Italian Plum Tom

[Florence Fennel]

I "rescued" 3 dead looking tomato plants from Wilkinson's about 6 weeks ago (33p each). The only information on the label was "Italian Plum". They are strong healthy plants now, but I don't know if they are bush or cordon. I have searched the threads on the vine for a while and then decided to google "italian plum" and I was directed ...... straight back here, hence the thread!
Flo

[SMS6]

I'd treat them as cordon if I were you, I think the majority are

[irisgirl]

Agreed. I have Santa (not Roma), a cherry plum and that is cordon.

[chriscross1966]

If you're growing indoors I'd suggest cordon, otherwise if you have space and you're growing outdoors (or a big polytunnel) I'd let them bush and take the growing points off the side shoots two leaves after a truss...... they'll get big though, I've had Roma outdoors and the plants weren't much smaller in footprint than a courgette and they were taller....

chrisc

[teakdesk]

I've just given this answer to a similar post elsewhere....


Ok, a bit of clarification....

As I understand it, MOST Roma plants are determinate, BUSH types.

Most produce fruit weighing 2 to 3 ounces and resemble the tomato you get in a tin of plum tomatoes from the supermarket.



But there are a FEW varieties that are indeterminate, CORDON types.

This thread has reminded me that I have previously grown a Cherry Plum as a cordon, which I think was also called Roma. I think it was an F1 cross (presumably between Roma OP and a cherry tomato).




Italian Plum makes me think of a tin of tomatoes. Most of these are bush types. Crosses to produce cherry types can turn the plant into Cordon types. Without the seed packet, or growing it, there is no way to know for sure how it will turn out!!

[jikabeim]

I have an "Italian Plum" also (and did what you did to try and find out what it should be), and after taking off the side shoots, the plant is definitely a bushy type, so I have stopped doing it now!

[COMPOST CORNER]

Try two one way, and one the other, as an experiment.

[Paulottie]

I agree with Chris C.

They are a large bush tom and will be easier and do best with the highest yield outside/polytunnel grown thus...however in a greenhouse/limited space growing as a cordon is more practical.

[Florence Fennel]

Thanks all. They are being hardened off for outside in builder's buckets. The idea of an experiment with one as a cordon and two bush is appealing, so I'll give that a go!