[Sharonx]

I was having a browse last week through the vegetable advise section on this forum and I came across an advert about growing tomatoes. I clicked on it and the article was written by some guy's nephew and he claims that his uncle grew huge amounts of tomatoes that also tasted fantastic. He reckons tomato plants should have all their leaves taken off bar 3 for oxygen reasons, and it also stops disease, which i'm wondering if he was refuring to blight. He was also explaining various other things you should/shouldn't. The key thing was that you had to buy the book to find out exactly how you take the leaves off and which 3 you leave on. I lost interest as I don't really want another book
I now can't find the advert at all and can't really remember much of it.....  So the question is does anyone know or have tried growing tomatoes this way?

Thanks

[paintedlady]

My dad used to strip quite a few leaves off the tomatoes growing in the greenhouse, but only when the fruit was developing and nearly ready for ripening - so they were not stripped off during the actual growing period, but nearer the end of the season to assist with the ripening.  Normally it is the older leaves that are going past their best and allows air to circulate round, thereby reducing risk of mould or possibly whitefly infestation?

I can only think that perhaps stripping the leaves during the growing season stresses the tomatoe plants into putting all its efforts & resources into the "next generation" that is, the fruit & seeds rather than self preservation. 

[Steve.P]

Hi Sharonx'

I tried this last year with my toms that i grew outside. I have read the same thing as you, if its the same piece where he was trying to flog a book.
I had a good crop of toms and only tried this on a few plants. I found there was a slight difference so maybe something in it. The plants i tried it on did ripen the fruit quicker, and some were larger.

[zazen999]

It's an old victorian method - when I found out about it I did alot of digging and they used to do this 100 years ago. I do nip alot of my leaves off - but the dreaded blight gets them anyway - as they've been grown outdoors for the last 2 years. With my new greenhouse I'll be trying this and hopefully the blight won't get them before they all ripen.

Apparently, my grandad also used to do this and it drove my mother mad - bless.

[Bombers]

 I do this, and  have had good results. As you can see below, I gradually remove all the lower leaves as fruit set, and progressively more as they start to ripen.

I tear them off, (I don't cut them). I think it does less damage, and they seem to recover quickly. Then again, I won't promise it will help when blight strikes!

[Trillium]

I do something similar as Bombers. Mine are all free standing with stakes and as they grow I clip off lower leaves, careful not to touch any fruiting spurs. This limits how much leaf the plant will lose energy to, will expose fruit to sun for ripening, and minimize various fungus from poor air flow. But I don't think it will prevent blight. If I recall correctly, blight spores will live in the soil as well as float in the air.
I don't go to the 3 leaf extreme but the plants seem to do well with about as much as Bombers pic shows.

[Bombers]

thanks Trill, the only thing I'm a little confused about is exposing to Sunlight for ripening???
We expose ours to bananas in the kitchen for that, as we don't get any Sun!!!

[Trillium]

Then you'll just have to snag some sun from your greedy neighbouring counties  I don't fully strip the leaves off my plants as I worry about sunscald on the tom 'shoulders'. No one has developed sunblock for toms yet 

[Sharonx]

Thank you, interesting replies!
Last year we had 80.....YES 80!!!!  tomato plants on our lotty, planted by my father-in-law. Being Italian he grew plum & beef which he then bottled for ours, his and brother-in-laws supply of passata (120 bottles). He had planted them far too close together and you couldn't move around them. He strangled some of them by tying up too tight. I did take some of the leaves off to help ripen but to be honest I had only started to get involved with growing in June so wasn't very knowledgeable. Hence my membership on here
I will definetly take some of the leaves off when he's not looking though, it makes sense. I don't know why I worry, it's our allotment and he has his own, but he has a key and turns up and plants things which we have no idea about until we arrive down there. 

[Trillium]

One thing I forgot to mention about what we do with our toms, is that we somehow stake them so that the tops are in the sun to make the needed food and the fruit are off the ground where they'd easily start to rot if the weather gets too wet. If left on the ground, as many people do, the cropping might not be as good. Plus, I find the mice will happily eat all toms sitting low.

[peapod]

notice you didnt show mrs bombers toms there bombers 

[Bombers]

notice you didnt show mrs bombers toms there bombers 

You don't miss a trick do you!
Actualy, they were Mrs B's toms, but I looked after them for her!
Cause she thinks all yer have to do is water 'em!

[peapod]

notice you didnt show mrs bombers toms there bombers 

You don't miss a trick do you!
Actualy, they were Mrs B's toms, but I looked after them for her!
Cause she thinks all yer have to do is water 'em!

Sorry!!!!!!! I knew you'd shout at me 
FWIW I believe you,and will be happy to place a bet on your having juicy toms this year 

[Bombers]

notice you didnt show mrs bombers toms there bombers 

You don't miss a trick do you!
Actualy, they were Mrs B's toms, but I looked after them for her!
Cause she thinks all yer have to do is water 'em!

Sorry!!!!!!! I knew you'd shout at me 
FWIW I believe you,and will be happy to place a bet on your having juicy toms this year 

Yes I will, and everyone else who lives in blighty! ( not too blighty i hope?) See what I did there! Because Trill et al are sending us some of there wonderful sun beams to ripen all our toms!

[peapod]

Yes I will, and everyone else who lives in blighty! ( not too blighty i hope?) See what I did there! Because Trill et al are sending us some of there wonderful sun beams to ripen all our toms!

OO I didnt know, oh thanks sunshiney people  And, if you want? we can send you some of the white cold stuff next year? Then you too can skive work and school like us 
Its a deal