How to pinch tomatoes correctly
Content:
Tomato pickling is carried out in order to harvest more crops, as well as to improve their taste. Learn more about pinning in this article.
Stepping into: description of the procedure
Grassing tomatoes means removing unnecessary, unnecessary shoots. By omitting this procedure, you run the risk of getting a very small crop or even being left without it.
This is because these unnecessary branches do not bear fruit, and yet require as much nutrients as the fruit-bearing branches. That is why they should be pinched off.
When to pinch tomatoes
Patching is carried out at a time when the sprouts are no more than 5 cm in size. Since the large stepsons will already take away a sufficient amount of nutrients, and besides, their cutting off injures the plants.
If you do not carry out this procedure, then the tomatoes will grow small in size. In addition, there are varieties that require not only pinching, but also an additional garter, since they have large long stems and branches that can break off under the weight of the fruit.
Hybrid varieties grow to a lesser extent, but they should still be pinned, again in order to improve the quality of the crop.
There is a tradition among gardeners to carry out pinching of tomatoes on August 1. This date is the borderline when the bush is already quite powerful and strong, and gained its green mass between the formation of the ovary.
Most often, one procedure for removing unnecessary branches is enough, but if you noticed the stepsons sooner or later, you should still delete the finds.
It is necessary to remove stepchildren in good weather, preferably in the morning. Then the places where the stepsons were cut off will overgrow faster. Tomatoes can be grafted either by hand or with scissors. When cutting off the stepson, it is necessary to leave 1 cm on the stem, so that a new sprout does not grow. 14 days after the seedlings are planted in the ground, you can already inspect the plants for the presence of stepchildren, and if found, remove them. The stepson grows between the main stem and lateral leaves.
Grasshopping: ways of forming bushes
Bushes can be formed in different ways.
One stem. This is when the bush has one main stem and top, and branches branch off on the sides, the excess of which must be removed, leaving no more than 4 of the most powerful branches on it, since it is from them that you can get a good harvest and they will be useful.
Two stems.
This is the case when two main stems are formed: flowering, and the second is a closely located stem. In this case, both stems must be pinched.
It is also possible to form three-stemmed bushes.
This option is suitable for varieties of low growth. So, it is necessary to leave one flowering and two nearby branches.
If not pinned
Improper care and neglect of the pinching procedure will lead to the fact that the tomato bushes will grow. Strongly long and large branches will require a lot of nutrition, and there will no longer be any nutrients left for the fruits.
An overgrown bush may not bear fruit at all, and if it does bear fruit, then the tomatoes will be very small, taste will decrease, and they will ripen for a very long time.
Varieties that do not require pinching
Breeders have developed special varieties that do not require pinching. Usually these are hybrids or undersized species.For example, varieties "Gnome", "Nevsky", which have medium-sized fruits, but ripening early. Or "Snowdrop", which grows even in the northern regions, "Buyan"," Vityaz ","Little Red Riding Hood"- this is the most suitable variety for salting and many others.
Tips for Achieving a Good Harvest
There are some rules for caring for tomatoes that will help you get a good harvest.
- It is necessary to increase the frequency of pinching procedures when signs of plant diseases are detected. Most often, tomatoes are affected by powdery mildew, late blight and other fungal diseases.
- Stepsons that have arisen next to the flowers should also be removed, as they will interfere with the normal development of the fetus.
- The lower leaves of the plant should also be cut off to give the fruits or branches with fruits more nutrition
- After each pinching procedure, the instruments must be processed, and gloves must be worn for manual processing.
- If the branches are too long, the tops should be cut off in order to increase the fruit.
- Timeliness of the performed procedures.
In conclusion, we can conclude that the procedure for pinching tomatoes is mandatory and cannot be ignored. The only exceptions are special varieties that do not require pinching. If you want to get tasty and large fruits, and even in large quantities, then you must follow the rules for caring for tomatoes.