Knowledge of how to pinch tomatoes and the ability to correctly perform this agricultural technique allows you to get the maximum yield from each bush. When growing tomatoes in a greenhouse and in open ground, pinching and pinching are indispensable. This is a simple matter, but it requires skill. You need to feel how the bush develops and help it form. Today we will talk about pinching tomatoes in a greenhouse.
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Why do you need to pinch tomatoes?
Tomatoes are pruned and pinched for the following purposes:
- Limit plant height:
- Make it bushier so that the plant has 2-3 main stems;
- Improve ventilation;
- Reduce the number of ovaries so that the remaining ones become larger fruits;
- Remove old dried leaves.
Formation of a bush: the essence of the process
It is recommended to periodically form a tomato bush throughout the entire stage of plant development. It is not the beauty of the crop's crown that is important. A correctly formed stem with leaves affects fruiting.
During the growing season of the bush, pinching and pinching tomatoes are equally important. Inexperienced gardeners often confuse processes by equalizing actions. As a result of similar procedures, similar goals are achieved.
Topping
Forming the optimal crown length, regulating proper plant growth, and creating a strong, fruitful bush are impossible without cutting off the tops. This action is called pinching a tomato.
The procedure is performed repeatedly. The action helps the plant gain strength and improve the condition of the root system. Pinching begins during the seedling period.
Stepsoning
Removing fresh shoots that regularly appear on the trunk is called pinching the plant.
Perform pinching regularly. The first treatment is done at a week of age after planting in a permanent place.
Particular attention should be paid to the process when the first inflorescences appear
When should you pinch tomatoes?
In central Russia, tomatoes are pinched at the end of September or a little later. In other regions, the period may vary. The main thing is that pinching of tomatoes is carried out 30-40 days before the full harvest.
In the case of greenhouses, the deadlines shift even further. But in any case, to calculate when to pinch tomatoes, subtract a month from the harvest date.
After pinching tomatoes, stepsons always appear on the bushes. They grow both at the top and in other parts of the bush. They must be removed immediately.
What is pinching tomatoes?
Removing the tops of a fruiting bush is pinching tomatoes. This removes the growth point on which a lot of functions lie.
This is required for:
- better nutrition of the bush and receiving light;
- improving fruit quality;
- the fruiting period of the bush is extended.
Do I need to pinch tomatoes?
There are two answers to the question “should I pinch tomatoes?” If we are talking about determinate varieties, it is not necessary to pinch them. Liana-like varieties must be limited in growth.
If a plant has few stems and leaves left, it directs all the nutrients obtained from the soil to feed the fruits.
In the case of growing tomatoes on the ground, around mid-August it is better to tear off all small flowers and ovaries. Then by autumn only large fruits will remain on the bushes.
When and for what
Thanks to growing points, plants develop, producing new stems. But when it comes to the quality of fruits and high yields, it makes more sense to stop the growth of the bush at a certain level, i.e. pinch the tops.
There will be several entries on one bush, and their number depends on the growth rate of the stems. Pinching begins with the active phase of the growing season, in the second half of July, and lasts until the end of August. The procedure is especially important on tall bushes.
The procedure is important on tall bushes
If they begin to fight with stepchildren even before the formation of the ovaries, then the tomato should be pinched in the fruiting phase. This procedure allows you to achieve the following goals:
- improve the quality of bush nutrition;
- shorten the ripening time of tomatoes;
- significantly extend the fruiting period.
All these points have a positive effect on the size of the fruit and their quantity, significantly increasing the yield. For those who like to grow Cherry fruits, the size of the tomatoes is not the main purpose of pinching, but their number on one hand is important.
By pinching the bushes, it is possible to get real placers not only on tall bushes. Even low bushes overloaded with bunches will have to be tied up if the necessary procedures are not followed in time. Otherwise, all the power will go into the tops and barren flowers with a small number of ovaries.
In the southern regions of Russia, when growing determinate varieties, tomatoes are not pinched at all, giving them the opportunity to develop naturally. And in the Middle Zone and beyond the Urals, pinching is a necessary step in caring for tomato plantations. Without this procedure, the fruits will not have time to finally form and ripen.
