When to break off the leaves of tomatoes. Do I need to cut off the lower leaves of tomatoes and when? Why and when to pick leaves from tomatoes in a greenhouse
At experienced gardeners, who have tried various agricultural techniques for growing vegetables in their garden, you can often find “bald” tomatoes with almost bare trunks in greenhouses, and large handsome tomatoes hang on their branches.
How do they achieve such a result, and is it necessary to deprive the bushes of green mass for good fruiting?
The opinions of gardeners on this matter vary greatly, but those who have tried the method of forming a tomato bush with the gradual removal of the lower leaves can no longer refuse it.
When should you pick off the leaves of a tomato? And how to carry out the procedure so as not to harm the plant?
Of course, cutting off leaves for the purpose of shaping, rather than simply removing diseased and infected specimens, refers more to tall varieties tomatoes, the upper part of which is able to greatly obscure the lower.
Undersized varieties tomatoes are not just not cut off, they are not even always stepchildren.
The technology of cutting off the lower leaves of tomatoes did not arise by chance, it has scientific justification and is widely practiced among gardeners, so you should take a closer look at it.
When using the method of removing lower leaves from tomato bushes, gardeners pursue the following goals:
- for ease of irrigation. The fact is that the water that gets on the leaves of tomatoes during irrigation contributes to their decay and the development of a complex of diseases, therefore, only the lower root is recommended for this vegetable;
- to organize better ventilation and air circulation between plantings. This is especially important when using a thickened landing pattern. With the free passage of air between the bushes, the likelihood of various fungal diseases is sharply reduced;
- for the outflow of nutrients to growing fruits. Exactly lower leaves they take away many useful elements that the roots extract from the earth. Therefore, in order for all the necessary substances to go directly to the tomatoes, these leaves are removed.
Should I periodically cut off the lower leaves from tomato bushes?
Do I need to cut off the leaves of a tomato? Practice shows that this event must be carried out in order to obtain an earlier and more friendly tomato crop, and most importantly, a healthy one. That's just the formation must be carried out correctly, taking into account many factors, and not mindlessly picking off the leaves.
It is important to understand that each leaf is a full-fledged organresponsible for its vital activity, therefore, when breaking them, you need to observe maximum accuracy and not rush anywhere.
You can remove leaves from tomatoes only when the brushes with fruits have already started. Some gardeners recommend carrying out this operation later - with the milky ripeness of the fruits, when they acquire light green color.
In any case, the technology of leaf picking is the same and involves several stages.
How to properly pick off the leaves of a tomato
- Stage 1 The formation of a tomato bush must begin with the so-called "cleaning", that is, the removal of unhealthy leaves that have signs of yellowing, spotting, rotting, twisting, etc. All cut leaves must be collected and burned. To move on to the next stage, you need to wait a couple of days. In this case, the old wounds caused by pruning tomato bushes will definitely heal, and the plants themselves will not be subject to severe stress.
- Stage 2. At this stage, it is recommended to thin out the plants to improve the illumination, so the lower leaves that thicken the plantings are removed. What leaves should be cut off from a tomato? Firstly, those that grow in the middle of the bush, and you can also remove one or two pieces from each bush planted with north side. After removing the leaves, you need to let the plants rest again. In principle, if there are few unhealthy and thickening leaves, then the first two stages can be combined into one, since it is recommended to cut no more than four leaves from the bush at a time.
- Stage 3. Here, leaves will be purposefully removed to obtain more early harvest: under an already well-formed brush, you can remove the lower leaves with peace of mind: 2 ... 3 leaves from a bush. This is what most sources recommend. But, as practice has shown, with a more massive removal of the lower leaves under the brush with tomato bushes, nothing terrible happened. Therefore, you can try and pick off the leaves from the tomatoes under the lower brush at a time.
- Stage 4. At this stage, all the lower leaves under the second brush are cut off, when it is already well formed, and the fruits themselves have gained almost the maximum varietal size. And thus, gradually, as the fruit clusters develop, the tomato bushes cut off almost all the leaves to the top, leaving about four apical ones. Such bald trees will bring high yield, which will ripen on the bushes, and not in the boxes for ripening.
Trimming the lower leaves of tomatoes, depending on the number of bushes planted, can take a sufficient amount of time from the gardener. But you don't have to rush to remove them.
