Riesentraube cherry tomato

[Gordonmull]

I'm trying this variety for the first time this year but the last wee while I've been eyeing it suspiciously. The plants are very compact with prominent sideshoots. They kind of have a determinate look about them. Double checked and they are supposed to be vines but also noted in a few places selling the seed that mentioned its "numerous sideshoots" produced lots of fruit.

Am I approaching growing cherries the wrong way? I was heading in the direction of what I'd do for a standard vine salad tomato like Alicante, i.e. a single vine and pruning the sideshoots but am I needing to engineer some sort of cage thingy instead?

[Gordonmull]

[Beersmith]

That's the thing about tomato side shoots.  You can be really diligent in pinching them out, but if you don't pay attention one of them will grow six inches while you are sitting in the shed drinking a coffee.

[pumkinlover]

From what I have read up it looks like another category of description is needed a sort of bushy vine. Oh and a large greenhouse!

[Gordonmull]

From what I have read up it looks like another category of description is needed a sort of bushy vine. Oh and a large greenhouse!

Yeah that's what I afraid of. I'll let them go and see what happens. Prune to keep it under control but let a few shoots grow.

[Beersmith]

I have a vague memory that determinate tomatoes tend to crop and ripen over a shorter time period whereas indeterminate will carry on cropping and ripening over a longer period until they get hit by blight or deteriorating weather.

Anyone know if this is correct or just my unreliable memory?

[saddad]

That would make sense.... but can't say I've given it any thought.

[BarriedaleNick]

Yes determinate tend to crop at once and that is what they grow here by the million - you don't pinch them out. They have been bred so that the fruit lasts on the plant and then they are harvested in one go.  Indeterminate can keep on producing for ages given the right conditions.
I have got some Summerlast toms - they are a dwarf variety but I have no idea if I am supposed to pinch them out or not.

[JanG]

I always feel uncertain what to expect with determinate tomatoes. Some of them are vigorous, sprawl everywhere and still need some kind of support.
This year I have Urbikany, originally from Real Seeds. They say," The large sprawling bushes only grow about 3' tall, but definitely need several stakes or strings to support the weight of all the tomatoes." I decided to plant it outside in a kind of wire cage made from stock fencing. It sounded like it would take up too much precious space in the polytunnel. Whether that will work or not remains to be seen.

[BarriedaleNick]

A mate of mine used to grow his determinates up through an old portable bed frame.  They would grow through it and then sort of collapse on top giving him a carpet of toms to sort through but keeping the fruit off the floor..

[Tiny Clanger]

Never grown Reusentraube, but do grow bushes cherry tomatoes every year. I grow them in hanging baskets. This year I'm growing Tumbler and Maskotka.Two of each, 1 to a basket. Never had bird predation till 3 seasons ago when one of the resident breeding female blackbirds took a fancy to Sweet Millions. She's tried to have a go at them every year since - and trained her offspring too! I use bets to keep them off supported on old small child's umbrella frames. The handle stuck in the compost doubles as support for the plant. I feed as normal and don't remove any shoots.

[Deb P]

I only grow bush tomatoes on my allotment now, they are the only type which have a chance of ripening before blight hits. Latah, Burbank bush and Maskotka are the varieties that have proven to work well, and I have saved seed for the last ten years of these so hopefully there is a degree of adaptation as well.
I grow mine with a frame of supports and net them for the first few weeks post planting out in June to help them establish quickly. They always fruit much earlier than my indeterminate plants in the greenhouse so I get a decent succession over the year.
I've grown Maskotka for quite a few years but never tried it in a hanging basket, the plants I've grown before are quite a big bush type and the fruits are semi beefsteaks so I will be interested to hear how you get on Tiny Clanger.

[BarriedaleNick]

I have grown some Summerlast this year.  They are dwarf types but I can't figure out what I am supposed to do with them.  Not sure if I am supposed to pinch out or not - they might need some support but they are tiny..

Edit - described as a bush variety so Ill leave the pinching out but looks like they do need support.....

[Tiny Clanger]

I only grow bush tomatoes on my allotment now, they are the only type which have a chance of ripening before blight hits. Latah, Burbank bush and Maskotka are the varieties that have proven to work well, and I have saved seed for the last ten years of these so hopefully there is a degree of adaptation as well.
I grow mine with a frame of supports and net them for the first few weeks post planting out in June to help them establish quickly. They always fruit much earlier than my indeterminate plants in the greenhouse so I get a decent succession over the year.
I've grown Maskotka for quite a few years but never tried it in a hanging basket, the plants I've grown before are quite a big bush type and the fruits are semi beefsteaks so I will be interested to hear how you get on Tiny Clanger.

Maskotka do well in baskets - just need to keep an eye on the dryness in the basket.  Small fruits that the grandchildren like very much.  Always get load of them too. Tumbler - Ive not grown before.  Let's hope its a good season 

[Deb P]

Tumblers are pretty prolific, I grow both red and yellow types. I now prefer red and yellow striped artisan, a bit big for baskets and are inclined to sprawl , feathery foliage but the small pointy fruits are delightful and tasty too. I've just kept saving the seeds and get a mixture of colours from both colours of seed so they have crossed themselves but retain the size and stripes so that's fine by me!