Pinching accelerates internal processes, bringing ripening closer to 1.5-2 weeks earlier than the natural period.
While the early varieties can still bear fruit well without pinching, the late varieties will be hampered by the autumn cold. Excess moisture will cause unripe tomatoes to crack and also provoke fungal diseases.
How to pinch tomatoes correctly
If you don’t know how to properly pinch tomatoes in open ground, we will tell you how to do it correctly so as not to lose an unripe harvest.
Before pinching tomatoes in the open ground, you need to understand how the fruits of the plant are fed. In tomatoes, nutrients reach the fruit in the same way as in grapes. In order for the fruit to ripen, photosynthesis must occur in the leaves above it.
Therefore, you can only pinch a tomato after flowering has finished, and you must leave at least 2 leaves above the ovary.
A little earlier, the future ovary can be formed. To do this, you need to cut off the excess flowers. 4-5 brushes are left on the main stem, and another 2-3 brushes on one additional stem.
Features of the procedure
Pinching is performed using only a sharp and sterile instrument. To prevent infection of an open wound, sprinkle a small amount of ash over the cut area.
You cannot remove more than 1/4 of the volume of the tomato crown at a time.
On the windowsill
If you plan to grow tomatoes in an apartment, you will have to resort to radical shaping of the bush. This process may seem cruel, but it is truly necessary.
Growing in limited conditions (for example, a flower pot), the roots of the plant can provide complete nutrition only to a small and not very tall bush. The smaller the container in which the tomato grows, the lower the plant should be. Do the following:
- Shorten the main shoot.
- Remove side branches before they reach a length of 3-5 cm.
When growing seedlings on a windowsill, you may encounter the problem of them being pulled out too much. As a result, by the time of transplantation to a permanent place, the plants are very long and weak. In this case, gardeners shorten the crown. But such a procedure is undesirable.
It is not recommended to pinch tomato seedlings unless absolutely necessary, even when they are very overgrown. This applies to both the crown and roots.
If the procedure is carried out incorrectly (for example, removing too much), there is a risk of plant death. Simply deepen the elongated seedlings a little deeper when planting them in a hole in a permanent place.
Grow only special low-growing varieties on the windowsill. Such plants are compact and do not require radical shaping of the bush.
You can learn about pinching tomatoes in the following video:
In open ground and greenhouse
In most cases, a tomato bush forms exactly one stem. To economically use the space in the greenhouse, let the plant grow to 2-2.5 m (here it all depends on the height of the ceiling).
The rules for pinching seedlings grown in a greenhouse or open ground are simple:
- Carry out the procedure only after 4-5 full leaves are formed on the plant, not earlier. The cutting site itself should be above this number of leaves.
- Do not break off the top of the head with your fingers. Take sanitized sharp scissors and carefully cut off part of the plant. This makes the healing process of the cut much faster.
- Until a scar appears on the top of the head, keep watering the plant from a spray bottle to a minimum. If moisture constantly gets into the cut site, this not only slows down the healing of the wound, but can also cause a serious illness.
The main disadvantage of the procedure is that flowering begins a few weeks later, since the plant directs all its energy to the formation of foliage and new shoots.
You can pinch not only the crown, but also the root of the seedling. The procedure is carried out to stimulate the development of a stronger and more robust root system. This is not necessary for tomatoes.
Transplant the tomato seedlings to a permanent place along with a lump of earth. Tomatoes do not require additional root pruning. The plant independently grows a powerful root system without any additional manipulation.
Stepsoning
Unlike pinching, pinching should be done regularly. Do this once a day of the week or even more often (depending on the type of tomato). The stepsons should not be cut off, but broken off even before they become more than 5 cm in length.
To make the shoots break easier, they need to be broken off early in the morning. To avoid the appearance of a new stepchild in the place of the one just removed, you need to not remove it completely, but leave a segment 3-5 mm long.
If you want to form a bush of 2-3 stems, you need to leave the stepsons in the required quantity at the bottom of the plant. Over time, they will also begin to develop their own lateral shoots, and they will also need to be regularly pinched off.
