tomatoes.

hi how many trusses on a tomato plant before you nip the top been told various answers ranging between 4-7.
been taking a few sides shoots of the tom plants but being a novice dont know what to take off or leave any help in that department much appreciated some of the plants have a couple of trusses on and are about 2 and a half to 3 footish high.
thanks.

 

See the reply I made in the edible section.

Regarding number of trusses this is often dependent on the height you have available plus too many trusses can result in the top trusses being too late forming meaning it might be too late for them to ripen.

I generally work on five trusses.

 

I just let our GH grown ones almost hit the roof before I stop them. At the end of the year any unripened ones are ripened by either hanging the plants upside down in the GH and/or by picking and ripening indoors.

 

Yes, it is rather subjective in that there is no rule of thumb. My way would be to let them go to the eve of the glasshouse and then stop. In a normal suburban garden glasshouse ths would give 4-5 trusses. This would concentrate energies into the plants and produce sizeable fruit.
Regading side growths and, assuming a normal standad type of tomato (not bush or patio)
remove all growth that emerge at the axis of the leaf and stem. Do it immediately large enough to rub out with your finger/thumb.

http://www.raffia.plus.com

 

I'm wondering what to do with my Toms.

Already over 6' tall, fruit formed on 5 trusses, 6th with first flower open, and 7th already formed.

I'm thinking about getting some tomato hooks and "stringing" / "layering" them, like they do commercially.

I wonder if stopping them on a particular date, to give the remaining trusses sufficient time to mature, rather than after a set number of trusses might be the best approach? Any suggestions for what that date might be? I'll keep a diary this year of when the truss formed, and when it ripened, so I can plan better next year.

My Cues are over 8' and I'm going to have to train them along the roof ... and the Melons are 6' and they are planted under the eves, so they will get neck ache!

(The greenhouse has only just been finished, so I grew all this lot in the conservatory, and I kept the floor flooded as the ventilation isn't idea [too drafty], so they have had great humidity up to now.)