Not sure whether to pinch the tops off at 4 or 5 trusses. What do you guys think?
I know it depends on the variety. I am growing Ailsa Craig, Rio Grande, Roma, Black Cherry, Gardners Delight (in the green house) and Outdoor Girl (out doors).
I read that you can grow more trusses on cherry varieties and less if growing outside. Any one got any experience of this?
Not an answer to your question (I'll leave others to do that properly) but it makes me envious - of my 20 tomatoes, three are just showing their first flowers, the rest nothing!
Here in SW France it has been so cold and so wet for several months, that everything is weeks behind. The farmers who would normally be doing their second hay cut now, are only just starting their first - bad news for next winter. There is still too much snow in the mountains for them to take their sheep and cows up for the summer, and they have no feed left to give them down below.
I NEVER pinch tops off from my toms (unless they run out of room for some reason) but let them carry on growing. Once they've reached to top of the vertical first can, I carry on tying them up when they scramble in to higher levels :icon_cheers: Those that naturally run out of 'steam' will do so and they are the larger type tomatoes..and those that tend to be the taller sort are smaller fruiting types. I'm not worried if all fruit doesn't get ripe by the end of the year..but what does is bonus and often I have picked last tomatoes end of November until December and once the frost totally turn everything mushy, only then I clear the GH ready for the next lot of plants. :icon_cheers:
4 trusses on indoors and outs and only 2 trusses on a short poly popup thing that covers a grobag. I only have 2 patiogros so not a tonne of room and only poly protected. Was very successful last year
AS I have spent the last 2years tomato less due to blight, I haven't given much thought to it! I already have baby toms growing! (outdoors) Peanut I am surprised that they are doing better here in Nantes than down your way (although it's true you got flooded :( You didn't get harmed in the really big floods did you?)
I might pinch out the top of one which is now at the top of its stake. It has several trusses already, guess that will be enough!
I said i was going to be reasonable this year but I ended up putting out... 8 in the proper tomato patch, on black plastic and all, then 2 down in the corner as there was an empty space, then one over behind the rain barrel where it is really sunny, then 2 more next to the cukes as there was also empty space there!!!! Hopefully as they are all spread out this year there is less chance of them catching nasty diseases from one another. I have ruthlessly taken off all leaves and stems from the first 30 cm and they are nicely tied up with plenty of air around them.
I would think that 5 or 6 trusses is plenty on a large tomato plant. Don't bother with cherries though, they just go mad usually.
Hi
good question
for me this decision depends on more than the truss count
how sunny and warm your site is ?
early or late variety ?= late variety go for fewer trusses
how well the plant looks and how much space to produce more trusses with increasing plant size
good or bad summer ? warmer = more trusses
determinate/indeterminate-ie bush or cordon- bushes in theory do not need stopping & from your list rio grande and roma are determinate
whether you want ripe tomatoes earlier ? ( if yes go with fewer trusses)
whether you want green tomatoes for chutney or not ( accept more trusses from later varieties if so)
size of fruit- cherries can have far more trusses and f1 cherries even more for example i have had 14 trusses from sweet million plants ripened outside by mid october
blight likely or unlikely year- fewer trusses if blight likely
how many plants you have to meet your needs- is you have loads stop them earlier
so from your question I would go with 5 if you have trusses at all now but it depends on the above.
I tend to assess all my toms for stopping at the end of July in sunny east sussex.
hope this helps
Thanks! Some good advice. I will weigh it up at the end of the month. Looks like the weather is taking a turn for the better from the weekend, so it depends if it sticks around for a while.