What is stepsoning
Pinching is one of the agrotechnical techniques aimed at increasing the productivity of tomato bushes.
The procedure is carried out in order to remove useless branches that draw beneficial substances from the root and fruit, depriving them of sufficient nutrition.
By cutting off the shoots, it is possible to correctly form the trunk of the plant and increase the yield, since only those shoots on which the fruits will ripen remain.
If the tomatoes are not planted, then a lot of green mass will grow on the bushes, which does not contribute to increasing the yield. The less nutrients the leaves take, the more will go to the fruits.
Reviews from gardeners
Svetlana M., Asha: “Gardening is one of my favorite pastimes, however, in our climatic conditions it is difficult to get a large harvest, and there is a little more work with plants. I prefer non-sprouting and early ripening varieties, such as non-sprouting raspberry or plum. They form neat bushes, ripen quickly and allow you to enjoy the results of your own labor even in the summer months. I roll up the plum-shaped one for the winter, and the whole family eats the pink one with pleasure.”
Alexey V., Novoorsk: “Our summers are warm, even hot, but dry and short. Growing crops is sometimes difficult, so before I buy a new variety, I read its description and reviews from gardeners. This helps me understand which seeds are worth buying in the store and which are not. I bought the last curiosity - the non-grazing striped tomato, I really liked the appearance of the tomato, and the description of the variety was good. The yield is sufficient, although I don’t plant much, rather just for fun, but it’s enough for salting.”
Arina D., Cherepanovo: “Our whole family loves tomatoes. In the summer we eat fresh, and in the winter we take out pot-bellied cans of canned food and enjoy using them. To stock up for the winter, you need to grow something in warm weather. I have several varieties of tomatoes, but most of all I love the non-sapling ones - there is less work with them . Most of all I liked the sugar one, which has a round and very sweet fruit.”
It takes much less time to care for non-vining tomatoes. This attracts busy summer residents. Many people try to grow just such tomatoes in open ground. They buy low-growing, standard varieties. The bushes of such tomatoes do not need to be formed, but the fruits ripen early.
What are stepchildren
As the plants grow, small branches begin to appear from the leaf axils, which become larger and larger. These lateral processes are called stepsons.
What to do with stepchildren
Increased growth of stepchildren occurs after the appearance of the first branch with inflorescences. It is important not to let the stepchildren grow too big. If they grow more than 5 centimeters, then removal will become very stressful for the bushes.
Stress can lead to weakened seedlings and reduced yields. Therefore, in a greenhouse, it is recommended to remove stepchildren every week, in open ground - every 10-12 days during the entire fruiting period.
Why remove stepchildren
In order not to skip stepsoning, you need to remember the importance of this procedure.
- Useless shoots draw nutrients from the bush, reducing its vitality, which it should direct to the ripening of fruits.
- The lateral shoots greatly thicken the tomato plantings, which leads to poor ventilation.
- Due to poor air exchange, humidity increases, which means a fertile environment is created for the development of fungal and other diseases.
This stage of work, which requires attention and correct execution, is very important for the health of the bushes.
When pruning, you can accidentally remove not extra shoots, but fruit clusters, reducing the yield of the bush.
Before you start pruning, inspect your tomato plant. Leaves are already noticeable on a stepson of any size, and small rudiments of flowers are visible on the fruit cluster. Another difference is that the flower raceme does not develop from the leaf axil. It starts growing from the stem.
If, upon examination, you begin to doubt whether it is a stepson or a flower brush, then wait a day or two, after which the difference will be clearly visible.
How to remove stepsons? You can simply use your hands while wearing gloves. If the shoot has grown more than 5 centimeters, then use sharp pruners or scissors.
Features of cultivation
The variety “Non-Sonny” does not require special attention, but you need to learn the simple rules of agricultural technology.
You may be interested in: Dates for planting tomato seedlings in open ground and greenhouses according to the garden calendar Favorable days for planting tomatoes for seedlings in 2022 according to the lunar sowing calendar Favorable days for picking tomatoes in 2022 after germination: timing of picking tomato seedlings in the table by day
Bedding
The plant does not tolerate negative temperatures, but is resistant to cool temperatures, so it can be planted in a greenhouse or under film quite early. 4 plants can be freely accommodated per square meter. Each hole can be fertilized with a handful of ash, humus and a small amount of nitrogen fertilizer.
