[Anton]

Advice please. Right at the beginning of the crisis, all the gardening shops here in Belgium were shut. So I sorted through last year's seeds to discover an unopened packet of  crimson crush tomatoes good until this year.

 In my haste to get them in the ground (starting digging too late so there was not much space available) I planted about 15 tomato plants in two lines. Big mistake. They are now kind of growing into each other.  These plants have long drooping leaves. Tomatoes are growing but as the leaves are blocking the light a bit is it permissible to prune the leaves back a bit? If so, how much would be permissible?

[juvenal]

I've grown Crimson Crush successfully for three years, and your description of their 'habit' accords with my own. Leaf growth is very strong. I take off just a couple of the lowest leaves on each plant to let a bit of light and air in at the bottom. Other growers on here may prune a bit more heavily.

As for 'growing into each other' all I can suggest is sticking in extra stakes to support wayward branches/ trusses. Crimson Crush always seem to produce a bit of a jungle however assiduous one is in nipping out unwanted axil growths. You end up fighting your way through the leaves to find you have three times as many tomatoes as were visible from the outside.

But overall they are a heavy-cropping, tasty and  blight-free tomato.

Best of luck.

[mrsbean]

Talking of blight, think my out side tomatoes have started to get it. They are in an enclosed raised bed, plot neighbour advised me to take off most of the leaves to see what happens. Have done, but they look so spindly with just the top leaves left, but like mentioned you can see the tomatoes. So fingers crossed x

[Anton]

Thanks for all the advice.
Does anyone else prune their tomato plants heavily? Have they suffered any disasters in doing so?

Yes I have grown Crimson Crush for about five years now. Last year there was no blight (hardly any rain that year).  Even when blight hits the leaves, the fruit generally survives. 

[missmoneypenny]

I tend to prune quite heavily and it works for me. I just leave enough leaves so they can photosynthesise sufficiently to support the developing fruits.

[Anton]

missmoneypenny