Workbook: Growing and roguing

Most tomato varieties are ‘indeterminate’ and can be trained as a cordon. Support these with stout canes or up strings, as they can easily grow up to 1.5m in height. Remove side shoots regularly and the growing tip once four or five trusses have set fruit to encourage ripening. These varieties can also be allowed to ramble if given space (at least 1m²), this is recommended for smaller-fruited varieties, where cordoning may reduce yield. ‘Determinate’ tomato varieties will form a natural bush and cannot be trained as a cordon. 

Indeterminate (vine or cordon) tomatoes

• Fruit will develop from flower trusses, stalks that grow from the main stem.
• Support the central stem with a cane or string in order to train it as a cordon (1.5 to 2m tall).
• Pinching out the side shoots of cordon tomatoes is important to increase the yield of your tomato plant. 
• Pinch out the small shoots between the main stem and leaves once the plant has developed at least six pairs of true leaves. 
• Take off the top shoot to stop after the final truss (usually 4 trusses for outdoor plants and 6 trusses for indoor plants)

Determinate (bush) tomatoes

• Bush tomatoes will produce multiple side shoots that bear the fruit.
  
• Support plants if necessary by tieing loosely to a 1m (3ft) cane.
  
• Don’t remove side shoots as this will reduce yield.
  
• A layer of straw underneath them will keep the fruits clean.