Tomato, side shoots.

[veggiechicken]

Ermm, reading that article again - do you have the double grafted tom with Florryno and Orangino? This would explain your forking (technical term) plant.

[Jonthefish]

I have to say the advice on this one subject has been brilliant from you all. This is exactly what i expected having read through lots already on this site. I have decided to leave the side shoot and like i said use my judgement on removing some side shoots as it grows.

I have got a quote from a local scaffolding company just in case.

[muddyfeet]

I usually let one side shoot grow into a second main stem so that I have trusses on both. I don't have much upward space so I stop them at 3 trusses per stem.

[esbo]

This has always been a problem for me well since last year when I started anyway.

The way I seen it plants get their energy form the sun so removing stuff just gives a smaller plant.

I think perhaps though that if you removed some of the flowering bits you might get better tomatoes
on what is left as you have more 'stuff' going into the remaining tomatoes.


But that is just my idle theory.

As I will probably have lots of plants this year (too many) I think I will experiment a bit.
Ie prune some and let other grow full and see what difference it makes (if any).

But last year only my cherry toms turned red on the plant, but I started a bit late and also
they are outside ie not under glass.

[iam]

You have two choices. Either remove it or don't. It's only the UK that removes side shoots, everyone else leaves them be. To be honest, with the summer we are having, I'd save every flower if I could. I don't remove side shoots myself, after working out that the tomato knows best. I grow them up nets and let them do their thing.

Do you have any photos of how you grow tomatoes?

[zazen999]

Do you have any photos of how you grow tomatoes?

Yes I do thanks.