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Quite often, farmers in greenhouses grow indeterminate tomatoes. Their main advantage is the high yield obtained due to unlimited plant growth. Indeterminate tomatoes, in favorable conditions with proper temperature and humidity, can bear fruit year-round in large quantities. At the same time, tomato bushes up to 3 m high form many side shoots - stepsons, thereby thickening the plantings. This can lead to rotting of still unripe vegetables, the development of diseases, and a decrease in the overall yield of the crop. To prevent this situation, farmers use the formation of indeterminate tomatoes. It is based on pinching and pinching tomato bushes. Schemes and basic principles for the formation of tall indeterminate tomatoes are described below in the article.
What are stepsons and why remove them
Side shoots are called side shoots growing in the axils of tomato leaves. To grow them, tomatoes spend a lot of energy, taking resources from the fruits and branches formed on the main stem of the plant. If you leave plants without pinching, they will grow greatly.In greenhouse conditions, this can become a real problem, since dense plantings interfere with natural air circulation and can cause the development of various fungal and infectious diseases and cause fruit rotting. Under such conditions, crop yields are significantly reduced, and the tomatoes themselves experience enormous stress.
You can prevent the occurrence of thickened plantings by timely planting tomatoes. For indeterminate tall tomatoes, farmers often use the single-stem method. In this case, it is necessary to remove all side shoots.
The method of stepwise formation of tall tomatoes is also practiced, with the replacement of one main shoot by a lateral stepson. Tomatoes must be formed in compliance with certain rules that will help free the plants from excess greenery without causing damage to their health.
Classic scheme for forming plants into one stem
Active growth of side shoots is typical for tomatoes that grow in favorable conditions. The first stepsons of indeterminate tomatoes are formed in the axil of 6-8 leaves. As a rule, this moment occurs after planting the plants in the ground. As soon as the length of the stepson reaches 5 cm, it must be removed. Indeterminate tomatoes are planted in the greenhouse every 10-13 days. The procedure for removing stepchildren is often combined with tying tomatoes to a support.
The formation of tall, indeterminate tomato varieties into one stem involves a number of the following activities:
- Removing all side shoots (stepchildren) allows you to direct micronutrients and moisture from the root of the plant along the main stem directly to the ovaries and fruits of the plant. This speeds up the ripening process of tomatoes and improves their filling, evenly distributing the load on the bushes. It is necessary to remove shoots on tomatoes from the moment they appear until the end of the plant’s life cycle.
- Removing some fruiting clusters carried out at the beginning of the fruiting period of tomatoes. The first ovaries take a very long time to form and fill, so after removing the inflorescences, you can increase the number of ovaries formed and speed up the ripening process of existing fruits located higher up the main stem. To speed up fruiting and increase the number of inflorescences, only the first two flower clusters are removed.
- Removing the leaves of a tomato bush under the lower flowering cluster allows tomatoes not to waste energy on ensuring the vital activity of “extra” green mass. The measure allows you to reduce the load on the plant from the resulting shoots and speed up the process of formation and ripening of fruits. It is necessary to pinch off the lower leaves of tomatoes, starting from the moment the stepsons are removed, throughout the entire growing season, once a week, no more than 3 leaves at a time;
- Pinching the top of the main stem carried out at the end of the fruiting period, approximately a month before the last fruits are harvested. This measure allows you to speed up the ripening process of tomatoes remaining on the branches in the fall. Pinch the tops of the tomatoes, leaving 2-3 top leaves free from fruiting racemes.Leaving the leaves behind will help transport nutrients up the plant stem from its root, saturating the leaves and fruits with moisture and essential microelements.
Thus, the process of forming indeterminate tomatoes is a set of sequential activities that should be performed regularly. With their help, you can increase crop productivity, regulate the ratio of the number of vegetables and plant leaves, and speed up the ripening process of tomatoes. Below in the picture you can study in detail the scheme of forming tall indeterminate tomatoes into one stem using classical technology.
For beginners in farming, it may be useful to watch a video where you can see with your own eyes the process of forming indeterminate tomatoes in a greenhouse and hear some tips and recommendations from an experienced farmer:
Stepwise formation of indeterminate bushes
The scheme proposed above for the formation of indeterminate tomatoes into one stem is classic. It is what gardeners most often use when growing crops in greenhouses, hotbeds and open ground. However, the scheme has one significant drawback: the main shoot becomes very long by the end of the growing season and is quite difficult to tie up.
