Grow Your Own Magazine

How do Tomato types grow?

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This is for those beginners who are not sure what type of tomato plant they may have and how they grow.

INDETERMINATE
Or cordon varieties, these are plants that should be trained up a cane or string and have side shoots pinched out leaving one main central stem. These plants can grow very tall and should be stopped by pinching out the tip when they have produced around five trusses of fruit.

Indeterminate varieties include

Shirley
Romana
Alicante
Aisa Craig

Plus many more

DETERMINATE

Or bush type, these are plants that are grown as a bush and as such they may need mulching underneath to keep the fruit free from mud as they tend to sprawl but are fairly self supporting. They have many branched stems and are lower gowing than cordons. Just let them get on with it. Trailing varieties are just a trailing bush types that form a few stems suitable for growing in baskets or troughs.

Varieties include

San Marzano
Roma

Plus many more

SEMI DETERMINATE

These plants swing both ways and are basically a bush that grows a bit more upright and may need tying to a cane to give it a bit of support. In all other respects they are pretty much treated like bush varieties but can be pruned to keep under control.

Varieties include

Marmande amongst others.


Cordons lend themselves for greenhouse growing although this is not exclusive and they may be grown outside.

Bush and Semi bush types are best grown outside as their sprawling growth can encouage botrytus if grown in a greenhouse with less than adequate ventilation although again, this is not exclusive and they can be grown under cover.
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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated Monday 28th April at 11.50hrs