This is the first time I've tried growing cordon tomato plants. I've been pinching out any sideshoots and understand that I must limit the number of trusses to each plant. Is a 'truss' the name of each collection of flowers, please and how many should each plant be limited to? Thanks in advance!
Well Sharon, I cannot think of a reason to limit the number of trusses on your cordon tomato plant. I get 6 on mine but could have many, many more if my greenhouse was permanent and heated all winter. I have seen cordons that were 60 yards long! Really. Of course that was a professional grower on hydroponics, but the point it that you are not confined to any specific number of trusses. Now for the 'fine print': You will have to tie-in your plant as it grows taller so that it doesn't fall over and break under the weight of your toms that will form. You'll need to attatch them to something for support. Drive a sturdy stick into the ground bear the plants but be careful not to drive it through the roots. At some point during the fall you can think ahead to when the weather will turn and freezing will begin. You will be able to see that the blossoms and small fruits forming at that time will never have the time to mature and ripen before the frost. When you have thet calculated, you cut the top out to stop further vertical growth and blossom development. You remove any blossoms and small fruits still on your plant. Then all the sun, water and tomato food can be dedicated solely to the maturing of the remaining fruits. Don't forget to remove some foilage from time to time so that more food and "energy" will go to your fruits. I just want to say that your tomato patch looks ideal. You must be well chuffed. Good luck.
Thank you everybody. I put these plants in when they were very small; too small, I thought afterwards. They don't show clearly in the photo but there are lengths of baling twine suspended from wires above the plants and i've been 'tucking' them round as they grow but will begin tying, as advised. I'm happy to let more trusses set but there is an often-cited 'rule' about limiting them, here in the U.K.; maybe it's just outdoor plants or something???
Wrapping the twine around your tomato plant and letting it grow upwards is a very good technique that I use myself some years...some say that is the best. The reason that I use a stake is to keep them from swaying around too much in the wind. Since you have already started using this method, maybe you don't need to change...or stake every other plant to hedge your bet. To be honest, if I had been alert enough to notice that the tom stems were entwined in the baling twine, I probably wouldn't have posted. heh heh heh When I look at your fotos now (knowing that they are on the twine), I can see the twine so easily. As for the truss thing--I normally don't go against local "rules of thumb" because they often exist for a reason; however, this time I would just say, go for the maximal harvest.
Growers in short season areas will sometimes limit the amt of fruit on a plant. After a certain date, they will remove any flowers that set. Especially on varieties that produce lg fruits. This is so the plant will put its energy into the fruit that needs to ripen and not new fruit that is just forming but won't have time to reach maturity.
