As a rule, on a bag of seeds, the manufacturer indicates some features of the variety: planting pattern, that is, the number of plants per 1 m2, and it is recommended to grow this variety in one or two stems. However, there are general rules for the formation of certain varieties of tomatoes.
- Pinching is the first stage in the formation of a tomato bush
- Formation of indeterminate varieties of tomatoes in a greenhouse Formation in 7 brushes for greenhouses
- Forming tomatoes in 5 brushes for open ground
- First method of formation: in 1 stem
Pinching is the first stage in the formation of a tomato bush
A side shoot, the so-called stepson, is formed in the axil of each leaf. With the rapid development of lateral shoots, the setting of new fruits is suspended, and those already set are stunted in growth. So that the plant is not distracted by growing green mass, but devotes all its energy to forming a crop, all stepsons, starting from the lowest one, must be removed.
Formation of a tomato bush - pinching
The exception is when tomatoes are recommended to be grown in two stems. To form the second stem, leave a stepson located directly under the first brush or above it.
Brush regularly, once a week. Trim the stepsons, leaving a small stump, otherwise the stepson may grow back.
The formation of tomato bushes depends on the type of their growth. Typically, two types of tomatoes are grown in a greenhouse:
- determinant
- indeterminate.
Determinate are ordinary tall varieties and hybrids that, having formed a certain number of brushes, end their growth with an inflorescence.
Indeterminate varieties and hybrids grow continuously, forming cluster after cluster.
How to properly remove stepchildren
The shoots that are located between the leaf petiole and the stem must be removed.
In addition to the stepsons, be sure to remove all leaves before the first inflorescence, primarily those that touch the ground.
- firstly, fungal spores and pest larvae can overwinter in the soil;
- secondly, the lower part of the bush has less access to the sun's rays and retains moisture on the leaves longer, which contributes to the development of pathogenic microflora. Free air circulation in the lower tier significantly reduces the risk of disease.
The main principle of pinching is not to deprive the bush of too much green mass. After such stress, development will slow down and the immunity of the tomato will decrease.
Formation of indeterminate varieties of tomatoes in a greenhouse
These varieties were created for heated greenhouses, where they were grown all year round. In an unheated greenhouse, of course, it is difficult to use the full potential of indeterminate varieties, but growing 5-6 racemes is quite possible. To do this, towards the end of the growing season (in the middle zone this is August 10-15), remove the top and all unset inflorescences from indeterminate varieties, let the plant “focus” on the already set fruits.
Stopping the growth of tomato bushes of indeterminate varieties
These tomatoes have unlimited growth - if it were summer all year round, they would continue to grow indefinitely.
They are formed into one stem and nothing else. There is no point in leaving the side shoots - by the time they grow and bloom (and they lay flower clusters very high), summer will already be over. You still won’t get fruit from them, and they will take a lot of energy from the plant.
The main difference in the formation of such varieties is the number of fruit clusters.
How to properly plant tomatoes
The costs of setting up a greenhouse must be recouped. If its price is several times higher than the cost of the harvested crop, then what is the point of growing anything at all? You can go to the market and buy fresh herbs and vegetables. Therefore, it is advisable to study well and put into practice the technology of growing cultivated plants. You need to know not only how to water and feed correctly, but also how to form tomatoes in a greenhouse. Not only the quantity and quality of the harvest, but also the timing of its ripening depends on this.
Removing stepchildren
Vegetable growers have different opinions regarding the number of stems that form a tomato bush. But they all believe that there should be no more than three of them, and the total number of flower brushes on them should be no more than eight. If you are not familiar with the stepson process, the following instructions will help you:
- The stepsons should be removed for the first time approximately two weeks after planting the seedlings. This procedure is repeated at intervals of no more than 10-12 days to prevent the axillary shoots from overgrowing.
- The main stem is the one on which the first flower cluster has formed.
- All shoots formed in the axils between the main stem and the leaves on it are stepsons. They are removed until they reach a length of 5-8 cm.
