Conventional wisdom has it that you must always pinch out the side shoots which develop on your tomato plants. This advice is so entrenched that even non-gardeners know about it. For years I have done this, believing it to be not only correct, but the only way to grow your tomatoes. Well, in 2023 I'm doing things differently and I'm excited to report that leaving the side shoots on the plant is not only proving to be incredibly productive but it has caused me to seriously doubt what I've always believed to be true. What are side shoots? Side shoots are produced by the main stem as the plant grows. They grow diagonally upwards in the space between the main stem and where a leaf grows out of the main stem. If left on the plant they will develop into a stem in their own right. What's the thinking behind removing side shoots? Side shoots are traditionally removed to keep the plant growing with only one main stem so that all of the plant's energy goes directly into producing fruit on this stem. What happens if side shoots are left to grow? It is said that if you don't remove the side shoots, you will end up with a large somewhat unruly bushy plant with lots of green growth and lower yields. But is this true?
So why am I recommending leaving side shoots intact? In the summer of 2022 I visited an organic diary farm in Dorset. In addition to a fabulous produce shop, a beautiful herd of Jersey cows and an assortment of colourful chickens bustling around, I discovered a polytunnel and this is what i found inside...
Absolute carnage, right?!? I couldn't believe my eyes! Who would leave their tomatoes in this mess? Why would you start growing tomatoes and then not take care of them properly? I couldn't get my head around it. I spent quite some time in the polytunnel trying to work out what I was seeing. Finally I understood. It is quite possible, even highly desirable, to leave side shoots intact and let the tomato plants develop into large multi-stemmed plants that can produce incredible yields. The tomatoes in the polytunnel were proof of this. I decided to grow my tomatoes in this way in 2023. How are my tomatoes getting on in 2023 with intact side shoots? Brilliantly! This year I have grown fabulously large, multi-stemmed plants (from seed) for myself and my clients. I have left the side shoots to develop naturally and tied them in to the main stem and their supports. The yields are incredible, despite the really poor weather this summer. I'm growing both outside and in greenhouses.
In the photo above, you can see the size of the tomato plants with side shoots left intact. The plants have produced large volumes of greenery including lots of leaves and trusses. Both plants in the photo are identical: the plant on the right is exactly the same size but I have stripped away the lower leaves, as well as some of the higher ones, so that plenty of light can reach the trusses.
In the photo above you can see the results of removing leaves more clearly. This is how I treat my plants once the trusses have developed (but not ripened). I think it's important to let the plants retain all of their leaves when they're growing their trusses to photosynthesise as much as possible. After the trusses have set and before the fruit ripens, I remove all the lower leaves and some of the leaves at mid-height. This reduces congestion, improves air flow and helps the sun to reach the fruit. As you can see, the plants are pretty enormous and have lots of lovely trusses of fruit! Try it yourself next year and see what you think!
So what do you need to know before you try this?
Grow in the ground. I grow all of my tomatoes directly into the soil, rather than in growbags. Because I don't use the latter, I haven't tried to grow tomatoes with intact side shoots in growbags. I imagine that the plants will struggle to sustain the additional side shoot growth in restricted root space. Even if you compensate with additional water and feed, I suspect that they will struggle. So if you try this technique, plant your tomatoes in the ground.
Mulch, mulch, mulch. Whether you use a thick layer of compost or bark chips, mulching your plants helps to lock in moisture, reduce soil erosion and reduce splashback onto the leaves when you water.
Feed regularly. I alternate between using a specific tomato feed and using an organic liquid seaweed. I feed twice a week, switching between the two feeds. I also add chicken manure to the soil before planting out my tomatoes and very lightly incorporate it.
Encourage pollinators by planting flowering annuals nearby. For plants outside, I normally interplant with nasturtium or marigolds. For those plants inside a greenhouse, I make sure that there are lots of flowering plants just outside the door as well as some tenders inside. I leave the roof vent and main door fully open so that pollinators can get in (and out).
Tie-in regularly. Tomatoes grow incredibly quickly. Sometimes I'm tying in a few times a week. Leaving the side shoots intact does mean that you have more stems to manage. Don't tie them too tightly together as they will need space for their own trusses to develop.
Use strong supports. I have discovered (not surprisingly) that multi-stemmed tomatoes require more substantial support than standard single-stem plants. My outside plants have ended up with a tripod system and they really needed this because when they were in full leaf they looked like they might take off. My greenhouse tomatoes are fine with their single canes because they don't get buffeted by the wind.
Brace yourself for masses of tomatoes!
Prepare for questions and inquisitive looks from fellow gardeners!