Tomato Growing Thread 2012

Feel like i'm still on a 'magical mystery tour'

 

Thinking is the best way to travel.
In search of a lost chord - the Moody Blues....
very spiffy......

 

It's my first time growing Brandywine tomatoes. They don't seem to act like other toms I'm growing. They are doing fine, set the first truss and always had an obvious leader, though at about 2ft high they are seeming to branch into 3 with no obvious leader of the 3. They also seem to start the flower bud thingys in odd places, like in a random place on the main stem, they look like little pert little nipples to begin with.
Is the lack of an obvious leader normal? Have I got alien toms? How to decide which of the 3 main bits of top growth to leave as the main upgrowing stem? Should I wait till one of the 3 breaks from the pack?
Any advice welcome.

The rest of my other varieties seem like with others to be sulking a bit in this nondescript weather.

 

I cant help 'cos Ive never grown them before either - I was expecting to start to see flowers on mine this week but the change in the weather has put everything back (again). Strangely the runt of my Tomato litter this year is Alicante - of the three I grew from seed two have given up completely & the last remaining one is looking distinctly sorry for itself.

 

Hang in there ON....How ill do they look....they do need a bit of stress to fire them up....
(got that advice from JWK ) brilliant....works for me too

 

What did JWK say when they look Cardiac arrest ill?

 

Its just a bit wilty & sad - my own fault - I managed to move them out to the blowaway just before we had the last really cold spell; the ones in the growbags were ok after a bit of extra seaweed extract & a stern pep talk, but the spares that I hadn't potted on just gave up & died.

Then a snail popped in for the night & beheaded two of the three remaining ones (and later died for his crime under my boot - atleast I think it was the guilty one..)

I expect it will be ok when we get a bit more sun, but its not looking like thats going to happen for at least a week... Im a bit frustrated with the whole thing at the moment. Stupid Weather !

 

If its just the one plant? then could well be as you suspect. Just break off the damaged leaf, the plant will be fine if its just localised physical damage.

Quite common, usually certain varieties are more prone. My Gardeners Delight trusses try to grow a whole plant on the end of the truss - silly things! Pinch the tip out to stop them continuing to grow, but a few leaves on the end of the truss will just help provide "energy" (I find the "branches" that develop on the ends of the trusses are difficult to snap off, hence suggest just to pinch-out - if you spot it early that might be the whole bit, but if you are bone-idle like me the thing will be a week or two old by the time I notice it! and then no chance of safely removing it in its entirety)

 

It will keep growing ... and then become heavy and cause problems. Suggest you take the "tip" out of it to stop it growing any more.