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Tomato woes

• Message 1. 

  Posted by digginduggo (U8247428) on Wednesday, 1st June 2011

  My tomatoes are now 2 feet high, but the first truss is just showing - it seems like there is no tomato activity lower down. Any ideas why the trusses are taking so long to appear? I seem to be getting lots of side shoots, and wondered if I should let these form flowers/trusses lower down otherwise they will be hitting the greenhouse roof soon without any tomatoes!

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Kleftiwallah (U13700999) on Wednesday, 1st June 2011

  
  I often get this 'problem' either live with it OR if the stems are still quite flexible and have not hardend yet, bend them over and send them up an adjacent cane covering the stem with compost where it lays along the ground as auxiliary roots will form from this section of stem. Cheers, Tony.

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• Message 3

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  Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Wednesday, 1st June 2011

  In the greenhouse- I guess you planted into grow-bags,pots or soil- what probably has happened you have planted out a little early- you dont really want to pot on until the first flowers are just showing of you get a spurt of growth as they get the nourishment from the new compost.
  Now if you are growing a cordon variety you should remove the sideshoots to leave a single main stem, bush variety leave the shoots to grow.
  Hope this makes sense
  Geoff

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• Message 4

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  Posted by whatalottie (U9072847) on Wednesday, 1st June 2011

  Do you know whether your plant is cordon (determinate), or bush (indeterminate).
  
  If it's a cordon you need to pinch out the side shoots. If the plant is putting all it's energy into side shoots it may not have got around to flowering. Don't waste the side shoots if you take them out. Remove the bottom leaves and bury them up to their necks. They'll grow into another plant, which is the same age as the parent, so it should flower as soon as it's got big enough.
  
  Another thought, did you feed it with lots of nitrate rich fertiliser? Nitrates encourage leafy growth at the expense of flowers and fruit. (Which is why you don't give beans and peas nitrates, they make their own!). If you've been fertilising you might well have a lovely lush green plant, with not much fruit. You don't need to fetilise tomatoes until the trusses have set. Then you give them a potassium rich fertiliser, (comfrey, tomorite etc.).
  
  Otherwise just be a bit patient, its only the first of June!
  
  I hope this helps,
  Lottie

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• Message 5

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  Posted by digginduggo (U8247428) on Wednesday, 1st June 2011

  They are cordon so I will pinch out side shoots. What codcody says makes sense. They were very slow to get growing and were quite small when I put them out in their grow bags so I think this caused the growth spurt, but no tomatoes.
  I wonder if it would be best to try and grow on some of the side shoots into new plants, and give up on these ones, or will I end up with no tomatoes at all?

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Wednesday, 1st June 2011

  My advice- if you have got the room- do both!!
  

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