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Often on the beds you can see very bare tomato bushes, on which there are practically no leaves, but at the same time a huge number of tomatoes flaunt. What's the matter? Why are the gardeners so "ruthlessly peeling" tomatoes? But the reason for this lies not at all in hatred of plants, but, on the contrary, in the desire to help vegetable crops bear fruit in large quantities with minimal energy consumption. This "exposure" is the result of the formation of a bush, in which the side stepsons and lower leaves are removed. Formation of tomatoes single stalk is the most commonly used crop cultivation scheme. It is suitable for tall, medium-sized and even standard tomatoes. We will talk about how to correctly perform such a formation without harming the plants in the article given below.
Why form plants
Many gardeners, growing tomatoes for the first time, do not even think about the fact that it is necessary to control the growth of plants and form tomato bushes. As a result, they get lush, rather beautiful bushes with a small amount of tomatoes on the branches, which are still green by the end of the season. How does it happen? Why, if you follow all the rules of watering and feeding, you cannot get a good harvest of vegetables?
And the thing is that the plants spent their energy throughout the growing season not on the formation of flowering brushes, ripening and pouring tomatoes, but on building up greenery in the form of stepsons and leaves. As a result of such an incorrect redistribution of nutrients and moisture, the farmer receives a low yield, but just a beautiful plant in the garden.
To prevent such a situation, farmers have developed a method of forming tomato bushes. It involves the exercise of pinching, pinching and removing some of the leaves. Depending on the agrotechnical characteristics of the plant, farmers use methods of formation in one, two or three main stems. At the same time, the formation of tomato bushes into one stem is an excellent technology for both tall indeterminate and undersized determinant tomato varieties.
The technology for the formation of tomato bushes allows you to improve the process of growing crops, namely:
- increase the yield of vegetables, make them larger, poured;
- speed up the harvesting process;
- accelerate the process of fruit ripening with the onset of the autumn period;
- correctly redistribute the load on the bush from the resulting greens and vegetables;
- make the plantings less dense, thereby preventing the development of viral and fungal ailments, improving air circulation;
- facilitate the care of plants;
- extend the fruiting period of tomatoes with limited growth.
Thus, a simple procedure for the formation of bushes allows the plant to develop correctly, giving all its strength to increase yields. However, you should not thoughtlessly break off the stepsons and leaves on tomato bushes, because the process of plant formation should be gradual, methodical. It must be carried out competently and in compliance with certain rules.
Basic principles of the formation of tomatoes in one stem
It is necessary to start the process of forming tomatoes 1-2 weeks after the plants have been planted in the ground.Plants are formed in the greenhouse and in the open field, observing the same rules, adhering to the same principles.
The formation of tomatoes is based on the technology of removing stepchildren. Stepson refers to the shoots that form in the axils of tomato leaves. On tomato seedlings, it is unlikely that it will be possible to see the stepchildren, since these shoots, as a rule, develop only after the formation of 5-6 true leaves. Tomatoes are especially active in growing lateral shoots with a sufficient amount of moisture and micronutrients in the soil. Plants transfer a large amount of nutrients from the root to the stepchildren, thereby taking resources away from the fruits that form on the main stem. That is why gardeners try to remove stepchildren at an early stage of their development.
The situation with tomato leaves is about the same. Nutrients rise from the root along the stem of the plant, which are consumed, among other things, to ensure the vital activity of the leaves. To save energy, the lower leaves of tomatoes can be removed during bush formation. In this case, the leaves on the top of the tomato plant should always be preserved. They act as a kind of pump for lifting nutrients from the root up the trunk.
Pinching the top of the plant is recommended at the end of the growing season for accelerated ripening of existing fruits. After pinching, the plant stops growing, but at the same time seeks to form as many stepsons as possible. They must be removed regularly to redirect nutrients to the fruits of the plant.
Schemes for the formation of tomatoes in one stem
In practice, farmers use two different methods of forming tomatoes into one stem: classic and stepped. The classic method of forming tomatoes into one stem is used when growing indeterminate tomatoes in the greenhouse and outdoors. The staggered formation of tomatoes is suitable for indeterminate and determinant plants. When used for tall bushes, the method allows you to reduce the length of the shoot without reducing the duration of fruiting. For low-growing determinant tomatoes, including standard varieties, the technology allows to significantly extend the fruiting period after the main shoot is self-inflated.
Classic scheme
The classic 1-stem tomato formation scheme is only suitable for indeterminate tall tomatoes. Most often it is used in a greenhouse, where it is convenient to tie plants to the frame of a stationary structure.
To implement the technology, it is necessary to remove all formed lateral stepsons at an early stage of crop cultivation. This is done at a time when the length of the lateral shoot is slightly more than 5 cm. Such an shoot has already developed leaves and can be easily distinguished from the fruiting brush of the plant. When all lateral shoots are removed, only one main stem develops, on which inflorescences will form, and subsequently the fruits themselves.
The removal of the lower tomato leaves must be carried out in parallel with pinching. Only the lower leaves should be removed, in the axils of which there are no fruiting brushes. At a time, 3 sheets can be removed at once, but no more.
