Pruning tomato plants is an easy way to get more and bigger fruits. However, it also has other advantages. Nevertheless, many hobby gardeners shy away from it and fear that they will remove the wrong shoots or cause damage to the plants. These dangers do not exist with our instructions.
sorts
Not all tomato plants need to be maxed out. It is unnecessary for shrub and bush tomatoes, for example. These plants stay compact anyway and are therefore also suitable for cultivation in pots. They are often sold under the following names:
- Cocktail tomatoes
- Party tomatoes
- Bush tomatoes
- Date tomatoes
- Mini tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
So these are varieties with small fruits, whereby the plants usually also remain small.
Reasons for skipping
The main reason for pruning tomato plants is often an increased yield. If stingy shoots are removed, the power of the plant is concentrated in the main shoot and strong, fruit-bearing side shoots as well as the formation of larger fruits. Stingy shoots can also bear buds and fruits. However, the fruits often remain very small and do not always ripen.
As mentioned, pruning tomato plants also has other advantages. These include:
Reduced risk of damage
The fruits can make stinging shoots very heavy. This makes the tomato plants more susceptible to damage from wind and rain. Parts of the plant can break off and even the main shoot can kink. The skimming
makes the plant lighter, straighter and more stable.Easier maintenance and control
Stingy shoots create very dense foliage. This makes tying the plant more difficult, as well as checking for diseases or parasites. The airier growth after pricking makes these measures easier.
Lower risk of illness
The densely growing and standing leaves due to stinging shoots reduce ventilation. The leaves stay moist longer, diseases and parasites can spread more easily on and between them. Pricking out not only makes controls easier, it also reduces the risk of infestation with pathogens and pests.
Faster and easier harvest
After skimming, the fruits are more visible and easier to remove - thanks to the stronger incidence of light, they can also ripen in a shorter time.
time
Pruning the tomato plants can start very early. As soon as the plants are moved into the bed, the stinging shoots can be removed for the first time. It is even advisable to carry out the measure as early as possible. Because this creates the following advantages:
- smaller wounds and therefore less risk of invading germs
- Plant wastes less energy in growing stingy shoots
- Stability is retained more consistently
- Measure can be carried out more quickly and easily
However, it is not enough to prune the tomato plant only once.
The plant will always develop new stinging instincts. Therefore, it should be checked for new shoots once a week and these should be removed immediately.It is therefore important to start and continue skimming early - but also to choose the right time for it. A warm and dry day is ideal. Because by removing the stinging shoots, small wounds or cut surfaces arise on the plant. As long as these are still damp and have not closed, germs can penetrate them. In dry weather, the open wounds close faster and the risk of invading pathogens is reduced.
Tip: If the pruning is carried out regularly, the identification of the stinging instincts is very easy and more energy is channeled into the formation of buds and fruits.
Recognize stingy instincts
The greatest concern of many hobby gardeners is to remove the wrong shoots when pruning the tomato plant - since they cannot correctly recognize the stinging shoots and differentiate them from others. However, this concern is unfounded, because even inexperienced gardeners will easily recognize stingy shoots and be able to differentiate them from the main and side shoots.
Starting from the main shoot, which is also known as the trunk, there are side shoots. These bear buds and fruits. The connection between the trunk and the side shoots, i.e. the areas where the side shoots emerge from the main shoot, are called leaf axils. Stingy shoots grow exclusively in these leaf axils and not directly from the main shoot or a side shoot. If this is taken into account, there is no risk of accidentally removing a side shoot.
instructions
The following tools are required to prune the tomato plants and then secure them:
- Thumb nail or small scissors
- Plant stick or trellis
- Wire, string or plant clips
Pruning tomato plants is very easy if the following steps are taken into account:
1. Check
The leaf axils of the tomato plant are checked for stinging shoots from top to bottom.
2. Skimming
If a stingy shoot is found between the main shoot and a side shoot, it is clipped off with the thumbnail directly at the connection to the plant or removed with a small pair of scissors. Larger stinging drives have a kind of predetermined breaking point. If they are bent to the side with slight pressure, they simply break off. To the
Stabilization should be the main impetus in doing so.3. To back up
Because the tomato plant puts more energy into the growth of the stem and the side shoots after pruning can lead, it often quickly gains height, buds and after the removal of the stinging shoots Fruits. So that this additional height and weight do not break off individual parts, the plant grows sideways or tilts, it must be secured accordingly. For this purpose - ideally already when planting - a stabilizing plant stick or a trellis should be used and the plant attached to it. Wire, string or plant clips are ideal for fixing. Additional fixations should be made after each pricking out. A distance of ten centimeters is recommended.
Although pruning tomato plants basically only consists of recognizing and removing the stinging shoots, the subsequent securing of the plants should not be neglected. Otherwise, wind and rain could still damage the tomato plants.
Tip: If scissors are used, they should be thoroughly cleaned or disinfected before and after use. Otherwise, germs could be transferred to the wounds of the plant via the blades and increase the risk of disease. If the thumbnail is used, this also applies, of course.
Multiplication
The shoots removed during pruning can be added to the compost or used to ward off pests while they are drying. But it is also possible to grow new tomato plants from it. For this purpose, shoots from a length of about ten centimeters are simply inserted directly into the earth. Shorter shoots should first be placed in a glass with a little water for a few days so that they can develop roots. If the shoots are used as cuttings at an early stage, the resulting tomato plants can even bear fruit in the same year.
Is it necessary to skim?
Especially among hobby gardeners, there is a constant discussion as to whether pruning really makes sense. Some swear by it because of the advantages mentioned. Others have reliable returns even without this measure. As always, the same applies here: trying is more important than studying.
Tip: For the test, prune a tomato plant and leave it on a stinging shoot. This shows very directly whether the selected variety benefits from removing the stinging shoots.
