Author Topic: Overgrown Tomatos  (Read 2624 times)

E11_gardener

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Overgrown Tomatos
« on: July 24, 2005, 18:56:44 »
We have grown tomatoes for the first time this year in the greenhouse, using growbags.

Unfortunately, one week we were particularly busy and did not really tend them well.  Of course that was the week they really took hold!  ::)

Now, new branches (and I mean branches!) have grown where we did not nip them back, and they are extremely bushy.  The disappointing number of fruit which have appeared are growing but do not appear to be ripening, I presume because the sun is not getting to them.

I was wondering what the best way forward to make the best of a bad situation?  Can we now cut back the fully formed top branches, or should we just remove some of the leaves?  We are feeding and watering them correctly, I think our problems are purely down to our neglect in those essential weeks, and the lack of sun reaching the fruit.

Many thanks in advance for any advice anyone can give.

Cheers

G

tim

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 18,607
  • Just like the old days!
Re: Overgrown Tomatos
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2005, 19:10:29 »
No time for a full answer, but there's much on the site about husbandry.

Are they 'bush' or 'cordon'?

If cordon, suggest you cut out any side-shoots which are producing flower trusses, or any 'sideshoots', which are not, as explained in photos elsewhere??

E11_gardener

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: Overgrown Tomatos
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2005, 19:24:38 »
Thanks, now I have some pointers on what to look for!  I'm new to tomatos so just needed to know where to start looking really.

Cheers!

G

tim

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 18,607
  • Just like the old days!
Re: Overgrown Tomatos
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2005, 20:18:41 »
We all started there!!

Vez1

  • Half Acre
  • ***
  • Posts: 228
Re: Overgrown Tomatos
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2005, 20:25:46 »
I'm new to this too and I had the same problem. Having asked some of the more experienced growers at my plot I just took them off. I was a bit reluctant at first as they had got so big when I wasn't looking and they had flowers but the plants are fine and getting ready to turn red.

Kepouros

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 782
Re: Overgrown Tomatos
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2005, 23:04:26 »
The lack of ripening has nothing whatever to do with the sun not reaching them, it`s temperature that governs the ripening process and in fact too high a temperature at night can delay the ripening process, while if they`re ready to ripen they will do so just as well in the dark as in daylight.

Almost certainly what is happening is that with becoming overgrown the plants` energies are being dissipated in too many directions at once and you really need to bring them back under control and remove some of the excessive growth to enable them to concentrate their energies into growing and ripening the fruit that has set.

the_snail

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 715
  • Be Kind to Slugs and Snails! :)
Re: Overgrown Tomatos
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2005, 08:02:37 »
The Ripening proses is to do with the sugars in the fruit and the amount of etheline they give off. Etheline is the gas that peomotes ripening. Hence use a over ripe banana in a shoe box to promote ripening in any fruit including tomatoes :)

The_Snail
Be kind to slugs and snails!

 

SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal