My indeterminate tomatoes are doing really well. I have one main stem and have pinched out the side shoots but every year I get into a mess as the plant gets taller and seems to develop a second stem branching from the main one. should I take this out? This second stem is the same thickness as the main oneand appears when the plant is about two foot tall.
Duke
They quite often seem to form these double leaders. Just pinch out whichever seems weakest if you want to keep it as a single cordon.
I find the one with tiny flower buds and I pinch out the other one
Like you I get confused with the tomato double leaders and will often leave both to grow in the hope I will get extra tomatoes than otherwise.
It also means I don't have to grow them so high (though they often do grow tall)
However then the laterals need to be ruthlessly taken out as well a the foliage severely curtailed.
It is surprising how little foliage tomatoes in fact need compared to the amount they grow. I usually go for removing a half to two thirds of the existing older foliage once the first couple of trusses have formed. (I'm sure some eyes will roll at me removing so much) ::)
But this saves on the watering so the plant is less stressed as well as helping with blight since that usually infects the leaves first.
I take mine off and repot and get a few extra plants. :D
Gosh, I have exactly the same problem!!! This year I am being very vigilant towards the little plants, and I will try to pick just one main stem and pinch out the other. I find that I have left on two stems in the past but it just makes the plant unruly and generally unstable, as it tends to get too heavy. I also tend to leave on too much foliage. Because it seems wrong to strip all the leaves, but I think I do need to be a bit stricter and take off more than I usually would. I have all heritage varieties this year and really want to nurture them and get seeds!!!
They are doing quite well actually, most over a foot tall despite May's rotten weather. A sunny patch here has brought them on spectacularly.
Ed I do the same with the leaves. I`ll wait until I get 4 set trusses and then the plant will lose half its leaves. I have already taken the bottom leaves off. I removed a lot of leaves last year and got great results