Accuracy in this matter is first and foremost. How exactly to pick off the leaves of a tomato in a greenhouse and in open ground? First, you need to decide which of the two ways the leaves will be removed:
- breaking by hand. In this case, the leaf itself is bent up along the trunk and broken off, leaving no stumps. In no case should you pull the leaf to the bottom, since when it is torn off, it will capture a lot of fibers and tissues of the stem. Such a wound will bring great stress to the plant;
- using a small pruner or garden shears, the leaf is simply cut off without leaving stumps.
And, finally, a few tips for removing the lower leaves from tomatoes:
A.N. (Nikolaev)
The question is whether it is necessary to cut off the leaves on the tomato bushes so that it feels better? And if so, when?
Healthy, green tomato bushes in a greenhouse, bearing large bright fruits, are always pleasing to the eye.
But often plants from improper care are covered yellow leaves, on which spots, necrosis are formed, serving as the entrance gate for infections. Such leaves are best removed in a timely manner.
- First of all, you need to help the plant get rid of the lower, oldest leaves, which are the first to be covered with all sorts of black and dry spots - they change color.
- Following this, strongly thickened leaves of tomato bushes oriented to the north are to be removed. By removing excess leaves, improved ventilation of tomato plantings is achieved, especially if the plantings were thickened during the establishment of greenhouse beds.
- Mandatory removal of fattening shoots from tomatoes improves the fruiting of bushes.
Be sure to remove stepchildren
There are no rules for removing tomato leaves - it is usually believed that the plant will endure the removal of up to 3 leaves 2 times in 7 days. Sometimes a plant requires a more global removal of leaves, especially with the development of dangerous diseases.
Large-scale removal of the leaf mass of tomatoes does not affect the growth, development and ripening of fruits.
Caution is required to remove leaves above the brushes, where fruit ovaries have not yet formed, especially above the upper brush. It is required to leave a few leaves above the top flower brush of tomatoes.
Tomato leaves do not need to be trimmed. - they break out easily, while you need to make sure that the separation does not occur down the stem, otherwise a strip of the upper skin will come off the stem.
Leaves are cut in warm, dry weather.
How to remove tomato leaves: video
Here begins a new holiday season, and with it the hard struggle for the harvest of crops. How correctly we pick tomatoes depends on their growth, development and, of course, the harvest.
Growing tomatoes in the open field requires compliance with many agrotechnical rules, since this crop needs increased attention. Significantly increase the yield will help timely pruning excess foliage and shoots on a tomato bush. To reduce the risk of harm to the plant when thinning, it is important to know how to prune offshoots correctly.
In the process of growth, tomato seedlings reach enormous sizes, expanding to the sides and growing powerful foliage. Even if, when planting seedlings in open ground, keep a distance of 30-40 cm, after 1.5 months they grow in breadth, covering each other from the sun. In the fight for sunlight plants are forced to increase the height and number of leaves, the growth of which takes nutritious juice. In order to save the crop, you should know how to properly cut tomatoes.
Mandatory pruning is subject to the lower leaves that are in contact with the foliage or stem of a neighboring plant. This is necessary to improve ventilation and prevent the spread of diseases. After the first brush from the bottom has formed fruits, remove all the lower leaves under it. Avoid contact of foliage with the ground. This provokes infection with fungal diseases.
When tomato ovaries also form on the next branch below, cut off all the foliage up to it. open sunbeams fruits ripen much faster and are distinguished by an exquisite aroma and sweet taste. Be sure to cut off diseased lower leaves and dispose of them away from the garden. Even on cut foliage, the fungus continues to develop and disperse spores.
In order for the juice to go not into shoots, but into fruits, it is necessary to remove the stepsons that grow between the leaf and the trunk. These processes make the bush more branched, pulling nutrients, so necessary for the fruits to grow beautifully. In no case should stepchildren be pulled out. This can damage the bush and become infected with the disease. Side shoots must be beautifully cut with a special tool, leaving a stump 0.5 cm long.
To increase the yield, pruning of the upper part of the plant, the so-called growth buds, is carried out. It is recommended to let the plant form 5-7 fruit clusters, then count 3 leaves above the topmost cluster with ovaries and remove the top bud. Thus, you will not only prevent the growth of tomato in the open field above the trellis or greenhouse ceiling, but also concentrate the plant juice on the fruits, and not on the leaves and stems.
