When to top off tomato plants?

[deltz]

My Sungold tomatoes have been growing like crazy and are around 7ft I assume, whens a good time to top them off?

[WendyC]

Yes I did mine some while ago. Any fruit forming now is unlikely to ripen.

[Penellype]

I usually nip the tops out of outdoor plants around the start of September on the grounds that at that point the plant is likely to get hit by either blight or frost before any new fruits have time to ripen. Fruit ripens more slowly as the temperature drops, so even though it is (relatively) warm with quite long days now, very soon it will be much cooler and the days will be much shorter. September 21st is the equinox, with only 12 hours of daylight.

I've just watched Gardeners World, and Monty Don has been taking the tops off his tomatoes in tonight's programme.

[Bigmallly]

Not sure my Sungold are gonna make it as they are showing signs of blight............Ah well, never mind hey?

[Penellype]

Sorry to hear that BM - are you sure its blight, if its just the Sungold? My Sungold always get blotchy leaves, and they have had them for about a month already this year, but it doesn't seem to affect the fruit. I cut off the worst affected leaves, but it doesn't seem to migrate to the stems, and the plants continue to produce new growth.

[rosiepumpkin]

Mine are all in my greenhouse. I stopped them all in July as they'd reached the right height.

[brownfingers]

Yes, on Gardeners World, Montague Donaldson advised to top off now to put all the plants energy into trusses already formed. He also advised to only water/feed once a week. Never heard that one before.

[sunshinekitty]

given how little time sungold tomatoes form and ripen i would not bother topping those plants.

[goosander]

Toped them last year as advised. Friend who grows good tomes each year and never appears to have any problems ?? just leaves his so I am going to try this this season.
Bob