"Pam" wrote in message
...

All I can say is that the size of the tomatoes doesn't matter if they're
cracked from the sun, and from uneven soil moisture. The canopy of
leaves is
there for a good reason. Why screw around with it? With almost any
modern
tomato variety, I find that 2 big plants gives me more than enough
tomatoes
for a family of 3, plus assorted neighbors. I grow them in a simple,
home
made cylindrical cage, 3' in diameter and 5' high.

In some climates, where summer sun and temperatures are pretty mild,
removing
the laterals is definitely recommended, else the fruit receives
insufficient
sunlight to ripen satisfctorily.


Hmm! I didn't know that. But, I wasn't aware the fruit itself needed sun to
ripen. 90% of mine are shaded by the leaves. Maybe I'm missing out on faster
tomatoes. :-)