Picking leaves from tomatoes. When to start and whether to pick off the bottom leaves of tomatoes

Hello, dear readers! Almost each of us grows tomatoes on our plot or has encountered this activity for one reason or another. This process does not require any special scientific knowledge, but some care needs to be taken. In this case, one of the main questions is: is it necessary to pick off the lower leaves of tomatoes? This is what puzzles gardeners now and causes considerable controversy.

Is there a need to remove leaves?

Opinions on this issue differ significantly, but experienced gardeners are inclined to believe that this has a very good effect on the condition of the plants and on the future harvest, so pruning is necessary.

There are several reasons for this:

• the lower leaves, due to their large volume, are able to evaporate a lot of moisture and consume a significant amount of minerals that are necessary for the normal formation of fruits;
• lower leaves often touch wet soil and can begin to rot, which provokes the proliferation of bacteria and the occurrence of diseases;
• Free movement of air can also be hampered by heavy lower foliage, allowing harmful bacteria to thrive.

Because of improper care may appear with stains, which should also be removed. Otherwise, they may form an environment for development dangerous diseases. You should do the same with dry leaves. A thickened crown also needs to be thinned out periodically to improve ventilation and reduce consumption. nutrients.

When and how to pick off the lower leaves?

Sometimes removing the lower leaves does not give a satisfactory result. This can be explained by the fact that the procedure was carried out incorrectly or untimely. If the first signs of leaf drying are detected, then you need to immediately remove the dried part.

There is no need to be too zealous when removing parts of the crown of a bush, because it is responsible for such important processes as photosynthesis. You should only remove the foliage that is located in the northern part of the bush and in its depths.

The leaves located below the inflorescence are torn off in several stages, gradually. Why such difficulties? Yes, the stem can still continue to grow and form new flower stalks, but they will only additionally load the plant, so it would be better to remove them. The newly formed shoot with inflorescences is left only if the main shoot bears few fruits.

Removing leaves and shoots from tomatoes

Many gardeners do not know how to properly remove leaves. It is better to carry out the procedure in the first half of the day, choosing a clear and warm weather. In this case, the wounds on the plant will heal quickly and bacteria will not have time to penetrate there.

Don't overdo it when removing foliage. How often and in what quantity should I do this? The best option is a couple of pieces per week, but this amount can be adjusted for each case individually. Larger scales may be allowed when there is a high risk of developing diseases.

As soon as the first fruits appear, it is recommended to remove all the leaves located up to the first cluster from below. However, the time for their elimination can be determined earlier: often, when the plant develops, the leaves below turn yellow and die. Of course, they need to be removed in a timely manner.

In a greenhouse, this procedure has its own characteristics. Here the bush is formed due to, and the need to remove leaves arises due to high density and poor air circulation. Its humidity begins to increase sharply, which becomes not only the reason for the loss of leaves, but also a good environment for the development of bacteria and harmful microorganisms.

IN open ground these processes occur somewhat differently and it is somewhat easier to ventilate the bushes, since there is natural air circulation.

Tomatoes are a rather painful and problematic crop, especially in regions with a damp climate. And that's why they need constant good care and disease prevention. In this part, plucking leaves has proven itself very well as an effective preventive method.

In addition, this procedure contributes to the enlargement of the fruits and their speedy ripening, which sometimes plays a very important role. The plant will not lose energy and nutrients to unnecessary elements, but will be completely focused on ovary and fruiting.

However, you also need to maintain certain distances when planting between bushes in order to avoid large cluster plants. This distance directly depends on the variety and size that an adult bush can reach.

Growing tomatoes in middle lane also has some peculiarity. In addition to removing the lower leaves, you should also pinch the top of the plant in the month of August. The newly formed fruits are unlikely to have time to ripen before the end of the season, and the plant will lose a lot of strength on them.

Some gardeners practice rooting these tops to obtain additional yield from them, but this requires some practical skill and dexterity.

The varieties are much less demanding when it comes to plucking.Their crown is not so thick,

and the fruits are quite small, which provides good ventilation.

The main thing is to prevent the leaves from touching the soil.

The need to remove leaves is determined by appearance and the condition of the bush. You should not use any other tips and recommendations, since you can instead positive result harm the plant. A crown that is too weak will cause insufficient photosynthesis processes, which is extremely harmful for tomatoes.

The leaves also protect the fruits from sunburn and the impact of negative factors environment, therefore, the complete absence of greenery, although it will not lead to the death of the plant, will have an extremely negative impact on its health and fertility. It is quite possible that you will never see fruiting from such a “bald” bush.

Along with tearing off the leaves, additional treatments of tomatoes with various preparations can be carried out, but it is recommended to do this before fruiting begins.

