Usually, when forming tomatoes, excess shoots are simply thrown away. However, they can be used - to grow additional tomato bushes from them and get even more harvest. This technique can be used in any region; it is effective both when growing tomatoes in a greenhouse and in open ground.
Stepchildren are side shoots that grow from leaf axils, i.e. from the place where the leaf is attached to the stem.
What stepsons can be used for planting
Tomatoes can be propagated using short shoots 5-6 cm in size, but it is better if they are 15 cm long. In this case, they will already have accumulated a supply of nutrients that will support them until roots appear.
For propagation, it is advisable to use shoots that have not yet bloomed. However, practice shows that even stepsons with ovaries take root successfully. It is also useful to keep in mind that the side shoots that grow directly under the flower cluster are the most promising.
It is better to cut off the stepsons intended for planting with a very sharp tool - a scalpel, blade or well-sharpened knife.
Forming a tomato into 1, 2 or 3 stems - step by step diagram
Most novice gardeners do not fully understand how to plant tomatoes in a greenhouse correctly and what you should remember before starting to form plants:
The stepsons located below the first inflorescence are not completely removed; it is important to leave a small (at least 5 mm) stump, in this case a new shoot will not appear from the axil; Stepchildren located at the top of the plant must be completely removed; Stepchildren very often form next to the primordium of the fruit raceme - since it can be difficult to distinguish a stepson from a flower raceme at the initial stage of formation, it is worth letting them grow a little; Towards the end of summer, some of the leaves are also removed along with the stepsons - the effect of such “combing” of tomato bushes will be more pronounced; It is better to pluck out excess sprouts a day after watering or the day before. It is very important that the air in the greenhouse is dry, this will prevent diseases of the tomatoes. The easiest way to form tomatoes into one stem is to completely pluck out all the stepsons from the base of the bush to the top
It happens that indeterminate tomatoes bifurcate, and it can be difficult for summer residents to understand which shoot is the stepson. If you remove the central growth point, you will have to form a bush from a side shoot, which will delay the formation and ripening of fruits, which is not always beneficial for summer residents. Therefore, if difficulties arise, it is better to leave the stepson and try growing tomatoes in two trunks, so the formation of a tomato bush in two shoots is carried out according to the following scheme:
The easiest way to form tomatoes into one stem is to completely pluck out all the stepsons from the base of the bush to the top. It happens that indeterminate tomatoes bifurcate, and it can be difficult for summer residents to understand which shoot is the stepson. If you remove the central growth point, you will have to form a bush from a side shoot, which will delay the formation and ripening of fruits, which is not always beneficial for summer residents. Therefore, if difficulties arise, it is better to leave the stepson and try growing tomatoes in two trunks, so the formation of a tomato bush in two shoots is carried out according to the following scheme:
- On the central stem, all shoots are plucked out, except for the lower one, located next to the first brush;
- 4 brushes are left on the main stem, if necessary, thin out the flowers in them;
- the top of the central stem is pinched 3 leaves above the last cluster;
- no more than 3 brushes are left on the stepson;
- The top of the stepson is pinched 2 leaves above the last brush.
If the tomatoes are determinate, stepsoning is carried out in such a way as to form 3 full-fledged stems, so the second shoot is formed from the stepson growing next to the fruit cluster, and the third shoot is formed from the stepsons located below. However, often determinate varieties belong to the standard category, that is, they do not form shoots at the bottom of the bush. If these are the tomatoes that are grown in a greenhouse, you can leave the shoot below the second fruit cluster. 2-3 clusters are left on the central stem, and no more than 2 fruiting clusters on the lateral stems. Their tops are not pinched. In addition, in order to get a lot of quality fruits, you need to know how to feed tomatoes for good growth and a large harvest.
Growing greenhouse tomatoes is a troublesome task. It needs to be carried out throughout the season, and after breaking out the shoots, it is advisable to hill up the bushes higher in order to stimulate the formation of roots and improve plant nutrition. Such simple manipulations will have an even better effect on productivity.
How to grow roots on stepchildren
For the roots to appear, the stepsons are kept in warm water. There should not be too much of it, otherwise the stems below will begin to rot. A level of 3-4 cm in height is sufficient. It is not necessary to use heteroauxin and other growth stimulants - tomatoes produce roots well even without special preparations.
There is no need to put many stepsons in one container, as this can cause them to deteriorate. Ten pieces will be enough. It is also necessary to trim the lower leaves, otherwise they will rot from contact with moisture.
It is advisable to cover the container with stepsons with a large transparent bag to create increased humidity. This will make it easier for the cuttings to hold out until their roots grow. The bag should not be airtight; small holes must be made in it for ventilation. It is also important to ensure that the leaves do not touch it. There should be a gap of 10 cm between them and the bag.
The first couple of days, stepchildren may look drooping. In order for them to recover faster, at this time they must be protected from direct sunlight, although the place should be bright.
