Broken Leader

Hi folks. A couple of days ago I managed to break the leader on one of my tomato plants. What I thought I'd do is allow one of the side-shoots to develop and take it's place. Does this sound like a good idea ? Cheers...freddy.

 

Yup, do well.

I'm also allowing one side shoot to develop (down towards the bottom of the plant), on each of my Tom plants, with the intention of taking it as a cutting when about 4" - 6" long, just in case I need any "spares"

 

Anyway, it's Kristen's fault. He told me to give them a good shake :D

 

Isn't it common practice with some tomatoes plants to nip out the top growth? Maybe I'm being daft but I thought that was how bush tomatoes worked?

 

Hi clueless1. These are grown as cordons, a single stem which is 'stopped' when it reaches the greenhouse roof (probably 5 or 6 trusses). As it grows, there is the endless task of removing the side-shoots. With bush tomatoes, the plant is left to it's own devices. There's no need to take out the top growth as it's natural habit will make it branch out. Cheers...freddy.

 

"Drums your fingers on the cane" is my advice for pollination. Not "shake them to death" !!

 

Have you got that the right way round John?

Indeterminate need the side shoots removing in order to train them as a single stem.

Determinate will "determine their own shape, by themselves" - i.e. grow into a bush.

The RHS explain it better than me!

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0505/tomatoes.asp

 

I've learnt something today. Cheers folks. I always thought bush toms were just any other that had been trained differently to the common vine way of doing it. Now I know differently.

 

Being dyslexic I struggle with terms like Determinate and Indeterminate. Bush and Cordon would suit me much better.

The way I remember it is that "determinate" can determine their own shape - i.e. bush - whereas the indeterminate, "scruffy", remainder have to be trained all their lives - bit like my slightly wayward dogs!