Tomatoes fatten - what to do, in a greenhouse, open ground, video, advice from gardeners

Thick, finger-sized or more, long stems of tomatoes, spreading dark overgrown leaves - this is not always good. If such a riot of greenery does not fit into the varietal characteristics, then the tomatoes are fattening. Only novice gardeners can rejoice in this, not knowing that by increasing the vegetative mass they will lose a significant part of the harvest. Experienced people are starting to think about how to improve the situation if tomatoes are fattening.

What is fatliquoring of tomatoes?

Fattening of tomatoes occurs when the vegetative development of the bush, manifested in the growth of green mass, dominates over the generative development - the formation and growth of flowers and fruits. To obtain a full harvest, both processes are important, but a balance must be maintained.

Tomatoes fatten when they are oversaturated with nutrients, especially nitrogen, are often watered, and do not receive enough carbon dioxide. Although the problem occurs more often in greenhouses than in open ground, it is easier to correct the situation there.

Formation of a bush according to the method of Ganichkina and Gavrish

Let's move on to the formation of bushes using the methods of famous breeders. Ganichkina’s method consists of growing bushes with two main but powerful shoots:

The first is the main one;
The second is left above the flower brush.

In this case, the main cluster ripens faster than the second, and the harvest gradually fills, delighting the owners for a long time.

Famous breeder S.B. Gavrish suggests forming tomato bushes using this method: leaving the stepson under the first brush. As a result, the main shoot remains on the left, and an additional one on the right. You can leave the third shoot without cutting off another stepson that has grown lower than the second.

His method differs from other methods aimed at improving the fertility of tomato plantings, but has already taken root among many gardeners.

How to stepson using the method of Ganichkina and Gavrish, look at the picture.

Its main difference from others is that the stepson should be left under the first brush. As a result, the main shoot remains on the left side, and the secondary shoot remains on the right. If there is a need for a third shoot, leave another stepson below the second.

How to understand that tomatoes are fattening

It is not difficult to determine whether tomatoes are fattening by external signs. Moreover, the problem occurs frequently, is well studied, and most gardeners do not need photos or expert advice.

Signs of fattening tomatoes:

the stem is thick, powerful, the diameter can reach the thickness of a finger or more;
the leaves are huge, dark green;
there are a large number of stepsons, they grow quickly, sometimes 2 shoots appear from one internode;
many fruit clusters, often double, long, but sparse, with a small number of buds;
after removing the stepson, a new one can grow in the same place;
the color of the flowers becomes pale;
the top of the plant curls;
if it is pinched, in particularly advanced cases, many stepsons appear from the axils of the nearest leaves;
the fruits stop developing and do not fill;
on the flower cluster that appears after signs of fattening appear, fruits do not set for a long time or the buds fall off.

As a result, even though the bush looks quite healthy, you may be left without a harvest.

Tomatoes are not grown to admire the lush greenery. Tomatoes should not fatten in order to produce as much marketable fruit as possible during the growing season.

Signs of a fattening tomato

Most often, vegetable growers who grow tomatoes in greenhouses face the problem of fattening. Flaws in agricultural technology have a greater impact on plants in protected soil. The term “fatification” refers to an anomaly in the development of tomatoes, which is manifested by the following symptoms:

rapid growth of leaves and stems;
excessive formation of secondary stepsons;
growth of a flower raceme;
slow formation of fruits or their absence;
the appearance of curled leaves on the top of the head.

Reference. Your tomatoes are fattening if there are few flower clusters and they develop poorly.

The problem of fatliquoring is a consequence of excessive care: unsystematic use of fertilizers, excessive watering. The main symptom of fattening is the appearance of dense, curled leaves on the top of the head on bushes with thick stems. Low-growing determinate varieties with short trusses fatten less often than indeterminate tomatoes.

Why do tomatoes fatten?

Fatliquoring tomatoes in a greenhouse is a common phenomenon. Most often it occurs due to errors in care. In open ground, more factors influence the development of the problem, but there external signs are usually not as pronounced as in greenhouses.

Reasons for fattening tomatoes:

excessive fertilizing with nitrogen;
frequent watering, waterlogging of the soil;
average daily temperature is low;
high concentration of moisture in the air;
when preparing the soil, too much humus was added;
low carbon dioxide content;
experimented with compaction of plantings; tomatoes were placed so close to legumes that their roots were intertwined.

Most often, tall indeterminate tomatoes growing in a greenhouse are fattened.

