Tomatoes - is this normal?

[Demeter]

I am growing two types of tomatoes this year, a tumbler (tumbling tom) and a cordon (sunbaby yellow) variety. I have a horrible feeling that my little helper has mixed up the labels or something because the cordon is growing in a tiny bush and the tumbler is standing up straight! Is this normal or have I got them the wrong way round? I don't want to be removing the sideshoots from the wrong one... My breezy confidence that everything will sort itself out in the end is evaporating fast!

Here is a picture of the (alleged) Tumbling Tom.
Tumbling Tom

And here is another one of the (alleged) Sunbaby.
Sunbaby yellow

Someone, please help!

[lottie dolly]

cannot tell from your picturs,but,the little toms,like tumbling toms,usually have a smaller leaf,the ones i have grow did anyway,if that is of any help to you.

[Demeter]

Thanks for that tip. It's too wet and dark to go and look now - but I think from the pictures (I have larger ones on my PC) and my memory that the little bushy alleged sunbabies have smaller leaves than the tall alleged tumbling toms... So that might suggest that I do indeed have them the wrong way round.

[Demeter]

Just bumping this up as I really would appreciate some help on this - I'm worried I will mess everything up by pinching out side shoots on the tumbler and failing to support (or pinch out) the cordon.
Please help!

[garygc2008]

I can only give an UN-educated guess, but looking at the pics i would say the're the wrong way round. But i'm a novice.... Sorry i couldn't be anymore help. You could always search google images with 'yellow tumbling tom seedling'

[Winky]

Hi Demeter - I'm no expert on tomatoes, but I think you could probably wait until they are somewhat larger before needing to pinch out, etc. I have various types of tomatoes and usually wait until they are quite large before pinching out or removing sideshoots (some of which I pot up to gain additional plants!). Good luck with yours.

[SarzWix]

Demeter, my PC won't load your pics for some reason? Anyway, as Winky says, you can wait a little while before you do anything. I have a major tomato mix up due to a whole tray of seedlings ending up on the floor and I've found they only really start looking different to each other once they've started flowering Branching ones will usually start branching with a vengeance once they've flowered - they usually only form a leaf or so after a flower truss, whereas a cordon/vine type has the flowers coming out of the main branch and the growing tip carries on going beyond that. Hope that helps?

[beaufontboy]

Hi, if its any help my yellow tumblers look just like your Sunbaby !!
Have a good one

[gojiberry]

Definitly got them round the wrong way, your tumbling tom plant doesn't look leggy but it does look to tall for a tumbling tom. As winky said you don't have to do anything for a while yet by which time you will definitly know which is which. All my tumbling tom are in baskets now with flowers just comming and the plants are only about 4 inches high and quite bushy.

Ian

[Demeter]

Argh! I googled for images and although I didn't find a sunbaby I did find some tumbling toms that looked like mine (and I remember reading on here recently that they can grow up tall before they start to tumble) so I'd decided that they were the right way round - that maybe I'd just stunted the sunbaby by waiting too long to pot it on - but now I'm not so sure! Oh well, as many have said, if I leave them a while longer hopefully all will become clear... I've just got that new mummy worry thing going on!

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts.

[Demeter]

The punchline

Well thanks for all the hints and tips - as you all said, after a couple of weeks it is all clear.

I am now completely convinced that they were definitely the wrong way round: One lot have grown 2 feet tall and have a few flowers and buds, while the other lot are still no more than 6" or so tall and are covered in flowers!

I've staked the tall ones and taken out the side shoots and now they look like proper cordons, yes? And, as if I needed more, I've taken some cuttings from the sideshoots... just to see if it works, honest

2008-05 Tomatoes sorted out

[bridget mc laughlin]

I think you you have mixed up your lables

[davefromthechipie]

Never grown sunbaby before ,but the ones marked sunbaby look just like my tumb toms 3weeks ago

[Demeter]

I think you you have mixed up your lables

Yep!

Never grown sunbaby before ,but the ones marked sunbaby look just like my tumb toms 3weeks ago

Yep!