Novice gardeners, many issues in agricultural engineering seem quite understandable. But some procedures due to lack of knowledge and information are ignored or performed with violations. This article will tell you how to pinch tomatoes, reveal the essence and importance of the event.
Table of contents
What does pasynkovanie tomato mean?
The procedure involves the removal of stepsons in order to properly form a bush. By stepping off excess, many varieties have the opportunity to unleash their full potential, and the fruiting period begins within the time limits announced by the breeders. If the shoots are left, the plant begins to branch and thicken, which leads to the grinding of the fruit. This is due to the lack of nutrients for inflorescences of each branch. Therefore, it is necessary to tear off the stepsons from the point of view of the agrotechnology of growing tomatoes.
What look like stepchildren
Pasynka called shoots, developing in the leaf sinuses. They represent a kind of competition to the main stem, they also form leaves and flowers, and also tie fruit. At first glance, we can conclude that their significance is great, but it is not.If you do not care for the bush and do not participate in its formation, the plant turns out to be too thick, which becomes attractive for pests and fungal infections. In addition, a large number of ovaries reduces the quality of tomatoes, they turn out to be small, more often they are exposed to various diseases due to a weakened immune system.
How to distinguish the leaf to be removed from the desired fruit branch of the bush?
It is necessary to remove extra shoots very carefully, there is a high probability of damage to the flowering brush.that will lead to lower yields. Before the procedure, you need to carefully examine the bush in order to identify stepchildren. You can recognize them by the following features:
- the beginning of growth comes from the bosom of the leaves (the fruit branch grows from the stem);
- sheets are seen on the stepson shoot (on the fruit branch the beginnings of flowering).
Time to start cutting off the shoots, which one to leave, and which one to clean
It is necessary to form bushes when the plant is already strong and has begun to grow intensively. It is necessary to remove a scion from the first blooming brush, as soon as the length of the stepson reaches 5-7 cm. It is better to do this in the morning in dry weather.Then the cut will have time to dry in a day. Excessive moisture can trigger fungus development.
All any noticeable stepchildren who have grown below the flowering branches to the very roots are subject to removal. Those that are located above the flowering brushes, you can leave for more yield.
The first procedure is sometimes carried out on seedlings. When planting seedlings in open ground, it is necessary to tear off the excess shoots, the length of which reaches only 1 cm. The work is painstaking, but this will relieve the extra load when caring for the bed. Pysynka are formed on young shoots rather intensively, therefore pruning should be done at least once a week.
How to break off tomatoes in open ground?
The steps of the determinant and indeterminate varieties are formed differently, so it is worth considering the rules of the procedure in each individual case.
Tall
The height of such plants can reach 2 meters, so stepchildren are formed on them quite intensively. Tall bushes often form in one stem leaving no more than 10 fruit branches. With two stems, the total number of brushes is divided equally between them.
Medium variety
A shrub of plants, the height of which does not exceed 180 cm, is formed with two or three stems. After pasynkovany culture can stop growing, so leave a spare 1-2 shoots. On the formed branches leave 4-5 fruit brushes.. With more, there is a shortage of food.
Low
In low-growing varieties after the formation of 4-5 brushes pinch the top. All flower ovaries formed at the beginning of August break down. Fruits on them will not have time to ripen anyway, and nutrients will be taken away from ripening tomatoes.
The pinching technique is performed in this order:
- thumb and forefinger clamped escape;
- swinging in opposite directions to the steep from the stem.
Cutting the germ with a sharp instrument is also allowed. It is necessary after each plant to dip the blade of a knife or scissors into a disinfectant solution (weak concentration of potassium permanganate, 1% bleach). The cut should be done so that the tail remains 1.5 cm. This will prevent the stem from damage, and slow down the development of new shoots in this place.Sometimes you have to re-staving, a new sprout is formed from a sleeping kidney, located in the leaf axil.
Plant residues after the procedure must be removed from the beds or greenhouses and disposed of.
The scheme of removal of shoots in the greenhouse
The principle of removing stepsons from a tomato bush does not differ significantly when growing vegetables under the protection of polycarbonate and in open ground. However, the procedures for greenhouse care continue even after the start of the harvest.
Bushes of tomatoes are formed according to three schemes.
- The one-stem method involves the removal of almost all lateral shoots. There remains one stepchild, on which inflorescences are tied, and later fruits. With such a scheme, tomatoes are large and early ripening. In order for the plant not to break, it is necessary to dig in support for the developing bush.
- The formation of a plant with two stems provides for the removal of all stepsons, except one, located under the inflorescence. Such a plant requires a garter so that when ripe, the fruit will not knock it to the ground.
- The three-stem method involves the removal of all lower shoots, except for the stepson under the first flowering brush and the most powerful of the lower shoots. Each stem must be tied to a separate support.
What happens to tomatoes without processing?
If you ignore the procedure for removing side shoots, the bush will acquire branches with which fruits can be tied. But the quality of tomatoes will be low in taste and size. Among other things, a dense plant will create a shadow, and in combination with humidity and warm weather, favorable conditions are created for the development of fungal diseases. Also the thickness of the beds attracts pests that choose such places for laying larvae and eggs.
The essence of pinching is to enrich the main part of the stem and ovary with nutrients in sufficient quantity. Then the yield will not suffer, and the fruits will meet the product criteria.
Based on the above information, any gardener will draw conclusions about the feasibility of holding a keyhole. This will enable the selected varieties to show their best qualities, to ensure high yields.