How to properly pick tomatoes and not ruin anything

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Over time, stepsons appear on the trunks of tomatoes and other plants – lateral shoots from the leaf axils. Resources are spent on their development, and therefore, if you leave them all, the harvest will not be as abundant and large as it could be. In addition, the bushes will become very thick, especially in the lower part, which contributes to fungal diseases. But watering, feeding, weeding and loosening such plants is not very convenient. The way out of the situation is stepchilding, that is, removing most of the shoots.

To get a good harvest, remove most of the stepsons from tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and eggplants. The procedure will also benefit pumpkins, watermelons and melons, and zucchini and squash can be done without stepsons.

What you need to know before stepsons of tomatoes

• Perform the procedure in the morning. The weather is mostly dry, without rain, although for greenhouse conditions this is not critical.
• Use a sharp knife, garden shears or simply remove the shoots with your hands for stepsons.
• Carefully cut or pinch off the stepsons, leaving a stump a few millimeters long.
• Try not to damage the stems, and if you accidentally touch them, sprinkle the wound with ash. You can also sprinkle the cut areas, although strong and healthy plants tolerate the procedure without it.
• If possible, after pruning each bush, treat the tool with a pale solution of potassium permanganate or medical alcohol to avoid transferring the disease from one plant to another.

How to prune tomatoes correctly

Removing side shoots is important for both outdoor and greenhouse plants. The main thing is to take into account the characteristics of the variety or hybrid you planted.

When to pinch and shape tomatoes

You shouldn't delay removing stepsons. Start the procedure two weeks after planting in a greenhouse or open ground. Perform stepsons regularly and try to get rid of the shoots while they are still small so that the plants don't waste unnecessary energy. Also cut or pinch off the lower leaves that touch the ground. This will reduce the likelihood of fungal and bacterial diseases.

The next procedure depends on the characteristics of the variety or hybrid. In short-growing (determinant) tomatoes, leave the first strong stepson at a height of 30 cm, and the second even higher. If you already have three stems – one main stem and two from the stepsons, but there are very few flowers on the bush, you can leave another one at the top of one of the formed stems.

Tall tomatoes (indeterminate) are best formed into two stems. After about 45 cm, leave one strong additional shoot. Then maintain the plant in this form and remove the stepsons from the two main stems. If there are very few ovaries, then on several new stepsons you can leave buds and two leaves next to them, and cut off everything that is above.

The growth of the bush should also be limited. It is better to do this 30-40 days before you plan to harvest the last crop. Otherwise, all the fruits simply will not have time to ripen. To do this, simply pinch both stems at the very top, leaving two leaves above the last ovaries.