Methods for pinching tomatoes
- The formation of the bush directly depends on the variety of tomatoes. There are several ways to form the stem of a seedling.
- If the tomatoes are tall, then we form them into one stem. Do not forget that it is necessary to cut off the stepsons throughout the summer period. In addition to the new stems, you should pinch the very top of the seedling. This process is carried out so that the fruit is saturated with moisture and all the vitamins, and not the trunk;
- The formation system is double-stem. In this case, you also need to leave the stepson (preferably one), he will lag a little behind in development, but the method of care under consideration will affect the tomato harvest. Do not forget that this method slows down the ripening of fruits; there is a possibility that the crop may not ripen before the first frost;
- Three-stem system. This method is used for early varieties of tomatoes. Here, as in the previous method, you need to leave the stepsons located under the flower brush of the seedling. There may be several brushes; new stems are left under the flower of the main trunk of the seedling. Many amateur gardeners have no idea when to start forming bushes; the result is disappointing - the bushes are lush, but the harvest is meager. The main thing is not the appearance of the bush, but how much fruit it produces. Do not lose sight of the fact that the ovaries on tomatoes need to be thinned out.
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Growing low-growing tomatoes
Low-growing tomatoes with limited growth need to be planted very carefully. If you remove all the stepsons, the plant will stop growing.
During the first stepsoning, it is necessary to remove all shoots except one. They usually leave the one located under the inflorescence.
Tomato seedlings
Few people grow tomatoes by sowing seeds in the ground - it is better to do it in seedlings. This immediately begs the question: is it necessary to pinch tomato seedlings?
It was written above that pinching begins when fruit ovaries form on the bushes. This speeds up their ripening and increases the yield. At the stage of seedling development this is not necessary. But, nevertheless, pinching of tomato seedlings is carried out, arguing this with other arguments:
- to activate the root system;
- to obtain stronger, dense seedlings;
- in order to slow down growth.
The last argument is especially important if the seedlings are actively growing or are rearing in anticipation of suitable weather.
Sometimes it is necessary to pinch off the tops of shoots of determinate varieties that have been overfed with nitrogen fertilizers. The procedure will prevent the seedling from fattening further.
You can form a bush at the seedling stage, deciding how many shoots to leave on it. The choice is influenced by the subsequent location for growing tomatoes and the variety. For tall bushes and those that will bear fruit in a heifer, it is better to leave 1 main stem. In open ground, it is recommended to grow plants with 2-3 stems (especially if they are short).
When wondering how to properly pinch tomato seedlings, attention is first paid to the stepsons - first of all, they are removed. The tall variety is completely planted. In bushes with limited growth, do not touch the first stepson. If it is necessary to form 3 stems, a side shoot is left a little higher.
If the seedlings were not pinched during their cultivation, then the procedure is carried out when they are planted in a permanent place, then repeated every 5-7 days.
Pinching tomatoes, as well as pinching, are mandatory aspects of agricultural technology. Only some varieties develop well without pinching. For other varieties, this is an opportunity to avoid late blight, especially if there is a potato plantation nearby.
To prevent plants from becoming infected during the procedure, the instrument is first disinfected in a saturated solution of manganese, copper oxychloride or vitriol, as well as in synthetic fungicides. Phosphorus-potassium fertilizer will help stimulate the bushes to bear fruit, which should be applied to the garden bed a week after the first pinching.
In order to understand how necessary the procedure is, it is recommended to search for visual video material on the Internet.
Growing cherry tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes can be low-growing, in which case they practically do not need pinching and pinching, and tall, which require these procedures.
Cherries have a rather thin stem that cannot withstand the load of a too abundant tomato harvest. Therefore, tall cherry varieties must be pinched to limit their growth and planted.
Why do you need to pinch tomatoes in a greenhouse?
