Side-shooting

Side-shooting (also called removing sideshoots) is one of the most useful jobs to learn if you're growing tomatoes for the first time. It applies to cordon tomatoes — also known as indeterminate or vine tomatoes — which are trained as a single tall stem up a cane or string. A sideshoot is the small leafy shoot that appears in the 45-degree "V" angle where a leaf joins the main stem. Left alone, each one grows into a whole new stem, and the plant turns into a bushy tangle of leaves at the expense of ripe fruit.

Why cordon tomatoes need it

A cordon tomato has the potential to keep growing and branching all season. By rubbing out the sideshoots, you keep the plant to one main stem, so its energy goes into flowers and fruit rather than endless foliage. This also keeps the plant open and airy, which matters in our damp UK summers because good airflow helps reduce the risk of fungal problems.

The fruit-bearing trusses (the flowering side branches that carry the tomatoes) are not sideshoots and must stay — only remove the leafy shoots growing from the leaf joints.

Why bush types don't need it

Bush, or determinate, tomatoes are bred to grow short and stop at a set height, producing their crop over a few weeks. They're meant to branch freely, so there's nothing to remove. Tumbling varieties grown in hanging baskets are bush types too. If you side-shoot a bush tomato you'll simply reduce your harvest, so always check whether your variety is cordon or bush before you start — the seed packet will say.

How to do it

Check your plants once or twice a week from early summer, when they're growing fastest. When a sideshoot is small — ideally under about 5cm — pinch it out between your finger and thumb with a clean sideways snap. Doing it while shoots are tiny leaves only a small wound that heals quickly. Do it in the morning if you can, so the cut dries before evening.

If a sideshoot has been missed and grown large, use clean snips rather than tearing it, to avoid damaging the stem. Wipe the blades between plants so you don't spread disease.

Keep going through the season, tying the main stem to its support as it climbs. In late summer, usually around the end of August in the UK, many growers also "stop" the plant by pinching out the growing tip two leaves above the top truss. This stops new growth so the tomatoes already set have time to ripen before the weather turns.

For the full picture, see our guide to growing tomatoes.