Do I Need To Pinch Tomatoes And How To Do It

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Experience and knowledge of the varietal characteristics of tomatoes allow you to correctly form a bush. Not all tomatoes can be removed from stepchildren, illiterate actions lead to a decrease in yield

Tomatoes and pinching

Removing lateral shoots emerging from the leaf axils is called pinching. This method allows you to increase the yield of tomatoes, but does not apply to all varieties. Tomatoes have many varieties: dwarf and tall, standard and lodging, they are all grown in different ways.

In a temperate climate, tomatoes are limited by the growing season. To get the maximum yield, gardeners are forced to form tomato bushes. Pruning is aimed at removing numerous shoots that cannot realize themselves in the form of ripe fruits. The purpose of pinching tomatoes is to leave a productive green mass, which will have time to bear fruit before the onset of cold weather.

Formation depends on the variety. Tall / indeterminate species are prone to overgrowth. They do not have a final growth point, without timely pinching they turn into a huge bush (more than 2 meters). Such a giant will not have enough strength to produce all the fruits. Tall tomatoes must be cut off and the growth of the central stem must be limited by pinching the crown.

Medium-sized (determinate) tomatoes have a height of 80-120 cm. Side shoots are formed on the main stem with the formation of 2-6 clusters, after which the finish comes. If initially the plant is formed into one stem, then 50-60% of the harvest will be lost, you need to leave 3-7 stepchildren.

Low-growing species finish growing above the first inflorescence. The number of fees depends on the number of side shoots, so they are left, the bush is not formed.

How to pinch correctly

There are no difficulties in destroying excess growth, however, beginner tomato growers cannot cope with this task. When pinning, you need to follow the rules.

1. Prune the shoots in time when they reach 5-10 cm. As they become large, they draw strength from the mother bush, become thick and after cutting a poorly drying wound appears.

2. The cut is made with a sharp, clean instrument. It is more convenient to work with scissors.

3. The first pinching takes place when lateral shoots appear after rooting of the seedlings 2-3 weeks after planting.

4. During the growing season, you need to constantly look at the bushes and remove excess growth in a timely manner. It is advisable to hold the event every week.

5. The stepson does not break out, but is cut off leaving a hemp of 1-3 cm. Otherwise, a new sprout will appear at the place of the break.

6. The plant tolerates pruning better after pre-watering. If you moisten the garden well in the evening, then in the morning you can remove excess greens.

7. In hot weather, the event is held early in the morning or in the evening.

Pickling tomatoes in the open field

In the beds located on the street, undersized species are usually planted. They are convenient for tying, do not break with the wind, ripen quickly, but have limited growth.

In many varieties, each shoot ends with a flower brush, so no pruning is done. The harvest depends on the number of stepchildren, and they need to be preserved. If there is a continuation of the shoot above the first flower cluster, it is left for further fruiting.

Medium-sized tomatoes grow up to 120 cm, they are necessarily stepchild, the bush is formed into 2-3 stems, the tops are pinched at the end of July.

Grassing tomatoes in the greenhouse

The beds covered with glass (plastic, film) are protected from the cold, the plants have more time to build up the green mass, and the fruiting period increases. Tall tomatoes are planted in greenhouses. They are formed depending on the planting density of 1-3 stems.

When grown in 50 cm increments, the bush is completely pinned, leaving the central stem. During the warm period, they manage to form 5-10 brushes. The crown is pinched at the beginning of August, so that the plant will have time to form full-fledged fruits before the night cold begins.

Medium-sized tomatoes, the height of which reaches 180 cm, are grown in 2-3 stems. On the main stems, stepchildren are completely cut out. The growing season is more active in the greenhouse, so pruning is carried out at intervals of 7-10 days.

Tomatoes that do not stepchild

I will list the varieties of tomatoes on which the lateral shoots are not cut off:

• Watercolor;

• Bonnie M;

• Dwarf;

• Iditarod;

• Nevsky;

• Home;

• Aztec;

• Buyan;

• Knight;

• Adeline;

• Firewood;

• Agatha;

• Moskvich;

• Aisan;

• Krakowiak;

• White filling;

• Iceberg;

• Snowdrop;

• Alyonka;

• Dubok.

Tomato picking is a necessary agrotechnical measure. Without the timely removal of excess growth, you will not get a bountiful harvest. It is important to understand the varieties and keep the shoots in low-growing, with limited growth of tomatoes.