Tomato growing technique

Mine are in a small greenhouse and are nowhere near ready to fruit yet! I am more worried about my strawberries cos last year they got botrytis. I removed several of the worst plants and was told the rest would be fine this year - but they've still got botrytis. What I really need to know is if I chuck them all out will I need also to chuck out all the soil - they are in raised beds so it will be a lot of work and money to replace it all.

Esmay

Like knitting growing tomatoes isn't my forte .
I've just watered my little tomato plant .
It will be a miracle if it rewards me with one fruit !
Thank you for the tip .

That made me smile Esmay

This is for you:

Like knitting growing tomatoes isn't my forte .
I've just watered my little tomato plant .
It will be a miracle if it rewards me with one fruit !
Thank you for the tip .

Farid the website Hutton BlightSpy can be checked.

We grow them in our polytunnel.

Our tomato plants would be a forest if I didn't pinch out the shoots that grow in the armpit of the leaves. I take them out as I wind the stalks up the string. I can see the point of taking the actual leaves off once the trusses are big.
We have had blight the year before last. ruined twenty tomato plants with huge red trusses. Not sure how it came.
Last year it appeared on a few leaves and I harvested all the tomatoes and brought them home to ripen them. Dug all the plants out fast.
Any tips on avoiding blight are welcome?

Tomatoes used to grow them read somewhere when planting plant deep and remove 3 of the levels below soil level Also added shredded newspaper and compost 1 year added an Aspirin to soil planting in. Had a bumper crop that time only had 3 plants but huge paint gallon bucket filled to brim.

Tomatoes used to grow them read somewhere when planting plant deep and remove 3 of the levels below soil level Also added shredded newspaper and compost 1 year added an Aspirin to soil planting in. Had a bumper crop that time only had 3 plants but huge paint gallon bucket filled to brim.

When they start forming fruit once a week, in theory, but I keep forgetting!

How often do you all feed your tomatoes?

Start the feeding when the fruit begins to show, and definitely clear some of the excess leaves as you go.

I've not grown tomatoes for years but this year somebody gave me a plant which I'm growing on my balcony in a simple tall pot. I've got loads of tomatoes setting and already some are ripe, which is much earlier than I used to get them. I've been feeding it regularly and not pinched anything out or removed leaves, but the lower ones are yellowing so I'll do it this evening.
As I only have one plant I'm not bothered by the little additional shoots, some of which already have flowers though no fruit.

My tomato plants wont stop growing = they are massive. Think Day of the Triffids. Loads of green tomatoes at the moment - wonder when they'll ripen up. Maybe I should start removing some leaves..defo recommend Tomorite though

DH used Tomorite regularly and seaweed extract is good too.

I’ve taken the leaves off some and left them on the rest. I can’t see any difference between them. But I’m not an inspired tomato grower at the best of times… The trusses don’t seem very big. Perhaps I didn’t feed them at the right moment

Yes, cut off all the leaves below a truss of fruit……..then all the nutrients go to the fruit and not the leaves. Trust me, it works!

DH has always pinched out those extra little stems and leaves that grow in the axils (they're suckers) and probably some of the leaves too, but not all of them, then pinches the top out

Taking leaves off has several reasons, first is to stop water splash getting onto the lower leaves and starting rot. The tomatoes need to get bigger and needs its leaves plus food. Once the tomatoes are big enough then most leaves can come off while the plant concentrates on ripening the tomatoes. You do have to be watchful at that time as the plant will try and grow its side shoots

My DH always takes his tomato leaves off - something about air and sun. Towards the end of the season they are practically bald - and we get masses of tomatoes

I grow mine in halos which are on top of just half a bucket of compost. I water regularly and feed with green diluted comfrey juice. I have started to take off lower leaves, not too many yet as my tomatoes, being outside have a way to go. I do pinch the top of the plant off at 4 trusses, maybe 3. Then over time I will take leaves off. I always have done, the plants need air and sun

Yes, I thought photosynthesis might be a bit important, too..

Monty also suggests removing the leaves. We do it to increase the light getting to the fruit.
This years warm weather bodes well for tomatoes, chillies, cucumbers, aubergines and peppers. Ours are all rampant.
The only problem is that I over produced on the basis that every year a few wither!

I’m not sure MaizieD, but once I’ve pinched mine out at the top, when I’ve got 5/6 trusses, I remove about 60% of the leaves. Not to encourage more fruit, but to reduce the chances of blight and allow the sun to ripen what I’ve got.
I’d have thought basic rules of photosynthesis required the leaves whilst the fruit are forming?