The total volume of green shoots does not in any way affect the quality of the future harvest, so it is recommended to get rid of it. The largest possible yield is obtained from the right combination of lighting, fertilizing, watering and the correct pinching procedure. Some varieties of tomatoes do not require pinching; as a rule, they have the characteristics of low growth and belong to the determinate species. The pinching procedure helps improve the quality of the harvest, however, along with the benefits and advantages, it has some disadvantages. The main thing is for gardeners to carry out the procedure as correctly as possible. And before starting the procedure, it is necessary to study all its features, and only then proceed with the procedure. Rely on the many years of experience of gardeners and the development of methods by modern scientists.
Important Rules
To ensure that the plant can easily tolerate pinching, follow these rules:
- Carry out the procedure on a sunny and dry day;
- If you cannot pinch the plant with your hands, use only a sterile instrument;
- Treat the cut area with ash;
- Remove no more than 1⁄4 crowns at a time. The next procedure can be performed in 1-2 weeks.
In greenhouses, tomatoes are usually allowed to grow up to roof level. In some cases, plants begin to grow not upward, but to the sides. In this case, you need to remove not only the upper but also the side stepsons at least once a week.
Pinching tomatoes in a greenhouse
Although pinching is a fairly simple procedure, it still has certain nuances. Carry out the event in dry, but not hot, weather: increased air humidity will increase the likelihood of tomato infection with late blight.
If a blade is used for pinching (knife, pruning shears, scissors, etc.), then it must be treated after each bush so as not to transfer pathogenic bacteria and fungi from one plant to another (for example, late blight oomycetes are easily transferred with plant juice). To treat the tool, you can use a manganese solution, a copper sulfate mixture, or compositions based on copper oxychloride.
Pinching potted tomatoes
If a tomato grows on your windowsill, you definitely need to pinch it. In conditions of limited soil volume, the plant will be healthy only with a small crown.
- The rule is this: the smaller the pot, the smaller the bush you should leave.
- The height of a homemade tomato should not exceed 60 cm, but it is better not to cut it shorter than 30 cm.
- Stepchildren must be removed until they reach a size of 3 cm.
Basic Rules
The main ways to form a proper tomato bush are pinching and pinching. These methods of obtaining high quality crops differ from each other.
When pinching, remove the side shoots of the bush that form in the axil of the rosette of leaves.
It is the stepsons that take on large amounts of all nutrients, as a result the bush is weak, the fruits are small and tasteless.
It is also worth remembering that if the bush is overgrown, it will be defeated by late blight. This most often happens if tomatoes are grown in a greenhouse.
The process itself, when to pinch tomatoes and how, is very similar to the same processing of grapes.
You need to use pruning shears or very sharp scissors. Cut off the very top of the stems so that two leaves remain from the bunch of tomatoes.
If you are growing a tall variety, the best option would be to pinch it so that one bush is formed, leaving no more than two stepsons in the root zone. Cut off all the rest.
Everything should be done in the morning or after complete sunset; the cut area is covered with ash. If you do everything right, you will get a lot of good harvest; if you do it negligently, you will ruin the vegetable.
Pinching seedlings
Some gardeners, seeing that tomato seedlings have become long and thin, decide to pinch their tops. This is strictly not recommended. In this way, you can harm the plant and it will die either while still on the windowsill, or immediately after planting in the ground.
If the seedlings are too elongated, when planting, it is enough to bury them deeper into the ground, leaving a stem of the required length above the soil level.
You can and should pinch tomatoes. This way you will ensure a large and sweet harvest and rid the plant of excess greenery that requires nutrition.
Controversial situation... Is it necessary to pinch the main root of tomatoes when picking seedlings?
Lina Sakharnova
If you pinch the main root, the root system will be superficial. And such a tomato will suffer from drying out in the heat. And so, the taproot goes deep, which is typical for a tomato, which biologically loves abundant and infrequent watering.
The Scarlet Flower
Some people pinch, they say the root system grows better. But I never pinch them, because in the spring I plant them in small nurseries under film, they harden there and the root system grows well. This is probably pinched by those who don’t plant seedlings outside; you can’t grow such roots at home.
Galina Bukharina (Prikhodko)
I grow seedlings at home and when picking, I don’t pinch the roots, because I think that they break off anyway when you pull the plant out of the ground.
