[manna]

I planted 2 types of blight resistant tomatoes this year from Thompson and Morgan - Legend( a beefsteak) and Ferline f1 hybrid (described as a vigorous, indeterminate plant). The trouble is that  Ferline need sideshooting, and the Legend packet says 'do not require sideshooting', and I've planted the two alongside each other and can't tell them apart! They all look ready to start pinching out now and I wondering what to do - pinch them out and hope for the best, or try and indentify the two types by the leafs (impossible to my untrained eye.)? just because the Legend 'do not require sideshooting' will it do any harm if I do? Help - these are beautiful sturdy plants and I'm hoping for a really good crop after last years blighty disaster!!!!

[gillie]

Look at the flower trusses.  If there is a shoot continuing beyond the truss the plant is indeterminate and can be side shooted.

If there is no shoot continuing the plant is probably a bush, so do not side shoot. 

If you are not sure, wait until the situation becomes clear.

Gillie

[Motivator]

Hi i have these plants also , The bush type plants are more compact , The stems branch
out like a bush , The other type are taller ie standard type need pinching out . If i can get
some pics of them will post .

[manna]

thanks for the advice - they are just starting to form small flower buds, so I'll wait to see how they develop. At the moment they haven't shown much difference in growth - they are both about a foot tall, vigorous and sturdy.
I'm afraid I pinched out a few sideshoots yesterday, on all of them, I hope this wont make any difference? they were only the first short ones, nothing too big!
So, does that mean that a bush type tomato will produce lots of side shoots, but that you can just leave them in? is indeterminate another word for bush? The Ferline, which are described as 'indeterminate' are said to need sideshooting, the Legend (which I presume therefore are normal cordon types) not. you see my problem!
I have never grown a bush type before, either.

[mumofstig]

It's confusing isn't it.
Determinate means bush.  When a flower truss forms the shoot will not grow any higher, so you rely on the other shoots growing and each making a flower truss. So just let them grow as they want.

Indeterminate means cordon. 1 tall stem and the flower trusses grow from the main stem, and the main stem carries on growing upwards to make other trusses. These are the kind that you have to nip out the shoots from, or they grow too many leaves at the expence of fruit trusses. Don't nip out the shoots near the flower trusses until it is clear which one is growing upward, it soon becomes clear with a bit more growth which one to nip
Hope it's a bit clearer now......good luck with them

[Lardman]

I planted 2 types of blight resistant tomatoes this year from Thompson and Morgan - Legend( a beefsteak) and Ferline f1 hybrid (described as a vigorous, indeterminate plant).

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but I really wasn't impressed with the taste of either of these and both suffered just as badly with blight as my outer outdoor toms.

Hopefully you'll have better luck with them than I did.

[lisa80]

Totally confused myself now i have a legend  plant and it doesnt seem to be growing very high ,so i just pinched out bottom side shoots and left it because it does seem to be growing outward in stead of upward.not sure wot the toms will be like but the plant smells great takes me back to when i was a little girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mumofstig]

As explained Legend is a bush (determinate) variety and will not grow very tall...just bushy... bushy doesn't usually mean that it will grow as big as a 'bush'! just that it will grow many branches. So don't pinch that one out any more ...let the side shoots grow from now on

[lisa80]

ok thanks ,looks good and only took couple of small ones off bottom  so sure it will be fine in my defence was going on someone elses advice!!!!will look on here or post in future.

[manna]

mumofstig - thank you so much for your clear explanation - I know exactly what I'm doing now (!!)
Lardman - I know what you mean - I don't have extremely high hopes flavour wise, but after last years blight extravaganza I was happy to compromise on flavour to get the crop in - I can always slow roast etc. to get maximum flavour. Anyway, most of my tomatoes end up as green tomato chutney anyway, so fresh tomatoey flavour not too much of a problem...!
It's only my 3rd season at the allotment, so still concentrating on getting as much stuff to eat as possible. This year I have started to experiment with more exotic things, like asparagus peas, but next year I hope to broaden my seed buying to look at more flavour driven and heritage type plants. These last couple of years the packets that say 'easy to grow' and 'an exceptionally heavy crop' are just too alluring..... !