Topic: Bush tomatoes

[caroline7758]

Should the number of trusses on bush tomatoes be restricted as with cordon types?

[Plot 18]

I always just let them get on with it, they see to be self-limiting.
The only reason I can see for stopping cordon types is that they run out of height in a greenhouse.

[saddad]

I agree.. once grew "red currant" and at the end of the season it had over 100 trusses of fruit as the frost got it..

[johhnyco15]

its down to room really i dont grow bush toms any more  they just get too untidy for me  and of course there is how many will get to ripen please  let me know how you get on

[squeezyjohn]

You'll get better fruit, and fruit which ripens better if you limit the number a plant can try to make.  This doesn't just apply to tomatoes, but pretty much any fruiting plant.

If you think about it from a plants point of view, it makes the fruit in order for an animal to eat it and disperse the seeds.  All the plant wants to do is disperse as many seeds as it can, and that's not what we want.  So plants often attempt to make far more fruit than they can possibly put the energy in to for them to all be ripe.  We want large, sweet high quality fruit, so removing at least half of the fruit when they are babies means that the plant will channel all its energy in to fewer fruits and we'll get the fruit we want.  Thin all fruiting plants until you cry, and you'll be happy in the long-run.

[Plot 18]

so removing at least half of the fruit

That seems extreme, especially for tomatoes!

I leave them all on, and any that don't ripen at the tail-end of the year get made into chutney - win win as far as I'm concerned.
Each to their own, I suppose.

[johhnyco15]

heres a pic of my outdoor toms all 108 of them  green fingers is an understatement  when side shooting lol

[Plot 18]

johhny, I also get the dreaded green fingers from sideshooting  my cordon tomatoes! 
Even after a brisk hand wash it still stains the towels   

[sunloving]

This week I've basically taken out any shoot with unset fruit because it's now a race between ripening and the blight. Shedding excess foliage will improve airflow and reduce the risk, plus reduce the water stress on the plant in the sunny days ahead . Plus give the compost heap a nitrogen boost. X lovely to still have healthy plants this late after last years june blight! :) x sunloving

[Seacarrot]

I grow Cyril's choice, I've always just left it get on with it.

[johhnyco15]

and i think cordon ripen faster as the get more sunlight on the fruit

[saddad]

true Johnnyco.. but not an issue with smaller fruiting types.