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Tomatoe plant has turned into a monster

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  • 23-07-2018 7:15pm
    #1
    sexmag
    Registered Users Posts: 1,303 ✭✭✭


    Ok I'll admit this to boards but no chance that I'll admit it to my Mrs who said I would fail....I'm in way over my head. I didn't research anything and just dived right in.

    I bought a nice little tomatoe plant about 2 months ago thinking it would be easy to grow and have a few tomatoes but with the weather we've had it's turned into a monster and just hasn't stopped growing, have a look at this link.

    http://imgur.com/gallery/6TCvhSQ

    It's starting to grow some tomatoes when I'm able to hack my way in to look at the middle but it's just getting bigger and bigger....What the hell do I?


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    #2
    JustAThought
    Registered Users Posts: 5,324 ✭✭✭JustAThought


    Omg - talk about day of the triffids! Get some pasta and lettuce in - youre going to be eating a lot of tomtoms!


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    #3
    standardg60
    Registered Users Posts: 4,699 ✭✭✭standardg60


    Lol I could give advice about stopping each stem at three trusses and staking each to lift them off the ground to stop the fruit rotting but what the hell live and let live..you're still gonna get loads of edible ones. Just keep it fed and pretend you know what you're doing :-).


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    #4
    castie
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 3,807 ✭✭✭castie


    If it gets too tall it will need to be tied to something to keep it bending and damaging itself.

    Keep it sheltered from the wind as well or it'll get blown over.


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    #5
    sexmag
    Registered Users Posts: 1,303 ✭✭✭sexmag


    castie wrote: »
    If it gets too tall it will need to be tied to something to keep it bending and damaging itself.

    Keep it sheltered from the wind as well or it'll get blown over.

    There's a pole around 1.5 meteres already propping it up, you can see it to the top left of the plant.

    I think I'll just have to move house


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    #6
    standardg60
    Registered Users Posts: 4,699 ✭✭✭standardg60


    castie wrote: »
    If it gets too tall it will need to be tied to something to keep it bending and damaging itself.

    Keep it sheltered from the wind as well or it'll get blown over.

    Yes, tell the Mrs it now requires staking, pinching out (cut off the ends of all the stems), and a high potassium fertilizer (tomato feed to you and I).


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    #7
    CelticRambler
    Registered Users Posts: 6,826 ✭✭✭CelticRambler


    You're gonna need a bigger stake ... or three. Look through the mass of vegetation and find the longest stems, then tie them up as high as they'll go. You might need several ties - bunch of grown tomatoes is very heavy.
    Apart from those long stems, there'll be a whole load of others coming off at or just above ground level. You'll have to decide whether to pull them off to make the whole thing look tidy, sacrificing a few dozen potential tomatoes in the process; or hoik them up off the ground too, in any way that works.
    As you've got them growing up against a wall, I'd be wary of leaving too much vegetation - it'll stop the sun ripening the fruit at the back.


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    #8
    castie
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 3,807 ✭✭✭castie


    sexmag wrote: »
    castie wrote: »
    If it gets too tall it will need to be tied to something to keep it bending and damaging itself.

    Keep it sheltered from the wind as well or it'll get blown over.

    There's a pole around 1.5 meteres already propping it up, you can see it to the top left of the plant.

    I think I'll just have to move house


    You sure that's 1.5m??

    Looks about 2 blocks high but that might just be the perspective of the photo.


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    #9
    damon5
    Registered Users Posts: 831 ✭✭✭damon5


    Would say the first pic is when it was planted as a small plant,the second is the ogre its turning into :cool:


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    #10
    castie
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 3,807 ✭✭✭castie


    damon5 wrote: »
    Would say the first pic is when it was planted as a small plant,the second is the ogre its turning into :cool:


    Oh dear I was only seeing the first one!

    The other thing to do is pinch out the top to stop it growing up and make it concentrate on producing fruit.


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    #11
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,394 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Tie some baling twine to the top of the wall and wrap it around the plant, leaving some slack.

    Tomato plants can easily grow to about 2.5 metres. Probably needs about 8-10 litres of water per day at the moment. Water last thing at night.


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    #12
    Harry Palmr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    Determinate tomatoes don't really need pruning (there is no way that's a vine variety). Stake it in two more spots further right, see it gets enough juice and enjoy the harvest when it comes.


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    #13
    Wheety
    Registered Users Posts: 5,510 ✭✭✭Wheety


    Mine were around 6 foot tall last year (had 6 of them). They took over the sunroom. You need to top them when they are tall enough, by cutting the main stem. This will stop vertical growth. Also pinch out any growth at the base of the main branches.

    Looks like you weren't pinching the new growth all along :D


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    #14
    Keplar240B
    Registered Users Posts: 883 ✭✭✭Keplar240B


    Do rats and slug eat tomatoes?


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