Mulching tomato bushes and pruning leaves (video)
Basic pruning rules
Each pruning of leaves and shoots is a violation of the integrity of the tomato bush and carries the risk of disease or decay. In order not to lose the crop, it is important to be guided by the following pruning rules.
- No need to cut off the plant with your hands, pinching off the excess part. This method is very traumatic for the plant, moreover, it is the cause of the transfer of infection. Use a special garden tool.
- Pruning should be done on a dry, sunny day in the morning so that the cut site dries quickly and does not start to rot. It is recommended to cut all side shoots, however, you can leave 1-2 of the strongest in order to form a beautiful bush.
- Regularly remove newly grown stepchildren, extra or damaged leaves from tomatoes carefully checking the plant every 4-6 days.
- Disinfect scissors with alcohol to prevent disease transmission. After pruning diseased leaves and fruits, change gloves and disinfect the tool.
- In a formed plant, cut off the lower leaves in such a way that the trunk is bare in the lower part at a distance of 25-30 cm from the ground.
Whether it is necessary to pick off the leaves of tomatoes, and how much, each gardener decides for himself.
The main thing is to dispose of cut foliage, tops and fruits away from the garden after completion of work.
This will prevent the spread of the infection to not yet damaged tomatoes.
Pruning to form bushes
To influence the growth, development and fruiting period of a plant, it is important to know how to properly cut growing shoots:- 1 stem. To form a tomato in 1 stem, it is necessary to regularly prune all growing stepchildren. After 5-6 brushes are formed, you need to leave 4 leaves above the topmost one, and cut off the growth bud. Stopping this way further growth plants, you can get from the bush good harvest. All nutrients will go to the ripening of the fruit, and not to growth.
- 2 stalks. To form a tomato bush in 2 stalks, you should allow the lowest stepson to grow, and cut off all the rest. When 1-2 brushes are formed on the stepson, the growth point on it is cut off. 4-5 inflorescences are left on the main stem and the upper bud is also removed. To form a bush in this way, it is necessary to plant seedlings in advance at a distance of at least 0.5 m from each other.
- 3 stalks. The very first stepson is left on the main trunk, then another 1 strongest is left, and the rest are cut off. As the plants grow, they remove all growing shoots, except for the selected two. After 4-5 fruit clusters have formed on the main trunk of the bush, 3-4 leaves are counted above the topmost one and the growth point is cut off. On the first side shoot, 3 are formed, and on the second, 2 brushes with tomatoes.
It is not difficult to grow strong tomato bushes, it is more difficult to achieve a good harvest. Follow the above rules for pruning bushes, and then they will grow beautifully and delight you with juicy and sweet tomatoes.
Pasynkovanie tomatoes (video)
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Among experienced summer residents there is no agreement on how many leaves should be removed from a tomato bush for better fruiting. Some remove all foliage clean, leaving only fruits on the branches. Others - on the contrary, even stepchildren do not clean. Of course, anyone who wants to grow a good crop of tomatoes in their area is wondering how many leaves to leave on a bush? Let's try to figure it out. Even without biological education, it is clear that leaves are a full-fledged organ of any plant. That is, they are directly related to nutrition processes, just like roots and stems. The task of the leaves is the absorption of carbon dioxide, which in the process of photosynthesis turns into organic matter, necessary for the plant. When the number of leaves is reduced, there is tremendous stress, your green pets literally find themselves on a starvation diet. The question arises, why do all gardeners repeat this procedure from year to year? Obviously, there are still advantages to the crop in removing leaves. Which leaves to cut While the bush is growing, the number of leaves removed should not exceed 2-3 pieces twice a week. And you need to remove only the lower leaves. At the end of July, you can begin such a procedure as pinching the tops. Despite the fact that branches with flowers still appear at the top, they can be removed, they still most likely will not have time to ripen before the onset of cold weather. Some time after this, it will be possible to remove all the leaves on the bush, except for a few located above the uppermost brush. During this period, green mass is no longer so important, it is important to accelerate the ripening of fruits. How to remove leaves from tomato bushes IMPORTANT! In no case should you remove all the leaves at once. This will lead to the fact that the plant will recuperate after suffering stress, and not grow fruit. This is a simple matter, but still remember that the plant will experience stress, so you should take care of the most painless removal. The best time for this is the morning of a sunny day. The wounds will have time to dry out in a day, and the evening coolness will not harm the plant. Leaves must also be removed very carefully. Press the leaf stalk at the very base to the stem and pull it up. If you pull down, you can tear off strips of the delicate epidermis, violating the integrity of the stem. There is a misconception that removing the lower leaves helps fight late blight. But long-term observations show that the disease, as a rule, affects the entire plant, and not only the leaves, but also the stems. Therefore, you should not expect that you can get rid of only the removal of leaves. You will have to remove the entire bush, especially if your planting is tight enough. So, now is the time to slowly remove the leaves, but this activity should be approached without undue enthusiasm. ***************************************** ALSO SEE THE BEST RECIPES SEE THE LINK
Three main questions worry gardeners, especially beginners, all summer long. How, why and when to pick off the leaves of tomatoes in a greenhouse. And what are the leaves anyway? Yes, for some beginners, greenhouse tomato care is a dark forest. And sometimes such a dark forest stands in greenhouses. For example, my neighbor literally crawls into hers on all fours, although she has a large six-meter polycarbonate greenhouse.
