pinching out toms

[Norm]

"First truss has set" means has tiny green fruit on, rather than still has flowers

[Tracey]

hi grasser

this seems an informative site Pruning Tomatoes - Fine Gardening Article

[grasser]

HI TRACY THANKS FORTHAT SITE THINK I KNOW WAT IM DOING NOW [ keep my fingers crossed ] will chop branch off tomorow

many thanks to all of you .

JOHN

[greenstar]

Hi Grasser

Just to add to this - if you're growing indeterminate/cordon varieties of tomato you can let two shoots develop - so that you've got the "Y" you're talking about, and then pinch out the top of both shoots when they have three or four trusses on them. Apparently this is good if you're fairly northerly like me or if you're a bit late with your tomatoes - you get two trusses forming a a time rather than growing them in a line, if you see what I mean. Sorry, that's not very clear. I'll explain more if you need me to.

[ClayGarden]

Tracey thats an excellent article. Answered many questions about why we even need to bother staking in the first place if nature doesn't.

[grasser]

thanks greenstar will do that know exact wat you mean .just in time, was gonna chop
one of tomorow .be like two plants in one yea ?

much apreciated
john

[greenstar]

Yeah, that's a more simple explanation!

You do have to remember to pinch them out though cos the plant won't put its energy into producing good fruit and so will get weak and you'll end up with no decent sized ripe tomatoes - I speak from experience.

And you may have to rig up something fancier than a cane to support them, although I think I just made a kind of crucifix out of canes and that worked.