Years ago, I watched a TV documentary on tomato growing. The
grower was asked why he removed all the leaves from his plants,
and he said that he supplied all the nutrients they needed, and
he wanted it all to go to the fruit, not into the leaves. He
was growoing in I think a heated greenhouse.

Does anyone do this to their toms?

I'm wondering this year, as they have made an awful lot of
leeaf growth in the greenhouse (cold), and I would like to get
as much sun onto the fruit as possible, giving the weather we
are ahving.


--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales

On 25/08/2014 21:23, Malcolm wrote:

In article ,
Roger Tonkin writes
Years ago, I watched a TV documentary on tomato growing. The
grower was asked why he removed all the leaves from his plants,
and he said that he supplied all the nutrients they needed, and
he wanted it all to go to the fruit, not into the leaves. He
was growoing in I think a heated greenhouse.

Does anyone do this to their toms?

I'm wondering this year, as they have made an awful lot of
leeaf growth in the greenhouse (cold), and I would like to get
as much sun onto the fruit as possible, giving the weather we
are ahving.

I grow tomatoes in an unheated polytunnel and was told by an experienced
gardener a few years ago to remove the lower leaves, up to a foot to 18
inches above ground, to allow the air to circulate which would cut down
the chances of mildew developing. Since adopting this procedure, I get
less mildew than I used to, but I don't have any plants without leaves
removed, so no control. The gardener at a local commercial garden
removes all the leaves once the first fruits are ripening and seems to
share the view of the TV grower. Looking on the internet also seems to
produce no consensus on how many leaves to remove or, indeed, why do it
at all!

Sorry but I don't thin I've ever heard anything so daft.
You can give the plants all the food you want but the plant still has to
process it into a form it can use.
It would be like giving you a bag of flour a bottle of water and some
yeast and a bit of salt. It would take your skill and know how to turn
it into bread.
You might get some fruit on the plants but it would be tasteless.
I would strip off the leaves up to the truss that is ripening but no
further, this will help the light get to the fruit and give you a more
even ripening.
Look at the Large growers such as Thanet earth and they only strip to
ripening fruit.
This sounds more like a wind up than a serious question.
reminds me of an Italian lady I had a a customer many years ago, her
neighbour told her to remove all the flowers from her cucumber plants,
luckily she asked before doing it.

On 25/08/2014 21:09, Roger Tonkin wrote:
Years ago, I watched a TV documentary on tomato growing. The
grower was asked why he removed all the leaves from his plants,
and he said that he supplied all the nutrients they needed, and
he wanted it all to go to the fruit, not into the leaves. He
was growoing in I think a heated greenhouse.

Does anyone do this to their toms?

I'm wondering this year, as they have made an awful lot of
leeaf growth in the greenhouse (cold), and I would like to get
as much sun onto the fruit as possible, giving the weather we
are ahving.


The grower was misguided. Leaves are essential because through
photosynthesis they produce carbohydrates which the growing plant
(including the fruit) needs. Added nutrients can not do this.
By all means remove leaves that are starting to wither or showing signs
of disease but keep the healthy ones..
R.


---
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On 26/08/2014 08:48, Ragnar wrote:
On 25/08/2014 21:09, Roger Tonkin wrote:
Years ago, I watched a TV documentary on tomato growing. The
grower was asked why he removed all the leaves from his plants,
and he said that he supplied all the nutrients they needed, and
he wanted it all to go to the fruit, not into the leaves. He
was growoing in I think a heated greenhouse.

Does anyone do this to their toms?

I'm wondering this year, as they have made an awful lot of
leeaf growth in the greenhouse (cold), and I would like to get
as much sun onto the fruit as possible, giving the weather we
are ahving.


The grower was misguided. Leaves are essential because through
photosynthesis they produce carbohydrates which the growing plant
(including the fruit) needs. Added nutrients can not do this.
By all means remove leaves that are starting to wither or showing signs
of disease but keep the healthy ones..
R.

