Indeterminate plum tomato?

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Indeterminate plum tomato?

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roobarb

Joined: 15 Apr 2008
Posts: 139
Location: Carmarthenshire

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 17 12:44 pm Post subject: Indeterminate plum tomato?

I've been growing plum tomatoes for a few years now in the polytunnel, usually Roma or San Marzano, with fairly good success. But the plants get so large and sprawling as they all seem to be determinate/bush plants. It makes they hard to pick, and mould etc. seems to spread much more because of the tangle of stems and leaves. Does anyone know if there are any indeterminate/cordon varieties of plum tomatoes, or has anyone tried growing Roma and the like as a cordon? What are the yields like? I've seen tomato growing frames for sale, maybe these are the answer...anyone used these?

Hope everyone's growing season is/has gone well. It's been a mixed bag here in W Wales, with a lack of sunny days making it hard for things to ripen properly.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 17 3:22 pm Post subject:

I grew some 'bush' tomatoes, Sungold, and used canes to tie the stems to, arranged as an inverted umbrella which seemed to keep them 'open', there was no moulding with this system, but it was nothing I was watching for, and I cut some of the shoots off to prevent overcrowding. This was under a south-east facing barn. I expect you could grow them by arranging the canes as an upright "fan", tying the stems to them as they grow-worth a try anyway. Think I would grow them north to south so both sides get even sunshine-theory only-with the afternoon side ripening first as it is usually warmer in the afternoon.
To stop them becoming rampant I reduced the numbers of shoots to what I wanted rather than allowing the plant to produce excess foliage, and attempt to produce lots of very small fruits, not that Sungold fruits are big anyway.

gythagirl

Joined: 18 Feb 2010
Posts: 1467
Location: Somerset

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 17 9:46 am Post subject:

I grow Sungold (my favourite) every year, it is actually an indeterminate although it grows sideshoots like they're going out of fashion - I sometimes (inadvertently) end up with 2 'leaders' so just put up 2 sticks.

Last year I decided to try San Marzano as a cordon to prevent it colonising the polytunnel, but failed miserably as it would have been a full time job stopping it growing into a bush! I still have some seeds so next year I'll just try and remember to give it LOTS of room!

Midlandsman

Joined: 22 May 2014
Posts: 116

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 17 6:55 pm Post subject:
The heirloom variety Amish Paste may fit the bill. HTH

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