Cordon tomatoes

[moggssue]

Hi all, I'm really new to the forum and to growing veg so please excuse me! I have six baby tomato plants in small pots (outdoor) - how do I know when to plant them into their growbags and do I really have to take off all the side shoots?! They are a mix of Ailsa Craig and Moneymaker. Also,if I'm not asking too much at once, is it okay to put basil in the growbags with them, I'm told they go well together?

[Flummery]

You will certainly get a better crop if you take off the side shoots. The plant is then putting all its energy into one stem full of fruits. Obviously, in the wild, no-one side-shoots tomatoes but the crop will be smaller fruits and not so many. It's usual to put them in your growbag when you can see that the first lot of flower buds is present. Toms and basil certainly go well on the plate - can't see why you can't grow them together - unless anyone else knows of a reason.

Welcome to the grapevine. You'll get loads of advice here (maybe too much to cope with at once!) but keep asking. There's always someone who's done it before and can give you an answer.

[TEB]

I am putting in about 10 pots of Basil into the greenhouse this year as a companion plant and to see if it deters whitefly

[borage]

I take the side shoots off my moneymaker plants, otherwise the plant is full of leaf and the tomatoes don't get the sun.

[JennieAtkinson]

Welcome to the Grapevine moggsue! Many wise members available to answer your questions.

[Flummery]

I'm not sure basil would deter whitefly. In my experience they attract aphids something rotten. Maybe they will take all the whitefly and leave your other plants alone?

[TEB]

Yeah sorry, the Basil is in there as a sacrifice offering because I have read that Basil is a babe magnet to whitefly

[moggssue]

Thanks for the welcome all - I'm sure I'll have many more questions as my seedlings grow! No flowers yet on my toms, so I'll take your advice and leave them in their pots a little longer. If basil attract aphids do I really want them around my plot? Maybe I should plant them a little away from my precious plants as a red herring?!

[moggssue]

Sorry, another question about my ikkle tomatoes .. they're only about 4-5" tall at the mo, sitting out on my decking, do they need repotting into bigger pots before going into the growbags - no signs of any flowers yet of course. When do I start pinching out the sideshoots? OH, that was two questions. Hope someone can help thoug.

[srodders]

I have a fair bit of basil planted around my tomatoes. Last year the basil on its own was covered in Aphids, and the tomatoes on their own were quite bad with aphids. Now they are planted together I have no aphid problem. Not sure if it is just circumstances this year, or if the combination together works - but I'm not complaining and will try again next year.

I think it's best waiting until they are in flower before potting up - as for pinching out, it's never too early!

[Cutecumber]

Yes, I agree - unless they need potting up (i.e. they are showing signs of stress in some way) just wait. When those first flowers are setting, plant them in their final place.

[moggssue]

They all look fine, just small! I'll leave them be and keep watching for the flowers, then pop into the growbags and take off the side shoots, water, feed and eventually hopefully enjoy! Thanks all ...

[NattieG]

Hello!

Sorry to ask what may sound like a daft question but I'm knew to this - when you say "pinching out" do you mean removing the side leaves and just leaving the main stem to grow?

Nat xx

[Cutecumber]

No...

You "pinch out" the shoots which grow between the leaves and the main stem. They grow quite a bit later than the leaves and stem - you'll see them starting to come out in the "elbow" above the leaf stem, next to the main stem.

And you only do this on tomatoes which you know are to be grown as "cordons" - some are bush varieties and shoots should not be pinched out on these.

Don't remove leaves - the plant needs them. And obviously don't remove flowers.

[moggssue]

Whoops - I took off leaves with the shoots. Does this mean I wont have many tomatoes? I've only done half so far, the last three are too small. And how do I know which are cordons? I know the first were cos the lady in the GC told me, but now I have 3 Ailsa Craig and an italian plum as well and am not sure how to treat these?