Lena
The point is that when the central root is pinched, the lateral ones grow, which makes it possible to grow seedlings with a more powerful root system. However, there is another theory according to which it is not recommended to pick at all, since picking is stress and for some time the seedlings move away from it and do not grow during this time, which accordingly slows down its development. I once read some article, I don’t remember exactly which one, in which they compared picked and seedlings that had never been transplanted - there was not much difference in it. Which theory to follow, decide for yourself, I don’t cut anything off, but first I plant it densely in a large container, then I plant it out.
Lydia
I grow my seedlings in a greenhouse. When I transplant it to a new place, I pinch it. Sometimes, when I buy at a market from a friend, it also pinches. More powerful root system. Stay firmly in the ground. In summer there are frequent winds.
Natalia Zakharova
I make sure to pinch the main root, as a result of which the root system grows not in depth, but in width, that is, many additional lateral roots are formed. When transplanted into the ground, such seedlings feed better and take root faster.
Vladislav Nikolaevich
not necessary. The point of the operation is to eliminate the dominance of the main root, otherwise it will grow a meter deep, and we do not deliver any fertilizer or water there. This means that picking is a way to contain the roots in the most effective soil zone. We also add growth containment. I haven’t picked for 5 years now - I sow all the tomatoes on April 1 and keep them in 50g cassettes for a little longer, then I turn them over - and here it is Happiness, the main root is suppressed, the laterals have grown, the tomatoes are not sick.
Alexei
In order to solve this issue specifically for your tomatoes under your growing conditions, you need to not pinch half of the seedlings, and pinch the other half - and you will see everything for yourself and choose which is better. Where the climate is hot and there is no watering, it is better to have a long tap root to obtain moisture. Where it is wet and cool, as in St. Petersburg, a shallow root system is better - it is warmer and will not get wet from excess rain. Well, there are other options. Without knowing your growing conditions, it is difficult to advise anything worthwhile. You need to decide for yourself based on the climate. But in any case, if you don’t want to pick, but think that picking is necessary, then it can be replaced by such a method as changing the shape of the container for seedlings. If the height is greater than the width, the root system will be taprooted and the tomatina will be more ankle-shaped. If the width of the container for seedlings is greater than the length and by much, then the seedling will be primitive, with a thick, low stem, and will bush more, if it is not a standard, but a bush tomato.
Negative consequences of thickening a tomato bush in a greenhouse
Tomatoes have this peculiarity: from the axils of all leaves of a tomato bush, without exception, a stepson grows. Each such stem also grows a secondary stepson, etc. In principle, stepsons are completely full-fledged stems on which a cluster can form and bear fruit.
But this is precisely the main problem. A lot of such branches can grow on each bush. Can you imagine if each stepson begins to set fruit, trying to fulfill its function? The plant will spend all its energy on the development of stepsons and their ovaries, but, unfortunately, will not be able to provide adequate nutrition.
Important! There is no need to feel sorry for the ovaries that have just begun to form on the stepsons, since they still will not have time to ripen and will do more harm than good. Another argument in favor of pruning tomatoes in a greenhouse: a thickened bush is more prone to disease infection
Another argument in favor of pruning tomatoes in a greenhouse: a thickened bush is more prone to infection with diseases.
For example, late blight, the most common and destructive disease for tomatoes, develops in conditions of high humidity. That is why it is recommended to regularly ventilate the greenhouse in which tomatoes grow, and to water the plant exclusively at the root. Many leaves and stepsons do not allow air to circulate freely between the stems.
Access to sunlight to fruits during their ripening period is especially important; well-lit clusters will ripen much faster than those hidden in dense foliage.
How to care for tomatoes?
You need to know how to properly water, feed, tie, and how to pinch tomatoes. After planting in a permanent place, seedlings should not be watered for 7-12 days. After 15-20 days it is necessary to carry out the first feeding. Then it is carried out regularly after 2-3 weeks. And 20-25 days before the end of the fruiting period, the last feeding is carried out.
