Peculiarities of growing tomatoes
Tomatoes should be given a prime sunny spot, they need at least 8 hours of light to get the best flavor. For tall plants, stakes or trellises will be needed to keep the plants from spreading out on the ground. The support should be installed immediately after planting.
Additional information! Vigorous, climbing varieties should be planted at a distance of 90 cm from each other. Compact plants can be planted more densely, every 60 cm.
Tomatoes require a constant supply of macro- and microelements. When preparing holes for planting, a balanced fertilizer should be added to the soil. At the same time, a layer of compost is mixed with the soil. Compost will help retain moisture and nutrients as long as the plants need them.
It is recommended to plant them deeply, so that 2/3 of the seedling stem is covered with soil. When planted deeper, the plants form roots on the entire stem covered with soil, so the plant becomes stronger and has a greater ability to absorb water during drought. A layer of mulch, 5-10 cm thick, will destroy weeds and keep the soil evenly moist.
Why do you need to trim tomato stems?
Most tomato varieties are characterized by tall growth. Initially, the plant forms one shoot, but the higher it grows, the more it begins to branch and form lateral shoots in the leaf axils. The more lateral shoots, the denser the tomato bush becomes, and it often grows only leaves, and few fruits. In addition, a bush that is too dense tends to break branches often.
Experts recommend growing the plant on one or two shoots. Using the first option, leave only the main shoot and remove all the others growing from the leaf axils when they reach a length of several centimeters.
Once these shoots are removed, the plant will focus primarily on flowering and fruiting rather than on developing green parts.
How to prune tomatoes without damaging the plant
To maintain the proper appearance and shape of the plant, it is enough to pinch it off, break it off with your fingers, or cut out small growing shoots (the so-called stepsons) that grow from the axils of the leaves.
However, it is worth knowing how to do it correctly so as not to spoil the plant. If you remove too few or too many shoots, the bushes may produce fewer fruits.
In addition, you should remember about regularity. This is easy to do: pinch off any new growth you find once a week. Another important procedure is to remove the lower leaves when they fade.
Please note! Tomato bushes require pinching so that the plant produces tastier fruits instead of unnecessary branching. A plant with one shoot produces more fruits and is less prone to breakage than a dense bush.
How to properly trim tomato side shoots? Side shoots growing between the leaves and the stem should be removed first, as soon as they begin to appear. They take a lot of energy from the plant, which can complicate the process of ripening tomatoes. Thanks to this, the plant will not branch out unnecessarily and the main shoot will be stronger.
The second characteristic procedure is to remove the top of the tomato growth above two or three leaves above the last bunch. Removing the top of the upper main shoot of the plant will stop further growth of the plant.
Tomato picking is done in mid-August, when cool days come: access to light becomes limited and the chances of ripening the remaining pods decrease. When growing on two shoots, both tops are cut off. Thanks to this, all the tomatoes will ripen evenly and well. This will also protect the plant from diseases and pests that like to gather in these places.
Pruning tomatoes should be done carefully to avoid damaging the plant. It is also important to use the right gardening tools, such as sharp garden shears, to avoid damaging the plant. Not all tomato varieties require pruning. Some grow as more compact bushes, while others naturally have a more branched structure.
