Pinching tomatoes: features of the procedure at different stages of vegetable development

For what?

Pinching is an important procedure in the cultivation of indeterminate, non-standard and tall varieties. As they grow, a lot of vegetative mass and stepchildren are formed, so there is not enough nutrition and strength for ripening. To ensure that the bushes form correctly, excess shoots are removed by pinching the crown.

The purpose is to remove the growth point.

After implementation, the following positive effects are achieved:

• increase in harvest volume;
• improving quality and marketability;
• reduction of ripening period;
• prolongation of the fruiting period;
• improvement of metabolic processes;
• increasing the level of illumination.

What is pinching tomatoes?

Pinching tomatoes is an artificial limitation of height by removing the growing point on the main stem. Pinching is also called removing an unnecessary side shoot (stepchild), cutting off old leaves, flowers, buds and excess ovaries.

It is necessary to shape a plant to increase productivity and accelerate its maturation. By pinching off excess shoots:

• limit the growth of the tomato to the desired height;
• increase tillering, forming a plant with 2-3 stems;
• improve the ventilation of the bush;
• normalize the number of ovaries on the plant, achieving an increase in fruit mass;
• rid tomatoes of unnecessary old leaves.

Some gardeners believe that pinching seedlings at the stage of opening 4-6 leaves allows you to increase the number of side shoots and get several additional stems. Additional flower clusters are later formed on them.

Which is correct?

The point of pinching the tops of the trunks is to form a bush convenient for cultivation. Redirect the nutrition coming from the soil as much as possible to the fruits. Provide maturing brushes with the necessary organic matter and minerals.

When pinching is carried out when cultivating tomatoes in the middle zone:

• begin in mid-late July, during the stage of vigorous growing season;
• completed at the end of August to accelerate the ripening of fruits on the upper clusters.

How to pinch the tops of tomatoes? For cutting you will need sharp scissors or pruning shears and a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection.

Rules for pinching:

1. Choose a place 2 leaves above the origin of the brush with the set tomatoes.
2. The upper part of the shoot is carefully trimmed.
3. They work in the morning until 8 o'clock or in the evening after 6, when the heat subsides. In this case, the bushes tolerate the operation more easily and do not lose their growth strength.
4. To sprinkle the cut, choose ash or ash powder.

For tall tomatoes, when growing in 1 trunk, make sure that 7-8 bunches of fruit remain. For medium-sized lines, it is enough to leave 4-5 brushes.

To prevent medium-sized and low-growing varieties from growing upward, the procedure is practiced on all tomatoes, increasing productivity with its help. Such tomatoes are less likely to suffer from late blight, especially when it comes to greenhouse varieties.

For low-growing cultivars, the instructions sometimes indicate that they do not need pinching or pinching.

When growing balcony varieties at home, special attention is also paid to pinching. Many indeterminates cannot stop growing without pinching. The procedure is mandatory for cherry tomatoes on balcony window sills, which become easier to care for.

In bush varieties, to prevent them from growing upward, you need to pinch only tall growth shoots without peduncles.

On the windowsill

When growing tomatoes in a city apartment on a windowsill, you cannot do without rigidly shaping the plant. In the cramped conditions of a pot or cache-pot, the roots of a tomato can provide food only for a compact-sized bush.

How to pinch tomatoes growing on a window:

• Growth is limited at a height of 30-60 cm. The end point depends on the variety of tomato and the volume of the pot (the smaller the container in which the tomato grows, the lower the bush should be).
• The main shoot is shortened (cut with scissors or pinched with nails).
• Stepchildren, if they have formed, are cut off until they reach 3-5 cm.
• The lower leaves, after setting the fruits in the brush above them, are removed. They have already fulfilled their function.

To grow tomatoes on a windowsill, it is recommended to choose special dwarf varieties of tomatoes. Their growth rate is genetically limited, so there is no need to pinch the tops.

