Just how bald can I go?

[gardening_gal]

I'd been away for a bit and during that time my polytunnel has become a forest.

My tomato plants have exploded and there are branches and shoots everywhere. They've hit the roof and started growing along it but the damp condensation inside the plastic combined with the sun (at times!) has done them no favours and they look tatty.

The plants generally don't look too healthy, the lower leaves are very mottled and basically look like they are dying off. The weather has changed here and it's quite cold and wet. We may get better days again but I do feel the best of the weather has passed now.

I think the tunnel has been left open and some of the plants have not been happy with the colder temps. A couple of the cucs have rotted at the stems and I've had to butcher them a fair bit in order to try to save other plants of the plant (although I suspect it's only a matter of time before the whole plant succumbs now).

I really want the tomatoes that are there already to grow and ripen and I've cut off a number of lower branches and tried to thin the plants out a bit as well as taking off the top of the plant but just how much can I take off without taking off too much?

[teakdesk]

Hard to answer a question like that!

I prune enough to keep air flow and prevent botrytis especially lower leaves but also higher leaves. I also cut leaves in half to increase ventilation without completely removing all the photosynthesis effect of the leaf.

Some people remove ALL leaves later in the season and stop the growing stem to concentrate on the fruit that is already fully grown but green - I feel that is probably too much!

[marchogaeth]

I would say and I'm prepared to be corrected:-

• Anything that isn't bright and healthy is almost certainly taking more out of the plant than it's putting in so cut it off. This would include individual leaves on otherwise healthy sprays.
• If you really think your season is over then it is probably worth taking out the growing point.
• Give either a general feed or a nitrogen feed to boost the leaves you have got. I'd almost be tempted to let some side shoots grow as long as you take the flowers off.
• Keep feeding with a tomato fertilizer.

Do you have pictures as I think that might help with advice from other people?

[bearded bloke]

Hi GG,Are yours determinate or indeterminate, we have an old thread on cutting back tomato foliage here ... http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tal_49356.html ... there is a good picture at #12 of an indeterminate after clipping,but the whole thread is quite informative.

[gardening_gal]

@BB, they are both. I have different types but it's the indeterminate ones that are more of a concern. The bush ones seem to still look healthy enough and the toms and ok on those.

Do I really have to post a pic? I'm embarrassed. They've been left to their own devices and I've been cutting here there and everywhere. They are 'interesting' shapes now.

Will pop out and see if I can get a decent shot. Give me a mo'.

[Bigmallly]

This is my preferred method:

The Shelf Method
Put unripe tomatoes on a shelf and cover them with sheets of newspaper. Every few days check under the newspaper and remove ripe fruits or any that have begun to rot. The newspaper covering helps trap a natural ethylene gas that tomatoes give off, which hastens ripening. Some people wrap each tomato individually, but this causes a lot of work when you want to check for ripe tomatoes: You have to open each one! You can also place tomatoes in a paper bag with an apple or banana. The fruits give off ethylene gas, which helps to speed the tomatoes' ripening process.

[gardening_gal]

This is mid chop. I've cut off the tops and all the bottom branches.



These leaves are beginning to turn yellow and spotty. I've already cut off loads that were in seriously bad condition at the bottom of the plant as you can see from the pics below. This plant grows quite tall and has arched at the roof.

[Bigmallly]

There's nowt wrong with them, they look brilliant.

[gardening_gal]

A number of the plants seem top heavy, i.e they have multiple trusses near the top but little near the bottom.

I don't know if I should sacrifice these?

[gardening_gal]

This is just a matted mess. No idea where to go with this.

[gardening_gal]

I think the problem stems (see what I did there? ) from the fact there are 2 or 3 main branches that have grown together. They seemed to split early on and go 'Y' shaped.

[Bigmallly]

I have the same,they appear to have forked but both branches have toms so that's fine by me. If you have plenty of trusses, you can nip out the growing tip. If as you say, you have very little on the bottom as some of mine have, I tied the branches to the arch part of the frame.

[veggiechicken]

I think they look OK too. As the others have said, prune out the old, yellowing leaves, cut out any side shoots that don't have flowers or fruit, tie up or support any floppy bits and start looking out the tomato chutney recipes.
They'll be fine

[bramble]

Looks ok to me as well. Try to tie up or support the branches as best you can to take the weight off the branches. Good luck, you still have plenty of time for them to ripen.

[gardening_gal]

Thanks all. I'll try to sit on my hands or ignore the secateurs then. It's really difficult to just stop cutting once you start.

I ended up with a Monk's fringe once doing just that.