Marmande toms - bush or cordon?

[lyndsbob]

Hello

My marmande beef toms are about 10inches tall now, but there doesn't apper to be an obvious main stem.
Are they bush toms or cordon? ie should i be pinching out the side shoots or just leaving them to grow?
Also, they keep curling up in the greenhouse - do you think its to hot in there?
thanks!

[sarraceniac]

Marmande (my favourite tom) are not bush but often produce several stems. You should pinch out.

Your curling up could be either aphids or Tomato Blight. It is a bit early for blight but with the recent spell of hot weather it may have kicked in. Examine them carefully for insect activity. If you see any signs at all then spray with an approved insecticide immediately. If it is not that then get some Bordeaux mixture (a copper sulphate based anti-fungicide in case you don't know) and spray with that every 3 weeks. It is mildly toxic (don't worry it is not systemic and your toms will still be OK) so do be careful near fish and animals.

[Alice]

Marmande are cordons Lyndsbob, so yes you pinch out the side shoots.
They might be curling their leaves because they have been too hot. In an ideal world tomatoes like it between 18 and 25 degrees. I think they will have been much hotter than that this last few days. But they will get over it.

[sarraceniac]

We posted at the same time Alice. Marmande are a southern French tom and are happy into the thirties so I doubt if it is the heat.

[Lottieval]

I'm growing Supermarmande and they are semi-bush, are they different?

[Rodley]

The hot weather makes the leaves curl as a water-saving device. I actually live near Marmande in SW France (our local town). The weather gets in to the 30's and the toms are fine - and sweet here. Marmande has a tomato fete each summer to celebrate the tomato (any old excuse to have a get-together, meal, wine and music!!) when it's possible to taste many different varieties including, of course, the large marmande.

[SarzWix]

Marmande (my favourite tom) are not bush but often produce several stems. You should pinch out.

Your curling up could be either aphids or Tomato Blight. It is a bit early for blight but with the recent spell of hot weather it may have kicked in. Examine them carefully for insect activity. If you see any signs at all then spray with an approved insecticide immediately. If it is not that then get some Bordeaux mixture (a copper sulphate based anti-fungicide in case you don't know) and spray with that every 3 weeks. It is mildly toxic (don't worry it is not systemic and your toms will still be OK) so do be careful near fish and animals.

Aphids can be controlled by squishing if you prefer not to use insectcides.

And there is a full thread at the top of the Vegging out board detailing the symptoms of blight - leaf curl isn't one of the main ones

It sounds very much to me, that heat is the problem - the plant will automatically curl up it's leaves to prevent transpiration. It doesn't mean that it's going to keel over, just that it's protecting itself.

I see that the 'other forum' is down for maintenance sarraceniac, nice of you to visit us in the meantime

[sarraceniac]

Aphids can be controlled by squishing if you prefer not to use insectcides.

And there is a full thread at the top of the Vegging out board detailing the symptoms of blight - leaf curl isn't one of the main ones

It sounds very much to me, that heat is the problem - the plant will automatically curl up it's leaves to prevent transpiration. It doesn't mean that it's going to keel over, just that it's protecting itself.

I see that the 'other forum' is down for maintenance sarraceniac, nice of you to visit us in the meantime

Hi. You might note that I have been visiting you regularly. I happen to like this forum. It has some very friendly and knowledgeable people on it. Plus some with a great SOH. I didn't know we were all limited to one forum. I belong to five if you count the American one.

I've been growing Marmande for years in my warm g.house (30o plus) and still think it is not the heat although if they are weakened by something else then I suppose that could contribute. Maybe I should tell mine to wilt.

[Nicos]

I'm growing 6 of these for the first time- just got a few small toms starting!!!!...sort of hoping to get some of those double/triple flowers they sometimes get ( don't know if it's a bad thing or not- but I've only ever seen piccies of them!)

OK- so I need to pinch out the side shoots then?

[SarzWix]

I guess it depends if lyndsbob has any shading up or not? If not, then the greenhouse could be hitting over 40ºc, maybe even 50's. Which the tomato will certainly wilt at

Lyndsbob, are you shading the greenhouse? If not, then you should sort that out asap, and maybe damp down the greenhouse if it seems particularly hot, by watering the floor with cold water.

[Nicos]

Welll...strangely it's coming up as a bush or semi bush on many sites I've Googled...not quite sure what to do now......

[sarraceniac]

Welll...strangely it's coming up as a bush or semi bush on many sites I've Googled...not quite sure what to do now......

Thompson & Morgan, who may have difficulty with deliveries sometimes but do know their plants, say:-

Provide support and tie in regularly. Remove side shoots and restrict the plant to one main stem. This is a semi determinate variety, if growth ends in a flower truss, select the nearest side shoot and train up as the main stem. In late summer remove the growing tip to hasten ripening.

in their growing on instructions.

I must admit that I have never removed secondary stems from mine but I do remove the side shoots.

[lyndsbob]

Thanks guys, i think the curling is the heat, as when i go out and have a look in the morning, they are all opened out. Its strange though as i have 4 other varieties in there, and they are all fine - about 2 foot high as well, with little toms already!

I'll just try and work out which is the main stem. since i posted this, mosts of the plants are now showing more of a main , although its still not super clear!

What do you reccommend for shading? Maybe an old sheet or something?

[SarzWix]

It needs to let some light through, so maybe old net curtains, or some shade paint (available from garden centres).
Have a look on the Undercover Operations board, there's been a few discussions about shading recently