Watering
During the growing season, abundant watering is required. It is better to do this not too often (about 2 times a week or a little less often, depending on the temperature), but a lot.
Important
! The amount of watering must be adjusted according to the weather and the condition of the plants. Too thick trunks and thick, juicy, spreading foliage indicate an excess of moisture. If you do not limit watering in time during this period, the bush will turn out to be powerful and large, but the yield will be greatly reduced.
When the fruits have set, grow and ripen, watering is reduced to avoid cracking and wateriness of the tomato.
Fertilizers
Before abundant flowering begins, fertilizers with a high nitrogen content are added to the soil - this helps the plant quickly gain green mass. When fruiting begins, tomatoes need potassium and phosphorus. A total of 3 feedings per season are sufficient.
Diseases
The variety is resistant to diseases. Following the content rules will help you avoid them. Like all tomatoes, “Never-Sonny” does not like high air humidity and stuffiness, or excessive soil moisture.
Pests
It is weakly affected by parasites. Like other varieties, it can be attacked by aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites. Timely processing and compliance with growing rules will help. Spraying with a soap solution, ash diluted in water, or special preparations is effective against pests.
Advantages of non-grafting varieties
In order not to be distracted by pinching, gardeners choose non-pinching tomato varieties for planting. They can be grown in a greenhouse, open ground, and some varieties even on the balcony.
The choice of varieties of low-growing tomatoes is very large. All of them produce a generous harvest, and their fruits have an incomparable taste.
If you have a vegetable garden, unplanted tomatoes are your best choice for early vegetables for your family.
What are the advantages of non-grafting tomatoes:
- Basically, the non-sapling tomato reaches a height of 50-70 centimeters.
- Not whimsical, do not require stepsoning.
- They ripen early, rewarding with a large harvest.
- Tomatoes rarely suffer from late blight because they manage to produce the entire crop before it begins to spread.
- Most varieties are almost not attacked by pests.
- Low-growing varieties grow quite compactly, without producing extra shoots. If stepsons appear, then fruits may also ripen on them.
- The thick trunk is well held in an upright position. If there are too many fruits, it is better to tie them up so that the bush does not break.
When purchasing, you should pay attention to the “F1” mark. This sign indicates that this is not a variety, but a hybrid, which is obtained by crossing two different varieties.
A tomato hybrid cannot be propagated by seeds because the new plants do not inherit the characteristics of the mother plant.
Pest and disease control
Tomatoes of the Nepas series are resistant to late blight and white rot, but with prolonged rains and lower air temperatures, the likelihood of infection by a harmful fungus increases. To combat pathology, foliage is sprayed with copper sulfate. At the first symptoms of rot infection, diseased bushes are removed, disposed of, and the rest are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Damage to tomatoes can be caused by mole crickets, Colorado potato beetles, and whiteflies. You can destroy pests using insecticides (Karate, Thunder).
Important! For safety reasons, chemicals are used only in the first half of the growing season.
Features of tomatoes that do not require pinching
Due to the characteristics of the varieties, tomatoes without pinching are suitable for people who cannot devote much time to the formation of bushes of this crop.
Their first feature is that they don’t need to be pinched or tied. If you choose a low-growing variety with a thick bush 40-50 cm high, then it will withstand the weight of its harvest. They are even grown on the windowsill.
If there is no greenhouse on the site, then standard varieties are grown in open ground or in greenhouses. For greenhouses, compact or tomato forms with low foliage are chosen.
Tomatoes are low-growing, non-sapling tomatoes that are resistant to low temperatures. Many gardeners grow them without seedlings, planting tomato seeds directly in open ground.
Seedlings are planted at the end of April, seeds - in mid-May. Before planting, the seed is kept in wet gauze for 3-4 hours.
The low-growing, non-sapling variety is practically not susceptible to late blight. The disease begins to affect plants at the end of August. By that time, the low-growing tomatoes had already given away almost the entire harvest.
