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Produce => Under Glass => Topic started by: willconkerer on July 26, 2010, 09:18:35

Title: shirley tomatoes
Post by: willconkerer on July 26, 2010, 09:18:35

Anybody growing shirleys in the greenhouse?
Do they stop growing at about 5 feet tall - mine seem to have, with strange thick branchings out, none of which appear to be sideshoots
Grew Alicante last year and had to pinch out the tips at about 8 feet, so I was expecting the same this year.
This happened at about the same time as I sprayed with Bordeaux mixture - any connection?

Thanks

Will

Title: Re: shirley tomatoes
Post by: Gillysdad on July 26, 2010, 18:46:55

I've grown Shirley toms for a few years now, and have always had to stop them growing taller by nipping out the growing tip. I don't spray them with anything, sorry I can't help with that one.

Title: Re: shirley tomatoes
Post by: small on July 26, 2010, 21:59:48

My Gardeners Delight did just the same - but I often have an odd plant of all sorts fork at about that height, is it not just one of those odd things tomatoes do? Come on, experts, enlighten us!

Title: Re: shirley tomatoes
Post by: willconkerer on July 27, 2010, 07:45:40

thanks both

If I didn't spray against blight I wouldn't have any crop at all.
Any more thoughts welcome. I woke up wondering if soil acidity is an issue - I'll do a test later.
(the greenhouse has soil beds topped up with copious amounts of home-made compost)

cheers

Will

Title: Re: shirley tomatoes
Post by: shirlton on July 27, 2010, 07:52:06

We always grow Shirley and the only time we got blight was when we grew them outside.We stop them when they reach the roof of the GH

Title: Re: shirley tomatoes
Post by: meg_gordon on July 27, 2010, 08:53:41

I always have to stop my Shirleys before they hit the roof of the GH.

Meg

ps - also growing Brandywine mainly because of the great write up on this forum, but all 4 plants split (bifurcated?) and I have trained both stems up the cane.  Dont know if this usually happens.

Title: Re: shirley tomatoes
Post by: cleo on July 27, 2010, 16:18:17

 but all 4 plants split (bifurcated?) and I have trained both stems up the cane.  Dont know if this usually happens.

It can and does with quite a few of the `heritage` types. Just accept it

Title: Re: shirley tomatoes
Post by: chriscross1966 on July 30, 2010, 00:55:10

If you want a tomato that will demonstrate all the growth faults (frequently on the same plant within a foot or so) then grow Black Krim.... I had one bifurcate, then one of the shoots grew blind into a leaf, the otherone into a truss, then the truss threw a growth point instead of a flower at the end , after a few nodes this  growth point bifurcated, both went blind into trusses..... if I didn't like the results so much the growth habit would drive me potty