Should I remove the first truss of flowers on my Tomatoes?

When to pinch out the growing tips and how many tomato trusses to allow on our tall varieties will be decided at the time of the season.

We need to take into account a number of things before we pinch out the growing tips.

Depending on the variety and growing conditions, fruit can take between two and three months to mature.If we have good weather up to the end of September, we should be able to see the highest trusses in July.

Smaller varieties have less growing to do than larger ones so they mature more quickly.

The weather can affect how quickly tomatoes grow and the cut-off point when plants stop growing.

If you are growing outside, you can.

If you have a tall enough greenhouse, you can grow more trusses before you pinch out the growing tips.The photo was taken by Ted S.

When it comes to ripe tomatoes, a plant with fewer trusses will usually produce them sooner than one with more.

Tumbling Tom is a variety that requires better conditions for flower set than many other varieties.It is very productive when it gets going and its tasty tomatoes have a good shelf life, although they probably won't need it because they'll soon be eaten!

Tumbling Tom can be started off early in the season without becomingleggy, so it is usually the first variety I sow each season.

One of the best tastes of any cherry variety is the Red Alert variety, and it is very productive.It's disadvantage is that it becomes very leggy early in the season when there isn't enough light.

When flowers fail to set, they can have a devastating effect.

Encourage flower to pollinate by tapping plants and using something that vibrates such as an electric toothbrush held against the flowers that mimics the sound of bees.One newsletter reader asked if it was an oral bee.

A few seasons ago, I made a video.There is an electric oral bee and pinching out the growing tip of plants.

You will see the use of side later in the video.

If you live in a short season area, taking side shoots mid-season isn't worth it.There isn't enough time for the plants and fruit to mature before autumn.

It is possible to take small cuttings and over-winter them indoors.This produces a very early crop in the Spring, more about this in a later newsletter.