Allotments 4 All

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

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.

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!

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

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

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.

 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

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