Growing and care
When the sprouts emerge from the ground and reach 2 cm, the shelter is removed and the containers are transferred to the window. They need to be shaded from bright daylight with mesh or paper. Water young plants as the top layer of soil dries from a syringe. Water should not get on the leaves. To prevent them from growing crooked, it is necessary to turn them to the light in different directions every 2 days. Since the days are still short in spring, plants need additional light. To do this, install special lamps and turn them on for 4 hours after it gets dark outside.
At the stage of appearance of two true leaves, the seedlings are planted in separate cups. If you use peat tablets, you won’t have to do this. When the plants become stronger and reach a height of 15 cm, you can begin to harden them and prepare them for planting in the ground. This usually happens in mid-May. To harden the containers, place them on the balcony in the evening - first for 30 minutes, increasing the time interval every day. The temperature should not be lower than +10°C. After a week of such hardening, you can accustom the young seedlings to the sun, leaving them on the balcony or veranda after 16:00.
Weeding is carried out as the beds become overgrown. To form powerful lateral roots, bushes are hilled 2 times per season. Since this variety is determinate, it does not need pinching. A garter is only necessary if so much ovary has formed on the bush that it may fall. In this case, a peg is driven in near the desired bush, which is 10 cm higher than the plant, and a tomato is tied to it with fasteners or twine.
For a good harvest, summer residents use various fertilizers. These can be either ready-made mineral fertilizers or organic, natural ones. It will be effective to use a combination of these and other fertilizers: 1 bucket of mullein should be mixed with 9 buckets of water in a large barrel, let it brew for several days and add 20 g of superphosphate. This fertilizing can be applied 2 weeks after planting tomatoes in the ground.
Then during the season, 2 more feedings are carried out with natural means, to choose from:
- infusion of wood ash;
- chicken droppings;
- yeast solution;
- onion peel decoction;
- nettle infusion.
Be sure to water each bush well before applying any fertilizer, otherwise the fertilizer will spread over the surface and not reach the roots.
The best varieties of tomatoes that do not require pinching
The best varieties have been bred for open ground and show excellent productivity. They are unpretentious and do not require special care. Tested by many gardeners from their own experience.
From a large assortment, choose low-growing tomatoes for open ground without pinching.
Alsou
This early ripening variety can grow up to 1 meter in height. It is better to tie the bushes so that they do not break under the weight of the fruit. And there will be a lot of fruits - 8 kg per 1 m². The taste of the fruit is excellent. With good care, tomatoes can grow up to 500 grams in weight. Heart-shaped tomatoes.
Fighter brawler
Siberian breeders have developed a crop that is not afraid of low temperatures and does not require frequent watering. Even in the northern regions of the country it can grow in open ground.
Tomatoes begin to ripen 95 days from the moment the first sprouts appear. They have a deep red color. Their weight is 60 - 88 grams. You can harvest 3 kg of tomatoes from a bush.
The fighter does not suffer from tobacco mosaic, but is not very resistant to other diseases. When the disease is first detected, it is necessary to treat it with fungicides. If you want to grow unusual, pepper-shaped varieties of tomatoes, then choose “fighter brawler”.
Balcony miracle
“Balcony miracle” can be grown at home, on the balcony. This is one of the earliest tomatoes. After 90 days from the moment the sprouts appear, you can harvest without leaving your home. Red fruits grow in clusters. Up to 2 kg of tomatoes are harvested from a bush. Almost never gets sick.
Top ten
Tomatoes, sweet in taste, without sourness, can be added to salads. The yellow color of the fruit will decorate any salad and winter preparations.
They grow quickly in an open garden bed, but require staking, as they grow up to 1 meter in height. The weight of one fruit is 170-220 grams. With good care, the bushes are strewn with large yellow tomatoes.
Hyperbola
Early ripening hyperbola tomatoes grow up to 110 centimeters in height. Garter required. It takes 100 days from germination to the appearance of red fruits. The fruits are fleshy, dense, ovoid, weighing 70-90 grams. You can collect up to 2.5 kg from a bush.
Gina
Siberian collectors developed a standard high-yielding variety with low branching. The bushes grow up to 50 cm. They are attracted by dark pink, large, sweet fruits weighing 100-120 grams.