The disadvantage of this scheme can be eliminated by using the stepwise formation of an indeterminate bush into one stem. The principle of this formation of tomatoes is to leave one of the strongest shoots in the axil of 4-5 leaves of the plant. During the process of growing the crop, this shoot develops on equal terms with the main stem of the tomato.As soon as it gains enough strength and begins to bear fruit, the main stem is pinched and the remaining shoot is used as the main stem. It has the same unlimited growth as the main stem. The leaves and flower ovaries of the plant are formed on it. To speed up the ripening of the ovaries, such a side stem is pruned, adhering to the basic rules for the formation of indeterminate tomatoes.
During a long growing season, the left side shoot can also reach the height of the greenhouse ceiling. Observing such active growth of the abandoned shoot, you can also save another stepson on its surface in the lower part, which, after pinching the “mother” shoot, will become the main stem and continue bearing fruit.
This method of stepsoning and pinching indeterminate tomatoes used for growing crops on an industrial scale and in greenhouses on private farmsteads. It allows you to cultivate tomatoes for a long period of time. At the same time, the shape and height of the plants will not complicate the care of the plantings. You can see a diagram of such a stepwise formation of indeterminate tomatoes in the picture below.
When forming tomatoes, it is important to know...
The formation of a tomato bush involves the removal of stepsons, leaves, and tops. Such “operations” lead to damage on the surface of the plant stem. Through a damaged surface, tomatoes can become infected with viral and fungal diseases. You can eliminate the possibility of infection by following some simple rules:
- Pruning of indeterminate bushes in a greenhouse must be done early in the morning. At this time, the plants are saturated with moisture and their shoots are easy to break off with your fingers.
- The formation of bushes in the early morning allows all the resulting wounds to dry out during the day and in the evening they are not afraid of viruses and fungi.
- When pinching, it is necessary to leave a small stump in the axils, which will not allow a new side shoot to develop in the axil of this leaf.
- For pinching, you can use a knife or scissors. After removing each stepson, it is recommended to treat the tool blade with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate or another disinfectant. This will avoid the spread of infection and viruses between plants.
- When removing the shoots and leaves of the plant by hand, you need to be careful not to damage the delicate skin of the tomato trunk. To do this, it is recommended to bend the side shoots not downwards, but to the side during removal. The leaves are removed by bending them down or cutting them off with a knife.
- When pinching plants, be sure to leave several full green leaves at the top, otherwise the plant may die.
- Stepping should be carried out regularly once every 10-15 days.
- When forming indeterminate varieties of tomatoes in a greenhouse in a stepwise manner, it is necessary to select in advance the strongest stepchild for its subsequent “maintenance”.
- Inexperienced farmers need to learn to distinguish flower clusters from the developing stepsons. The leaves of the side shoots are clearly visible when the stepson grows, so it is recommended to remove the stepsons when they reach a size of 5 cm.
The given rules for the formation of tomatoes must be strictly followed by every farmer when growing crops in open ground or under cover. This will allow you to avoid causing harm to the plants when removing excess green mass.
Garter of indeterminate tomatoes
Indeterminate tomatoes are grown both in open plots of land and in greenhouses. In this case, tall plants must be carefully tied to the support. In open ground, tomatoes are often tied to a trellis. Its height for indeterminate tomato varieties should be at least 1.5 m. Also, some owners practice tying tomatoes to a net.
You can see an example of installing such an original support in the video:
In greenhouses and greenhouses, it is convenient to tie up indeterminate tomatoes with movable trellises, that is, with twine to the frame of a stationary structure. The method is suitable for plants formed in a stepwise manner and in one stem. An example of such a garter can be seen in the photo below.
When the height of indeterminate plants reaches the ceiling of the shelter, you can use a vertical tie or bend the plants from top to bottom. This garter method is perfect for bushes formed according to the classical principle into one stem. A movable trellis allows, by partially lowering the trunks, to provide additional space for the growth of bushes. You can see an example of this method of gartering tall tomatoes in a greenhouse in the picture:
When tying indeterminate tomatoes, you must ensure that the loops do not pinch the plant trunk. So, the lower loop around the tomato trunk should be made free, with the expectation that the trunk will increase in diameter as the plant grows. It is not recommended to tie twine in knots higher up the trunk. It is preferable to simply twist it around the main stem of the tomato.
An example of proper gartering of tomatoes is shown in the video:
Results
Timely pinching and pinching, reliable staking of plants and removal of lower leaves are the key to the correct formation of indeterminate tomato bushes. Activities must be carried out competently and in compliance with basic rules. Only in this case will it be possible to competently regulate the growth of tomatoes and the process of formation and ripening of fruits without causing harm to the plants.