Methods for solving the problem

The fight against fattening of tomatoes consists of the following measures:

Elimination of nitrogen fertilizing

At the first signs of fattening, nitrogen fertilizing should be stopped immediately.

Flower brushes need to be pinched, leaving 5–7 buds

Tomato bushes need to remove 2-3 bottom leaves

It is necessary to remove tomato shoots in time

An extract is first prepared from superphosphate, since its granules are poorly soluble in water

To maintain the optimal temperature in the greenhouse, you need to open the windows and doors for ventilation and, if necessary, close them in time.

Tomato bushes are not watered for about a week, usually during this time the leaves stop curling

Tomatoes can be pollinated by hand

Wood ash contains a lot of potassium

Potassium monophosphate belongs to the group of potassium-phosphorus fertilizers

Potassium fertilizers are used during the flowering and fruiting period of tomatoes.

Magnesium helps cope with fattening of tomatoes

Why fight fattening of tomatoes?

If the growth of tomatoes follows exclusively the path of development of vegetative organs - thickening and elongation of stems, excessive increase in leaf size, formation of new side shoots, there will be no harvest. On the other hand, when almost all the beneficial substances and forces of the plant are spent on generative processes, this will also end badly.

Leaves are involved in photosynthesis and nutrition. Their insufficient development will lead to the fact that the plant will starve and will not be able to absorb light in the required quantities and convert it into organic compounds. A weak, poorly formed root does not cope with its task - to supply the above-ground part with moisture and nutrients.

An imbalance towards generative growth will cause a large number of fruits to set. At first they will develop well and quickly. When there are not enough nutrients and energy, they will die before they have time to ripen.

Fruits, roots, green mass should not develop to the detriment of each other, but harmoniously. The rules of agricultural technology are based on the study of biological processes, and were not invented by agronomists to complicate the life of gardeners. If they are followed, tomatoes will not become fatty and will produce a bountiful harvest.

External signs of pathology

Greenhouse plants can be very capricious. This is due to the fact that they get used to the temperature and humidity levels inside the enclosed space.

It is important to properly apply fertilizer to the bushes and prepare the soil in the greenhouse for the new season every fall. The soil preparation procedure includes:

disinfection;
digging;
application of organic and mineral fertilizers.

If you postpone these activities until spring, the harvest amount will be significantly reduced. Due to the fact that the soil does not have time to absorb fertilizers, the tomatoes will begin to “fatten”. Improper vegetation is determined by the main sign - the apical leaves curl. At the same time, the bushes will look extremely attractive in appearance. The foliage will be bright green and lush.

On a beautiful massive bush you will not find a large number of ovaries, since the flow of nutrients will be directed not to the formation of fruits, but to the foliage. You may find that the plant hardly blooms. To understand the reason for “fatification”, it is necessary to examine all the plants and discard those affected by this disease.

How to combat fattening of tomatoes

If you do nothing when tomatoes are fattening, the harvest will be meager. New fruits set poorly, and existing ones can hang green for weeks without increasing in size.

It is possible to improve the situation and stop fattening. There are several methods, but the best results are obtained by combining them.

Overdrying of the soil

If the tomatoes begin to fatten, they stop watering them for a certain period. This prevents nitrogen from being absorbed and transforms vegetative development into generative development.

Many sources recommend combating fatliquoring by stopping soil moisture for 2 weeks. But this can destroy tomatoes, especially in the south in open ground or a greenhouse without climate control.

In order to force the plant to devote all its efforts to the development of fruits, overdrying must be controlled, and no specific deadlines must be set. You should focus on the weather, the composition and structure of the soil, and the condition of the tomatoes.

Fattening tomatoes are treated by over-drying as follows:

Stop watering the tomatoes.
Every day, early in the morning, they go to the garden bed or greenhouse and look at the appearance of the upper leaves.
If they are wrinkled, leave the tomatoes alone. When the top leaves straighten and become smooth, you need to water the bed generously.
They again stop moistening the soil and observe the crop.

If the tomatoes have become a little fatty, two drying sessions may be enough. In severe cases they are repeated 3 or 4 times.

But when the soil gets too dry, there is a danger of flowers and fruits falling off. Therefore, before stopping watering, it is necessary to treat the entire plant or just the flower clusters with boric acid or other preparations that stimulate the formation and development of ovaries.

They must be used strictly according to the instructions, avoiding overdose. In general, with tomatoes you should follow the rule: it is better to make the solution less concentrated than to pour in more of the active substance than required.

