Certain varieties of tomatoes need mandatory pinching and removal of excess shoots. Otherwise, due to the heavy load on the bush, a bountiful harvest of large fruits can not be expected. How to shape tomatoes so as not to harm the plant and achieve maximum yield? This procedure has a number of features that even a beginner and inexperienced summer resident can comprehend.

Basic information

Tomatoes have a very interesting history. They were originally grown as an ornamental plant, and the fruits were not eaten. It took a long time for humanity to appreciate the taste of tomatoes. Now, thanks to the seedling method of cultivation, this culture is found everywhere, and its fruits have found widespread use in cooking. Breeders have bred many varieties that differ in color, shape, size, taste, ripening time and adaptability to certain climatic conditions.

Interesting.Tomatoes contain a lot of vitamins and substances useful for the human body, thanks to which they are very popular. Anyone who has at least a small piece of land allocates a bed for this plant. Sandy loam and loamy soil is suitable for cultivating tomatoes.

They love warmth and can tolerate drought. Most commercially grown varieties are of limited growth and do not require additional pinching, shaping or pinching. The varieties that are preferred by amateur gardeners require additional care procedures. The formation of tomatoes plays a rather important role in obtaining a good harvest.

Timing for the formation of tomato bushes

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In the special literature, great attention is paid to the correct formation of tomato bushes. Depending on the specific variety and growing conditions, the authors recommend forming a bush in 1, 2 or 3 stems. If you leave a lot of side shoots and additional stems, then the plant will not have enough nutrition for the formation of high-quality and large ovaries. It will spend all its energy on building up green mass.

Tomato in a greenhouse

The timing of the start of forming the bushes in one way or another depends on whether the cultivation takes place in open ground or in a greenhouse. As a rule, tomatoes are first pinched 2 weeks after the seedlings have been planted in the ground. The top is simply pinched off. After another couple of weeks, another pinching is carried out, as a result of which the main shoot and the main stem are determined.

Formation of tall varieties

The formation of a tomato bush depends on which particular variety they belong to. It is most convenient to care for early species, because they ripen quickly and deliver a minimum of hassle. Side shoots can hardly be removed, and due to the rapid ripening of the fruits, nutrients from the soil are not consumed so much.

Low growing tomatoes

Experts recommend forming a tall bush into 1 stem. Additional and lateral shoots should be carefully torn off.This procedure must be carried out every week in order to speed up the process of ripening of fruits and increase yields.

The formation of a tomato bush in a greenhouse is most often done in one stem. Medium-sized bushes allow the formation of a tomato in two to three stems. Only stepchildren and additional processes should be removed. Thus, food is not spent on the growth and lateral shoots, but completely goes to the formation of fruits on the main stem. The lateral processes are removed once every two weeks.

Attention! At the time of pinching the growth point of a tall variety of tomatoes, 2 leaves should remain above the inflorescence.

Formation of undersized tomato bushes

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Low-growing standard tomato varieties also require bush shaping. This determinant species has a low, but very powerful stem. A distinctive feature is that only the crown is formed in them, and the side shoots are not removed. To make the plant more lush, it is stepson into three stems.

Formation of a tomato bush into one stem

If the question is about how to form tomatoes in a greenhouse correctly in order to get a bountiful harvest and not bother too much in leaving, then it is better to do it in one trunk. It is not excluded that this technique can be used in open field cultivation. Basically, it applies to determinant varieties.

Juicy variety

2 weeks after the tomatoes are planted in the beds, side shoots appear. They should be removed along with the leaves. With the onset of autumn, you need to pinch the top of the tomato to stop growth and speed up the ripening of the resulting fruits. Such a scheme provides for only one main stem left, on which brushes with fruits will form.

Mostly experienced summer residents prefer to form tomatoes into one trunk. It is not only practical, but also looks beautiful. A large number of tomatoes hang on one trunk, and leaves and side shoots are almost absent. The fruits ripen faster not only in the open field, but also in the greenhouse, where artificial heating is performed. For the construction of such structures, polycarbonate is now most often used, which transmits light well and retains heat. The fruits of tomatoes grow even, beautiful, with a solid color.

Formation of a tomato bush into two stems

With this method, it is good to form determinant varieties that do not tend to develop too much into growth. On the tops of such plants, few brushes are formed, so the yield can be increased by increasing the number of main stems. Step-by-step instruction in the formation of 2 stems:

  • After the formation of additional lateral shoots, they wait until 2 leaves are formed;
  • The stepson is removed according to the same principle as all the side branches. As a result, many branches with two branches are formed.

This technique makes it possible not only to increase the number of fruit set, but also to speed up their ripening. It is mainly used in open field cultivation.

Forming a tomato bush into three stalks

The most correct method of forming tomato bushes for open ground conditions is three stems. Its principle is to get 3 main stems from a large plant, on which the fruits will set and ripen. The stepsons are removed after two (that is, 2 are left, then 1 is removed). The result is a very lush and productive bush.

Removing excess foliage and pinching the top

The correct formation of tomato bushes in the greenhouse also includes the timely pinching of the upper part, as well as breaking off excess leaves. Experienced gardeners recommend that at the time when the ovaries begin to form, remove all foliage from the plant, in addition to the one at the very top. This promotes good ventilation of the bush and reduces the risk of disease. But some summer residents argue that the complete removal of leaves disrupts the nutritional processes of the tomato. They advise to cut off only yellowed or diseased leaves.

Removing foliage

If it was decided to plant an indeterminate tomato variety, then around the beginning of August you will need to pinch the top of it to limit further fruit formation. It is not enough just to form it to obtain a high and high-quality harvest, it is necessary to stop the growth of the plant in time, so that the set fruits have the opportunity to ripen in time. When growing such varieties in a greenhouse, shaping is done in 7 brushes, and if planting is made in open ground, then in 5 brushes.

How to carry out the procedure correctly can be determined only if it is reliably known to which variety the tomato belongs. When pinching the tops, several leaves are left over each inflorescence, and all the rest are cut off. High-growth varieties should be pinched throughout the season, periodically trimming the top. Thus, nutrients will be directed primarily to the fruit. In early varieties, in addition to the main stem, it is recommended to leave one stepchild, which is somewhat lagging behind in development, due to which the ripening of the crop is slightly delayed.

How to care for formed tomatoes

Growing tomatoes is not that difficult if you care for them properly. After all, plants require not only pinching and removing leaves, but also regular watering, loosening the soil, removing weeds, and treating diseases. The tomato requires the most moisture during the period of fruit formation. However, it is worth remembering that waterlogging is destructive for a tomato. It leads not only to the development of dangerous diseases, but also to decay of the root system, deterioration of the taste and marketability of fruits.

After each irrigation or rain, it is recommended to loosen the soil under the tomato bushes. This is done carefully, without going deep so as not to injure the roots located close to the surface. Weeds should not be allowed to grow in the tomato beds. They should be regularly removed, and later used as a natural material for mulching the soil under tomatoes. Hilling has a beneficial effect on the growth and development of bushes. As a result, additional roots are formed, and the growth of the lower stepsons is also limited.

Note.Also, tomatoes require regular fertilization and dressing. Plants need most of the nutrients during the fruiting period.

In general, agriculture is a rather difficult science. To master it well, you need a good theoretical base and invaluable experience. Growing tomatoes on your site is not so difficult, the main thing is to constantly work and improve the accumulated knowledge. The quantity and quality of the harvested crop directly depend on the correct shaping of tomato bushes. Novice gardeners should pay attention not only to the features of the selected variety, but also take into account the growing conditions, take into account the climatic zone. These factors also affect the choice of the method of forming a tomato bush.