When growing tomato seedlings on a windowsill, a gardener often encounters excessive stretching. To avoid getting weak and long plants by the time of planting, some vegetable growers use a radical technique - they cut off the top of the bush, which is undesirable.

It is also not recommended to pinch tomato seedlings even if they are overgrown. This applies not only to the crown, but also to the roots. This procedure can lead to the death of seedlings. It is enough to bury the elongated tomatoes when transplanting.

Differences in pinching tomatoes in a greenhouse and in open ground

The pinching procedure is carried out according to the same rules both for tomatoes in open ground and in greenhouse beds.

There are differences, but they only relate to timing.

Nuances taking into account the landing site:

1. In uncovered open beds, the tops of the bushes are pinched 30-34 days before the tomatoes are fully ripened. This time falls on the last ten days of July and the first days of August.
2. For greenhouse varieties, the interval is longer, the timing corresponds to the characteristics of the varietal lines. The manipulation is carried out in a greenhouse, taking into account the climate; sometimes the tops are cut off between September and November.

Do I need to pinch tomatoes?

The tomato has a high ability to form shoots and often has unlimited growth. By allowing the bush to grow freely, the gardener will soon have a lush, spreading plant with a minimum amount of fruit. Once established, the tomatoes will only ripen by September, since the nutrition the tomato receives from the soil will be used to form new shoots.

Removing excess greenery dictates that the plant feeds on the fruit rather than the shoots.

Pinching tall plants stimulates the formation of lateral shoots, which is genetically characteristic only of determinate varieties cultivated in open ground.

Gardeners growing tomatoes outside are advised to pinch off all buds, flowers and ovaries smaller than a walnut from the plants in August. This technique allows you to direct all the forces of the tomato to filling the existing fruits.

Is it possible to pinch out the tops and seedlings?

Experienced farmers advise beginners to pinch tall tomatoes. Why is this necessary? This will reduce the number of small or unripe fruits.

The goal is to slow down the upward growth of shoots and leaves, and direct all nutrition, organic matter and minerals, to the tomatoes. The fruits will be able to absorb all the strength as much as possible and have time to grow and ripen.

Positive effects of pinching seedlings:

• formation of dense bushes;
• root stimulation;
• strengthening the main trunk and brushes.

The procedure for pinching

Whether it is necessary to pinch tomatoes can be said definitely: definitely. The correct strength of the plant itself depends on this. The procedure must be performed at least 2 times per season.

Every gardener must know when to pinch tomatoes. The first formation of the crown is done at the seedlings. We must wait until more than 4 leaves appear. The top is simply torn off with your fingers or cut off with a sharp blade.

The next pinching is done as the stated length is gained. If the light conditions are insufficient, the plant can quickly stretch upward. The last treatment is carried out a month before the final ripening of the fruit.

Cuttings of petunias after pruning

Tops cut from shoots are excellent material for growing new plants.

In order for them to take root faster, they must be placed in a container of water. You can add some kind of growth stimulant to the water. For example, a few drops of aloe juice. The lower leaves must be removed so that the plant does not rot.

After the roots appear, the shoot is carefully planted in the soil without damaging the root system.

Effect on bush growth

There are many varieties of tomatoes, differing in the time of planting in the ground and ripening, the volume and color of ripe fruits. However, any plant requires proper care, and the most important role in a number of agrotechnical measures is played by the method of forced formation of a bush, including:

• pinching tomatoes - removing the growing point of the stem;
• pinching - elimination of lateral processes that appear in the axils of the leaves.

Growing tomatoes tolerate pinching and pinching quite well. This procedure will help restrain the growth of the plant, as well as prevent the formation of many unnecessary shoots that take away the plant’s strength.

When is this not required?

Not all pepper varieties require pinching. Low-growing and dwarf ones independently form the correct bush and give a good harvest.

This procedure is also not carried out with hybrids and hot pepper bushes.

Varieties that require pinching:

• Martin;
• Zodiac;
• Barguzin;
• Pinocchio F1;
• Florida;
• Maxim F1;
• Goodwin F1;
• Red Bogatyr.