If ripe fruits are collected as they ripen, new ovaries will begin to appear, followed by the ripening of new tomatoes on them. Not afraid of diseases and temperature changes.
Oak
These are the first tomatoes that do not require pinching that were bred in our country. The harvest ripens very quickly. After three weeks, the bed can be cleared of bushes. The fruits, weighing up to 110 grams, have an unusual, slightly orange color.
Leningrad chill
Ripens very early. As a rule, 85-90 days after the seedlings appear, you can enjoy the first tomatoes. Suitable for canning. From 1 sq. meter you can collect 3 kg of red, dense tomatoes.
Blizzard
If you choose tomato varieties for long-term storage, then you should pay attention to “Metelitsa”.
In addition to shelf life, tomatoes have good characteristics:
- They are easy to grow.
- They rarely suffer from tomato diseases.
- They are not afraid of temperature changes, so they are suitable for growing in areas with cool climates.
- Can be transported over long distances.
Sanka
The earliest of all the earliest varieties. It takes only 80 days for the crop to ripen. The entire bush is strewn with red fleshy tomatoes, weighing 160 grams. From 1 sq.m. You can remove up to 8 kg of tomatoes. With good care - up to 10 kg.
Skorospelka
Gardeners grow several varieties of tomatoes at once in order to have vitamins throughout the season. Among the very first to be planted are ultra-early tomato varieties, such as “early ripening”.
“Skorospelka” is an ultra-early variety that ripens in 87-95 days. The plant grows up to 50-70 cm. It forms side shoots, so they need to be removed.
Shuttle
"Shuttle" - included in tomato varieties for open ground. Early ripening, unpretentious, high-yielding, characterized by long-term fruiting. It tolerates cold well, but can get late blight. At the first signs of the disease, it is necessary to treat with drugs.
The bushes are standard, 45-50 cm high, not branched. From 1 sq. meter, you can collect up to 7-8 kg of juicy dark red tomatoes, weighing 70-80 g. They taste slightly sweet, without sourness. The skin is dense, so the whole fruit is suitable for pickling.
Specifics of planting and caring for tomatoes in the Urals
To grow tomatoes in harsh climates, you need to choose the variety wisely and provide it with proper care. Seeds need to be planted in a timely manner. Watering, fertilizing, and formation of bushes are of great importance.
Watering mode
All plants require systematic watering. The soil is moistened for the first time a week after planting. Subsequently, the soil should be watered as it dries out. When the first fruits form, the systematicity of watering should be increased. Thanks to this, the plants will develop faster.
What to feed
It is recommended to feed the soil 3 times during the season. Wood ash is used before planting. Thanks to this, it is possible to achieve active root development. The following fertilizing is applied during flowering. This is also done 1-2 weeks before harvest.
Tomatoes are fertilized with the following means:
- potassium products – potassium sulfate;
- nitrogen preparations - urea;
- phosphorus substances - superphosphate.
Garter and bush formation
Tall types of tomatoes must be tied to fixing supports. Otherwise, there is a risk of damage to the bushes by wind or fruits. Tomatoes are secured using stakes that are placed near the plants. Their height depends on the size of the tomatoes - usually they take 1.5 meter pegs.
Trellis are often used as support. To do this, stretch a wire along each row. It should be strong enough.
Growing tomatoes in the Urals has a number of features. First of all, you should wisely choose a hybrid that is resistant to harsh climatic conditions. Complete and adequate care is of great importance.
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The best varieties of non-grafting tomatoes for open ground
In open ground, it is better to grow early-ripening, non-sapling tomatoes. Having collected an early harvest, you don’t have to worry about the weather getting worse or diseases occurring.
As a rule, early-ripening tomatoes are low-growing, which do not need to be cut and tied, because they do not even grow to 1 meter. The plants do not grow and are not covered with shoots, so they produce high yields.
The best productive varieties have earned positive reviews for their excellent taste.
Agatha
It grows to a height of only 45 centimeters. Productivity - up to 2 kg per bush. The harvest ripens in July-August. The foliage is lush and green.
The first inflorescence appears above 6–7 leaves, then forms after 1 leaf.
