[Jimbo24]

Hi all,

I am very new to the veggy growing experience and currently have a few tubs of potatoes, a trough of herbs and 2 grow bags of tomato plants. Both growbags contain tomato plants bought from shops, the first are all Roma and are between 18-24 inches, the second has a moneymaker, big boy, alicante and roma all between 8-12 inches.

I have only just investigate into what I am actually doing with the plants and have begun to sidestem, however a couple of the plants have what looks like large sidestems growing from the base of the main stem and have flowered. Should I remove these or leave them on? They are on 2 of the larger Roma plants and are almost as large as the plant itself.

Also I am a little confused as to what constitutes a Truss and how to stop the plant from growing once the plant has produced the desired 4 trusses. On one plant I have 2 clusters of flowers growing off the same branch/stem. Is this one truss or two? I have plucked a couple of small side stems off the lower part of the bush which have had buds growing on them, was this a wise move?

Any help would be much appreciated!

[woodburner]

A truss is the little bunch of flowers/tomatoes that grows straight off the main stem. Soundslike that plant has two trusses, if they are at different heights, they definitely are two trusses.

With cordon varieties like Alicante, try and get the side stems out before they flower.
I've never grown the kinds that need the top pinched out after 4 trusses. Unless you are growing for show, I think it's more about how many actual tomatoes the plant will still have to ripen, towards the end of the season. (Or with my current batch in my newly aquired conservatory, more to do with the actual height of the plant )

[iwantanallotment]

a couple of the plants have what looks like large sidestems growing from the base of the main stem and have flowered. Should I remove these or leave them on? They are on 2 of the larger Roma plants

Roma are a bush (determinate) tomato Jim, so you don't pinch them out at all, just leave them to it  

[Jimbo24]

Thanks for your help Iwantanallotment and Woodburner.

I have just got back from work and realised I do not have an alicante plant, it is a Moneymaker plant. I also think I have been confusing the side stems with "suckers" (best description according to the internet). as it is the suckers I have been removing, not the whole side stem.

So with the bush varieties do I still have to take off the suckers but leave the sidestems?

Are all the tomato varieties I have bushes or are some plants?

With regards to trusses, should I only keep those that are growing off the main stem? I have had some trusses appear on side stems and most trusses have appeared at the top of my plants where it is a little difficult to differentiate between the main stem and the side stems.

Once my Roma bushes have four trusses should I stop the bushes growth, if so how do I do that? I would preferably like an earlier harvest as I am moving to Mississippi in August so wont be able to enjoy my toms all the way through the season

Thanks for all your help everyone!

[puravida]

I would preferably like an earlier harvest as I am moving to Mississippi in August so wont be able to enjoy my toms all the way through the season

Wow - some move!

[Jimbo24]

Yup its a big move, I'm going to move in with my fiancee (native Mississippian).

I hear from my Uncle, who lives in nearby Memphis, that the soil and climate there is very good for growing veggies so hopefully the few skills I can pick up before I leave will help me out next season

[woodburner]

The one I described (Alicante) is cordon type they are the ones that need pinching out the bush types you just leave them to it. I'm afraid my repertoire of varieties is quite limited so I don't know what yours are.
As you are only growing for a short season you might as well stop the plant at 4 trusses (not sure if this applies to bush varieties) so that they ripen earlier.

[pushrod]

If you want an early harvest pinch out all side stems and the growing tip (top of the plant) after 3 or 4 sets of flowers. That way the plant puts all its energy into fruit production rather than growing new leaves and you get fewer toms but earlier. You will have to keep pinching out as the plants will keep try ing to side shoot.

If i read your earlier post right it sounds as if you have 4? plants per grow bag - that is rather a lot and when the weather warms up you will really have to keep on top of the watering.

hope this helps.