Pinching out and training

Pinching out the tip removes the plant's lead bud so side shoots take over, giving stockier plants with more flowers or fruit. Removing tomato side shoots on cordon types keeps the plant's energy in the main stem and its trusses, and regular tying in keeps growth neat, supported and productive.

When

Pinch out and train through the growing season, from late spring to late summer, as plants put on growth. Pinch out cordon tomato side shoots weekly from June onward, and stop the main stem in late summer.

How

1. Pinch out the very tip of young plants such as sweet peas, cosmos, fuchsias and bedding to make them branch and bush out. 2. On cordon tomatoes, snap out the side shoots that appear in the joint between the main stem and each leaf while they are still small. 3. Tie the growing tip loosely to a cane or twist it up a support string. 4. In late summer, pinch out the top of cordon tomatoes two leaves above the top truss so the fruit ripens. 5. Guide and tie in climbers and wall shrubs as they grow.

Notes

Bush and tumbling tomatoes are not pinched out. Work with clean fingers or snips to reduce disease spread, and pinch while shoots are small so the wounds are tiny.