Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse and in open ground

Planting tomatoes is one of the important techniques for obtaining a high yield. On almost all varieties of tomatoes it must be carried out to one degree or another. How to properly plant tomatoes in a greenhouse and open ground is described on this page

What are stepsons?

As the bush grows, it begins to branch heavily. In the axil of each leaf, additional shoots appear, which are called stepsons. If they are not removed, they develop into stems of the second, third, etc. orders of magnitude. These side shoots also form clusters and can set fruit. But bushes that are too large, especially in our conditions, where, compared to their homeland, the summer is short even in the southern regions, give a very low yield of small fruits.

This is what a stepson looks like.

In addition, the stepsons usually grow faster than the main stem, taking over most of the plant’s juices. Varieties with unlimited growth (indeterminate) branch especially strongly.

To increase the yield of tomatoes, excess shoots are removed. This technique is called stepsoning. Stepchildren are removed before they begin to actively grow.

Why do you need to carry out stepsoning?

When growing tomatoes, the shoots must be removed. What is it for?

1. If the shoots are left, the bush becomes very thick, and conditions for the development of diseases arise in it.
2. In the absence of pinching, the balance between the growth of green mass and fruiting is disrupted. All nutrients go to the stepsons; there is none left even for the main stem, let alone for the fruits.
3. Productivity is falling. There are few tomatoes on the bushes, they are small.
4. The ripening of set fruits slows down. When the stepsons are removed, the ripening time is reduced by 12-16 days.

It is imperative to plant tomatoes, otherwise you won’t get a harvest.

Growing tomatoes with different types of growth

Tomatoes are divided into: indeterminate, semi-determinate, determinate and ultra-determinate. Depending on this, pinching is carried out in different ways.

Indeterminate varieties

These are tomatoes with unlimited growth. In the southern regions they are grown both in greenhouses and outdoors, in the northern regions - only in greenhouses. Such tomatoes produce many stepsons. Side shoots appear in the axils of each leaf, and if they are not cut off, the plantings turn into dense thickets.

Growing indeterminate tomatoes.

In the northern regions, all stepsons are removed, since the plant cannot feed such a large number of extra shoots. In the south, these varieties usually produce 2-3 stems.

In the middle zone and to the north, all emerging stepsons are plucked out. Tomatoes grow strictly in one stem. If the stepson is already large, then it is advisable to break it off anyway, since the bush will not have enough strength or time to form a full-fledged harvest on it.

In the south, where summers are longer and hotter, several stepsons are left and a second or third harvest is collected from them. To do this, one most developed stepson is left under the first brush, which turns over time into a full-fledged stem. On it, as on the main stem, all newly emerging shoots are plucked out.

If the stepson under the first raceme is too weak, it is removed, and after 3-4 leaves the strongest shoot is left, which forms into the second stem. In this case, it is recommended to remove all the tomatoes from the lower cluster during the period of technical ripeness (when the fruits have bleached but have not yet begun to turn brown), so that, on the one hand, the plant does not waste energy on their ripening, and on the other, so that they do not inhibit the growth of young escape.

How to plant semi-determinate varieties

These are tall tomatoes. They lay 4-5 clusters, and then the growth of the main stem can stop at any moment. The tip of the shoot ends in a flower brush and the plant is crowned.That is, there can be 5 or 10 fruit clusters, but after which cluster the bush will stop growing it is impossible to predict.

Rules for planting semi-determinate tomato varieties.

These tomatoes are very productive. They lay fruits to the detriment of the root system. If they are not planted, the roots will not be able to feed so many leaves and fruits.

They are raised and raised in the same way as indeterminate tomatoes, but there are some nuances.

1. Up to the 4th cluster, all side shoots are plucked out.
2. Then after each brush the stepson is left. If the tomatoes continue to grow, then the new shoot left behind is plucked out. If the growth of the bush stops and a fruit cluster forms at the top, then the stepson is allowed to grow. Gradually it turns into a new stem, and it is formed in the same way as the first.
3. In the south, you can leave several stepsons and grow these tomatoes in 2-3 stems.

The main task when growing is to leave 1-2 stepsons at the top of the shoot in case of unexpected termination of the bush.

Determinate tomatoes

These are varieties of limited growth. 4-5 flower clusters are formed on the main stem, the tip of the shoot ends in an inflorescence and the growth of the bush stops. Such varieties take stepsons very sparingly, always leaving 2-4 stepsons that can continue to grow. They are grown in 3-4 stems.

On determinate varieties, 2-4 stepsons are always left.

When pinching such tomatoes, there is always a risk that a shoot is removed, which can continue the growth of the bush. Therefore, they are groomed in a special way.

