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I caught a bit of Gardeners World last week and Monty Don was pruning his tomato plants. I think he said that you should remove all the leaves below the first truss when it starts setting, and then when they have ripened remove leaves up to the next truss, and so on until there are no leaves left. I've not heard this advice before - is he right?
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I tend to remove the leaves as they go yellow anyway ~ from the bottom up
At the end of the season it's useful to remove all the leaves to try and get as much sun on the fruit as possAll gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb. -
Yes, commercial growers remove the lower leaves as the trusses form. They don't remove all the leaves as they never pinch the tops out.Comment
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Doing this improves air circulation helping to prevent disease.Comment
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I usually end up with a near bare plant by seasons end.
ColinPotty by name Potty by nature.
By appointment of VeggieChicken Member of the Nutters club.
We hang petty thieves and appoint great ones to public office.
Aesop 620BC-560BC
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I only remove ones which are either in the way or diseased and get loads of lovely sweet ripe fruits so will continue to do the same. I think you can become obsessed if you are too strict with when to do stuff.
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?Comment
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You mentioned something similar a week or so ago, Mark. I thought the whole idea of topping tomato plants was to divert all the plant's energy into feeding the remaining lower trusses, which consequently were more likely to fully ripen?Originally posted by Capsid View PostComment
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Yes, that's the idea. Plus we amateur growers tend to have unheated greenhouses, no artificial lighting and lower roofs than the commercial growers. I stop my toms when they reach the greenhouse roof (which they already have). I only take off leaves which are yellowing or diseased or just in the bl**** way.Originally posted by Hillwalker View PostComment
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I think you're right Alison. I remember stripping the leaves one year and after I'd finished the poor plants looked so sorry for themselves I wished I could have put them back.Originally posted by Alison View Post
Now I only remove diseased leaves.
Horses for courses spose!
My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)
Diversify & prosper
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Only withered leaves here too, or in the way of ripening vines. I should be so lucky this year, doesn't look like I'll get many.Granny on the Game in SheffieldComment
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The commercial growers have heated greenhouses, intense fertilisation and a long growing season. The plants can get to be 20-30 feet long, so they want to get as many trusses as possible.Originally posted by Hillwalker View Post
ETA: and they pick the fruit unripe so the ripening process is not essential.Last edited by Capsid; 13-07-2011, 09:30 AM.Comment
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I have always pinched lower leaves off.. a market gardener i knew advised me to do it improve airflow.
RogerComment
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Well, I'm giving Monty's advice a go this year. My greenhouse will be easier to access if nothing else!come visit a garden
or read about mine www.suburbanvegplot.blogspot.com/Comment
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