How to stepson tomatoes in a greenhouse

Pasynkovanie is the removal of unnecessary shoots of a growing plant. In the axil of the leaves of the tomato, which is located between the base of the leaf and the stem, additional shoots appear, on which the leaves immediately begin to grow, the stepsons of the second level, flowers, and fruits appear. Having appeared, new shoots take away nutrients for plant growth. If they are left to grow, the tomato will spend energy primarily not on fruits, but on the growth of green mass. Tomato berries will grow small, the yield will decrease.

Do I need to stepson tomatoes

Some gardeners believe that this is not worth doing, and this is a deep delusion. Stepchildren make the plant taller and more voluminous, without bearing any benefit. Removing stepchildren helps the plant to distribute nutrients more correctly, which contributes to the growth of the set fruits.

Stabbing tomatoes helps the plant avoid various diseases such as late blight and fusious wilt. Also, pinching contributes to an early and rich harvest that will delight you for a long time.

Goals of pinching a tomato

The goals of pasynkovanie are:

1. Formation of a bush in the required number of stems: in one or several.
2. Get an earlier fruit harvest. (See How to arrange beds for a good harvest)
3. Lengthening the fruiting period of tomato bushes.
4. Obtaining more high quality fruits per unit of greenhouse area.

Timing for pinching a tomato

You need to start when the first stepson is formed under the first flower brush. Do not let it grow more than 5 cm, otherwise it will have time to take away precious food. In addition, the overgrown stepson is difficult to remove without damaging the stem, and this can cause bush disease. In order not to miss its appearance, tomatoes should be inspected regularly. Pasynkovanie is best done in the morning with good ventilation and natural light. The weather should be warm and dry. Always start with the strongest and healthiest bushes. Leave weak bushes or those with a suspicion of any damage for last. The optimal frequency of removal of stepchildren is 1 time in 7-10 days.

Difference stepchild from flower brush tomato

The stepson differs from the flower brush in that it already has tiny leaves at the very beginning of growth, while flower brushes have no leaves at all, only a peduncle and flowers.

How to pinch a tomato

It is undesirable to use a tool to remove side shoots. This can provoke viral diseases of the tomato. Pasynkovanie is done only by hand. Before you start pinching tomatoes in a greenhouse, you need to decide according to what scheme you will carry out the formation of a bush. There are three main schemes, the choice of which depends on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe greenhouse and the type of plant.

Formation of bushes in one stem

When forming bushes into one stem, we leave only one main stem, we remove almost all stepchildren. When forming determinant varieties in 1 stem, it is better not to touch the uppermost stepson, just in case. It happens that the bush ends early, the main stem stops growing, then there is a spare stepson, on which ovaries and fruits will also develop.

Near the flower brush, the stem often tries to split in two - two powerful equal sprouts appear. Here it is important not to make a mistake and not to destroy the growth point, not to damage the flower brush itself. If it seems that the bush is strong enough, you can leave both shoots.

Formation of tomato bushes in two stems

When forming a bush in 2 stems, all side shoots (stepchildren) are removed, except for one growing directly under the first flower brush on the main stem, while 4 fruit brushes must be left. In this case, the bottom shoot is never left. On it, a flower brush is formed after the seventh or eighth leaf.

The top, as in the formation of a bush in one stem, must be pinched, leaving 3 leaves. And on the stepson, you need to leave 3 fruit brushes and also pinch its top, leaving 2 - 3 leaves.

Formation of a tomato in three stalks

When forming a bush in three stems, in addition to the shoot under the first flower brush, one more of the lower (most developed) ones is left.

Ideally, a well-formed tomato bush should have 5-6 fruit clusters and 30-35 leaves. In correctly pinched and pinched bushes, nutrients go to the filling and formation of fruits, which increases their size and ripens earlier.

Features of pinching tomatoes of various types

When pinching, it must be remembered that there are different varieties of tomatoes and their pinching is different.

Tomato varieties:
indeterminate (high);
semi-determinant (average);
determinant (low)
hybrids

Pasynkovanie indeterminate varieties of tomatoes

These are varieties of tomatoes that do not have growth restrictions. Such varieties, as a rule, form in one stem. This is due to the fact that indeterminate plants tend to form many lateral processes.

To form a tomato bush in one stem, it is necessary to remove all stepchildren. It is advisable to leave a “stump” at the site of the removed shoot, about 1 cm high. This contributes to the slower formation of new shoots. On such a tall plant, as a rule, about 10 flower shoots are left, removing all the rest.

