Topic: do ALL toms have side shoots???

[antipodes]

I tied up some of the toms this week and I pulled off side shoots from a few of them, but some don't seem to grow side shoots at all!! Is that likely?
I have three varieties, marmande big ones - i think they have them - harzfeuer salad ones and cherries. OK they are kinda mixed up together. Some seems bushy, small and have 3 or 4 main stems - the others have a central stem and side branches.

Can anyone give me some more info on why they are different??
Not complaining - there are loads of flowers!!!

[daileg]

well firstly i would of thought your refering to pinching out
your main stem from the soil goes right up then you should have branches . in between these you have small shoots these will form branches if allowed to grow so when it comes to holding (suporting your toms without breaking the stems later in the growth you will habe to many to suport
the little ones in betwen the branches and the stem need to be pinche out ( broken off )

[GodfreyRob]

You may have a mixture of types - Vine and Bush. The Vine type are the ones you need to pinch out the side shoots, whereas the bush types can be left to themselves (although a short cane might be needed to stabalise them).

Real Seeds have more: http://www.realseeds.co.uk/bushandvine.html

[Tee Gee]

Some seems bushy, small and have 3 or 4 main stems

The fact that you have three or four stems means you have missed two or three side shoots and these have thickened into main stems.

Some varieties are prone to this I would guess its your cherry varieties that have formed in this way, although it would happen to any variety if you allowed it!

[antipodes]

I am sure that can't be it - the stems are actually coming up from nearly ground level. And the plant isn't THAT big yet - they are about knee height.

Well does it really matter? If it's the difference between getting 10 tomatoes or getting 12, it probably doesn't matter if I pinch out the side shoots on all of them???

Still, in France they call side shoots "Gourmands" or greedy ones, so they must take some strength from the plant in some way!

[daileg]

yes this is correct they take the sugars from the plant i also get the odd shoot from the base below the origanal seed leaves this is normal still needs to come off