[barbarella]

I usually end up cutting loads of foliage of my greenhouse toms, but usually a bit later in the summer to let some light when the whole place threatens to turn into a jungle.  This year, the plants are already a metre high although I only put them in growbags a couple of weeks ago and the foliage is looking luxurious already although there are only a couple of flower trusses on each plant so far.  Is it too early to start cutting off some of the leaves, eg the ones below the first truss and also some of the leaves of the ones above? 

[BabbyAnn]

I have a similar problem - I started the greenhouse tom seeds off quite early this year but with it being such a cold spring, I put off planting them in the unheated greenhouse until much later (about 3 weeks ago)  Of course, fresh growbag compost and warming temperatures, and the silly ninnies have gone into grow mode and are about 4 foot tall with just one set of flowers.  Mind, it is the first time growing this variety - Delicious - known for world record fruit size, so it's possible they are naturally big anyway.

As for your question, don't forget that leaves are what feeds the plant/fruit so trimming back delays fruit production.  If you have no option, then by all means take off the older and damaged leaves first but try to minimise how many you take off if you can 

[Paul Plots]

I'd let them keep going height wise until you need to stop them....then pinch out the top growing tips.

If you have few trusses but tall plants you need to encourage some side shoots or there'll be little fruit.
Perhaps a little sellective pinching out later on?

Are they tall and spindly or well shaped, thick dark green plants?

I believe you normally wait until the 4th truss is formed before pinching out side shoots. 

Bush varieties seem so much easier - less fiddling. 

[Totty]

Sideshots need pinching out from the word go, not after the fourth truss.
Had some disease problems last year due to overcrowding, even though there was a couple of feet between plants. Toms like dry air movement around them so I take off the leafs upto the first truss, and have the fan on in there.

Totty

[Trillium]

Tomatoes go against the norm and always create excess leaves, especially when there's too much nitrogen for them. Yes you can start pulling leaves. Start at the ones below any fruiting trusses and wait until the next higher fruit truss is established and work your way slowly upward. Never pull most out at one go or this really will stress your plants. By the time late August arrives my plants are mostly naked with only leaves at the top and fruit everywhere else.

[Paul Plots]

Sideshots need pinching out from the word go, not after the fourth truss.

Totty

I'd always thought that... and generally followed this idea but the advice on a packet of chocolate cherry seeds was to leave them to start with.

I think it's pretty rare for tomatoes not to perform no matter what we do to the poor things. 

I often leave loads of side shoots, especially on cherry style tomatoes, and find the crop can be huge as a result.

Good ventilation is a must. 

[A Reyt Tayty]

My toms are staying very stumpy, but with tons of foliage. They appear to be flowering ok though. The Tigrella in particular is putting on lots of flowers. Some trusses up to 3 doz flowers. I shall be nipping some off as I reckon it will be too many fruits to feed properly. I've also started selectively removing individual leaves from what I think is excessive foliage which are stopping light getting to the flowers. I think I need to remove quite a lot more foliage as I think it will use valuable nutrients I would rather see going into fruit production. Opinions?

[Paul Plots]

To treat them kindly I guess you need to know what general type you have... tall, bush or dwarf.

Cordon types have side shoots pinched out from the start while bush only need this (if at all) to help restrict foliage and encourage larger fruit.

It is the little green leafy things that grab that precious energy from the sun. The plant-world equivalent of solar panels - and amazing things they are too.

I made the mistake (for several years) of thinking one particular type were cordon and another bush - pinched out when I should not have done and didn't when I should have done.  Despite my muddle and inexperience both types produced very well.

What helps lots is sun, water and not too damp conditions (as well as feeding) - ventilation inside and good air circulation outside.

It's nearer the middle and end of the growing season that I look for faded lower leaves to cut away. Once the fruit have set / formed and grown removing leaves quite drastically helps to ripen the last part of the crop.

Each to their own method as in all things. 

[A Reyt Tayty]

I bit the bullet last week and took quite a lot of foliage off one of my San Marzano plants. The plant was really stumpy slow at throwing trusses, and the ones it did had few flowers. Even then, half on the first truss were blind. A week on and the plant is putting some height on and the higher trusses have more flowers on than the lower, earlier ones. I've pollinated with a soft brush just to makle sure that's ok. Now to see if they produce any better.

[cadalot]

>>> Good ventilation is a must. 

So my plastic greenhouse and grow house that gets very hot humid and downright wet inside isn't a good idea then?

I was thinking by not letting rain on them I would save them from blight?

[DD.]

You may well do.

But you're inviting botryrtis.

[Totty]

You may well do.

But you're inviting botryrtis.

Which will ruin a whole greenhouse full.
I have experience of this. Have a little fan in there now, all the time.

Totty

[seaside]

>>> Good ventilation is a must. 

So my plastic greenhouse and grow house that gets very hot humid and downright wet inside isn't a good idea then?

I was thinking by not letting rain on them I would save them from blight?

I fell for that one too Cadalot, due to the hype of blight.
It is just one disease that affects mainly potatoes and outdoor tomatoes on allotments. Botrytis can badly affect virtually anything, and certainly most greenhouse crops. Blight doesn't even really affect early potatoes on the allotment as they are almost always all but cooked by the time blight pops along. No one wants their spuds curtailed, I certainly don't, but blight is far more of a problem for commercial growers than home growers. Most of us don't have access to greenhouse/polytunnel power and can't heat or electrically ventilate greenhouses. One has to make a balanced call.
Keep your door open once temperatures are 10 degrees plus at night. The main object of the exercise where both diseases are concerned is to keep sitting water off the plants, and in greenhouses, that is mainly condensation, not rain obviously. If the door must be closed, as we all have to sometimes, I now try and ensure I have not watered the greenhouse border. Best to leave off it for a couple of days in my opinion to keep down the humidity. If in a tight corner, give the plants a spray of Bordeaux mixture and pull leaves etc immediately if infected.

[cadalot]

Thanks for the information and guidance. Because it's an allotment, I can sometimes visit lunch time or the evening and I do open them up whilst down there watering, but they are zipped up again when I leave. Below are the Mini Greenhouse and Grow House I'm using. Old photos the Toms are bigger now.

I modified the roof of the grow house so that it does not pond (having a flat roof is not a good idea)

Now I'm thinking about cutting some holes in the door and flank to the mini Greenhouse, I burnt a few holes but they are not enough for air flow. Perhaps I can cut some holes and tape some debris netting over?. Happy to hear any other suggestions to improve things. I've been told it's not possible to grow toms on our site because they always get blight?

Now I'm really thinking about getting a poly tunnel next year with netting windows like the one in the picture below - quite cheap on ebay or perhaps just do Toms at home?