Mrs Rucks Tomato - bush or cordon?

[Scarlet]

Has anyone grown this before? I'm not sure why I thought it was a cordon but I think it maybe a bush though I'm not entirely sure and I would like to know before I start taking out some side shoots. It's flowering very low down on the plant. I can't find any info anywhere

[rollingrock]

how about you don't prune the tomato plant and save time and increase the harvest.

[Scarlet]

Because (IMO) cordon tomatoes that aren't pruned correctly throw out huge amounts of greenery, become a tangled mess and take up a huge amount of space, using most of its energy to produce leaves. The yield isn't any better. I think I get much more fruit training up two stems.

[Bigmallly]

I can't find any info Scarlet, what's your gut feeling?

[rollingrock]

Scarlet that's strange since all that extra greenery gives me more and taster fruits.
but then again I cage my tomatoes instead growing them up a string or pole.
ps rhs current advice is against pruning or removing suckers/armpits since they produce fruit and strengthen plant. the extra foliage help prevent sun burn on fruits.

[WendyC]

ps rhs current advice is against pruning or removing suckers/armpits since they produce fruit and strengthen plant. the extra foliage help prevent sun burn on fruits.

Really? From the RHS website on tomato growing:

Remove the sideshoots regularly when they are about 2.5cm (1in) long. Those grown as bush or hanging basket types do not need to have sideshoots removed.

Sorry Scarlet, can't answer your question. Where did the seed come from? Could you leave one as a bush and train one as a cordon? Then see what happens.

[Zelenina]

Hi Scarlet. I found Mrs Ruck's in the 2012 HSL catalogue. It's described as "Determinate. Bush." and "It produces small, round, red fruit."

[Scarlet]

I can't find any info Scarlet, what's your gut feeling?

Gut feeling was a bush, flowering low down and not very tall but surprisingly there aren't many side shoots forming.

Hi Scarlet. I found Mrs Ruck's in the 2012 HSL catalogue. It's described as "Determinate. Bush." and "It produces small, round, red fruit."

Thank you! it was HSL seed I received in a swap. Ive found lots of info about Mrs Rucks herself but not much else!

[Scarlet]

Scarlet that's strange since all that extra greenery gives me more and taster fruits.

Taste is very subjective. All the extra greenery give much smaller fruits. Dense greenery can delay fruit ripening and can also cause fungal disease in the greenhouse.

[Bigmallly]

I was also thinking that due to low fruit it lends itself towards a bush variety.

[Scarlet]

Yes, that was the reason I questioned it. I have it written down as a cordon! I usually have a double row off cordons in my GH2 - a bush won't work in there. Will have to find another spot.

Zelenina, did it say how big it grew?

[WendyC]

Curious now. Who was Mrs Ruck? (Other than a tomato grower!)

[Scarlet]

Here you go Wendy Mrs Ruck was well to do!
The Hon. Mrs Catherine Ruck gave this variety to Mike Thurlow at Audley End before she passed away in 2004. Mrs Ruck was the daughter of the 7th Lord Braybrooke and the last person to remember Audley End as a family home. Mrs Ruck had moved to Cornwall to care for her elderly mother, where this tomato was growing. She gave Mike seeds of the variety in exchange for some ‘Tommy Toe’ plants, and he has been growing it ever since. It produces small, round, red fruit.

[Guest]

Yes, that was the reason I questioned it. I have it written down as a cordon! I usually have a double row off cordons in my GH2 - a bush won't work in there. Will have to find another spot.

Zelenina, did it say how big it grew?

the 2011 and 2012 cat. don't mention size

[Scarlet]

Thanks for looking NG, I may put them in pots then. I don't want to waste GH space of they are short. Is there any mention of Garden peach in them?