1. A young shoot is left under the first brush. It is then formed as a second stem.
2. Next, a shoot is left under the third flower cluster, which is also formed into a new stem.
3. If the 4th flower cluster appears, then the stepson under it is also not plucked out, but is allowed to develop.
4. If the tomatoes are finished very early, then stepsons are also left on the second-order stems under the first and third clusters for further growth of the bush.
5. In open ground, such varieties are grown without pinching.

If you pluck out all the emerging shoots, then there is a high risk that the plant will end (that is, a flower cluster will appear at the top), and then there will be exactly as many tomatoes as have managed to set.

Ultradeterminate tomatoes

These are tomatoes in which 2-3 fruiting clusters form on the central stem, after which growth stops. Such tomatoes are not planted at all, since the main crop is taken from the shoots. But if they are grown in a greenhouse in compacted plantings, then the stepsons are removed up to the first cluster. Next, give the bush the opportunity to branch freely. Their main tomato harvest is formed on the side shoots.

There is no need to break out the shoots of ultra-determinate tomato varieties.

Many gardeners do not know what type of tomatoes do they grow?. In this case, carefully monitor the growth of the bushes. All shoots up to the first flower cluster are plucked out. Next, look, if the bush continues to grow quickly, continue plucking the side shoots. If plant growth slows down, then leave 1-2 stepsons. As a last resort, they can be removed later if growth continues or the tomatoes can be further grown into 2-3 stems. Otherwise, if the variety turns out to be determinate or ultra-determinate, you may be left without a harvest.

Timing of stepsoning

Excess shoots are removed as they appear. The first stepsons may appear on the seedlings.They are plucked out immediately, since the roots in the limited volume of the seedling container can hardly cope with providing nutrition to the main stem. If the stepsons are not plucked out and the seedlings are not planted in the ground for a long time, the plant will either greatly slow down its growth or die. And if the time has not yet come for planting tomatoes, then the seedlings are dived a second time into larger containers.

After planting tomatoes in the ground, they begin to develop quickly, and young shoots constantly appear in the axils of the leaves. In open ground, the appearance of new shoots usually slows down after tying 3-4 clusters, even in indeterminate varieties (although it does not stop completely). In tomatoes of other growth types, it gradually disappears.

These stepsons need to be removed.

In greenhouses, indeterminate varieties form new shoots throughout the life of the bushes, although in the second half of summer the intensity of their appearance decreases somewhat. Semi-determinate and determinate tomatoes do not form shoots as actively, but this process lasts much longer than outside, although it also gradually decreases and stops. In the greenhouse, the stepsons are removed even when the last crop ripens.

New shoots need to be removed in open ground once every 7-10 days, in a greenhouse every 3-5 days.

Rules for planting tomatoes

As soon as the tomatoes take root after planting them in the ground, they immediately begin to develop stepsons. They are removed according to certain rules.

1. Young shoots should be 4-5 cm long, then plucking them out will be painless for the plant. If the moment is missed and they are already large, you can also remove them, but no more than 2-3 at a time. Too much plucking of large shoots that have already turned into stems will delay the growth and fruiting of tomatoes by 7-10 days.
2. If the shoots are very overgrown, then it is better to leave them and grow the bush with 2-3 stems, increasing the feeding.
3. It is better to plant tomatoes in the first half of the day. The wounds will have time to heal within a day.
4. In open ground, bushes are planted early in the morning in dry weather, so that too much moisture does not evaporate through the wound in the bright afternoon sun.
5. You can remove 4-6 shoots or no more than 2 young stems at a time.
6. It is better to pick tomatoes by hand. Scissors can injure both the main stem and the brushes and fruits. The bush, of course, will not die from this, but it will take time to restore it, which will delay the ripening of the crop.

How to distinguish a shoot from a stem

Stepchildren grow only from the leaf axil.

1. Stepchildren always grow from the leaf axil, while racemes form on the main stem between the leaves.
2. Leaves immediately form on the side shoot. As the main stem grows, fruit clusters and leaves are formed alternately.
3. New shoots grow very quickly and can outstrip the central stem. On the main shoot, leaves and brushes are laid every 7-10 days; it grows more slowly than the stepson.

Pinching is the main technique for caring for tomatoes. If it is absent or carried out incorrectly, a good harvest will not be seen.

Continuation of the topic:

1. What to do if the leaves of tomatoes begin to curl
2. The most dangerous tomato diseases
3. Varieties of pink tomatoes and reviews from gardeners about these varieties
4. How to grow tomatoes Oxheart
5. Caring for tomatoes in open ground
6. How to properly care for tomatoes in a greenhouse