Blocking nitrogen supply

Excessive doses of potassium and phosphorus block the absorption of nitrogen by tomatoes. In general, nitrates should be given to them in moderation. Green fertilizers and feeding with mullein are indicated only in the initial stages of growth, or if the diet is clearly lacking nitrogen, and vegetative development is inhibited.

To quickly eliminate the imbalance, use foliar feeding of tomatoes with superphosphate extract. To do this, pour two tablespoons of fertilizer with boiling water (it does not dissolve in cold water), bring it to 10 liters, and spray the plant completely.

You can incorporate superphosphate into the soil, using a tablespoon for each bush. But this will help little - the action will be slow, and will begin no earlier than in a week.

It is much more effective to pour a glass of ash under each bush; potassium also helps combat fattening of tomatoes. Although the crop, compared to phosphorus, requires small amounts of it.

To stop tomatoes from fattening and give a good harvest, use potassium monophosphate. It can be used to feed any crop, and it is absorbed very quickly. You need to stop giving nitrogen to tomatoes completely.

Trimming

Most experienced gardeners carefully remove excess shoots on tomatoes and are in no hurry to get rid of leaves. If they are removed, then only when the lower clusters have finished blooming do the fruits become fully formed and begin to turn brown. To avoid stress, pluck 1-2 leaves per week. But fattening tomatoes, on the contrary, need a shake-up.

You need to remove 5-6 large sheets at a time, starting with the lowest ones. In plants that have begun to fatten, all the plates that shade the flowers or fruits are simultaneously cut to half or more.

Fattening of tomatoes is usually accompanied by increased growth of bunches. They are long, have a shape uncharacteristic for the variety, the flowers are sparsely spaced and often sterile. It is with them that novice gardeners do not know what to do.

To help tomatoes:

if two flower branches grow from a node, one is removed;
thin out the brushes - remove excess ovaries, pinch out the top;
lighten - cut off completely or partially the leaves that cover the fruits that have begun to set.

Nitrogen leaching

Tomatoes are watered abundantly, spending at least 6-8 liters of water per bush. According to reviews, this is a fairly effective method that can correct the situation with fattening tomatoes without extra effort. But it's not suitable for everyone.

First you need to know the composition of the soil - it should be sandy. On dense soils, it will not be possible to wash out nitrogen, but another problem will be added - rotting of the roots and above-ground parts. It will be difficult to stop the process.

The second condition is that fertilizing was previously carried out only with ammonium nitrate. If other nitrogen fertilizers were used, it will be impossible to wash them even on sandy soils, and the tomatoes will continue to fatten.

Preventive measures against fat gain

In order for the fruiting of tomatoes to be timely and friendly, it is recommended to take preventive measures against fattening:

Do not thicken the tomato plantings. With an optimal planting pattern, the row spacing is 40-50 cm, and the distance between bushes is 30-35 cm for low-growing bushes. For tall tomatoes, maintain a width between rows of 50-60 cm and a distance between plants of 40-45 cm. It is recommended to adhere to planting patterns for each variety; as a rule, they are indicated on the bag of seeds.
Avoid shaded areas for planting tomatoes. It is better to place greenhouses in sunny places and orient the frame in the east-west direction. This way the greenhouse space will be evenly illuminated all day long.
After planting in a permanent place, the seedlings should not be watered for 2 weeks. In the future, tomatoes are watered no more than once a week, and after the mass formation of fruits begins - 2-3 times a week. When watering, it is necessary to moisten the soil by at least 30 cm. This irrigation regime contributes to the formation of a developed root system that is resistant to adverse external factors.
Do not overfeed plants with nitrogen fertilizers. Even in the fall, it is better to add rotted organic matter (compost, manure humus), since fresh organic matter will not have time to decompose during the winter, and an excess of nitrogen in the soil is guaranteed. There is no need to fertilize with nitrogen during the growing season of tomatoes. The exception is cases of obvious deficiency of this substance.
Form a bush, removing excess shoots in time. Flower clusters do not form on the stepsons, so nutrients will be spent on the formation of excess green mass.
Ventilate the greenhouse regularly to ensure air circulation. This measure creates the necessary microclimate: reduces air humidity, maintains an optimal temperature - 22-24ºС.
Carry out regular root and foliar feeding with potassium, phosphorus, microfertilizers containing magnesium, boron, iodine. During the season, 8-10 feedings are carried out. Depending on the condition of the plants, this number is reduced or increased.

