Pruning tomato's

[workhorse]

My greenhouse is looking a little over crowded at the moment with tomato plants. I sometimes here the odd noise coming from a far off corner, and expect to see a Triffid appear, so I was wondering if its all right to thin some of the leaves out so that I can actually see what's growing.

[Flummery]

It's traditional to take off the bottom leaves when the fruits are setting - this will allow air movement. I don't like to take out too many as the leaves are actually there for a purpose!
You can also take out the tops when you have enough trusses set. Usually 3 or 4 outdoors, 4 - 6 in a greenhouse.
Maybe the noises off are a toad, eating up your pests, not just the groaning of your growing plants? My husband's great uncle always went on a toad hunt early in the year, and put his toad in a corner of the greenhouse to eat up slugs etc. He used to go in every day and move it to another corner. I always think, "I must go and move me toad" sounds like a euphemism!

[workhorse]

Thanks for the info Flummery. I have already removed the bottom leaves, so it seems that I have done something right. The Toms just seem so dense with foliage, and you have to fight your way through to view the fruit.

[kittykat8]

Someone down our allotment yesterday cut all the branches and leaves of his 60 tomatoe plants in the tunnel and left only a few leaves at the top he says his sister does this and that all the energy go into the tomatoes instead of the plant, all you have is tall green sticks with trussels hanging of it them with just the leavers at the very top of the plant.

Has anyone else heard of this.


Marion

[shirlthegirl43]

Someone down our allotment yesterday cut all the branches and leaves of his 60 tomatoe plants in the tunnel and left only a few leaves at the top he says his sister does this and that all the energy go into the tomatoes instead of the plant, all you have is tall green sticks with trussels hanging of it them with just the leavers at the very top of the plant.

Has anyone else heard of this.


Marion

I would maybe do that if it was late in the year and I wanted the fruit to ripen. I would think the plants need their leaves at this point in the year for health and growth (I could well be totally wrong though)

[Cutecumber]

It works to a point, but you should only defoliate after the fruits have set and are ripening, and then you should still be careful.

The plant needs its leaves to photosynthesise - which turns sunlight into carbohydrate - so they can grow.

[shirlthegirl43]

It works to a point, but you should only defoliate after the fruits have set and are ripening, and then you should still be careful.

The plant needs its leaves to photosynthesise - which turns sunlight into carbohydrate - so they can grow.

That's the word I was after - thanks CC

[Capsid]

I had a summer job tomato picking, one guy used to nearly defoliate his one acre of toms that he looked after. Despite protestations from the management he still had the highest poundage in fruit yields. The stems are green so they photosynthesise too.

[zazen999]

Marion.

There is a theory that a tom plant only need its top 3 leaves to photosynthesise all it needs to grow the toms. Some agree, some don't.

I often cut the leaves off mine when they get too leafy; and they are always fine. The only major problem I ever have is blight; which I got last year and I didn't chop all the leaves off.

It does look weird but hey; it works for some. It was popular with the Victorians apparently - and my Grandad used to do it to some extend. He always grew good tomatoes.

[kittykat8]

can anyone find a link on the internet

marion

[Norm]

Type in "Tomato Pruning" and there are about 380,000 of them

[rustylady]

My greenhouse is looking a little over crowded at the moment with tomato plants. I sometimes here the odd noise coming from a far off corner, and expect to see a Triffid appear, so I was wondering if its all right to thin some of the leaves out so that I can actually see what's growing.

Have you maybe planted them too close together?

[Finedon.Dandy]

Mine end up like a jungle if I dont pinch out the side shoots quick enough.

[Cutecumber]

Perhaps if there are high light levels - as there are in good open fields and commercial glasshouses - they plants just don't need so many leaves.

In my shady garden I'd like more leaves not less!!

[Matt.]

Don't be afraid of pruning. Plus if you are planning on going away for a week or two in the heat of summer removing the leaves is a great way of saving water. Once the leaves are go there is far less evaporation and you've find the soil stays damp for longer.