The garter is carried out 8-10 days after planting the seedlings. It is necessary to strengthen the root system and, therefore, improve plant nutrition. This procedure is combined with stepsoning. Their productivity depends on knowing how to pinch tomatoes correctly. So the procedure is very important. Determinate varieties are pinched into either one or two stems. The second option involves leaving the first inflorescence and the most developed lower stepson. Forming into one stem means removing all shoots except the main shoot with 5-6 flower clusters.
Tall tomatoes are known for their large fruit and productivity. How to pinch indeterminate tomatoes? After 8-10 leaves, tomatoes lay a fruit cluster. All branches located below this level receive more power. Therefore, they should be pinched, leaving about 1 cm from the stem. Tomatoes of this variety are formed into one stem. All stepchildren are periodically pinched. The top of a plant that has grown to the roof of the greenhouse is also removed.
Yellowed leaves and those located in the lower part of the stem are removed to improve air exchange and accelerate the fruiting phase.
Pinch and stepson
Tomato varieties differ in terms of ripening, color and size of fruits, and height of the bush. But they all require proper cultivation. Among the elements of agricultural technology, not least important is the formation of a plant, consisting of:
- pinching - removing excess side shoots growing from the axils of the leaves;
- pinching tomatoes - removing the top of the stem with the growing point.
The pinch stops further development of the shoot, redirecting all the plant’s forces to improving the harvest. Stepchildren weaken the bush, drawing some of the nutrients onto themselves. This negatively affects the formation of fruits. In addition, a thickened plant is more prone to fungal diseases.
How to pinch tomatoes
When growing tomatoes, pinching and pinching are mandatory for most varieties. And although these are different types of work that pursue specific goals, new gardeners often confuse them or use one of the elements of bush formation.
True, there are varieties of tomatoes that do not need to remove growing points. For other representatives of the Solanaceae, pinching of tomatoes is carried out taking into account the growing conditions.
Advantages and disadvantages of the procedure
It is imperative to take care of a cultivated plant at home in order to get a good harvest. Otherwise, incorrect shoots may form and the fruits will never ripen. Pinching tomatoes is one of the fastest and easiest methods. In this case, it is necessary to understand the specifics of implementation so as not to harm the bush. Among the main advantages of performing the procedure, the following should be highlighted:
- Young shoots especially need care.
That is why it is important to trim them in time to direct growth in the right direction. Pinching helps direct nutrients from the sprouts to the root system. This guarantees better anchorage of the plant in the soil. As a result, it receives more resources and substances for further development. In the initial stages, it is important to correctly identify and distribute nutrients. This will help you get a good harvest in the future. - Trimming the green areas of tomatoes has a beneficial effect on the development of the fruits themselves. Nutrients actively enter the fruit, so it turns out redder, fuller, and juicier.
- It is important to remove the stem that is located in the center. If this is not done in time, new shoots will begin to develop. They produce small fruits that do not have high taste. The ripening of such fruits occurs before the beginning of September, which delays the harvest.
- If you trim the right part of the plant, the stems and ovaries of future fruits will form in the right places. This promotes rapid development and harvesting from one bush, which is often used by summer residents. This approach is relevant for small areas, since even from one bush you can get a decent amount of tasty fruits.
Note! Tomatoes need to be pinched, as the quantity and quality of the harvest depends on this. This must be done in accordance with all rules. This approach allows you to shorten the ripening time, direct nutrients for fruit development, and ensure the penetration of sunlight to all parts of the bush.
Pinching is not a solution to all tomato care problems, which is something to keep in mind. This procedure is necessary, but you cannot do without other operations if you want to get a good and rich harvest. Without the use of fertilizers, insect control agents and other negative factors, results will not be achieved. Pruning the vegetative part is an auxiliary procedure that allows you to cultivate the plant and improve its taste and external qualities.
The shape of the bush directly depends on the variety you grow.
You should pay attention to one significant disadvantage when pinching. When you cut off part of a plant, you end up with an open part, a wound. It drags on quite quickly. It should be borne in mind that fungus and bacteria can develop in this place, which can cause plant disease. It is necessary to properly process the cut area to avoid such problems. Otherwise, pinching will only cause harm to the plant itself.
