by The process of step-sonning tomatoes is quite simple, although it has its own subtleties. The main task of the gardener is to understand which tomatoes need to be step-sonned, and which ones can do without it. You can decide on this in practice, or you can carefully study the theory.
What is side shoot pinching? This is the removal of lateral shoots that form in the leaf axils. In their natural habitat, tomatoes are perennial plants, and they spend the first 3-4 months building up green mass and root system, and only then begin to bloom. They have a long warm period in reserve, and ovaries gradually grow on each shoot, so there is no need to pinch them out.
In the conditions of our short summer, we simply do not have the right to allow tomato bushes such luxury – they will be lush, green and, at best, will barely have time to bloom before the cold weather, and you can’t even dream of ripe fruits. Therefore, the bush is formed by pinching and side-sonning.
How to remove stepsons correctly
It would seem that there is nothing complicated in cutting or breaking off stepsons, but many gardeners cannot cope with this task and year after year suffer defeat in the “green war”. The main rule of the fighter against stepsons is that this must be done on time, that is, no later than when they become more than 4-5 cm in length. At this point, they are still thin, do not draw strength from the mother plant and are easy to remove with your hands or scissors.
The first side-shooting is carried out two weeks after planting the seedlings in the ground, and then repeated regularly, every 10-14 days. This allows you to promptly track the growing side-shoots and prevent the bush from becoming thicker.
Do not break off the stepson entirely, leave a “stump” 2 cm high – in this case, a new shoot will not appear in this place for much longer.
Depending on the variety, tomatoes branch and form differently. Bushes of indeterminate (tall) varieties are most susceptible to overgrowth – without pinching, they can turn into a real tree, from which you, alas, will not wait for fruits. Such tomatoes need not only pinching, but also pinching, that is, limiting the growth of the central stem.
To make pinching out the side shoots as easy as possible for you and the bush, water the tomatoes in the evening, and in the morning, before direct sunlight hits the leaves, start removing excess greenery.
Pinching out tomato stepsons in open ground
For growing in open ground, most summer residents choose low-growing varieties of tomatoes, because they are easier to form and tie up. Such varieties cannot be completely deprived of all stepsons – this will lead to a stop in the growth of the bush.
Such tomatoes are left with a continuation shoot – a stem growing under the first flower brush. Moreover, it is left not once, but repeatedly, allowing the stepsons to replace each other and bear fruit.
If you grow cherry tomatoes in open ground, you should also not forget about shaping the bushes. There can be so many small fruits on them that a stem depleted by side-children can easily break. Indeterminate cherry varieties need to be side-children, formed into 1-2 stems and pinched. Determinate varieties can only be pinched, and semi-determinate varieties can be formed compactly, into 2-3 stems, but side-children and pinching are still necessary.
Indeterminant tomatoes – these are plants with unlimited growth, the height of which without pinching the tops can reach 2 m or more. determinate tomatoes buds form at the tops of the shoots, so they stop growing after a certain number of inflorescences have formed (the height of the bushes of such plants usually does not exceed 110 cm).
Pinching out tomato stepsons in a greenhouse
A greenhouse is perfect for growing indeterminate tomato varieties. Summer is artificially extended there, so the bush has more time to grow and bear fruit. However, determinate varieties also grow larger in greenhouse conditions and actively build up green mass, so you will have to side-son them all, unless, of course, you want to organize a small jungle on your 6 acres.
Indeterminate varieties are often grown in one stem with 5-10 clusters growing directly on the main shoot. All lateral branches and extra leaves that shade the ovaries are subject to removal.
Determinate varieties in a greenhouse with proper care can easily “feed” 2-3 stems. Of course, the fruits on the upper brushes will not be so large and may not have time to ripen, but this is not a very significant problem. To form a second stem, choose a strong stepson located under the first brush on the main trunk, as close to it as possible. It is left, and all the other shoots that eventually appear on it, including, are removed.
In a greenhouse, tomato bushes grow more actively than in open ground, so pinching out the side shoots should be done more often – once every 7-10 days.
Pinching out standard tomatoes
Often, sellers of seeds or seedlings try to lure buyers with varieties that supposedly do not need to be side-sonned. Standard varieties of tomatoes (and we are talking about them) really do not need to be side-sonned in the usual sense, because the plant is formed into several stems, and a full-fledged harvest ripens on each of them.
If you are looking for tomato varieties that do not require pinching, then pay attention to Watercolor, Alaska, Watermelon, Red Fang, Krakowiak, Knight, Lord, White filling 241, Betta, Boni MM, Gavroche, Rocket, Nevsky, Gnome, Oak, Snowdrop, Little Red Riding Hood, Buyan, Ladies’ fingers, Pitl.
And yet, there are stepchildren on them too, although they appear much later than the flower stalks, and do not compete for nutrition as much. Initially, all the lower stepchildren (4-5 pieces) are left on such a bush, which makes the bush round and dense, but those that appear higher and thicken the crown are mercilessly removed while still in the embryo state (3-4 cm).
Pinching out the stepsons of large-fruited tomatoes
Large-fruited tomato varieties rarely impress with their harvest, but with the correct formation of the bush they can cause admiration of your family or respect of your neighbors. It is known that the largest fruits, possessing varietal characteristics, grow on the first brushes, and become smaller higher. The same applies to fruits on the side stems – they are no larger than a chicken egg and rarely ripen.
Therefore, pinching large-fruited tomatoes is a necessary procedure. Particular attention should be paid to those shoots that appear just below the brushes – they draw away all the nutrition and prevent the fruits from developing and ripening. In the process of pinching, you can also remove the upper brushes, leaving no more than 5-7 pieces on the bush. This will reduce the number of tomatoes obtained, but improve their quality.
As you can see, in most cases, step-sonning tomatoes is not a whim of summer residents, but an agronomic necessity. Do step-sonning in a timely manner, and tomatoes will certainly thank you with an abundant harvest.
