How to properly pinch tomatoes in a greenhouse
The climate on the territory of Russia has its own characteristics, that even in warm regions, many vegetables do not have time to ripen during the short summer. There are methods of growing tomato crops that involve a long period of growing vegetables indoors so that they can begin to bear fruit by the warm season. One of these methods is preliminary cultivation of seedlings in a warm and further planting in a greenhouse, for example, from polycarbonate before the summer months. That is why the gardener needs to know how to properly pinch tomatoes in the greenhouse for their successful growth and development.
Rules for pinching tomatoes in a greenhouse
This rule especially applies to thermophilic tomatoes, which in the open air do not withstand the cold Russian spring. Weak and unstable tomatoes need to be grown under greenhouse conditions for a bountiful and tasty harvest. When growing a plant in a greenhouse, it is necessary to form its foliage and trunks correctly, otherwise there are practically no resources left for fruiting. In addition, the abundance of leaves obscures the ripening fruits. Green tomatoes don't get enough sun to ripen properly.
Seedling preparation
In order to get a high-quality crop of tomatoes, it is important to plant the seedlings correctly to begin with. The planting scheme is as follows: the seedlings are planted at a distance of 22 cm from each other. It is also important to observe the required distance between the rows, which should be 135 cm. In order for the foliage to receive the required amount of sun and air, tall greenhouse tomatoes must be supported. As a rule, this is a metal base in the shape of the letter "T", to which a thick rope or metal wire is tied in two rows. But if the funds do not allow the owner of the plantation to immediately order and install a stand for plants, you can use the old grandfather's method - wooden pegs. They are also suitable as a support for plants.
Further, as they grow, the tomatoes will rise along their stand. To help the tomato to stay on the support, it is necessary to twine the young shoot around the rope counterclockwise. If a wooden peg serves as a support, then the growing variety of tomatoes is tied up in the traditional way.
The first steps for planning the future harvest are the correct planting of seedlings and the creation of supports. Then, after 10-14 days, it is necessary to carry out the first pinching. It is believed that the first pinching is one of the most difficult, since the seedlings are still very small. These are just two green leaves that have appeared from under the ground. You need to know that the leaf is shown first from the ground and only then his stepson.
What is tomato pinching?
Grassing tomatoes in a greenhouse is the destruction of excess shoots that form in the axils of a plant. It is necessary to get rid of excess sprouts competently and only in varieties with a high trunk. It is these varieties that are desirable to grow in greenhouses, therefore, for greenhouse tomatoes, the removal of stepchildren must be carried out. As a result of pinching tomatoes, the owner of the plantation will receive a wonderful harvest, which is well ventilated and illuminated by the sun. Harvesting is easier when the plant does not have too lush green mass and the pinching procedure is carried out regularly.
Stepson by Tomatoes
Before starting the procedure for forming a tomato bush, you need to figure out step by step where the stepsons are located in the plant, so as not to accidentally cut off the necessary leaves. You need to carefully study the place where the tomato leaf is attached to the stem. A shoot begins to appear between the leaf and the stem, which forms an unnecessary green mass. It is this that should be pinched off when the sprout reaches a length of 3-5 cm.If older shoots are removed, this can severely injure the plant and negatively affect its condition. Therefore, it is very important not to miss the moment the stepsons appear and grow them to their optimal length.
How to properly pinch tomatoes?
It is better to carry out the procedure in the morning.
Some gardeners believe that the process of removing stepchildren is quite complicated and many varieties grow well without pinching. In fact, this is not so, the main thing in this matter is to know how to pinch tomatoes in a greenhouse correctly, without prejudice to plantings. If you understand well where the stepsons are located and follow all the rules, then you can easily cope with this task even for a novice gardener. The first time pinching is carried out 10-14 days after planting seedlings in the ground. Further, pinching the tomato in the greenhouse is carried out every 10-12 days.
Such a period of time is needed in order to prevent the germination of large shoots, which you will pinch off. If the procedure is carried out in a timely manner, the foliage is well formed and will give a rich harvest of large fruits. Stepsons can also produce crops, but they will have small tomatoes. Therefore, you should not be afraid of pinching and extra shoots must be removed mercilessly in order to protect future fruits. For proper removal, there is a whole scheme that any gardener who grows tomatoes should take into account.
- It is necessary to remove stepchildren and carry out planting care in the morning from 9 to 11 o'clock, so that the wounds heal by evening.