Under no circumstances should you use chemicals at the moment the tomatoes begin to ripen!

You also need to remember that root fertilizers and medicines can be absorbed and, together with the juice, get into the fruits, which you will then eat. That is why think very carefully before giving preference to one or another method of plant protection: will it harm your own health?

With all respect, Andrew

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In order for tomatoes to grow quickly and produce a good harvest, it is necessary to periodically pick off some leaves on the bushes. We’ll talk about how to do this correctly in today’s article.

Benefits of removal

First of all, leaf removal is necessary for indeterminate varieties and hybrids. The procedure is performed at the moment when the fruits on the lower clusters are fully ripened. After this, the leaves underneath practically stop working and have a positive effect on fruiting in general. In addition, they continue to consume some of the nutrients that, accordingly, the developing fruits lack.

In determinate plants, only the lower leaves that fully or partially touch the ground are removed. They can serve as a kind of “bridge” for pathogens of late blight and other fungal diseases to penetrate plants.

For dense plantings, you can remove leaves that grow on the north side and are constantly in the shade of other plants. The benefit from them is minimal. The procedure is especially relevant when growing tomatoes in closed greenhouses.

Throughout the season, you should periodically pick off the leaves on which characteristic features dangerous diseases.

When and how to delete

It is best to trim leaves in sunny weather in the morning. The resulting cuts in the sun will heal faster and will not become a site for the development of various infections.

When tearing, press the petiole up (parallel to the stem), in this case the wound will be minimal. If you pull downwards, a long strip of skin may also come off along with the leaf.

You can also trim the leaves with sharp scissors or a knife that has undergone a disinfection procedure. But no matter what method you use, the cut areas should be immediately disinfected. A saturated solution of potassium permanganate, alcohol, and ash are suitable for these purposes.

You should not pick off too many leaves at one time, since for tomato bushes this is severe stress, which can significantly slow down the development of these plants. On average, summer residents advise plucking 2-3 leaves 2 times a week.

The general rule is: until the fruit has set, all leaves above the flower cluster should be left intact. When the fruits are formed, the leaves under them can be gradually removed.

By mid-August, the tops of tomato bushes are pinched, since the new bunches will no longer have time to form a full-fledged harvest. During this period, you can sequentially remove all leaves, except for the top few located above the last inflorescence.

A.N. (Nikolaev)

The question is whether it is necessary to pick off the leaves on tomato bushes to make them feel better? And if necessary, when?

Healthy, green tomato bushes in a greenhouse, bearing large, bright fruits, are always pleasing to the eye.

But often plants suffer from improper care yellow leaves, on which spots, necrosis, serving entrance gate for infections. It is better to remove such leaves in a timely manner.

1. First of all, you need to help the plant get rid of the lower, oldest leaves, which are the first to become covered with all sorts of black and dry spots - changing color.
2. Following this, heavily thickened leaves of tomato bushes oriented to the north must be removed. By removing excess leaves, improved ventilation of tomato plantings is achieved, especially if the plantings were thickened when establishing greenhouse beds.
3. Mandatory removal of fattening shoots from tomatoes improves the fruiting of the bushes.

Stepchildren must be removed

There are no rules for removing tomato leaves; it is usually believed that the plant will withstand the removal of up to 3 leaves 2 times every 7 days. Sometimes a plant requires more global removal of leaves, especially when dangerous diseases develop.

Large-scale removal of tomato leaves does not affect the growth, development and ripening of the fruit.
Care must be taken to remove leaves above the clusters where fruit ovaries have not yet formed, especially above the upper cluster. It is necessary to leave a few leaves above the top flower cluster of tomatoes.

Tomato leaves do not need to be trimmed. – they break off easily, but you need to make sure that the tearing does not occur down the stem, otherwise a strip of the upper skin will come off the stem.
Leaves are plucked in warm, dry weather.

How to remove tomato leaves: video

The new dacha season has begun, and with it a difficult struggle for the crop harvest. Their growth, development and, of course, harvest depend on how correctly we pick tomatoes.

Growing tomatoes in open ground requires compliance with many agrotechnical rules, since this crop needs increased attention. Timely pruning of excess foliage and shoots on a tomato bush will help to significantly increase the yield. To reduce the risk of harm to the plant during thinning, it is important to know how to prune shoots correctly.

As they grow, tomato seedlings reach enormous sizes, expanding to the sides and growing powerful foliage. Even if you keep a distance of 30-40 cm when planting seedlings in open ground, after 1.5 months they grow in width, covering each other from the sun. In the fight for sunlight plants are forced to increase the height and number of leaves, the growth of which requires nutritious juice. In order to preserve the harvest, you should know how to trim tomatoes correctly.

