[Twood]

HI
I'm trying to grow cordon toms properly this year!!!! and am using the greenhouse.
I think I know the answer to the question just looking for back up here.
All 6 plants looking healthy 3 beef and 3 cherry.
However the leaders (on most of them) have flowers on it which means that once it fruits that is about as big as they are going to get and I was hoping for something taller than 18"

So do I take the flowers off?? or do I wait for a side shoot ( I have just removed them) to come along and be the new leader??

Thanks in advance
Twood

[jezza]

Hello let aside shootgrow from the top and use it as a new leader the weather we have had doesn't help the top could have got nipped by frost or got to hot  jezza

[mumofstig]

What varieties are you growing Twood? some varieties are a bit undecided 

[Twood]

Hi
I'm growing
Red Cherry and Cuor di Bue both Mr Fothergills

I'm also growing outside but as last year was a disaster I thought I'd try and double my chances this year. But also I never really get it right with cordon toms so I'm also growing a Russian bush variety but they are all outside.

Anyone have any experience of either of these??

[mumofstig]

Yes they're both tall cordon varieties, and having a branch with flowers on shouldn't stop the plant growing upwards. If the top shoot is damaged and really is not growing, as jezza says, a side shoot should grow to replace it - so just wait to see what happens next 

Let us know how you get on though.

Tomato side shoot removal explained here - I like to think of it as pinching out the 'armpits' 
https://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/how-to-grow-your-own-tomatoes/removing-tomato-side-shoots-suckers-stopping/

[Twood]

Thanks for that Lesley
Good to know. Hopefully they will continue to grow despite the flowers. I have carefully pinched out the flowers at the top of the stem on a few just to see what happens  ie they continue to grow upwards
or not.
Twood