Each tassel can bear 3-4 fruits.
The fruits are red, round, slightly flattened, weighing 77-100 grams, covered with thick skin, therefore included in tomato varieties for storage and transportation.
Adeline
High-yielding variety. From a bush you can collect up to 3 kg of cylindrical fruits. People call this form “cream”.
The weight of one tomato is 85-90 grams. The bush grows only up to 40 cm.
The fruits have a very dense skin. The pulp is juicy, fleshy, with a pleasant sweet and sour taste. Tomatoes can be canned or processed into juice, paste and sauces.
Iditarod
“Iditarod Red” is in great demand among gardeners for its high yield and delicately sweet taste. It is distinguished by strong, non-branched stems, up to 70 centimeters high, for which it is included in the non-sprouting tomato varieties.
Incredible compactness allows you to harvest a generous harvest even from a small garden bed. Can be grown in large pots on the balcony or windowsill. Does not succumb to diseases.
Alpha
An early ripening variety intended for open ground. Ripe tomatoes can be picked as early as July. In the south of the country they grow without seedlings, sowing the seed directly into the ground.
Blooms after 5-6 leaves appear. The fruits are smooth, slightly flattened, weighing up to 80 grams.
Strong thick bushes are generously strewn with juicy red tomatoes. The bush can produce up to 2.5 kg of tomatoes.
Iceberg
Suitable variety for the Northern regions. Thick, strong stems grow up to 80 cm. They can break from the abundance of fruits, so it is better to tie them to a support. Iceberg fruits are large, weighing up to 200 grams, fleshy, sweet, with juicy pulp.
Biathlon
This variety is often grown for whole canning. Less suitable for preparing salads. This hybrid grows only up to 80 cm but requires pinching off excess branches. If the weather is good, fruits are expected to ripen smoothly.
Boney mm
Refers to ultra-early ripening varieties. The first red ribbed tomatoes appear 80 days after the sprouts hatch. The weight of one fruit is up to 80 g, the yield is 2 kg per bush.
Boni MM is unpretentious, does not get sick, does not require gartering or pinching. The fruits are good for pickling and eating fresh. The tomatoes are tasty, with a slight acidity, and are perfectly stored and transported.
Washington
Early ripening Washington pleases with a healthy harvest 50 days after planting in the garden. The good thing is that one bush immediately ripens 25-30 round, strong tomatoes, weighing 60 grams. Ripe tomatoes do not burst during transportation and are suitable for long-term storage.
Golden gelfruit
At the ripening stage, the bushes are covered with yellow-golden cream. The plantings of this crop are so beautiful that they can decorate any summer cottage.
The taste of cream will not let you down either. Tomatoes do not crack or get sick. For 1 sq. per meter, it is recommended to plant 4 bushes so that they do not interfere with each other’s growth.
Lady
Early maturing tall hybrid. Requires gartering and pinching. But this work pays off with an abundance of pink-raspberry dense tomatoes. The taste is sweet, the flesh is juicy and tender. On the bushes the fruits are arranged in beautiful clusters.
Danko
The red, heart-shaped fruits weigh up to 300 grams. In a greenhouse they can grow up to 500 grams. From one bush you can collect up to 3 kg of delicious “hearts”. Danko is good because it is not afraid of temperature changes. In any conditions you will be pleased with a generous harvest.
Winter cherry
Standard cherry tomatoes are the best option for the northern regions. It is not afraid of cool weather, so it can be grown without greenhouses. Not sick. Up to 2.5 kg is collected from one plant.
The main feature of “Winter Cherry” is its cold resistance and undemandingness to the soil. The fruits are small, deep crimson in color, round, slightly flattened. In cool conditions, the crop can be stored for 2 months.
Rocket
Rocket is considered a reliable variety because it has been grown for several decades.
The rocket-shaped fruits begin to ripen 4 months after the sprouts appear. The bush is compact, there are few leaves, so the whole plant is well ventilated.
Tomatoes weigh, as a rule, only 35-58 grams, but are very tasty and sweet.
Chio chio san
Tomatoes of this variety are tasty in any form. The hybrid appeared 20 years ago and has firmly taken its place in vegetable gardens. It grows tall, so it requires pinching off the top.