The water in the jar needs to be changed every 3 days, and the fresh portion should be warm.
In a week, roots will grow on the stems, and the stepsons can be planted in the garden. There are no strict rules regarding the size of roots. Usually, planting begins when they reach a length of 1.5-2 cm. However, strongly grown roots, reminiscent of a long beard, will not become an obstacle to successful transplantation.
How to plant indeterminate tomatoes
Such varieties do not stop growing. Their height can reach 2 and even 3 meters. As an example, we can name such recently popular tomato varieties as Cream Cake, Bride tomato, and Pride of Siberia tomato. If the greenhouse is high, then one shoot is formed and all the shoots are removed. This needs to be done regularly, at least once a week.
With a low ceiling of the greenhouse device, two shoots lead, but when they reach the roof, they are pinched.
Attention! As a rule, indeterminate varieties form into one shoot, but it all depends on the nutritional value of the soil.
In addition to pinching, rationing is used for tomatoes. Some of the tomato bunch is still in bud state and removed. In this case, there are fewer fruits, but they grow very large.
How to plant sprouted stepsons in the soil
Planting stepchildren is no different from ordinary planting of seedlings. Make a hole in the ground, moisten it well, place the plant in it and cover it with soil. The leaves should not touch the ground. It is necessary to either trim them or select a planting depth so that they are high enough above the soil level.
If the weather is too cold and it is too early to plant tomatoes in the garden, then you can temporarily plant the stepsons in a pot of soil. Then, when it gets warmer, you can transplant them into a greenhouse or open ground.
The first two days after transplanting into the soil, it is necessary to shade the plants from direct sunlight.
What is the procedure
The formation of bushes is the regulation of the growth of leaves and stems. To direct the plant’s forces to generate fruits, it is recommended to leave no more than three stems and eight flower clusters on one plant.
Formation of tomato bushes in a greenhouse: stages of work
The formation of tomato bushes consists of several stages:
- Pinching is the removal of excess shoots, limiting the growth of green mass and allowing the selected shape to be maintained in one, two or three stems.
- Pinching the top, which stops the growth of the bush and directs the plant's forces to ripen the fruit.
- Trimming lower wilting leaves after fruit formation to protect against fungal diseases.
The first pinching is carried out 2-2.5 weeks after planting the seedlings. You should adhere to the general rules of stepsoning:
- Inspect the tomato bushes and mark all the stepsons for removal to form them into one stem. In a two-stem scheme, leave one of the most powerful shoots located under the first brush; shoots from the second stem must be removed according to the same rules as on the main one.
- Stepchildren are removed by carefully breaking them off from the bush. To prevent branches from growing back in the same place, leave a small shoot 1-2 cm long.
- All removed shoots are collected in a container and taken out of the greenhouse.
Stepping is repeated step by step once every 6-7 days.
Pinching Instructions
The tops of tomatoes are pinched at the end of July - beginning of August, when the required number of inflorescences have formed on the bush.
Carefully pinch off the stem above the last inflorescence that appears, leaving 1-2 leaves on top. Tall varieties are pinched all season long.
How to plant stepsons without roots in the ground
Tomato cuttings root so well that they can be immediately planted in the soil without first being kept in a jar of water. Sometimes gardeners discover that removed shoots, left lying on damp soil, germinate without any additional care. Given their vitality, it is not at all necessary to use root or heteroauxin, although with them the process will go faster. But the stepsons need to be watered well - they definitely need moisture to form roots.
The first two days after planting in the ground, the plants will be lethargic and drooping. At this time they must be protected from direct sun.
Freshly cut stepsons can be planted not in a garden bed, but in a cup of soil. Thus, you can grow full-fledged seedlings from them. For each stepson, prepare a container with a volume of 250 ml. The soil must be loose. It is better to use a transparent glass so that you can monitor the development of the roots. Large drainage holes must be made at the bottom so that excess water quickly leaves the container. Cups with stepsons are placed in a bright place and watered regularly - so that the soil is always moderately moist. As usual, for the first couple of days, until the plant has settled in, it should be protected from direct sunlight.
It is advisable to cover the top of the glass with a transparent bag to maintain high humidity. It is imperative to either provide ventilation in it or regularly clean it for ventilation.
In a week, the regrown roots will become visible through the transparent walls of the cup, and the stepson can be transplanted to the garden bed. You can take your time and continue to care for it as you would an ordinary seedling. In this case, you must initially plant it in a container of a suitable size and with fertile soil.
Rooting stepsons
What should you do if you decide to pester your tomato beds with stepchildren? When their length on tomato bushes reaches 10-15 cm, you need to carefully cut off the stepsons and place them in a tree for rooting.
It is best to cover the stem of the cut cutting with fertile soil up to the first leaves and water it well with water, always warm. You can plant in the ground when the stepsons form roots. They also need to be gradually hardened before moving into the ground, taking them out into the open air.