Mandatory pruning is required for the lower leaves that are in contact with the foliage or stem of a neighboring plant. This is necessary to improve ventilation and prevent the spread of diseases. Once fruit has formed on the bottom of the first cluster, remove all the lower leaves underneath it. Avoid contact of foliage with the ground. This provokes infection with fungal diseases.

When tomato buds also form on the next branch below, cut off all the foliage up to it. Fruits exposed to sunlight ripen much faster and have a refined aroma and sweet taste. Be sure to cut off the lower leaves affected by the disease and dispose of them away from the garden bed. Even on cut foliage, the fungus continues to develop and disperse spores.

To ensure that the juice goes not into the shoots, but into the fruits, you need to remove the stepsons growing between the leaf and the trunk. These shoots make the bush more branched, drawing out the nutrients that are so necessary for the fruits to grow beautifully. Under no circumstances should stepchildren be pulled out. This can lead to damage to the bush and infection with disease. The side shoots must be beautifully trimmed with a special tool, leaving a stump 0.5 cm long.

To increase productivity, the upper part of the plant, the so-called growth buds, is pruned. It is recommended to let the plant form 5-7 clusters with fruits, then count 3 leaves above the uppermost cluster with ovaries and remove the top bud. Thus, you will not only prevent the tomato from growing in open ground above the trellis or ceiling of the greenhouse, but also concentrate the plant juice on the fruits, rather than on the leaves and stems.

Mulching tomato bushes and pruning leaves (video)

Basic rules for pruning

Each pruning of leaves and shoots represents a violation of the integrity of the tomato bush and carries the risk of disease or rotting. In order not to lose the harvest, it is important to follow the following rules trimmings.

1. There is no need to tear off the plant with your hands, pinching off the excess part. This method is very traumatic for the plant, and also causes infection. Use special garden tools.
2. Carry out pruning on a dry, sunny day in the morning so that the cut area dries quickly and does not begin to rot. It is recommended to trim everything side shoots, however, you can leave 1-2 of the strongest ones in order to form a beautiful bush.
3. Regularly remove newly grown shoots, excess or damaged leaves from tomatoes, carefully checking the plant every 4-6 days.
4. Treat scissors with alcohol to prevent disease transmission. After trimming diseased leaves and fruits, change gloves and disinfect the tool.
5. The lower leaves of a mature plant need to be plucked off so that the trunk is bare in the lower part at a distance of 25-30 cm from the ground.

Whether it is necessary to pick leaves from tomatoes, and how much, each gardener decides for himself.

The main thing is to dispose of the cut leaves, tops and fruits far from the garden bed after completion of the work.

This will prevent the infection from spreading to undamaged tomatoes.

Pruning to form bushes

1. 1 stem. To form a tomato into 1 stem, it is necessary to regularly trim all growing stepsons. After 5-6 clusters are formed, you need to leave 4 leaves above the topmost one and cut off the growth bud. By stopping further growth of the plant in this way, you can get a good harvest from the bush. All nutrients will go towards fruit ripening, not growth.
2. 2 stems. To form a tomato bush with 2 stems, you should allow the lowest stepson to grow and cut off all the others. When 1-2 brushes are formed on the stepson, the growth point on it is cut off. 4-5 inflorescences are left on the main stem and the top bud is also removed. To form a bush in this way, it is necessary to plant the seedlings in advance at a distance of at least 0.5 m from each other.
3. 3 stems. The very first stepson is left on the main trunk, then the strongest one is left, and the rest are cut off. As the plant grows, all growing shoots are removed, except for the selected two. After 4-5 fruit clusters have formed on the main trunk of the bush, 3-4 leaves are counted above the topmost one and the growing point is cut off. On the first side shoot, 3 are formed, and on the second, 2 brushes with tomatoes.

Growing strong tomato bushes is not difficult, it is more difficult to achieve good harvest. Follow the above rules for pruning bushes, and then they will grow beautifully and will delight you with juicy and sweet tomatoes.

Growing tomatoes (video)

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U experienced gardeners who have tried various agricultural techniques for cultivating vegetables in their garden, you can often find “bald” tomatoes in greenhouses with almost bare trunks, and large, beautiful tomatoes hanging on their branches.

How do they achieve this result, and is it necessary to deprive the bushes of green mass for good fruiting?

Gardeners' opinions on this matter vary greatly, but those who have tried the method of forming a tomato bush with the gradual removal of the lower leaves can no longer refuse it.

When should you pick leaves from a tomato? And how to carry out the procedure correctly so as not to harm the plant?