Advice. It is best not to cut off the excess shoots, but to break them off. This should be done in the morning, when they break easily.
Breaking out an axillary shoot
- To prevent a new one from appearing in place of the broken stepson, you need to leave a “stump” measuring 2-3 cm.
- If the formation of a tomato bush in a greenhouse is carried out in one stem, all stepsons must be removed. If there are two stems, then leave the shoot that is located below the first flower cluster formed and closest to it.
- The stepson from which the second stem is formed will also produce side shoots that must be removed in a timely manner.
When forming into two stems, the stepson indicated by the arrow is not removed
- The number of flower clusters on each stem should not exceed 3-4; the rest are cut off to allow the already set fruits to grow and ripen.
Advice. If you want to get the first ripened tomatoes early, leave only one stem with two or three tassels on several bushes, and break off the top above the top tassel. All the plant’s forces will go towards the formation and maturation of the few remaining ovaries.
- The root shoots that often emerge from the ground are also subject to removal.
Tomato bushes in greenhouses must be tied to nearby stakes or trellises installed along the beds.
Pinching the tops
After the required number of flower clusters have formed on each remaining stem, the formation of the tomato in the greenhouse proceeds to the next stage - pinching the tops. This is done in order to stop the growth of plants in height and prevent the appearance of new ovaries. They still won’t have time to grow and ripen, so there’s no point in wasting nutrients on them.
This is what a fully formed bush should look like
In the middle zone, topping occurs in mid-to-late July. The tops are removed like this: two or three leaves are left above each flower cluster, and the rest is mercilessly cut off.
Trimming
There is no consensus among tomato growers about trimming leaves. Some believe that after the fruits are formed, all of them should be removed, leaving only two or three at the top, in order to provide better lighting and ventilation, and reduce the risk of fungal diseases. Others are confident that this approach leads to disturbances in the process of nutrition and photosynthesis, and they cut off only the lower yellowed and withering leaves.
The tomatoes in this photo have all the leaves below the fruit removed and the top ones left
It's up to you to decide what to do best. Experiment by removing leaves from one bed and leaving them in another and see the results.
Formation of indeterminate tomatoes
Formation of indeterminate tomatoes
Formation in 7 brushes for greenhouses
Greenhouse option. In this case, 7 inflorescences are left on the main shoot. There is no point anymore - they will not have time to ripen. And one more important detail: above the seventh inflorescence you need to leave 1 leaf, above which you need to cut off the top so that the bush stops growing and directs all its strength to ripening the crop.
Forming tomatoes in 5 brushes for open ground
Option for open ground. Here summer is shorter and cooler, so we leave only 5 tomato inflorescences. Above the last one is 1 sheet, then cut off the top.
Why are tomatoes formed?
Tomato bushes are formed mainly to increase yield. Sometimes the goal is to grow one record-breakingly large tomato or to obtain varietal seeds from the first tomato to ripen on the bush. Also, bushes with tomatoes can play a purely decorative role. These varieties include those that grow in the house in flower pots, for example, Chinese multi-colored tomato.
Formation using pinching and pruning is not necessary only in the case when the tomato bushes belong to the standard varieties of super-determined species . They are genetically programmed to stop stem growth after a few clusters of flowers have formed. They usually have few leaves and a strong trunk without shoots, on which bunches of tomatoes ripen. However, the height may vary. There are low-growing varieties for open ground and greenhouses, and tall varieties for greenhouses.
The advantage of determinate types of tomatoes is that they do not require pinching, and low-growing varieties do not need to be tied up or surrounded by a trellis. However, all these species are low-yielding due to stunted growth.
Other varieties of tomatoes, classified as high-yielding, produce a large number of leaves, shoots, and clusters of flowers. Without pinching and pruning, their green mass prevails over the mass of fruits. They require more space and shade neighboring plants. They grow uncontrollably if their development is left to chance. Too high planting density and dense bushes interfere with the ripening of tomatoes and reduce yields.
