Greenhouse busting at the seams, help!

[Beckybex]

I've got a plastic greenhouse, with tomatos, peppers, chilli and aubergine on a shelf with about 4 feet of growing height. Think have tried to squash too much in! Tomatos reached top of plastic roof already but really don't want to pinch out tops as they have trusses with flowers up there! My main question is can I remove the lower branches with just leaves? Its all so crowded, I'm worried that ventilation will suffer. And if I take out the tops will more trusses appear below or will I just limit the crop? I'm considering trying to harden off a bit and bring them outside so can continue growing taller? My first year with cobbled together placcy greenhouse and think have been over ambitious!

Thanks, everyone.

[smallblueplanet]

Why not put the tomatoes 'outside' in pots or the ground? Some of the chillies/peppers might be okay too. The squash should be okay outside now provided there's no frost. Only really the aubergines will desperately want the extra warmth.

[taff]

Seconded, the tomatoes will probably be ok.It should be warm enough where you are.

[teakdesk]

My main question is can I remove the lower branches with just leaves?

If it is a cordon type tomato (also called indeterminate or vining type) then yes you can - all the way up to the first truss (ie the first flowers).


BTW each of what you are calling the "leaves" are actually leaflets. What you are calling "branches" are actually the leaves.

And some people (such as me) will remove some leaves higher up later in summer as well.

[Florence Fennel]

Looks to me like you're doing really well Becky. Almost all my tomatoes are outside now, to make room (for a while) for the peppers and chillies in the blowaway greenhouse. You've obviously got tomato trees! Happy gardening.

[Alice]

You can put your tomatoes outside Becky. Choose a sunny sheltered spot agiant a wall if you can. I'm in Perthshire and mine have been outside for weeks.
For growing outside it's best to limit the number of trusses to 3 or 4 and get them all ripened rather than have 7 or 8 that don't make it. Good luck.

[solway cropper]

Just a point but if you put the toms outside make sure they're well supported as they are going to get a lot more wind and weather than they do in the greenhouse.

[Beckybex]

Great advice, thanks everyone. Think will untangle everything and put the toms outside. I had it in my head I'd get loads more if I could keep them inside but guess it won't make that much difference, its quite mild down this way. Fingers crossed!