Prevention

Preventing a problem is always easier than dealing with the consequences. To prevent tomatoes from fattening:

nitrogen fertilizers are given in moderate doses, only at the beginning of the growing season, or selectively to bushes that are identified as lagging behind in development;
when preparing a bed for tomatoes, you cannot be zealous with adding humus;
on sandy soils, the problem of fatliquoring can be easily solved by simple watering, which means that it is better to use saltpeter as a nitrogen fertilizer;
you need to inspect the planting every day, this will help you understand that the crop has problems at an early stage;
the temperature regime in the greenhouse must be observed;
you need to water the crop rarely, but a lot;
timely removal of stepchildren reduces the likelihood of fattening of determinate varieties.

Can you eat wrinkled tomatoes?

When catfaced ("cat face"), tomatoes look wrinkled and deformed. This happens when tomatoes bloom in cold weather. Flowers drop when temperatures become too cold. However, if the flower is pollinated before the petals begin to fall, some will stick to the developing tomato. This creates those typical wrinkles on the fruit. Make sure before planting that the weather is actually warm enough for the tomatoes to develop properly. Cat-face tomatoes are safe to eat; just cut off the peels.

"Cat face", wrinkled tomato

What's missing from tomatoes? We learn to determine the lack of macro- and microelements based on the condition of plants >>>>

Tomatoes have large tops, they bloom little. what to do?

Kobizkaya Lyudmila

Too overfed and possibly growing too close. When such plants have extreme conditions, they will begin to bloom in order to produce offspring (fruits), then water so that the fruits develop. In the meantime, tear off the unnecessary leaves below and do not feed or water.

Lyubov Tsaregorodtseva

Let us remember that the tomato is a southern plant. Loves warmth, sun and water. There are many opinions regarding watering. Almost every summer resident has his own method. Our observations and 12 years of experience show the following. Tomatoes like to be watered with warm water (30-35 degrees C). And not just watering, but abundantly, at the root, until the soil is completely saturated with moisture (water after watering does not go into the ground). Water consumption is determined by weather and soil type. It is better to do this in the evening, but the plants are not offended by such watering in the morning. In warm weather, the moisture charge lasts for 2-3 days. Of course, you need to take into account the weather: whether it is raining or dry. During the rainy season, watering can be done less often - every 5-7 days. But in dry conditions it is necessary more often. After watering, it is useful to lightly loosen the soil around the bush to a shallow depth (1-2 cm). Feeding. The tomato takes a lot of substances from the soil, so fertilizing is simply necessary after 7-10 days. As a liquid fertilizer, you can use a 2-week infusion of mullein (1-2 shovels), chicken droppings (1-2 kg), pigeon droppings (about 0.5 kg) in a 200-liter barrel of water. Add 0.5-0.7 liters of “tincture” to a bucket of clean warm water. After feeding, watering is useful (about 2-3 liters/bush). And before watering, you need to scatter (1/2 cup) finely ground egg shells and the same amount of ash around the bush: the plant receives a full range of mineral fertilizers. Increasing the number of flowers (and later fruits) on tomatoes can be easily done by spraying the leaves and stem with a weak solution of boron (boric acid). For 8-10 liters of water, 1-2 grams of boric acid are used. Such spraying with boron should be done 3-4 times per season. There will be no harm, but the number of fruits will immediately increase! To attract insects to pollinate flowers, you need to spray the bushes (or greenhouse) with a weak solution of honey (1 tablespoon of honey per 3 liters of water). Rest assured: a lot of insects will fly to you. They will pollinate the plants properly and your harvest will increase. Tomatoes require regular removal of yellow, diseased or damaged leaves. Therefore, walking along the bushes with scissors 1-2 times a week can only be beneficial. It is best to take the removed leaves outside the garden. There is another effective method for caring for tomatoes. Tomatoes respond very well to spraying the leaves and stem with warm water. And this should be done (if possible) early in the morning or late in the evening. This spraying greatly facilitates the work of the root system and the entire plant. Tomatoes grow faster, stronger, and do not get sick. Artificial rain is absorbed by the leaves, everything in the water (and it contains at least 30 chemical elements) immediately goes to work on the harvest. It is very useful when spraying leaves with water to add a little bit (for 1 bucket of water, 1-2 tablespoons of liquid infusion from a barrel). This technique carries out the so-called foliar feeding. In addition to nutrition from the roots, plants receive many essential components through their leaves. With good care and nutrition, tomatoes also need to remove “stepchildren”, except for the two or three strongest ones. Sometimes, for some unknown reason, there are more fruits on them than on the main stem. In conclusion, I would like to note that we do not use any “chemicals” when growing tomatoes. The fruits are aromatic and tasty. I wish you success in growing such tomatoes!

