Topic: stoopid, stoopid, stoopid

[daveandtara]

i planted my (bush) tomatoes far too close together. about one foot each way, which looked like miles when they were all tiny. now, however they're HUGE and the (billions of) fruits are not getting any sunshine.
too late i started pinching out but it's made little difference.
what should i do?
ruthlessly snap off leaves all over the place?
thank the god of toms that they're doing so well and leave well alone?
should i try and prop the fruit up (it's pulling the plants over now )
so many questions, and toms are meant to be simple  ;D
Tara xx

[wardy]

Me too  ;D  Exactly same as you!  I have resorted to taking those big shoots off which don't have flowers on which now has made the plants look a bit thinner and not as heavy.  I have tried to prop them up with canes but should have done that first when planting.  Oh well you live and learn.  I have some little green pea sized fruits but that's all  :(

[aquilegia]

My bush toms only have about 1ft square each. I tend to snap off leaves to the south of the green tomatoes to expose them to the sun. Not that I have many tomatoes still!

[daveandtara]

oh wardy! i feel sooo much better knowing you did it too  ;D
also, i did put canes in when planting but the side stems are covered in fruit till they touch the floor.
they're planted in the square ft garden, in the suggested soil mix and clearly they really like it!!!!
beefsteak plant = 12 BIG toms
plum, tumbler and unidentified gift too many to count!!!
gonna need some ketchup recipes if i can just get them ripened  ;D
Tara xx

[Mothy]

Me too!!  ;D ;D

Far too close together....looked like miles when they went in!!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I planted mine 18 inches apart and they still look like a jungle. I'm going to wait and see; they've still got plenty of time to ripen.

[Kepouros]

You do indeed need to get rid of some of the growth on the plants, Tara, but not for the reason you mention.

The failure to ripen has nothing to do with the sun not getting to the fruit.  Sunshine does not ripen tomatoes, it is the ambient temperature that does this, and if the ambient temperature is right then the tomatoes would ripen just as well in total darkness.

However what is almost certainly happening to your plants is that because the growth has been unchecked they are putting most of their energy into continued growth and the production of more fruit instead of directing it into bringing the fruits already formed to the ripening stage.  By removing the surplus top growth and preventing more forming you will help the existing fruit to reach the ripening stage.

Dont cut away the surplus growth (which will leave wounds for disease to enter), but snap it off cleanly at the stem/leaf axyl joints, where the plants have built in seals.  If you need to remove leaves do this by pressing the leaf stalk upwards toward the stem until it snaps off - again there is a built in seal there.

[daveandtara]

thanks everyone!
knew i could count on you  ;D
Tara xx

[wardy]

Oh now he tells me  :o   I've already been at them with the scissors  :o :o :o
Will I ever get tomatoes  ;D

[northener]

Yeah me too Wardy. Thanks for that Kepouros, You know your Tomatoes.

[Kepouros]

If you`ve already used the scissors then watch out for mould forming at the cut surfaces, and if it appears snap back to the nearest `snap off` point immediately

[Garden Manager]

I do sympathise. last year I planted some bush toms in the ground rather than in pots as normal. Not havig don it before i too planted them too close together. Not only did they not ripen but they caught blight which naturaly spread like wildfire through all the plants due to lack of air between them.

This year they are in big pots, so while I am still having problems ripening the fruit, I can at least controll the spacings. This is of course in a garden situation, and probably not really practical on an allotment.