[totalnovice]

  Well thought i would ask a silly question.....
.... I am growing 3 types of tomatoes, first time i have ever grown them so sorry if this really is a VERY stupid question.

Marmande - to pinch out or to not pinch out? (i think pinch out)
Roma - to inch out or to not pinch out? ( i think not)

No doubt i have it the wrong way around. I know i need to pinch out my Gardeners delight. so One out of three is not too bad

Thanks in advance for the great advice i know i'll receive.
xxx

[mumofstig]

Marmande is deffo a bush.........I'm growing them this year, and I'm sure Roma is as well (grown them in previous years). So no pinching out for either of them

[barbarella]

I grew Roma last year and  I'm sure it is a cordon plum  tomato  - I pinched out the sideshoots anyway and trained it up a cane and  and had a good crop.  Same goes for Gardener's Delight.

Marmande is semi-determinate (semi-bush) but according to T&M Seeds, you treat it more like a cordon.  This is what they say -

"Provide support and tie in regularly. Remove side shoots and restrict the plant to one main stem. This is a semi determinate variety, if growth ends in a flower truss, select the nearest side shoot and train up as the main stem. In late summer remove the growing tip to hasten ripening."

[viettaclark]

I pinch Marmande but the stems invariably split into 2 further up.......

[mumofstig]

silly isn't it......... my pkt of marmande says it's a bush, and I know I grew roma as a bush, and I think John does too, it's on one of his growing pages if i remember correctly.

anyhow, it seems like it's up to you how you grow them, if even the seed suppliers can't agree at least everyone agrees on Gardeners Delight.

[Siouxfly]

Well I've got my 3 types mixed up so don't know what's what. One was supposed to be a bush type but I've decided to pinch them all out because I had less of the bush type. 
Can I just ask what do people use to tie them in?

[gillie]

Marmande is a law unto itself and very vigorous.  I just take the secateurs to them when they get out of hand.

Tying up?  I use plastic tomato ties from any garden centre.  You can re-use them and they are easy to undo.

Gillie

[mumofstig]

I use any old shirts etc torn into strips, and tights cut into strips make very good ties.
Other than that I just have to buy  some cheapo garden twine 

[DD.]

I use stiff electrical wire. Just twist around. Re-useable.

[totalnovice]

Thanks for the adivce, i think i leave my roma, pinch out two of my marmande and leave the other two to themselves and see which is the best crop.

Thank you!