Tomatoes have wilted - tops are dead

[Matt.]

Hello All,

Despite my best efforts at providing enough water for my tomatoes over the weekend the hot weather has done its worst. I got back yesterday to find all of my plants severely wilting. I watered them and they have mostly recovered but it would appear the tops sustained irrepariable damage and have died. What should I do now? Should I just leave the dead bits or should I removed them. If I removed them how should I do it? The stalk is still quite thick (finger size) so not really pinchable. Its the top 4 or 5 inches of 4.5 feet high plants.

The lower parts of the plants seem ok and there are still 4-5 trusses per plant so there should still be a crop albeit a reduced crop.

Thanks

[SueA]

Hi Matt, I would cut the tops off, if they are definitely dead ,at a point where you have a sideshoot or leaf coming off the stem. This will stop them being susceptible to disease & causing the stem to die back further down. Most people pinch out the growing tip when it gets to 4 or 5 ft tall anyway or else you get lots of trusses high up the plant which don't always ripen before the first frosts etc. so you won't really be losing out. I'd check that they haven't recovered first though as toms can look awful & on their last legs if you've missed watering them but can perk up after a day or so with a good drink!