Tomatoes gone beserk

I have been growing cherry tomatoes, an F1 hybrid called "million". I've got 8 plants, 4 to a gro-bag - I thought they wouldn't be very big, being as they're cherry tomatoes. I've been feeding, and now they've gone beserk. They plants are taller than me and I can't tell which one is which as they keep falling over (I've staked them, but the sideshoots are all over the place).

Should I be pinching out sideshoots, cutting them off and trying to stop them from growing? I've got loads of green tomatoes, but no ripe ones yet.

 

LOL sorry1 I have the same prob with my mini plum toms - they have grown into triffids!!! Theyre producing a lot of fruit though - so hey ho! I have them tied to anything I can in the green house!! :eek:

 

Hi, Stop feeding them, keep well watered and reap the harvest. Think yourself lucky next year may be a famine!
BigT

 

Ta all, very helpful. I think I shall try and keep them upright, but if they fall over just tell the kids to look where they take their bikes!

 

Hi Deserter,

Just an idea, as staking is not always totally successful in keeping plantts upright (especially when they start to get laden with fruit) you could try tying them up to something higher up (drain pipe, waste pipe from bathroom etc) as they grow to add that little bit of extra support that will really help in the wind.

 

Thanks Matty - that's one for next year unfortunately, I haven't put them in the best place and there's nothing to tie them to really.

I've now hacked them to pieces - cut off any shoots off of the main stem that didn't have any flowers or tomatoes - and one of the toms has started to ripen, so perhaps it's done some good already. What makes them ripen? Is it the sunlight, or is it just watering and feeding?

 

Mine are just turning..about two a day,just enough for a snack

 

Gardeners delight is ripening now, and like you Pal I cut the bottom leaves off when the trusses set.

 

Paladin, looks like your in for a great crop.
Out of interest which variety is it?

 

You got a good crop there, remind me to send you my granny's recipe for tomatoe sauce and chutney when they are ripe. :D

 

Re ripening Deserter, it is mostly the sulight. The whol eplant of course requries watering and feeding but once the fruit have set yoliu should make sure that they are not being kept shaded or moist by the rest of the plant's foliage. That's why the lower branches are removed in Paladin's picture. Light and air will get the fruit ripening a treat.

 

amazing plant there paladin - I will stake mine properly next year. I've just been on holiday and the chap watering mine didn't do a great job ;(

will know better next time and get an automatic watering system

 

TimD,sorry but I don't really know for sure :rolleyes: I got 'em from my brother,who got them from his mate who said they MIGHT be Gardeners Delight...And he got them from a market stall :D

 

Paladin, your plants look so healthy! I've just uprooted mine and chucked them, kept the four green tomatoes to ripen on the windowsill, however! :rolleyes:

I read somewhere that they should have at least six hours of sun every day ... six hours of my sun and the plants are crispy critters! :eek: Should I do them again next year, or maybe even soon-ish, put them in a shady situation where they get ambient light?