Suckers on my tomato plants??

[paxosisland]

I am a brand new starter at growing my own. A friend has told me that I have to pinch out the suckers on my tumbling tom plants. (the shoots that are growing at the junctions of the main leaves and the main stems) Is this right? I dont want to be doing anything I shouldnt as they are growing so well. Thanks for the advice.

[zazen999]

No, I wouldn't on a Tumbling Tom. They are bush/determinate which means they bush out and stop growing at a predetermined height [if grown vertically]. You only pinch out indeterminate/vine tomatoes.

[rustylady]

They're not suckers, they are sideshoots. And Zazen is right - with a variety like Tumbling Tom you leave them on.

[Germinater]

As zap said tumbling toms are a bush variaty so don't pinch out any side growth .your friend is right in what she said when your growing normal toms .they grow very high and you just need to pinch the shoots out as they grow but the bush tumbler grow out and not much higher than about 40cm..Enjoy your fresh tomatoes to!!!they will taste great..make sure there in large pots though and keep them well watered and have damp soil as I found last year the toms will split if they get a little dry and wilt.

[Potstubsdustbins]

The only thing I do to Tumblers in that repect is if they throw one thats going to be to high. Near the end of the season I trim of new growth with flowers in order to get the last of the toms ripe.

Colin

[zazen999]

As zap said...

Zap? Who he?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Zazen chief zapinator LOL

Colin

[Germinater]

Sorry zaz ..dam iPhone predictive txt ..

[gojiberry]

I have in the past grown 3 tumbling tom in one basket. They are quite rampant and I ended up with an uncontrolled mass of growth. So I now only grow one per basket and I do some control by some side shooting. But how much is up to the individual,

Ian

[paxosisland]

thanks everyone