Tomatoes are a valuable crop for many countries, including ours. After all, many people cannot imagine their lives without them. The current fashion for organic products is inciting many people to grow their own tomatoes. High-quality, good harvest can be obtained from the greenhouse. Here, many summer residents receive he althy vegetables not only for eating them in season, but also for harvesting. Therefore, it is important to know how to grow tomatoes properly.
The formation of a bush plays an important role in obtaining a high-quality and high yield. Therefore, knowing how to prune tomatoes in a greenhouse is important for every novice gardener. And that's not it. It should be remembered that growing tomatoes in a greenhouse requires pruning. Otherwise, everything will grow so that you simply will not find a harvest.
How to prune tomatoes in a greenhouse correctly?
Many gardeners don't know how this crop survives in the wild. After all, you often have to mess around with tomato bushes, starting with planting and ending with harvesting. How to prune tomatoes in a greenhouse correctly? Whystart?
The formation of a tomato bush proceeds in several stages. Each of them is given special attention. Therefore, many amateur summer residents should carefully study the recommendations of specialists. You will find answers to many questions from them, such as: “Do they cut the leaves of a tomato in a greenhouse?”.
Stages of bush formation
First of all, pinching is carried out. Some gardeners, even at the stage of planting seedlings, remove extra branches. So the bush immediately takes the correct shape and does not waste its strength on greenery.
Green pruning occurs throughout the life of the bush. Remove the bottom leaves first. They are removed during the period when all the fruits are tied on the first brush. The last pruning is carried out at the end of summer, when topping is done.
Topping, or pinching the crown, is the final stage. Often this period begins in early August. After all, at this time it is necessary to stop the growth of the plant. Such manipulation allows all formed fruits to ripen in time.
Stepping tomatoes
This step is the first one. Therefore, you should know how to prune tomatoes in a greenhouse correctly without harming the plant.
Amateur gardeners prefer varieties of tomatoes that do not need pinching. But this does not apply to everyone's favorite tall greenhouse varieties. Therefore, you should properly study the technology of stepsoning.
Staging is pruningunnecessary stems. You can remove the first branches after planting in a few weeks, when the plant begins to grow. So you can form the crown of the future plant. After all, at this stage, you can see which stems are best left and which are removed.
If you want to form a tomato in 2 or 3 stems, you should leave those stepsons that are closest to the central one. It is on them that the first brush appears.
Experts do not advise postponing pinching. After all, lateral shoots develop rapidly, new ones grow. They take a lot of strength from the plant, respectively, and the fruits form more slowly. But some hobbyists believe that if they leave more side shoots, you can get a good harvest. This is a misconception, because most of the brushes will not be able to tie, and the formed ones will not have time to ripen.
Pasynkovanie should be carried out regularly, 2 times a month. Make sure that they do not outgrow, and do not reach 7 cm in length. Brush trimming should be done in the morning with scissors or a sharp knife. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the main stem is not injured. Cutting the stepson under the root is also not recommended. Remember: if you leave a small process of 3-4 mm, nothing else will grow in this place.
How many brushes should be left?
This is the question that many summer residents ask after reading an article about stepchildren. It is difficult to answer this question, because a lot depends on the variety and yield of tomato, climate. For stunted and tall tomatoesthe number of stems is different. A larger amount of the plant will not be able to fully feed. But the left brushes will be able to form in time and give a good harvest. Experienced summer residents know that on average 8-10 brushes should remain on a tomato bush.
Pruning leaves
Today, more and more people prefer to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse. How to prune tomatoes in a greenhouse? After all, this is also an important procedure that should not be ignored.
Pruning leaves is carried out not only to eliminate the thickening of the bush. Leaves should be removed at the moment when all the tomatoes have grown on the first brush and they begin to ripen. Remove those leaves that are below, because they only take away the strength of the plant.
How to prune tomato leaves in a greenhouse? Let's figure it out. Most often, by the time the first fruits begin to ripen, the lower leaves turn yellow. In contact with the ground, they can cause the development of many diseases, including late blight. Remember that tomatoes are prone to developing this disease. Therefore, the cut foliage must be immediately removed from the greenhouse.
So, when to prune the leaves of tomatoes in the greenhouse? Like tassels, they should be removed before noon on a clear day. It is important that the cut is well dried. It is necessary to monitor the growth of the tomato. The leaves are removed all the way up the stem, under each poured brush. You can remove 2-3 leaves at a time, no more.
Remove those leaves that are located in the middle of the bush. They arepoorly involved in photosynthesis. Be sure to cut and diseased leaves.
Top trim
When to cut leaves and shoots on tomatoes, we know. But what about topping? What to do? When to trim the tops of a tomato in a greenhouse?
There is no exact date for this stage of plant pruning. It depends on the region and the duration of the warm season. Some summer residents cut off the top of tomatoes in mid-June. Well, someone postpones this procedure until August.
Cut off the tops when it is necessary to stop the growth of the bush. So all the formed fruits will have time to ripen in time. Pruning follows the same principle as removing leaves or tassels.
Pruning tall varieties
Most often, tall hybrids and indeterminants grow very rapidly. Pruning of such varieties occurs at the same time. Sometimes specialists begin to carry out this procedure a little earlier if the seedling is actively developing.
Most often, in tall plants, the leaves are immediately removed as the stem grows. At the first stage - to a height of 30 cm, then - higher.
Why is it important to prune tomatoes? Expert reviews
Do I need to prune tomatoes in a greenhouse? Almost all summer residents ask this question. After all, it seems that the more branches, the more harvest you can get. But experts assure us otherwise. Many have spent several years making sure that proper and regular pruning contributes to:
- accelerate maturationharvest;
- minimizing the development of diseases;
- increasing yields.
Properly formed plant stems allow for quick and easy processing of the tomato. Some summer residents remember pruning only at the moment when impenetrable thickets form. Then, in a matter of minutes, many leaves and twigs are cut off. But this is absolutely not possible. After all, the plant is under severe stress and may die.
Missed the moment of stepchildren? Do not immediately remove unnecessary branches. The crown should be restored gradually.
When pruning a plant, remember that pathogens may be present on leaves and twigs. Therefore, the cut elements must be placed in a special container, which should immediately be taken out of the greenhouse.
Conclusion
For many residents of our country, tomatoes are one of the important crops in their summer cottage. And it is not surprising, because they are eaten not only in raw form. Tomatoes canned, s alted, used for cooking various dishes. Therefore, many summer residents plant this plant not only in the garden, but also in the greenhouse. The key to a good quality harvest is proper and timely plant care.
