2 tomato questions

OK, this is my first year of growing veg. I have 8 tomato plants in total. 6 in grow bags (with pots sitting in the grow bag), and 2 in the veg patch. The grow bag ones are doing OK, and being supported by 6 foot bamboo caned. These ones are just beginning to flower.

The ones in the veg patch confuse me. They don't have a central stem, they have about 3 strong stems each, on which there are flowers. Can a tomato plant have that kind of shape (it's more like a bush than like a central stem with branches going off it)? They are a lot less tall than the ones in the grow bags and do not require any growing support yet. The variety is moneymaker, I think. Should I have cut two of the stems off earlier? They all seem about as large as each other, so I didn't know which ones to chop off. Now that all the stems have flowers on them, should I leave them on?

Secondly, I have some nasturtiums growing near one of the grow bags, and the nasturtium is covered in black little bugs, I presume they are aphids or black fly or something (or maybe they are the same thing? Not sure). These black beasties have now crawled all over the nearby tomato plants. So, my question is: Are they harmful to tomatoes? Should I should I try to kill them, and if so, how? I don't want to make any future tomatoes poisonous.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

sorry i dont know much about the tomatoe plants but last year i had what you describe 3 large stems, i just left them and carried on pinching out the little bits that are described in another thread on here, (i still had a wonderful crop of tomatoes with the 3 main stems, infact i was inundated with them hehe)

i just asked the same question about the black fly in the pests section on here the advice i took was to spray them with soapy water which ive just done as i didnt fancy squishing them all. happy growing
kat

 

I suspect that (without noticing it) that you have damaged or pinched out the main stem and the plant is branching. No problem, except that you will have several trusses setting at the same time and there will be heavy demands on the plant. Moneymaker is very tolerant of mistreatment, so lots of water, lots of food and strong supports should still get you a decent crop if you pinch out any new side shoots. Essentially you are growing it as a bush, which is not ideal for this variety but will still give you adequate results in my experience.

 

Thinking further about your description of three strong stems coming out of the ground, It is probable that you have three separate plants growing together! Easy to happen as tomato seeds are so small.

 

Thanks guys.
Prastio, I think you are right. I covered the raised bed with netting to prevent the cats from getting in and digging it all up. That damaged the top of the plants which is probably why they are growing in a funny shape. I feed them with liquid tomato feed once a week - is that sufficient? I don't think they are three separate plants: I bought them in little pots from the GC and they were definitely a normal looking plant then - it's just since I've had it that it's gone all funny!

Minxicat: I'll try the soapy solution, thank you.

JWK: I am pinching out the little side shoots. Since I saw the picture on here of what they look like I've been doing it assiduously, on each one of the three stems!

As long as it'll still give me some tomatos to eat, I don't mind. I'll carry on looking after them, despite their odd shape!

 

Rosiemongrel,just looked at this thread and Minxicat is correct as far as soapy water solution killing the blackfly but another way and more pleasing to the eye is to grow flowers between them.As this encourages the bees and butterflies.And what do bees and butterflies like to eat?.Yes you got it Blackfly

Also to confirm your odd shaped toms,Is there a chance of a picture although it sounds that Prastio is right.

 

"I might leave them but nip out the growing tip so that the plant retains a nicer shape"

I do that - I figure I get a few extra leaves, and thus more "power", but I make sure the part I leave has no flowering trusses. I'm never keen to snap out a huge branch in case the wound I make gets infected - but how on earth do the things grow so big when one's back is only turned for a moment? :(

"I feed them with liquid tomato feed once a week - is that sufficient?"

best to read the instructions. For a greenhouse, potted, plant it would be more often, but that may be fine for an in-ground plant. Don't let the wind get to it, outdoor Toms hate the drying effect.