Gardeners delight, extra growing tip

[drf]

I've got a getting-big (~2') Gardener's Delight tomato plant on the go. It's just started getting flowers (one truss flowering, another on the way). I noticed this morning that what I'd originally thought was a leaf branch near the bottom of the plant (that's been there since planting) is no shooting upwards and has a growing tip on the top. How it's taken me this long to notice I do not know - it's at least half a foot long and very vertical! I'm keeping an eye on it now, as it looks like it may have some of those small umbrella shaped bits that might turn into a flower truss, if they don't look like flowers I'm wondering whether I'd be better off pinching this growing tip out to encourage continued growth at the main tip. The secondary one I'm talking about will be shaded quite a bit by the main plant so any growth there mighn't get a lot of light....

[Flummery]

It's up to you really. Sometimes I've left these on - I do tend to remove lower leaves - to the first truss - when the plant is as big as I want it and that lets more light in and allows me to weed underneath. It's astonishing what grows up in the half light! Sometimes I remove them - this can give you a bit of a lop-sided plant but at least all the energy is going into the main stem with its load of luscious fruits (that's the theory!) You really need to make a judgement - I worry if the removal will leave a big wound. Softy, aren't I?

[shirlthegirl43]

Another option is to cut it off and stick it in a pot of compost - it will root and you will have another plant.

[noidea]

All of my gardeners delight have done this and I have no idea how I missed it either.

I have taken it off some, and left on others to see what will happen!

C

[rustylady]

You really do need to watch tomato plants carefully (ideally check every day) unless they are bush varieties. It's best to remove side shoots from cordon varieties while they are still small, but if you miss some you have a choice - either cut them out or leave them to form a second stem.

[Grovsey]

I am growing gardeners delight and I am not sure what you guys are talking about?? Have I missed something? I am now intrigued as I have this feeling I should have done something I havent....

Does anyone have a piccy of these shoots?

[g51065]

Another option is to cut it off and stick it in a pot of compost - it will root and you will have another plant.

I was once given some outdoor toms, one of the pots fell over and I didn't notice, the plant bent to the vertical so I planted about a foot of the stem lengthways with just the upright bit sticking out of the ground, it put out so much root that I never had to water it and I got more toms than we could eat... makes you wonder if you should earth them up like spuds.