These varieties of pepper do not need to form bushes; they can grow on their own. Partial pinching is carried out if the bushes are planted too close to each other. This is necessary to avoid various diseases. Only weak branches and those directed inward are removed.

Some gardeners do not carry out this procedure at all. This applies to those who cultivate crops in southern regions with long summers and warm autumns.

For tall varieties, it is necessary to form a bush. They grow and branch too quickly. As a result, the fruits will be small and thin-walled.

Basic Rules

How to pinch tomatoes correctly? This must be done carefully so that each action is carried out while preserving the nutrition of the vegetable crop. The growth points are removed using agricultural pruners, which are used to cut off the very top of the tomato stem, leaving 2 leaves above the last tomato cluster with the fruit ovary already on it.

Pinching tall tomatoes is often done leaving no more than 7-8 tomato bunches with formed ovaries. If you remove them in excess, the tomato bush will weaken and wither, and the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the crop will decrease.

The procedure can be carried out early in the morning or in the evening. This will allow the wound formed after removal to heal. Also, for quick healing after pinching, the wound is sprinkled with ash powder or ash.

Ampelous petunias: when and how to pinch a flowering plant

What are ampelous plants and ampelous annual flowers?

If the bush is already blooming in pots and boxes, the top is formed, and it consists of pruning the side shoots.

Basically, petunia bushes are planted in a pot (box), which were once pinched as seedlings, and now they vigorously send out side shoots. It is advisable to be creative in the pinching process; the plant can be given any desired look. It depends only on the gardener how long he wants to see the shoots cascading down in a colorful and gorgeous waterfall.

Useful video

Read the rules for pinching pepper seedlings:

Pinching peppers is an important procedure that allows you to control the formation of the bush. As a result, you can get a bountiful harvest with large fruits. When pruning, you should not expose the bush too much, as the leaves take part in the synthesis of useful substances.

Previous PepperBasic rules for caring for pepper seedlings: in a greenhouse and in the ground Next

PepperPicking pepper seedlings without errors

How to properly remove shoots for different varieties of tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse

The most common growing location for tomatoes is the greenhouse. And this is not surprising. After all, for such a heat-loving culture it will be very comfortable to be in such conditions.

Modern greenhouses are often made of polycarbonate. It is characterized by increased strength, which means it will last on your site for a long time. In addition, thanks to the transparent coating, sunlight reaches the seedlings without obstacles. They are protected from drafts and temperature changes.

In such conditions, the plant experiences more active growth, and ripening and harvesting occurs at an earlier date. But it is worth noting that stepsons appear just as quickly and begin to feed on the mother stem. To prevent weakening of the bush, they must be removed.

Due to the fact that this is a kind of injury to the plant, it is important to carry out pinching correctly.

It is done in two ways: breaking off by hand, or using a garden tool:

• When breaking off with your hands, be sure to use gloves. Thin ones, such as surgical ones, are good. You will feel good even a thin shoot in them. The selected sprout must be taken with two fingers: thumb and index. Start swinging the stepson with light movements, it will begin to crack and then break.

Pinching seedlings

Some gardeners are interested in whether it is possible, and indeed whether it is necessary, to pinch tomatoes when they are only at the seedling stage. In this situation, be sure to do such pruning in order to slow down the upward development of the bush. Remember, if you do not remove the top, you will get bad fruits.

Also, pinching seedlings promotes the formation of a good and strong root system.

Time spending

The time when summer residents are going to pinch tomatoes usually falls in the last days of July or the first days of August. The procedure is recommended to be carried out regularly, from the first days of the active development stage of the vegetable crop.

Removing growth points at the germination stage of tomato seedlings and pinching young tomatoes directly on the windowsill makes it possible to obtain dense greenery on the seedlings and an impetus for the development of the root system of the young seedling.

There is a difference in timing in a greenhouse and in open soil.