Absolutely. I wonder how this nonsense of removing leaves to ripen fruit
occurred. Isn't it recommended with grapes, too? Ripening is
hormone-controlled, and that hormone is mainly ethylene. Since ripening
can occur in the dark (such as putting unripe fruit inside a paper bag
with ripe bananas to help ripen it), light isn't required. Just another
one of the old gardening chestnuts which abound (I'd love to know how
the idea of tying daffodil leaves in knots after flowering started!).

Maybe it would liven up Gardener's World if once every episode they
examined an old gardening chestnut to see if there was any truth in it.

--

Jeff

On 26/08/2014 10:32, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 26/08/2014 08:48, Ragnar wrote:
On 25/08/2014 21:09, Roger Tonkin wrote:
Years ago, I watched a TV documentary on tomato growing. The
grower was asked why he removed all the leaves from his plants,
and he said that he supplied all the nutrients they needed, and
he wanted it all to go to the fruit, not into the leaves. He
was growoing in I think a heated greenhouse.

Does anyone do this to their toms?

I'm wondering this year, as they have made an awful lot of
leeaf growth in the greenhouse (cold), and I would like to get
as much sun onto the fruit as possible, giving the weather we
are ahving.


The grower was misguided. Leaves are essential because through
photosynthesis they produce carbohydrates which the growing plant
(including the fruit) needs. Added nutrients can not do this.
By all means remove leaves that are starting to wither or showing signs
of disease but keep the healthy ones..
R.

Absolutely. I wonder how this nonsense of removing leaves to ripen fruit
occurred. Isn't it recommended with grapes, too? Ripening is
hormone-controlled, and that hormone is mainly ethylene. Since ripening
can occur in the dark (such as putting unripe fruit inside a paper bag
with ripe bananas to help ripen it), light isn't required. Just another
one of the old gardening chestnuts which abound (I'd love to know how
the idea of tying daffodil leaves in knots after flowering started!).

Maybe it would liven up Gardener's World if once every episode they
examined an old gardening chestnut to see if there was any truth in it.


The idea of tying daff leaves in a bunch is just to keep the place tidy
without cutting them off and thus denying the bulb of that feed they
still can send in to help develop it for next season.

On Mon, 25 Aug 2014 21:09:09 +0100, Roger Tonkin
wrote:

Years ago, I watched a TV documentary on tomato growing. The
grower was asked why he removed all the leaves from his plants,
and he said that he supplied all the nutrients they needed, and
he wanted it all to go to the fruit, not into the leaves. He
was growoing in I think a heated greenhouse.

Does anyone do this to their toms?

I'm wondering this year, as they have made an awful lot of
leeaf growth in the greenhouse (cold), and I would like to get
as much sun onto the fruit as possible, giving the weather we
are ahving.

I have six tomato plants in the greenhouse. A friend told me to remove
the leaves to encourage more fruit. I removed the leaves on three of
the plants. All the plants have produced lots of tomatoes. The ones
without leaves don't taste as good but that may be all in the mind.

Steve

--
Neural Network Software http://www.npsnn.com
EasyNN-plus More than just a neural network http://www.easynn.com
SwingNN Prediction software http://www.swingnn.com
JustNN Just a neural network http://www.justnn.com

"David Hill" wrote in message
...

The idea of tying daff leaves in a bunch is just to keep the place tidy without cutting
them off and thus denying the bulb of that feed they still can send in to help develop
it for next season.

Another 'old chestnut' David. Research was carried out in
Cornwall many years ago and it was found that cutting off
the leaves immediately after flowering, greatly improved
the bulbs for the following year. The leaves produced
before flowering are producing the nutrition for the following
year. Allowing the leaves to die back increases the risk
of introducing virus, fungal disease and in particular eelworm
into the bulb. I cut my daff leaves immediately after flowering
and the numbers and health are increasing year on year.

Ardmhor

On Tue, 26 Aug 2014 13:22:04 +0100, "philgurr"
wrote:


"David Hill" wrote in message
...

The idea of tying daff leaves in a bunch is just to keep the place tidy without cutting
them off and thus denying the bulb of that feed they still can send in to help develop
it for next season.