- It is easy to remove stepchildren in the morning because they are more fragile than in the evening.
- If the procedure is carried out with bare hands, after working with each plant, you must wash your hands or disinfect them so as not to accidentally transfer diseases.
- If the pinching procedure is carried out using tools, a small stump 2-3 cm long should be left. Subsequently, new branches will no longer grow in its place.
Varieties of pinching
After the first shoots appear, pinching can be done in different ways. Experts distinguish between two main directions for the removal of processes in tomatoes: determinant and indeterminate.
- Determinant - suitable for preparing a bush for an early harvest. In this case, almost all of the green mass is removed. It is very important to preserve the central stem without destroying it during the procedure. And 2-3 flower brushes should remain on it, which will give a full harvest of fruits. That is why determinant pinning is more complex and requires careful attention to the procedure and a certain amount of experience.
- Indeterminate - involves the preservation of one or two main stems in the bush. The indeterminate method is used for tall tomatoes.
Different types of pinching are applied to different varieties of tomatoes and the scheme of action in this case will differ.Experts believe that it is better to grow determinate varieties in greenhouse conditions. These are tomato varieties - Yamal, Alaska, Boney MM.
Experienced gardeners have experimentally revealed that it is not always necessary to leave only one shoot for tomatoes.
If you leave more shoots, you can get a good harvest with careful maintenance. However, in general, there should be no more than three shoots. A large number of shoots can impair the quality of the crop. Also, there should not be too many flower brushes on the bush. Fewer ripening fruits will allow them to form large and ripe. 3-4 brushes are left on each branch, but in total there should be no more than eight, the rest must be mercilessly removed.
How to properly form a single-stem bush?
Formation into one stem increases the yield of the plant
Grassing a tomato in a greenhouse can be done by forming one stem, which will be the main one. In this case, one main stem is left, and all stepchildren are eliminated in the process of plant growth. The twin of the main trunk is also removed if the bush bifurcates during the growth process. Flower brushes, starting from the bottom, must be kept. Experts consider this method of formation to be the most optimal for an abundant tomato yield. But experienced gardeners think differently, since they believe that two or even three trunks can give a greater yield, therefore, for experimental purposes, you can apply the method of forming a bush with two stems or even three.
Formation of a bush with two stems
To form a bush with two trunks, only the main stem is left. The lateral shoot that produces the main stem is generally sturdy and strong. It grows under the first flower tassel at a short distance from it. It is also preserved by forming a second main stem from it. Further, all stepchildren on two trunks are removed every week.
Forming a bush with three stems
In this case, the main stem is left. And then, under the first flower brush, not one shoot is left, as in creating a tomato bush with two trunks, but two, located one above the other. Both side shoots must be strong and sturdy, otherwise three stems are meaningless. Two more main stems grow from the side shoots. As in the case of a bush with two stems, stepchildren on all trunks of the bush break off so that the tomato gives the best possible yield.
Other methods to improve the quality of the crop
Grasshopping involves cutting off the shoots that a tomato branch releases during the growth process. But sometimes new shoots grow out of the ground near the bush. They also degrade the quality of the crop by taking away the strength of the plant. Therefore, they must be removed. In addition, the tops of the tomato are pinched. This is done so that the tomato does not form too much flower ovary, which does not have time to grow and ripen. In the second half of July, the upper part of the foliage is removed from the bushes. 2-3 leaves are left above the flower brush, and the top is cut off to allow the harvest to ripen. Such a procedure limits the growth of the bush in height and the tomato does not waste energy on excessive greens, directing them to ripening the fruits.
Different types of pinching allow you to form a different type of bush. Before planting, you need to decide what tomatoes are grown for - for early, medium-sized food consumption or for conservation. For different purposes, a different number of fruit inflorescences are left, and thus different results can be obtained from simultaneously planted seedlings in the same greenhouse.
In addition, a good harvest can be obtained provided that the plants are properly watered and fertilized in the greenhouse, which should also be paid attention to. Work on growing a greenhouse crop and caring for it must be competent, so that there is a return on the effort expended, and the crop pleases the owner and be his pride.Therefore, if you want to start growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, you must be prepared for the fact that you will have to pay a lot of attention and monitor the seedlings. But the result will not be long in coming and the beautiful rows of plantings with juicy fruits will delight the gardener.