Increase your tomato crop by pinching out the side shoots
It is really important to pinch out the side shoots of cordon tomatoes as leaving them to grow will seriously reduce your yield. The plant will concentrate on producing a lot of growth instead of concentrating on producing fruit.
The side shoots grow in the axil between the stem and the leaf; just nip off between thumb and forefinger.
Check for side shoots at least twice a week as in the height of the growing season they grow extremely fast.
Once your tomato has got 5 trusses of fruit nip out the growing tip of the plant; it will then concentrate its energy into filling and ripening the fruit.
Don’t forget to water evenly or else the fruit will split; and keep feeding weekly with a high potash fertiliser, such as Tomorite. Feeding will ensure maximum fruit production and help guard against blossom end rot.
