[adri123]

When do you nip out the growing tip of your tom plants?

Adri

[JayG]

When they reach the apex of the GH or beyond (cordons) or if they still look as if they want to continue flowering by the time September arrives (cordons and bushes.)

Not very scientific, and not very exact, but it works for me, although some late fruits invariably have to be ripened off the plants indoors. 

[mumofstig]

I don't......
I let them carry on 'til they run out of steam.
Some just carry on late into the year - especially my Black Cherry, which I allow to grow horizontally on a wire once it reaches the ridge. It seems a little more cold tolerant and gives me late fruit when the others have finished.

[GrannieAnnie]

I'm a bit like that too.  Although when my tunnel had a cover on it, they did get a bit tall!  But, yes, when I'm picking later in the season and have loads of green ones.  Then I get rid of the top and all the other flowers so the plant can concentrate on ripening what its got!   

[DD.]

Did you see the video Growster posted?

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=120386.msg1418468#msg1418468

[adri123]

Thanks for the replies.

My problem last year was the tunnel and supporting canes were'nt high enough and I ended up with cordon varieties that went up to the roof and then bent over by the polythene.  It looked a mess but gave loads of toms.

I think I'll nip out the tips when the plants get to the polythene this year and see how that goes.  I think that should give me around 9 to 10 trusses per plant.

Adri

[Lardman]

Some of mine have already reached the roof, rather than training them up to the apex this year I'm pinching them out and training a low side-shoot as a second cordon.

[LandShark]

I only take the tops off around September until then I squeeze every last tomato out! We use string tied to a wire running the length of the greenhouse/poly tunnel. As the plant reaches the roof we loosen the string gradually to lower the plant without bending the stem and this seems to work. Depending on light quality we keep growing until late October, any green tomatoes are the taken into the house and if they don't ripen we make green tomato chutney!