It is a pity for some to cut off something superfluous from the bush, or they are afraid that they will suddenly do something wrong. So the poor things stand in the dark thicket and the bushes turn out to be weak, and the crop suffers, and how many sores appear. After all, the most common fungal diseases tomatoes just like to be humid, not ventilated and where to breed. They choose, of course, the convenient lower leaves of the tomato. And then you worry about why the leaves began to turn yellow, blacken, turn brown.
Why and when to pick leaves from tomatoes in a greenhouse
As you know, the leaves of any plant have a very important function of photosynthesis. The leaf is a very important part of the plant, if for the sake of the experiment you peel off all the leaves on the bush, the plant will die. But gradually, with the growth of the bush, the very first lower leaves grow old, usually they lie or touch the ground, become yellow or spotted.
These leaves provoke stagnation of air in the greenhouse and the development of diseases. In fact, they have fulfilled their function and are no longer needed by the plant.
You can’t immediately thoughtlessly rush into the garden and cut off everything you see with armfuls. The plant is alive and it always experiences stress during any manipulations with its crown. Therefore, it is impossible to remove many leaves at a time.
When to start pruning? Here look at the tomato brushes, if above the leaves in the brush all the tomatoes have grown to more or less standard sizes, remove the leaves safely. Do not leave anything below such a brush.
Usually experienced gardeners they prune twice a week, just in time to start fruiting in the next, upstream brushes.
How to properly remove leaves from a tomato in a greenhouse
Breaking, deleting, cropping, everyone does it differently. It is better to choose the method that will least harm the plant and is more convenient for you.
You can not abruptly cut off the leaves by pulling them down, you get a very large wound on the tomato, in which bacteria can quickly start.
Some break out the leaves and stepchildren, slightly turning them clockwise, you can do this. When I go to the greenhouse, I arm myself with scissors and a jar of hydrogen peroxide. It is much faster and more convenient to cut with scissors, and it is easier to process them with peroxide so as not to spread the disease from bush to bush. With this method, the wound turns out to be quite small and dries quickly.
Such pruning should be done on a dry day, so that there is no fog or rain, and preferably before lunch, so that by the evening all the bushes have time to recover. Then pruning does not bring any discomfort to the plants.
What leaves to remove from a tomato in a greenhouse
They begin to remove from the lowest leaves, which usually begin to turn yellow by the time the fruits of the first brush are set. It is not always possible to gradually remove the leaves, if there are more yellowed leaves, then it is better to remove them all at once.
Leaves that are in the shade, in the middle of the bush are also cut out, there is little sense from them, but they thicken the bush well.
As the fruits are set, we cut off the leaves higher and higher, just make sure that there are leaves above the brush, where the tomatoes have not yet set, so that the sap flow is not disturbed.
In early August, I already pinch all the tops on the tomatoes in order to stop growth and give the plant the opportunity to grow the set fruits before the cold weather. At this time, all the brushes are already with tomatoes and you can leave a few top leaves, the rest are gradually removed, then the plant will stop giving strength to the green mass and the fruits will grow faster.
Removing leaves from tomatoes in a greenhouse video