Of course, tearing off leaves for the purpose of shaping, rather than simply removing diseased and infected specimens, applies more to tall varieties tomatoes, top part which can greatly shade the lower one.

Low-growing varieties of tomatoes are not only not picked, they are not even always pruned.

The technology of tearing off the lower leaves of tomatoes did not arise by chance, it has scientific justification and is widely practiced among gardeners, so it is worth taking a closer look at it.

When using the method of removing the lower leaves from tomato bushes, gardeners pursue the following goals:

• for ease of watering. The fact is that water falling on the leaves of tomatoes during watering contributes to their rotting and the development of a complex of diseases, therefore for this vegetable only bottom watering at the root is recommended;
• for organization better ventilation and air circulation between plantings. This is especially important when using a thickened planting pattern. With the free passage of air between the bushes, the likelihood of the occurrence of various fungal diseases is sharply reduced;
• for the outflow of nutrients to growing fruits. It is the lower leaves that take away many useful elements that the roots extract from the ground. Therefore, in order for all the necessary substances to go directly into the tomatoes, these leaves are removed.

Should you periodically pluck the lower leaves from tomato plants?

Should I pick off the leaves of a tomato? Practice shows that this event must be carried out to obtain an earlier and better harvest of tomatoes, and most importantly, a healthy one. But the shaping needs to be done correctly, taking into account many factors, and not thoughtlessly tearing off the leaves.

It is important to understand that each leaf is a full-fledged organ of the plant, responsible for its vital functions, so when cutting them off, you need to be extremely careful and not rush anywhere.

You can remove leaves from tomatoes only when the clusters with fruits have already set. Some gardeners recommend carrying out this operation later - when the fruits are milky ripe, when they acquire a light green color.

In any case, the technology for picking leaves is the same and involves several stages.

How to properly pick leaves from a tomato

• Stage 1. The formation of a tomato bush must begin with the so-called “cleaning”, that is, the removal of unhealthy leaves that have signs of yellowing, spotting, rotting, curling, etc. All cut leaves must be collected and burned. To move on to the next stage, you need to wait a couple of days. In this case, the old wounds caused to the tomato bushes during pruning will definitely heal, and the plants themselves will not be subject to severe stress.
• Stage 2. At this stage, it is recommended to thin out the plants to improve lighting, so remove the lower leaves that thicken the plantings. What leaves should be plucked from a tomato? Firstly, those that grow in the middle of the bush, and you can also remove one or two pieces from each bush planted on the north side. After removing the leaves, you need to let the plants rest again. In principle, if there are few unhealthy and thickening leaves, then the first two stages can be combined into one, since it is recommended to pick no more than four leaves from the bush at a time.
• Stage 3. Here the leaves will be purposefully removed to obtain an earlier harvest: under an already well-formed brush, you can remove the lower leaves with peace of mind: 2...3 leaves per bush. This is what most sources recommend doing. But, as practice has shown, with a more massive removal of the lower leaves under the brush, nothing terrible happened to the tomato bushes. Therefore, you can try and tear off the leaves from the tomatoes under the lower brush at one time.
• Stage 4. At this stage, all the lower leaves under the second cluster are cut off, when it is already quite well formed, and the fruits themselves have reached almost the maximum varietal size. And thus, gradually, as the fruit clusters of the tomato bushes develop, almost all the leaves are torn off to the top, leaving about four apical ones. Such bald trees will bring a high harvest, which will ripen on the bushes, and not in ripening boxes.

Depending on the number of bushes planted, trimming the lower leaves of tomatoes can take quite a lot of time for the gardener. But you shouldn’t delete them in a hurry.

Accuracy in this matter is paramount. How exactly to pick leaves from tomatoes in a greenhouse and in open ground? First, you need to decide which of two methods will remove the leaves:

• tearing it off with your hands. In this case, the leaf itself is bent up along the trunk and broken off, leaving no stumps. Under no circumstances should you pull the leaf down, since when torn off it will take along many fibers and tissues of the stem. Such a wound will bring great stress to the plant;
• Using a small pruner or garden shears, the leaf is simply cut off without leaving any stumps.

And finally, some tips for removing the lower leaves of tomatoes:

1. Picking leaves is usually combined with pinching tomatoes, this saves time.
2. It is recommended to carry out shaping in hot sunny weather: in such conditions, wounds on plants dry out faster and, accordingly, heal.
3. When using scissors and pruning shears, it is important to ensure their cleanliness, that is, if diseased leaves were previously cut off, the tool must be disinfected using potassium permanganate or alcohol.
4. Since most fungal diseases “settle” precisely on the lower leaves of tomato bushes, they need to be periodically inspected, and sick and infected ones should be torn off and burned.