Tatiana Sutugina

There is a Special the remedy for the ovary is called “Ovary”. Also, stop watering them, I water only the first 3-4 days when I plant them, and then I don’t water them at all. And the harvest is always good, about half a bucket per bush.

Luda Vysotskaya

They fatten from large amounts of nitrogen. Pick off the leaves before the first ovary. I've been doing this for many years. And lighten it by cutting off other leaves.

Tomatoes won't set: it's all about the variety/hybrid

If last year you purchased a tomato hybrid (F1), received an excellent harvest, collected seeds, grew seedlings from them, and the tomatoes bloom but do not set

- Nothing strange. When re-grown, many hybrids do not produce offspring.

It may also be the inability of a particular variety to bear fruit well in your climatic conditions. For example, hybrids have already been bred that can withstand heat of more than 35 degrees, and for some varieties even 30 degrees is a critical threshold. The only thing that can be recommended here is to do your own selection and grow proven varieties and hybrids.

For what other reasons are there no ovaries on tomatoes:

- some diseases (in particular, rot)

- excessive treatment of tomatoes against diseases with chemicals that affect the quality of pollen

- lack of phosphorus and potassium and “distortions” in nutrition in general

- lack of moisture

- dense plantings, lack of light

- sudden temperature changes

- heavy liming of the soil

We looked at the main reasons why there is no ovary on tomatoes and why the ovary on tomatoes falls off. Be sure to pay attention to the weather, the presence of wind, sun and help your tomatoes, spray the tomatoes for ovaries, apply the right fertilizers for the tomatoes in a timely manner - and you will definitely have a good harvest!

How to save tomatoes that have started to spoil. If you don’t have time to sell your harvest and the fruits begin to rot, this is not a reason to throw them away. Soft, cracked-skinned tomatoes are the base for many dishes. We offer recipes for delicious appetizers and sauces made from overripe tomatoes.

Correct pruning as recommended by breeders

How to prune correctly:

As soon as the ovary has formed, those leaves that grow below the fruit cluster are removed. In this case, all the nutrients are used to ripen the tomatoes.
Do not remove all the leaves at once; it is enough to trim 2-3 leaves at a time, and after 5 days the trimming should be repeated.

The method of Ganichkina and Gavrish with cutting off excess leaves and shoots has proven effective, so you can try it in your own area.

Plantings with a lot of greenery lag much behind in development and get sick more often, because all their energy is devoted to maintaining the tops. To prevent this from happening, you should cut off all the foliage that grows under the fruit clusters.

Having done this manipulation, you will notice how the fruits quickly begin to fill up and turn red. They supply not only nutrients, but also oxygen, which is necessary for a good harvest.

To prevent plants from experiencing severe stress, feed them with potassium fertilizers.

Many gardeners have already adopted Gavrish’s method. Try this method of growing tomatoes without leaves to see if it works.

Causes of improper vegetation

The main reasons for “fatification”:

excessive application of nitrogenous fertilizers to the soil;
frequent watering for two weeks after planting the plants in the greenhouse;
excessive application of bird droppings or manure to the soil;
frequent irrigation and high humidity in the greenhouse;
lack of light and too dense planting.

If you feed the plants as you please, without following the rules and timing, then the plants will receive nutrients in excess when they cannot properly absorb them. They do not accumulate useful elements in the ovaries, but redistribute them to the green parts of the plant.

Tomatoes often react by “fattening” to lack of light and high humidity. For example, summers in the Moscow region are often cloudy. If in this region you place a greenhouse next to buildings or tall structures, then with abundant watering and frequent spraying, the tomatoes will not set fruit.

If you cannot live in the country all summer to care for your tomatoes according to their needs, then you should pay attention to determinate varieties. They are distinguished by a short flower raceme

Such varieties can be watered abundantly and for future use.

What to do with green mass

The picture shows that the bushes in the greenhouse are almost “naked”, and there are a great many fruits. Do tomatoes really produce more without leaves? It turns out that the lower leaves interfere with good ventilation, and without sufficient ventilation, the bushes can become infected with late blight. In addition, without leaves, tomatoes receive good lighting, which means they fill better.

Experienced gardeners claim that the fruits will ripen without abundant green mass, but thickened plantings can very quickly develop fungal diseases.