Why do thinned tomato plants produce larger fruits?
Most tomato plants strive to branch out as profusely as possible. You want to produce lots of flowers and lots of small fruits to multiply. Tomato growers, on the other hand, aim to harvest voluminous fruit. Targeted thinning is therefore essential in order to steer a tomato plant in the desired direction. Remove superfluous side shoots; in technical jargon as Skimming designated.
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As a result, the plant does not waste its energy in bushy growth, but in a limited number blossoms and fruits. Sufficiently supplied with water and nutrients, handsome and aromatic tomatoes develop. During the whole season tomato plants are continuously thinned out because they do not give up so quickly. In the care this activity thus plays a central role.
Identify and thin out stingy instincts
As part of the branching process, sterile side shoots, also called stinging shoots, sprout in the leaf axils along the main shoot. Thinning focuses on eliminating them. This is how you do it:
- grab a stick 3-5 centimeters long between two fingers and snap it off
- Move larger side shoots back and forth until they come out of the leaf axil breaking out
- Letting thinned plant material fall to the ground as valuable Mulch
The more tomatoes you have plantthe sooner an urge to be stingy escapes your attention. If there is a risk of a larger wound due to the thinning, only break off the tip of the shoot. At least in this way an exhausting bloom is prevented. Cut Avoid tomato plants if possible. Compared to breaking out, this thinning method carries a significantly higher risk of infection Late blight.
Tips & Tricks
Experienced hobby gardeners prevent the unpleasant smell of plant sap on the fingers by wearing disposable gloves while thinning. Alternatively, a thick layer of Niveacreme effectively prevents unpleasant fragrances from developing.
