soapdragon Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Having already started a thread yesterday evening on this I have now looked to see if anyone has replied...they have, thank you...but when I click on the thread to read the replies it tells me I don't have permission to do this! Its telling me that the thread is in Green Thinking which I thought we didn't have any more?? How I hate this new format. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 I had the same response this morning....but then we had a power cut and I couldn't see anything. Now it seems to be back to normal, except are there meant to be other responses here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 Aww....I'm getting too old for all this technology! Now the 'old' tomato thread has dissapeared from the 'leader board' anyway! How on Earth can it have gone to Green Thinking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Maybe it’s the hot weather.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted June 30, 2018 Author Share Posted June 30, 2018 Ummmm...I still can't seem to access my original posting, now moved to a forum that we don't have any more but seemingly with some replies Therefore I am still in ignorance of the intricacies of tomato cultivation in terms of reducing side shoots and pinching out tops! Therefore any advice welcome! I am feeding them in their growbag with organic veg feed and they look very health in spite of regular dinner parties thrown in our garden by the Slug family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 Well... what I said was: Monty Don advocates tall and slim tomatoes, as you’ll be less likely to get blight as there is more air around the stem. But Monty has a gazillion tomatoes in a greenhouse. So I do sort of a compromise. I normally leave one or two side shoots early on. If you already have a tall tomato, do remove the top side shoots or stake your tomato really well. It will get top heavy. I have two bags, one with two beef tomatoes and one with three roma tomatoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarkymite Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 I do pretty much the same as Cat tails. I pinch out up to 2/3 of side shoots but I allow a few to develop, mostly the ones lower down the plant. I tie in the side shoots to canes to ensure they are well supported. I pinch out the growing tips when the plants reach about 5'5''. I have given up grow bags this year as I'm trying to reduce plastic waste and instead I am experimenting with old builders buckets that have been damaged and are therefore no longer watertight. I've drilled a few extra holes in the bottom and planted one plant per bucket. They allow a much deeper root system to develop and I think I'm going to have bumper crop! I've also got a few growing in green garden waste bags that I've filled with compost- 2 plants per bag. This year I have a handful of Marmande plants, a handful of Gardeners Delight (cherry) plants, 3 plum tomato plants (all grown from seed) plus two impulse purchases from the garden centre - a beefsteak and one called stripey stuffer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 Missing our toms terribly this year. So far in the greenhouse we have one dismantled cube and run and the same with the eglu and run - and lots of other things packed up from the shed. But I always liked pinching out the larger side shoots and sticking them in a spare bit of compost - they take easily and you end up with more plants! These are usually the sideshoots in the piccy - just under the flowers but growing out in the leaf joint. Sometimes like the San Marzano plums you get them growing at the end of a leaf - that threw me! I think it was wait for 6 trusses forming before trimming the top - but I only did that outdoors - blight usually came along to scupper it but at least I'd get some toms first. Indoors I just let the little ones like Sungold carry on rambling up and under the roof apex. The bigger beefsteaks I'd top when it reached the slop of the roof - seemed to work fine for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted July 2, 2018 Author Share Posted July 2, 2018 That's really helpful advice, peeps! Thank you. I'll go out later, when it's cooler, and remove some side shoots! We do appear to have some flower buds forming so that's a good start! Trust OH and the hamster will appreciate the fruits in due course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 I took the photos last year for number one son! There is another side shoot further down. Both made new plants. But you do yet yellow fingers from it all! And if you don't get it all off - you end up with yellow towels!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarkymite Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 (edited) Valkyrie, what a fab idea. Ive never tried sticking the pinched out side shoots in some compost! I'll definitely be trying that next!! Edit: the fab idea is the side shoots not the yellow fingers and towels! But oh I do love the smell of the plants when pinching out!! Edited July 2, 2018 by sarkymite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 Even if they are long ones with flowers at the top, you can break the shoot to fit your flowerpot. They will look very sorry for themselves for a few days and then BOOM! They are racing away! And you are most welcome. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 Just a thought - keep the shoots wet all the time and don't let the compost dry out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 Mine are doing well on the patio, which is very warm at the moment. Can't recall what I bought right now, but they bear small, sweet orange fruit. Nothing looks like ripening at the moment though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 I’ve crammed too much into my tiny lean-to greenhouse as usual so it’ll probably all get blight- but mine are like yours DM - look to be doing well but resolutely green for now. I have tigerella and primabella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 I was lazy this year and just planted my tomatoes all around the garden instead of in the greenhouse and they are doing great. Most are in my little borders and one is in the grass ( I ran out of space ) I haven't really pinched out anything. I've had loads of tomatoes already - I planted Sungold and Sweet Million - delicious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 I’ve got two that have just appeared in the garden. They look quite happy at the moment but I’ve no idea what they are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 25 minutes ago, mullethunter said: I’ve got two that have just appeared in the garden. They look quite happy at the moment but I’ve no idea what they are! These are usually the tomatoes that taste the best 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Well done Luvvie! Mully if they are from an old F1 hybrid you may have something completely different to what you grew last year. But worth a try - it might be great! In hotter places like central USA they never pinch out - I think it's because we need to harvest ours quick and get larger fruit as a result, whereas the hotter summer climates don't bother because they tend to get big fruits from a perfect growing season. This year we've had the perfect summer for the toms! Well done everyone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted July 17, 2018 Author Share Posted July 17, 2018 My toms are in a grow bag on the patio; the washing line is above them. They are bushy and vigorous and have a strong smell (Ailsa Craig, in case you were wondering!) but I noticed that the white sheet that I hung on the line and had brushed over the toms foliage was green stained! I rewashed and it came out! Now I am careful about brushing up against the leaves! Anyone else had this? (Or maybe it was a passing bird ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 Nope, it is the toms. They do that. To your skin, nails, and anything else. Thankfully it does wash out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarkymite Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 Definitely the tomato plants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 Funnily enough I noticed this on my hands last week after I’d been removing a few lower leaves - never seen it before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 I got two rather nasty burns on my face. Probably not the toms in my garden, but after some googling, there are loads of plants that can cause burns once you get the sap on your skin and then expose it to sunlight. Sadly I don’t know which plant caused it, but there are some contenders in my garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 I get rashes from courgettes - leaves and sometimes the stems. Conifers are also the big itch for me. Spurge - that sappy little lime green weed (I think it's related to euphorbia, but I can't remember) is a nasty little thing - definitely stings and unless you wash and scrub hands and nails really well, if you rub your eye then meh, it stings so much! Euphorbia is nasty - more sap! And rue. There used to be both in the garden here but I removed them. But ouch - on the face! Poor Catty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