To increase the yield, after planting, you need to wait until two clusters of flowers bloom on the main trunks of tomatoes in open ground, and three clusters of flowers in a greenhouse or hothouse. After this, cut off the lower leaves and pinch the shoot buds at the internodes so that at least 20 centimeters of the bush below is bare.
Pinching out excess tomato shoots at the internodes
You should cut it off, leaving a “stump” of about 1, but not more than 2 centimeters, which will then dry out and fall off. In this place of the trunk the shoots will no longer grow. This will provide better ventilation, it will be more convenient to water without wetting the leaves, and rot and disease due to fungi or viruses will not develop from wet soil. In greenhouses, where the humidity is always higher than in open beds, this action must be done.
Formation of determinate tomatoes
Plants in this group are formed, as a rule, in three ways.
Formation of determinate tomatoes
First method of formation: in 1 stem
Option for open ground. Again the same meaning - the summer is short, cool, the fruits on the side shoots do not have time to ripen, so we remove the stepsons. Only the main stem is left. We do not cut off the top, since the growth of such tomatoes is limited. We don’t remove the fruit clusters, we leave them all – there are never more than 6 of them anyway, and they all have time to ripen.
The second way to form tomatoes: in 3 stems
Varinate is suitable for greenhouses. For mid-late tomato varieties. It is similar to the option for forming super-determinant tomatoes, but with its own nuances. At first everything is the same: the main stem and the 2 lowest stepsons. But the side shoots need to be shortened, leaving 1 flower cluster on each, plus one leaf above it. As a result, we will get 8 tomato inflorescences, instead of 6 (the maximum that one shoot gives) - the greenhouse allows them to ripen. But you shouldn’t leave more fruit clusters of tomatoes - the tomatoes won’t ripen on them anyway.
The third method of forming tomatoes: with the transfer of the growth point to a side shoot
The option is suitable for greenhouses, but for mid-early varieties and hybrids of tomatoes. Its essence is this: we leave the main shoot, one lowest stepson, and then we leave another stepson, but not on the main stem, but on the side one. Why is that? Yes, because the growth of determinate tomatoes is limited - 6 bunches and that’s it. And the characteristics of mid-early varieties allow you to get more yield.
Therefore, we use a trick - the side shoot will give us a couple more tassels (we cut it higher, leaving the leaf above the inflorescence), and the shoot from it will give us two more (we also cut it, like the first). So instead of 6 we have 10.
And here the question may arise: why do we need a second stepson from the first? Is it possible to leave one side shoot - after all, it will also have 6 tassels? And then the total will be 12! But it's not that simple. The third cluster on the stepsons produces low quality fruit. That's why we leave only 2. To get 2 more high-quality inflorescences, you need a stepson from a stepson.
Why form bushes
In the very warm climate of their homeland, South America, tomatoes grow as perennials.
Over the full period of a plant’s life, more than 150 stepsons of various orders are formed on it. Such a significant amount is due to a natural pattern - the more shoots, the more fruits can form on them. However, such a calculation does not work in conditions of competition for feeding area, which always occurs in a closed greenhouse system. Here, tomatoes cannot provide both leaves and fruits well at the same time. Therefore, experienced gardeners resort to pinching, that is, they remove excess shoots that form in the leaf axils.
Stepson on a tomato bush
In greenhouses, this procedure is necessary for a number of reasons:
- if the above-ground part of the plant is significantly larger than the root, then the growth and development of fruits will be inhibited by a lack of nutrients;
- When a large number of leaves grow, the root system is not able to “feed” them all. As a result, some of them turn yellow and die, without having fulfilled their direct function, which is to synthesize the elements necessary for the formation of fruits;
- when there are a lot of leaves on a plant, they begin to shade each other. Air access is also difficult. Such conditions contribute to the development of diseases.
Removing leaves when forming a tomato bush: why should this be done?
