[Growster...]

All our toms are smaller plants this year, both in the GH and outside...

We always grow Shirley, (and a couple of other types), and even with pots full of Jack's Magic, (with peat, and well-watered several times a day if necessary), they're thriving on just two trusses per plant - maybe three in the GH, but I've never known the crop to be so awkward as this year!

However, because these trusses are reduced, the size of the toms is pretty good, and luckily, as we grow well over forty plants everywhere, the overall yield will be OK, but I can't fully understand why during this year they seem to have stalled!

I do think that during the ferocious heat we had in June they decided to buckle down, and get the hump, and this has something to do with it, but also there's a dearth of sideshoots too, so we'll see in a couple of weeks what the crop looks like, but has anyone else experienced this?

[mumofstig]

Yes!
Mine got the 'curly top leaf thing', because of hot days and still cool nights at the beginning, and it has taken them forever to finally grow out of it, but with fewer trusses, which don't want to turn red 
All I've got is a couple of nearly ripe cherry toms on the little bushes on the bench - they seemed to avoid the 'curly leaf thing' though, so should soon get some decent pickings from them, even if the big ones come to nothing 

[Growster...]

Yes!
Mine got the 'curly top leaf thing', because of hot days and still cool nights at the beginning, and it has taken them forever to finally grow out of it, but with fewer trusses, which don't want to turn red 
All I've got is a couple of nearly ripe cherry toms on the little bushes on the bench - they seemed to avoid the 'curly leaf thing' though, so should soon get some decent pickings from them, even if the big ones come to nothing 

That's very interesting, Mum, because in the past, I always had a few Sungold around now, but as we haven't grown any this year, we're happy to wait a bit...

We've got curly leaf on all our outside plants, and they aren't that big, with just five or six toms each, but they do actually look quite handsome, so fingers crossed!

[Debz]

I have several different varieties and they've got smaller and fewer trusses than last year.  Such weird weather must be to blame.

[Kleftiwallah]

The question is, how can we induce more trusses per plant. Possibly leave the side shoots on???

Cheers,  Tony.

[steven c]

we had the curly leaf after the very hot spell i thought we would lose all the plants 20  i took drastic action and cut all affected foilage they have now sent up side shoots that have now become the main stem and are flowering and setting fruit so fingers crossed all these are in greenhouse   a couple of trusses below the damage have produced good toms  bl--dy butcher and black opal.

[Growster...]

The question is, how can we induce more trusses per plant. Possibly leave the side shoots on???

Cheers,  Tony.

There don't seem to be many sideshoots eithe, K!

It's a bit of a mystery really, but the Growsterfailsafemeaningplantlotsoftoms seems to be working - so far...

[Goosegirl]

I too have noticed many plants, including ornamental ones, are far shorter this year. My two cordon toms actually look like cordons because I usually miss nipping out a few side shoots but the trusses look good to me. My sweetcorn are shorter as well but they have had tassels with plenty of pollen when I tapped them, plus some side tillers and more tassels suddenly appearing now. I'm sure it was that hot spell we had earlier on that is to blame.

[JacsH]

I'm the same in respect of numbers of trusses - rather few but tomatoes massive, not ripening much yet. In the tunnel and lots of varieties. Sungold has suddenly decided to ripen and picked nearly 300g yesterday. Blxxdy Butcher early and good yield as normal. Side trusses - they were beautiful, controlled plants with side-shoots removed on 5th June when I went away for 2 weeks. Jungle when I got back and still trying to get them sorted amongst other gardening tasks and bottling what seems like tonnes of various berries and currants. Nearly every plant has 6 or 8 massive side shoots with flowers and a little fruit. Have more or less given up with control, just removing lower leaves to open up a bit and any really straggly side shoots. However, looking back on yields this year is, so far, not that exceptional despite my "feelings" as can be seen in the attached plot. 2021 was the phenomenal year for spread of cropping. Obviously varieties change from year to year as well but we have our favourites year on year.

[Growster...]

Fabulous spreadsheet, Jacs!

And here, we really rely on enough August toms to keep the bruschettas going, while the spares go in the freezer as well!