little bit shorter!

Anyway, I was thinking about pinching out the growing tip And I just have a few questions regarding what should happen once the growing tip is off...

1) does the remaining foliage continue to grow ?
2) do the remaining tomatoes continue to grow ?
3) do the tomatoes ripen faster ?

Please and thanks everyone, as always, I appreciate any help.

Jamie

[Snoop Puss]

Some info here:

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1545787

[finglas]

thanks snoop, some good info there

jamie

[Snoop Puss]

Yes, I was glad of it too!

[nickdub]

Hi Jamie,
You don't say if your plants are under cover, but I'm assuming they probably are. If so there is no immediate panic, they will continue to grow a ripen for a while yet. Keep on with feeding to help the plants develop the fruit.

If you really get a glut you can always stew them down and freeze the pulp in plastic containers.

Cheers - Nick

[JohnBoyVeg]

Pinching Out

Hi everyone back with another wee question

Jamie

You are unlikely to be able to get any more trusses to fruit and ripen without adding heat and light, so pinch out so all the effort now goes to the fruit and remove some foliage to allow more light and air in. Presumed you are growing outside.

[finglas]

apologies, i should have made my situation more clear.

I am growing in a greenhouse. The trusses that are on them at the moment, really are huge (or they seem it to me anyway haha) but they are probably close to 3ft long, some are trailing on the ground, totally full of green tomatoes with only the top few going red. I am just wondering if when i pinch out the top will the other tiny green tomatoes, that have only just set, continue to grow into full sized tomatoes ?

And yes I am a bit concerned about how many i will be able to get to ripen because the summer has baically been non-existent in scotland, as usual, and so im not entirely sure what the best course of action is.

Appreciate the advice as always,

Jamie

[BUFFS]

Jamie, last year I had tomatoes still cropping into the second half of October when I decided to let one grow and not stop it, and I am about twenty miles from Glasgow and I don't think the sun even knows we are here as it only turns up once in a while, had our first sun for 8 days today so they don't need massive heat, just a bit of protection provided by the greenhouse..

[nickdub]

as long as you can keep them frost free and the leaves dry'ish, they should continue to ripen, albeit slowly - its mostly temperature related. When I got a big crop I used to boil them down and freeze them - then use them on on home made pizzas and in stews.

BTW make sure they have plenty of support eg extra string etc, they are quite capable of tearing themselves apart under the weigh of fruit if a cane snaps or whatever.

[finglas]

thanks buffs and nick. more good advice there. I think i will probably pinch the growing tip out a few of the big ones and leave a few others to come on a bit.

thanks again