If the size of your greenhouse allows, then you can form such bushes in two stems. To do this, leave the first or second stepson, after which the bush is spudded and mulched. On the second stem, you can leave 4-5 flower brushes, be sure to remove all side and basal shoots.

Pasynkovanie semi-determinant varieties of tomatoes

It is best to form a plant in 2 stems. The strongest and most viable stepson is formed under the first brush, it will give good fruit. From it, form the second stem. Form 2-3 brushes on the lateral shoot, 3-4 brushes on the main stem.

Form a crop with additional means. Thin out the first two brushes, leaving 3-4 tomatoes. Form other brushes for 6 - 8 tomatoes, remove the clumsy ovary.

So that the topping process does not threaten the amount of the crop, always leave backup stepchildren on the plant. Delete if new stepchildren appear.

Pasynkovanie determinant varieties of tomatoes

Pinching determinant tomatoes is a must. All methods are quite simple, mainly using one or more stepchildren at the top of the plant. I have been growing the Verlioko hybrid for a long time, which has a determinant type of growth.

This, as they say, is my workhorse: in any weather, it will provide both an early harvest to eat, and a plentiful one - for processing into juices, ketchups and seamings. For a long time she let him into two stems, forming the second from the stepson growing from under the first inflorescence. Now I form a tomato in one stem until the plant throws out 3-4 brushes on the main stem, then I start in two, choosing any strong stepson for this. After 1-2 inflorescences, I can leave one more, already the third.

Everything depends on the weather. It is necessary to calculate so that the crop has time to form by the end of September.

Pasynkovanie hybrid varieties of tomatoes

Carrying out this procedure in hybrids has some features. So, if stepchildren are removed from superdeterminant varieties to the first brush, this operation will not have to be repeated in the future. A number of hybrids with a determinant type are first formed into 1 stem, after the formation of the first 3 brushes with fruits, a 2nd additional stem is formed.

Hybrids of the semi-determinate type are grown in 2 stems. The peculiarity of these varieties is that they stop their growth when the first brushes are formed. Representatives of this species can stop their growth at any time.

After August 1, pinching is stopped. From the beginning of August, all newly formed inflorescences are removed, they will not have time to form and will only slow down the growth of existing fruits. To stop the growth of bushes, the top can be pinched.

Benefits of pinching a tomato

Pasynkovanie tomato - this is an event to remove excess side shoots, called stepchildren, which tend to grow from the axils of the leaves. The shoot can be called part of the main stem, it differs little from it in the type of its growth and development. If you do not pinch tomatoes, then due to the thickening of the bushes, ovaries will form on the brushes of the stepchildren, as a result of which the culture will be overloaded with fruits that will develop incorrectly and as a result grow small. One of all the available stepchildren of a tomato is able to grow larger than the rest and become the main top. In order for the cultivation of your tomatoes to take place according to all the rules, you should equalize the ratio of the green part of the plant and the number of its fruits. These are the goals pursued by pinching a tomato. Those greenhouse farmers who do not see the point in wasting time on staging tomatoes are making a mistake. Since the result of such neglect of this important procedure is the incomplete ripening of fruits in the greenhouse, a decrease in the quality and quantity of the crop as a whole.

How to feed violets?

What tasks can pinching a tomato solve? First of all, it helps to give the vegetable crop growing in the greenhouse the necessary neat shape. This is of great importance when growing crops in a greenhouse, since the space of the room is limited, and the compactness of the bushes will be very helpful. Also pinching tomatoes will make it possible to reduce the shading of neighboring crops. And finally, the removal of stepchildren helps to reduce the number of flower ovaries - as a result, as many ovaries will remain on each bush as it can ripen and produce a quality tomato crop.

1. Being engaged in stepchildren, you should be careful, you can remove stepchildren everything in a row, but only those located up to the first flower brush, removing stepchildren located above it without understanding, you can destroy the growth point, i.e. in any case, it is desirable to leave one of the stepchildren.
2. Determinate and hybrid varieties should be formed into one stem, leaving 2 or 3 inflorescences. In extreme cases, you can leave two stems, leaving three is not rational.
3. After the last inflorescence, pinch the growth point.
4. If the summer in your area of ​​\u200b\u200bresidence is not particularly pleasing with warmth, and the cold comes very early, then for growing in open ground you can use varieties that are grown without pinching and ripen very quickly, these are: Golden Stream, Aquarelle, Eldorado, Supermodel, Red Fang and other.