Pink fruits weigh only 40 g, but are very tasty and juicy. Does not get sick, is not afraid of drought, tolerates partial shade and cool weather well.
Features of growing and planting Nepas tomatoes
The main feature of the agricultural technology of these tomatoes is defined in their name - growing does not cause any particular difficulties. It is not without reason that gardeners who have already tried out the new product at their dachas call them “tomatoes for lazy people” in numerous positive reviews on forums.
Removing stepchildren may be necessary only in a situation of severe thickening of the green mass, which happens with an unreasonably large use of nitrogen fertilizers. In other cases, the bushes grow compact, so they can be planted more densely than other common varieties. For 1 sq. m fits 5 or 6 plants.
In regions where the climate is not a risky northern one, it will be possible to plant these tomatoes directly in the garden without any problems, bypassing the seedling stage.
The best varieties of tomatoes without pinching for greenhouses
Tomato varieties for greenhouses are high-yielding, rarely get sick, and provide a rich harvest. To grow in greenhouses, tomatoes should be compact, with little foliage. There are such varieties and they have already been appreciated by many gardeners.
Alaska
Among tomatoes for greenhouses, it is necessary to highlight “Alaska” for its cold resistance, disease resistance and short ripening period.
This is one of the best early ripening specimens intended for cultivation in cold regions. Juicy and tender tomatoes have a sweetish taste.
Children's sweetness
Tomatoes for greenhouses with this name have a truly special sweet taste. Low bushes are strewn with red oval tomatoes.
It is not afraid of late blight, since it ripens early, even before the outbreak of the epidemic. The weight of one tomato is 70 g. From one square meter you can collect 6 kg of excellent fruit.
Ob domes
This special early-ripening hybrid attracts attention with the shape of its fruit. The shape resembles tiny domes. The color of the fruit is bright raspberry-pink, the taste is pleasant. The plant grows up to 70 cm. Sometimes it is necessary to pruning, as the plants become excessively covered with foliage.
How to choose a variety
The choice of a specific variety for cultivation on the site depends on taste preferences and cultivation purposes. Tomatoes of the second, seventh, third and fourteenth types of the series should be consumed fresh. They are not only beautiful in appearance, but also have a pleasant, sweet taste. And the seventh has one more advantage - the large size of the fruits.
Tomatoes with a dense core and skin that are not prone to cracking are most suitable for canning. For this purpose, tomatoes of the fourth and sixth types are used, especially since their color is bright orange and deep red.
An indoor species, grown on a windowsill in winter, can be used to decorate dishes. The ninth and tenth are valued for their visual appeal, so they are often used in cooking to create delicious salads. The fifth type has high transportability and keeping quality.
Tips and tricks
Buy seeds in trusted, specialized stores
Pay attention to the packaging. It must indicate the variety, manufacturer, number of seeds, date of manufacture
To get a good harvest, caring for plants is necessary, despite their unpretentiousness.
Nepas series varieties are left unattended for 1-2 weeks in favorable weather, but it is important to ensure watering once every ten days
The bushes need to be tied up, weeded, the soil loosened, and fed every two weeks.
The basic agrotechnical methods are the same as for other varieties, with the exception of pinching and bush formation.
Why do tomatoes need a high bed?
A high bed is soil raised above the main level of the garden, which is framed by sides. Growing tomatoes in a box allows you to minimize the effort required to care for your tomatoes.
A ridge raised above the general level does not require a large area. A compact earthen box can be placed in any well-lit corner of the site. Effective cultivation of tomatoes is possible not only in ready-made greenhouses, but also in open ground. High ridges have proven to be the most productive. The advantages of high bed boxes are:
- the soil does not erode during watering, during seasonal snow melting and during rains;
- always clean interbeds;
- correct geometry of the beds, aesthetic appeal;
- the possibility of covering tomatoes during a pest invasion or with the danger of night cold;
- preventing weeds from growing between rows.
Tomatoes are tall crops. It is necessary to give them the maximum amount of useful nutrients for growth and fruiting. Raised soil and the growth of crops in it allows you to reduce the time for watering and create optimal conditions for tomatoes.