Basic techniques for pinching tomatoes in a greenhouse
There are several ways to properly form a tomato bush. Experts have developed 3 methods that can be considered basic. Formation of one stem - used mainly for varieties with large bush heights. Pinching is carried out throughout the summer, and it is also necessary to remove the top to prevent strong growth, thus the nutrient medium will be evenly divided.
Formation of 2 stems - in addition to one main stem, an additional appendage is left. The ripening speed with this method is significantly reduced, however, this is compensated by the fact that the number of fruits is much greater. The formation of 3 stems - the peculiarity is that the strongest shoots are left at the base of the main stem below the first cluster. The ripening of fruits on the bush is limited; most of the fruits do not ripen. This technique is recommended for use on bushes of ultra-early ripening tomato varieties.
Schemes for forming a bush with 1, 2 and 3 stems by correct pinching
Let's look at the general scheme that is used when carrying out such an agrotechnical method as pinching. Depending on the height, branching and characteristics of the variety, choose the desired method.
There are 3 options for forming a bush:
- In 1 stem. Using this method, the growth and development of culture occurs quite quickly. The fruits grow selective and large. When the first cluster of flowers appears, all side shoots must be cut off. This must be done gradually, over several days, so as not to weaken the plant. Due to the length of the main stem, there is a risk that it may break under the weight of the vegetables. Therefore, it must be tied to a support, for example, a wooden stick. Applicable to tall varieties.
- In 2 stems. In this case, in addition to the main trunk, a side shoot is also left, which is located below the first fruiting cluster. The remaining branches must be removed. Subsequently, young shoots begin to actively appear on the second stem, which need to be removed in time. In this case, the yield increases, because fruit formation occurs on two stems at once.
- In 3 stems. This option is less common; it is suitable for branchy green crops, usually grown in open ground. As in the previous method, in addition to the main stem, you need to leave 2 additional ones. They should be located immediately behind the flowering branch. Choose the strongest ones that are next to each other. Removing young shoots on the stems is mandatory.
If pinching is not carried out, there will be a large amount of leaf mass, which can provoke the occurrence of various diseases and fungi. Few fruits will grow, and they may not ripen on the branches due to lack of nutrients.
When to plant tomatoes
Pinching is a regular process that is necessary for tomato bushes throughout the entire growing period. After all, new, young shoots are constantly formed in the axils of the leaves.
You should start removing the first stepsons 1 - 2 weeks after you plant the seedlings on the site. This period is enough for her to adapt and grow stronger in her new habitat. At the moment, the plant’s side shoots are quite thin and not long, and it will tolerate their loss without difficulty.
In the future, shoots are removed on average every 5-8 days. Depending on the place of growth, these periods may vary.
It is important to remove the stepson in time, because if it grows large, the bush will be very painful to remove. The recommended length of shoots that need to be removed should not exceed 5 - 6 cm
Growth is completed at the fruit ripening stage, usually in August. This depends on the period of vegetative growth and weather conditions in the growing region.
Stepping should be done in dry weather, before watering. In the morning hours, tomato branches break off more easily, therefore, less damage is caused to it.
Time spending
The time when summer residents are going to pinch tomatoes usually falls in the last days of July or the first days of August. The procedure is recommended to be carried out regularly, from the first days of the active development stage of the vegetable crop.
Removing growth points at the germination stage of tomato seedlings and pinching young tomatoes directly on the windowsill makes it possible to obtain dense greenery on the seedlings and an impetus for the development of the root system of the young seedling.
There is a difference in timing in a greenhouse and in open soil.
In open conditions
It is recommended to pinch the growth points on the tops of tomato stems when growing vegetables in open ground one month before the stage of complete biological ripening of tomatoes. The deadline occurs between the last days of July and mid-August.
Stepping depending on the variety
According to the growth pattern of the bush, all tomatoes are divided into 2 main types:
- Indeterminate varieties. These are quite tall plants in which the growth of the top is not limited. Side branches also grow quickly. If such bushes are not formed according to the chosen pattern and the tops are not pinched, then they reach great heights and grow significantly in all directions. All this happens to the detriment of the quantity and quality of the fruit.
