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How do Tomato types grow?

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  • How do Tomato types grow?

    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.
    Last edited by pigletwillie; 03-02-2007, 06:37 PM.

  • #2
    Cheers for that Pigletwillie. I have two brandywine seedlings which popped their heads through the soil this morning. Which category are they please?
    Happy Gardening,
    Shirley

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    • #3
      Thanks Piglet. I shall put a sticky on it so the information is available this summer.
      [

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      • #4
        Shirl Brandywine grow like a cordon but can be left as a bush so that would make them Semi Determinate.
        [

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        • #5
          Brandywine are a cordon Shirl.

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          • #6
            Thanks folks, would have treated them as cordon as that is the only way I ever saw toms growing!!!
            Happy Gardening,
            Shirley

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            • #7
              First year my bruv grew tomatoes he had cordon type but didn't realise you had to remove the side shoots - had a very over crowded greenhouse that year but at least it was an occaision when I could advise my supposedly older and more knowledgeable brother and he learnt pretty quickly.

              Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

              Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

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              • #8
                Piglet.
                I'm growing supersteak this year and if I am successful and I get fruit, am I right in thinking they are going to need a fair bit of support as the fruits can get pretty heavy? I've never grown a big variety before

                Kirsty
                Kirsty b xx

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                • #9
                  Its always a good idea to support any plant with a weighty crop Kirsty. Keep an eye on them when they start to swell and you will be able to decide if they warrant extra support or not.

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                  • #10
                    Thanks Piglet.
                    Kirsty b xx

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                    • #11
                      I noticed the other night PW on the Victoria Veg Garden programme, they had their tomato canes angled in over the path, just as you recommended in another post.

                      Do I get a gold star for noticing that ?
                      ~
                      Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.
                      ~ Mary Kay Ash

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                      • #12
                        Two stars Jennie, The old ideas are still sometimes the best.

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                        • #13
                          If you have kids you might like to try this, put a small box (about the size of a red nose box if you buy one) around the fruit, when its really small. The tomato will grow square!
                          Geordie

                          Te audire non possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure


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