Another very important point for obtaining a good and high-quality harvest is removing leaves. Regularly, at the same time as pruning, thin out the bushes and remove leaves that thicken the plants. This will serve as a preventive measure against late blight. The regularity of this operation is important, because removing more than 3 leaves from one bush at once causes stress for the plant. Also remove all leaves located below the clusters, the fruits of which are already fully formed. Provide ripening fruits with as much sunlight as possible.
Removing leaves when forming a tomato bush
With proper and timely pruning, the plantings are well ventilated and illuminated, they are easy to inspect, which makes it possible to notice the first signs of disease or pest damage in time and take appropriate measures. After all, it is important not only to grow a good harvest, but also to preserve it.
When the bushes have already formed a crop, treatments are possible only with biological preparations
Dates
Start pinching tomatoes as soon as the flowers in the lower cluster open. Usually the first procedure is carried out 2 weeks after planting the seedlings.
But you need to understand that the timing of stepsoning can be blurred for everyone. Some people carry out the first procedure simultaneously with gartering the tomato.
It is important not to let the bushes on the windowsill outgrow, since it is undesirable to shift the processing time - first the seedlings must adapt after transplanting into the ground.
In the future, it is necessary to carry out pinching every 10-14 days.
For surgery, choose a warm, clear day. The optimal time for this work is from 9 to 11 o'clock.
It is easier to break off sprouts in the morning, pinching is less damaging to the plants, and it is important that the wounds have time to heal by evening.
Why is formation necessary?
In fact, there is absolutely nothing complicated in growing tomatoes; all that is required is organized, regular watering. Timely feeding with all necessary substances. And one more very important point is carrying out the necessary pruning. Tomatoes can be planted not only in open ground or a greenhouse, but also on a windowsill at home. But ordinary varieties are not suitable for home cultivation; you need to choose ornamental plants. But for a greenhouse, greenhouse or open area, on the contrary, you need to choose those plants that grow large and fluffy. Also, in order for the plants to develop properly, it is necessary to apply all the necessary fertilizing in a timely manner. But pruning, which is given special importance when done correctly, will give the plant more intensive growth and stronger immunity.
Also, many breeders, and simply experienced gardeners, know that pruning can increase the amount of future harvest.
The same tomato bush can be grown for quite a long time. If tomatoes are properly cared for, they will always be healthy, large and bear a lot of fruit. But pruning plays a very important role. It helps to keep the bush in the required shape and protect it from such troubles as pests and various diseases.
Pruning should be carried out, looking first of all at the age of the plant, as well as its size. And pruning is also greatly influenced by exactly where the tomato grows.
Initially, tomato seedlings are quite thin and weak, which is why the first stepsons grow several at a time. But it is best to prune them at a time when the seedling begins to actively grow in height. And pruning of leaves should also be done at this time, and this is done so that the plant releases as much of this substance as possible, which helps to increase the number of fruits, and the quality will only become better after that.
But remember that you only need to remove inflorescences from the bush by cutting them off; you cannot prune them. You also need to check each branch of the stem, if there is something wrong with them, then they also need to be cut off, this is done so that the seedling is healthy and disease does not spread in it.
How to form a bush with 2 stems
Basically, this technique is used in agricultural technology of determinate varieties of medium height. At first glance, the procedure for forming a bush is very simple. However, if you do not follow the rules obtained empirically, you can lose a decent part of the harvest.
Forming a bush with 1, 2 or 3 stems
- The second shoot should be formed only from the stepson that grew under the first flower cluster. He is the strongest.
- It is necessary to constantly monitor the growth point of the remaining stems and always hold the replacement stepson at the top. If growth stops, that is, the main shoot is determined by the flower raceme, this shoot will become its continuation.
- The shoots should be pruned regularly, preventing excess shoots from overgrowing.
Advice. If it is a pity to remove any of the stepsons, you can leave it as the third stem. However, the rest should definitely be pinched off.