- Determinate varieties. Their main difference from the previous variety is the limitation of the growth of the main stem. A fruiting vine forms at its top, which stops the plant from growing in height. Thus, the number of ovaries after the appearance of the upper inflorescence no longer increases, and therefore it is very important to correctly select the most fertile branch.
The question of how to pick off stepchildren can be answered as follows: different varieties require a specific approach, taking into account the characteristics of their natural formation. Indeterminate tomatoes can be planted using any pattern, but the 1-stem pattern is most often used. It is important to pinch tomatoes in the greenhouse (the top) in a timely manner to prevent excessive growth in height.
When growing in a greenhouse and using a 1-stem scheme, this technology is usually used. The remaining stem, as it grows, gradually descends to the ground and is laid on its surface. New stepsons that appear are constantly removed. 8-10 clusters are left on the main stems. The most common varieties are Major, Schastie, Sprut.
The formation of determinate tomatoes poses certain difficulties. To correctly select the highest quality stem, it is recommended to adhere to the following principles:
- the most commonly used scheme is with 2 or 3 stems;
- the stepsons break off when they reach a length of about 4 cm, when their viability can be assessed;
- if there is doubt about the correctness of the choice, then it is better to temporarily leave several branches and remove unnecessary ones after the start of flowering;
- when growing in open ground, it is possible to do without pinching, since the bushes can be placed at a sufficient distance from each other;
- 6-8 inflorescences remain on the remaining stem.
Planting these varieties also requires a special approach. Taking into account the active growth of the bush sideways, the distance between plants is about 30-35 cm. The most common determinate varieties are Azhur, Kukla.
Recently, super-determinate varieties have been developed that require special care in planting. In addition, modern varieties of tomatoes without pinching have gained popularity. On such tomatoes, cutting off the shoots is carried out only once and up to the first bunch. During subsequent plant growth, the procedure is no longer carried out. The following tomatoes of this type can be noted: Gavroche, Aquarelle, Moskvich, Vityaz, Raketa, Viscount, Yamal, Alaska, Raspberry Miracle, White Naliv (241), Vershok.
What is the difference between pinching and pinching
If we talk about what constitutes stepsoning, in this case there is a removal of the so-called stepson, a side shoot on the tomato bush itself, formed in the very axil of the rosette of leaves.
Growing tomatoes - removing a side shoot
They are the ones who draw away all the juices from the fruit and make the bush weaker, the harvest and fruits smaller. Among other things, it is worth remembering that an overgrown bush is more susceptible to late blight, especially if tomatoes are grown in greenhouse conditions.
If we talk about what pinching is - removing the top point of growth. This procedure is most often practiced with high varieties of tomatoes, thereby achieving a better harvest.
Types of pinching, how and with what?
Tomatoes are pinched and pinched in the greenhouse and in open areas. These are subtypes of one procedure aimed at improving the quality of tomato fruits. It is necessary to carry out in order to limit the growth of the plant, obtain the harvest on time within the allotted period of time. Then the bush will not be able to outgrow.
Pinching is an operation in which lateral shoots are removed, which slow down the development of fruits. They prevent nutrients from reaching the required areas, which significantly reduces the quality of the tomatoes. Pinching, in turn, helps stop growth in height.
Note! If pinching is done incorrectly, you will not get a rich harvest. The fruits will be sparse, pale and tasteless. Therefore, it is necessary to understand which stems can be plucked off and which ones are better left.
The procedure is performed at the moment when the first inflorescences appear. When pruning, you need to leave a few leaves, which will be responsible for feeding the plant. As it develops, trim off the top to prevent growth.
Stepsons can be done using a similar principle. It is allowed to trim those side stems whose length has not yet reached five centimeters. It is carried out a few weeks after planting the seedlings. The frequency of the operation is once every few weeks. New shoots are eliminated as they appear. Stepchildren, as a rule, are torn off rather than cut off.
Pruning is done as new shoots appear.
