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Oh dear - missed side shoot on tomato plants

• Message 1. 

  Posted by doncat (U11203674) on Sunday, 27th June 2010

  I have neglected my tomato plants over the last week or so as they are in containers which are intermingled with containers of potatoes, and it had become a big mess of tomato/potato foliage. I have been watering them and thought I had taken off all the side shoots but I have obviously missed a crucial side shoot on most of the plants, roughly at the same stage of development as quite a few of them (I have ten)have developed two distinct branches. I removed what would have been the side shoot but by today had become a large branch of the plant. I'm hoping that removing such a big piece of the plant doesn't affect it too badly but now I'm worried that I should have just let it carry on developing though I have left a few to grow on as I found them.
  
  Does anyone know whether it is better to leave them as they are or to cut off the whopping great big side shoot?
  
  Also, being fairly new to all this, it has only really struck me this year, growing them so close together (probably not a good idea!) how similar tomato and potato plants are. Until growing veg I would never have known they were related.

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  Posted by grandcottagegardener (U14258183) on Sunday, 27th June 2010

  Hello Doncat - I did pretty much the same as you, but cut the side shoot out to allow the plants energy to focus on the main shoot. Being a total tomatoholic I've placed the cut shoot in water so that it will root and then pot up. The side shoot will grow into a tomato plant and will be grown on in my conservatory. Done this way I will be getting a late crop of tomatoes.

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  Posted by doncat (U11203674) on Sunday, 27th June 2010

  Thanks gcg for the reassurance. I did wonder aout growing on the side shoots as they were a good size. I might take off the couple that I have left and try this. I ran out of time and energy today to do anything with the ones I took off.
  
  It's amazing how quickly things are developing at the moment as I had been quite careful and only in the last 7 or so days took my eye off them.

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  Posted by rdmstff (U12248187) on Monday, 28th June 2010

  In the same boat, will give it a try. They are in a very hot conservatory so get watered at least twice a day and this last week I have sprayed them with tepid water.
  Glad I am not alone.
  Potatoes are in plastic bags we cropped the first ones this weekend, not very many but they tasted great.
  cheers
  rdmstff

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  Posted by tattiebogle (U11728394) on Monday, 28th June 2010

  When I first started growing tomatoes I didn't know you should take the side shoots off, so I left them, and the plants grew like triffids! You still get flower trusses on the side shoots. What I did do was towards the end of the summer, I took off any new flowers that came as they wouldn't have time to grow into ripe tomatoes, and I let the plant concentrate on ripening the fruit that had started. I wouldn't worry too much about doing it 'right', you will still get a good crop - that's if we don't get the dreaded blight again this year!

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  Posted by greensward (U14347965) on Monday, 28th June 2010

  Hi, The stems of tomatoes often branch when they get to a certain height, you can either pinch or cut one out or, as I sometimes do, let both stems grow up pinching out the sideshoots on each stem. You get two or three more trusses on a plant that way without affecting the size of the fruit.

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  Posted by juliana50 (U14218594) on Monday, 28th June 2010

  Greensward thankyou, I am so glad to hear this, as I am a first timer growing tomatoes in a very small greenhouse, and there is barely room for me to get in to water th plants, they have grown outwards so much. But the extra side branches really do not seem to have come from sideshoots, which I have been diligent about removing. Might be back for more advice as time progresses!

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  Posted by 4smilingcat6 (U14338727) on Monday, 28th June 2010

  We all miss one-if I had a £ for every tomato plant I had grown with two main shoots I would be a lot richer than I am

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  Posted by whatalottie (U9072847) on Tuesday, 29th June 2010

  It's not the right weather, and still a bit early, but potatoes and tomatoes close together are a recipe for blight.
  
  It might be worth moving them if they're in pots,- or spraying. Or just cross fingers and hope the good weather continues!

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  Posted by doncat (U11203674) on Tuesday, 29th June 2010

  Thanks for the reassurance everyone and it's good to know I'm not alone in being forgetful with my pinching out.
  
  whatalottie - I was beginning to wonder about that and it only dawned on me when I was typing the original message that having them so close together might not be a good idea. I shall do some reorganising tomorrow but goodness knows where they will all go, evey part of the garden is now accounted for. I could stick a pin in the children's over large paddling pool my OH appeared with at the weekend. Hmmm! I suppose it is meant to be a family garden, not just my garden.
  
  What do you spray on pots/toms to try to prevent blight?

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  Posted by grandcottagegardener (U14258183) on Tuesday, 29th June 2010

  For treatment against blight use Bordeaux mixture. Most good GC's will stock it. You have to keep on reapplying every 2 weeks to help give your pots/toms protection. I've just given my pots and toms their 2nd dose.

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  Posted by diggingdoris (U13981971) on Thursday, 1st July 2010

  I discovered long side shoots on mine when we got back from hols. Son had watered every day but I forgot to show him about pinching. So I cut off some about 12inch long. Doesn't seem to have affected plant.

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