The plant will take root in water, especially if mineral fertilizers are dissolved in it. The only disadvantage of this method is that the root system is more fragile and damage to it must be avoided.
You can do it differently. Select the strongest bushes, bend their lower stepsons to the surface of the bed and sprinkle with soil. A week will be enough for the roots to form. After this period, you need to carefully check their condition and separate from the mother plant with a sharp knife those stepsons where the development of the root system began.
When is it useful to grow tomatoes from stepsons?
It happens that there are not enough seedlings of your own, and there is still free space left in the garden bed. In this case, with the help of stepsons you can quickly obtain additional planting material. This will save both time and money. It’s not always possible to buy additional seedlings. And it will take several weeks to grow a new batch from seeds.
Using stepsons, you can propagate your favorite variety or especially productive bush. Cuttings are good precisely because all the properties of the main plant are transferred to its side shoots.
There are also more serious situations when reproduction by stepchildren will be a real salvation. For example, if the plants suffered from disease or frost, or were damaged during transportation. However, one must prepare for such a turn of events in advance. Some gardeners always keep a few stepsons in reserve in a jar of water or in cups of soil.
It is worth considering that when growing tomatoes from stepchildren, the fruits on them ripen later than on the main bushes. Therefore, it is better to do this trick no later than June, so that the plants have enough time to grow. You can also form bushes grown from stepchildren into one stem and leave fewer fruits on them. Then they will ripen faster.
Why is it necessary to carry out stepsoning?
Stepsynching is carried out for several reasons:
- This way we do not allow the bite to grow in width, but only in height. Tomatoes tend to branch very quickly and if this process is not controlled, the tomatoes begin to interfere with each other’s growth, begin to get confused and, as a result, produce very little fruit.
- Since the bush tends to actively develop, the root system tends to supply the entire bush with useful substances. Stepchildren are essentially useless shoots that take up a significant amount of these same substances.
It is very important to carry out this procedure on time, because if you do not remove the stepchildren of the first level, the stepchildren of the second generation begin to develop, which turn the plants into an ornate bush without fruits
Some gardeners argue that tomatoes don’t need to be planted, but it should be taken into account that as a result of this approach, the yield will depend not only on care, but also on external conditions and the variety.
Which variety to choose and does it influence the need for pinching? Typically, gardeners choose low-growing bushes because they are afraid that they will not be able to cope with large, tall bushes.
However, in vain. With the right approach, this will not be any more difficult than a low-growing variety of tomatoes. Does this affect stepsoning? Definitely not. Every bush needs this process to optimize its yield.
Types of pinching
There are three types of stepsoning. It is best to study each and choose the most suitable one for your case.
Single-stem stepsoning (formation into one stem) To form a bush in this way, it is worth removing absolutely all the stepsons.
- Double-stem pinching (formation into two stems) And when using this method, difficulties should not arise. When using this method, it is worth leaving the first stepson untouched, which is usually the most powerful and developed, so it is quite easy to detect. Otherwise, you should look for the most developed flower branch. The first stepson will definitely be located right under it. This pinching method is often used for varieties with small fruits.
- Three-stem stepson. (formation into three stems). For this method, it is enough to follow the instructions for the previous method, i.e. leave the first stepson, and then find another well-developed stepson, which is usually located under the first shoot
If you still have some confusion about pinching tomatoes, we invite you to watch the video provided below by Oktyabrina Ganechkina, which covers this topic more than fully:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=uHWACWQq5MU
What is it and why is it needed
In tomatoes, like other nightshade crops, shoots appear in the axils of the leaves, which are called stepsons. And pinching tomatoes means removing them. Such a shoot can develop into a full-fledged branch with leaves, flower clusters, and, accordingly, fruits. Why then remove them?
It seems logical that you can get an additional harvest from such branches. However, if you do not remove excess sprouts in a timely manner, you may be left without a harvest at all. The formation of any part of the plant requires strength, nutrients, and time. If the tomato spends all this on its stepson, then it will not have enough strength to grow the main flower clusters and fruits. The result is that there are no tomatoes either here or there.
Moreover, the stepson will not necessarily begin to bloom and bear fruit. In most cases, it remains just a green branch, taking food away from the bush. At the same time, the fruits on the main clusters grow worse and ripen on average two weeks later. As a result, at best, you will get a modest harvest of small, unripe tomatoes.
For example. An indeterminate bush (these are varieties with unlimited growth, tall) has 7-8 leaves between the flower clusters. If each one grows into a stepson, then for one fruit-bearing branch there will be 7-8 useless ones.
Therefore, the main task of pinching is the competent formation of the tomato, which increases the yield.
To distinguish the stepson from the future cluster with flowers, you need to remember: the first appears only from the axil of the leaf, the second - from the trunk. Moreover, on the stepson, even in its infancy, leaves are already visible.