Another 'old chestnut' David. Research was carried out in
Cornwall many years ago and it was found that cutting off
the leaves immediately after flowering, greatly improved
the bulbs for the following year. The leaves produced
before flowering are producing the nutrition for the following
year. Allowing the leaves to die back increases the risk
of introducing virus, fungal disease and in particular eelworm
into the bulb. I cut my daff leaves immediately after flowering
and the numbers and health are increasing year on year.


I don't tie the leaves up. I leave a few stubs so I know where the
bulbs are to avoid chopping them into bits with a spade or digging
them up completely.

Steve

--
Neural Network Software http://www.npsnn.com
EasyNN-plus More than just a neural network http://www.easynn.com
SwingNN Prediction software http://www.swingnn.com
JustNN Just a neural network http://www.justnn.com

On 26/08/2014 10:32, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 26/08/2014 08:48, Ragnar wrote:
On 25/08/2014 21:09, Roger Tonkin wrote:
Years ago, I watched a TV documentary on tomato growing. The
grower was asked why he removed all the leaves from his plants,
and he said that he supplied all the nutrients they needed, and
he wanted it all to go to the fruit, not into the leaves. He
was growoing in I think a heated greenhouse.

Does anyone do this to their toms?

I'm wondering this year, as they have made an awful lot of
leeaf growth in the greenhouse (cold), and I would like to get
as much sun onto the fruit as possible, giving the weather we
are ahving.


The grower was misguided. Leaves are essential because through
photosynthesis they produce carbohydrates which the growing plant
(including the fruit) needs. Added nutrients can not do this.
By all means remove leaves that are starting to wither or showing signs
of disease but keep the healthy ones..
R.

Absolutely. I wonder how this nonsense of removing leaves to ripen fruit
occurred. Isn't it recommended with grapes, too? Ripening is
hormone-controlled, and that hormone is mainly ethylene. Since ripening
can occur in the dark (such as putting unripe fruit inside a paper bag
with ripe bananas to help ripen it), light isn't required. Just another
one of the old gardening chestnuts which abound (I'd love to know how
the idea of tying daffodil leaves in knots after flowering started!).

Maybe it would liven up Gardener's World if once every episode they
examined an old gardening chestnut to see if there was any truth in it.

How can you liven up a dead duck?

""How can you liven up a dead duck?""

I don't know, how can you liven up a dead duck?

Mike

..................................................
For those ex Royal Navy.
http://angelradioisleofwight.moonfru...ive/4574468641
7.30 – 8.00 pm Wednesday 27th August 2014
‘From the Crowe’s Nest’




"Broadback" wrote in message ...

On 26/08/2014 10:32, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 26/08/2014 08:48, Ragnar wrote:
On 25/08/2014 21:09, Roger Tonkin wrote:
Years ago, I watched a TV documentary on tomato growing. The
grower was asked why he removed all the leaves from his plants,
and he said that he supplied all the nutrients they needed, and
he wanted it all to go to the fruit, not into the leaves. He
was growoing in I think a heated greenhouse.

Does anyone do this to their toms?

I'm wondering this year, as they have made an awful lot of
leeaf growth in the greenhouse (cold), and I would like to get
as much sun onto the fruit as possible, giving the weather we
are ahving.


The grower was misguided. Leaves are essential because through
photosynthesis they produce carbohydrates which the growing plant
(including the fruit) needs. Added nutrients can not do this.
By all means remove leaves that are starting to wither or showing signs
of disease but keep the healthy ones..
R.

Absolutely. I wonder how this nonsense of removing leaves to ripen fruit
occurred. Isn't it recommended with grapes, too? Ripening is
hormone-controlled, and that hormone is mainly ethylene. Since ripening
can occur in the dark (such as putting unripe fruit inside a paper bag
with ripe bananas to help ripen it), light isn't required. Just another
one of the old gardening chestnuts which abound (I'd love to know how
the idea of tying daffodil leaves in knots after flowering started!).

Maybe it would liven up Gardener's World if once every episode they
examined an old gardening chestnut to see if there was any truth in it.

How can you liven up a dead duck?

On 26/08/2014 16:39, Broadback wrote:

Maybe it would liven up Gardener's World if once every episode they
examined an old gardening chestnut to see if there was any truth in it.

How can you liven up a dead duck?

Sounds like a canard to me. ;-)

--

Jeff