[AlaninCarlisle]

They're new to me, I've always grown cordon ones in the greenhouse/polytunnel. Do you just let them grow away or do you attempt to prune them to at least cut back some of the rampant growth? I'm growing Alka Bush in the tunnel. The Brandy Wine, although not advertised as bush tomatoes also seem to have the same habits as the Alkas

[Auntiemogs]

I just pull off a few leaves to make sure there's plenty of air flow if they start getting out of control. 

[AlaninCarlisle]

Do you attempt to support them as with cucumbers and melons etc?

[mumofstig]

Strategically placed canes and string from cane to cane usually works ok 

[Lulu]

Some of my Tom Golden Sunrise & Moneymaker are at the top of the green house - do I lop the tops of ??  Really good plants this year - best thing I've grown in the rain.

[GrannieAnnie]

I grew my brandywine's as cordons, otherwise they would have been trailing along the ground.  I've started to tie my Incas a bit as they are getting HUGE!!

[Auntiemogs]

Some of my Tom Golden Sunrise & Moneymaker are at the top of the green house - do I lop the tops of ??  Really good plants this year - best thing I've grown in the rain.

Mine's only an 8x6 so I've run a wire along the apex and I'm tying them into strings running up to it - they seem quite happy.  I suppose it depends on how much growing height you have. 

[sunshineband]

Some of my Tom Golden Sunrise & Moneymaker are at the top of the green house - do I lop the tops of ??  Really good plants this year - best thing I've grown in the rain.

Mine's only an 8x6 so I've run a wire along the apex and I'm tying them into strings running up to it - they seem quite happy.  I suppose it depends on how much growing height you have.  

Cutting off the tops will mean the plants now put their energy and resources into growing decent tomatoes that are already set, rather than growing more flowers, the fruit from which may not ripen.

I cut mine off after five trusses for big fruited sorts, and six trusses for small ones

Werks fer me  

[Lulu]

Sunshineband  - I went into the green house this morning and trimmed those toms.  They were trying to grow through the frame of the greenhouse and I need to keep that intact.  Trimmed some leaves of as well as I couldn't see the toms - can now!! Hope they ripen soon in this lovely sunshine.   

[shokkyy]

I've got mine planted right at the side of the tunnel, trained up strings. What I have been finding is that the bits that push up against the sides/roof of the tunnel are going all black and crispy, presumably because they're being scorched because of condensation. Doesn't seem to be harming the plants at all, but if it's the growth tip that's being scorched it does rather cut off the tops for me

[New shoot]

That's handy then - self trimming toms    I think you are right that they are scorching at the edges, but if the rest is healthy, should be fine  

I've taken the tops off my greenhouse triffids toms to make them ripen what they have produced so far, as Sunshine advises.  My cuke however has looped itself along the tops of the toms next to it and I now have a rather nice daisy chain of baby cukes along the top of the greenhouse    

It was a baby cuke plant from work helpfuly labelled as All Female so not sure what variety it is    It grows as a fairly thin vine with not too many leaves, so won't cast much shade. Not sure how this will work but everyone seems to be co-existing happily so far and not willing to sacrifice those cukes

[sunshineband]

I had a bit of a thin out of cuke leaves last night as I had huge telegraph leaves shading the toms

Looks a bit less like carnage this morning as leaves have righted themselves more in the space

[Chrysalis]

Thanks for the tips! Glad my instincts weren't wrong - I've trimmed off extra leaves, tied in the long arms of the jungle lianas(!) and will top the toms as suggested.  Cukes are like New Shoot's. - lots of little ones in a chain.  Supposed to be "lunchbox" size.  really tasty, too 

Thanks for starting this thread!