In this case, only one main fruiting shoot will actively grow. Closer to autumn, it must be pinched in order to accelerate the ripening process of the vegetables on the trunk. Pinching consists in removing the upper part of the stem so that 2-3 leaves without inflorescences remain on the top of the plant above the extreme fruiting brush.This will keep the circulation of nutrients in the stem of the plant.
How to properly pinch the main stem of indeterminate tomatoes is shown in detail in the video:
It is convenient to tie tall tomatoes formed into one stem in a greenhouse with twine. It is a kind of movable tapestry. When the height of the shoots reaches the ceiling of the greenhouse, the ropes can be lowered to provide additional space for the tomato to grow. A diagram of such a garter can be seen below.
When forming indeterminate tomatoes into one stem, you can also tie the main long shoot to the vertical supports located along the ceiling of the greenhouse. Some farmers suggest that the stem of the plant, upon reaching a height equal to the height of the greenhouse ceiling, be bent down for reverse growth.
As a result of the formation of a tomato bush in one stem, you can get the very bare trunks of plants with a large number of tomatoes. The yield of such tomatoes is very high and will certainly delight even an experienced gardener.
Scheme with partial abandonment of stepchildren
Stepson on tomatoes can perform a very specific task. On them, as on the main stem, ovaries are formed, which can contribute to an increase in crop yield. Some gardeners use this property, leaving several stepsons on tomatoes before the first ovaries appear. After that, the stepchildren pinch, so that they do not build up excess green mass and do not consume the valuable energy of indeterminate tomatoes. The scheme of plant formation in one stem with partial abandonment of stepchildren is shown below in Figure "B". Figure "A" for comparison shows the classic scheme of the formation of a tomato bush in one stem.
Step forming scheme
Stepped tomato shaping allows you to solve the problem of tying a long main shoot of an indeterminate bush. With the stepwise formation, the agrarians repeatedly use pinching. So, tall bushes are formed according to the classical principle described above. However, approximately in the middle of the main trunk, one strongest lateral shoot (stepson) is left. It develops and grows parallel to the main stem, but as soon as fruits appear on it, the main long shoot is pinched. It is worth noting that caring for such a shoot is similar to caring for the main stem. It also needs to be pinned and the lower leaves on its surface removed.
If the growth of the left shoot is active and by the end of the growing season its height presumably exceeds the height of the ceiling in the greenhouse, then the operation to leave the lateral stepson can be repeated. Only this time, the stepson needs to be left on the new main shoot. Conventionally, such a scheme is shown below in the picture.
With the help of such a scheme, it is possible not only to shorten the length of the main shoot of an indeterminate tomato, but also to extend the fruiting period of determinant plants. Their peculiarity lies in the ability to climb on their own, limiting their growth. So, depending on the variety, the plant can form from 6 to 9 flowering brushes on one shoot. In order to increase the volume of fruiting, the method of stepwise formation of a bush into one stem is used. This also removes all the stepsons except one. The main fruiting stem can be pinched or left for self-pitting. After the formation of fruits, one more stepson should be left on the additional shoot.This scheme allows you to multiply the number of tomatoes on low and medium-sized tomatoes. The technology is especially relevant when growing determinant tomatoes in greenhouse conditions, where favorable conditions for fruiting remain for a long period of time.
Thus, when purchasing tomato seeds, it is necessary to pay attention to the agrotechnical properties of the variety and evaluate its tallness. After all, it is from this criterion that the care of plants and the method of forming their bushes will depend.
When shaping tomatoes, you need to remember!
The formation of a bush must be carried out in compliance with certain rules. So, it is best to remove stepchildren and plant leaves in the morning, when there is an increased filling of vegetative organs. In this case, during the day, the resulting wounds will heal and will not allow harmful microorganisms to penetrate into the trunk. This is especially true when pinching bushes in the second half of summer and autumn, as well as during cold snaps and rains, when there is a threat of late blight infection.
When pinching, it is important to leave a small part of the shoot in the leaf axil. This will prevent the formation of a new lateral shoot in this place. The size of the hemp left can be 1-3 cm.
When removing leaves and stepchildren, special care must be taken so as not to damage the delicate skin of the tomato. To do this, experienced gardeners advise not to break out excess greens, but to remove them with scissors or a blade. The instruments used should be disinfected, for example with a manganese solution. This will prevent the spread of possible infection between the plants. The same measure to prevent the spread of infection should be provided when breaking out the shoots by hand. It is recommended to do this with gloves, which, when moving from one plant to another, must be treated with potassium permanganate.
Conclusion
Compliance with such simple recommendations for working with tomatoes will allow you to properly form the bushes without harming them or infecting them with infectious diseases. In general, caring for tomatoes under any growing conditions should consist not only of feeding and watering, but also of the formation of bushes. By removing unnecessary greens, you can intelligently redistribute the flow of nutrients and moisture in the plant trunk, thereby increasing yields and facilitating the fruiting process for the crop. The method of forming into one stem can be used for tomatoes with different agronomic characteristics. In this case, the technique will act in different ways, but in each case it will only contribute to the improvement of the vegetation process of plants.
