Tomatoes: whether to pick off the lower leaves. Full information

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The article discusses tomatoes: whether to pick off the lower leaves, what is the use of this, the danger of excess foliage, how to carry out the procedure correctly.

Tomatoes: whether to pick off the lower leaves. Brief information about tomatoes

Tomato is an annual or perennial herbaceous vegetable from the nightshade family. At the moment, there are more than a thousand varieties. Tomatoes are very often found in gardens and plots. Now it is very difficult to imagine a garden without tomato bushes. Often, gardeners and gardeners organize competitions. In these competitions, the quality of the fruit and its taste are compared. You can consider yourself a real gardener if you get a good harvest and high-quality fruits every year.

Tomatoes: whether to pick off the lower leaves. Two points of view on the problem

Tomatoes are not the most difficult crop to grow, they are quite unpretentious, but each crop has its own nuances. So, removing extra leaves, is it really necessary and is it as easy as it seems? In fact, this operation does not consist only in tearing off excess lower leaves, you need to follow the rules so as not to injure or harm the plant. There are two types of people, the first believe that leaf removal is necessary, the second has the opposite point of view. Later in the article, you will find out whether you need to do this and how to do it correctly.

Do I need to pick off the lower leaves of tomatoes, what's the point

As mentioned above, people are divided into two camps, those who are for and those who are against. Often people who do not grow tomatoes for a long time believe that since the leaves are created by nature, then the plant definitely needs them and their removal can be very harmful. Experienced gardeners and scientists most often argue that removing the lower leaves of tomatoes is simply necessary for both the plant and the person.

What happens if you remove excess foliage

If you remove excess greens from the plant, then all the nutrients and water that used to go to the shoots will go to the fruits. Perhaps this is the first and main argument in favor of removing excess leaves. Of course, when growing any fruit crop, the fruits are important, and not the greens that grow on the bush. We can conclude that bushes with a lot of greenery have high-quality fruits, and they themselves are less.

Tomatoes: whether to pick off the lower leaves, their danger

Often, the lower leaves of tomatoes are large enough because of this, they can cover the ground and reduce the process of evaporation of moisture from the soil. With insufficient evaporation of moisture in the soil, various bacteria, fungi and rot can form and develop.Also, tomatoes have a predisposition to such a disease as late blight, it can also develop precisely because of the lack of moisture evaporation from the soil.

The danger of late blight

Late blight begins its action of the lower leaves, as a rule, they lean to the ground under the influence of rain drops or dew that are heavy enough for the plant.

Tomatoes: whether to pick off the lower leaves, what exactly needs to be removed from the bushes

If you notice any change in the color of the leaves, for example, their yellowing or any specks, they need to be removed on them. Such color changes may indicate that the plants are already sick and the leaves are infected. If the leaves turn yellow, most often this indicates that the care you are giving to the plant is not correct. Incorrect coloration, that is, yellow indicates that the leaves have already died, they must be removed.

Leaf plates that dry out

If you see dried or starting to dry leaves on a tomato bush, then it would be better to remove them too. Removal is recommended to avoid contamination of the plant with anything. Moreover, if you see dried leaves on the top of the bush, then they will also need to be removed. Drying of the leaves occurs due to the age of the plant, thus the plant shows that these leaves are no longer needed.

Thinning and air circulation

In order for the bush to be ventilated, you can thin out tomato bushes, this is done in the same way as thinning bushes. Is it recommended to thin out the northern side of the bush? Airing reduces the occurrence of various infections Airing reduces the occurrence of various infections and fungal diseases on plants. If you notice fatty shoots on the plants, then they will also need to be removed, they take away extra useful elements and moisture.

Tomatoes: whether to pick off the lower leaves, the benefits of the procedure

Above in the article, the reasons indicated that the leaves need to be removed now are a little about the pros.

First advantage.

#one. Removing the lower leaves will allow air to pass more freely between the shoots of plants and reduce the risk of various diseases. Of course, the risk does not completely disappear, but it decreases.

Second advantage.

# 2. Phytophthora and other fungal diseases begin precisely from the lower leaves, therefore, by removing them, the gardener reduces the risk of developing the disease on the entire plant.

Third advantage.

# 3. Removing leaves is the removal of excess green mass. Since a large amount of nutrients and moisture from the soil is spent on extra leaves, after they are removed, it will go to the fruits, which improves their quality.

When to pick off the lower leaves from tomatoes, the rules

Above, you learned why you need to cut the leaves, and now you need to find out how to do it correctly. There are several guidelines.

First recommendation.
Before the process of removing leaves, the bushes need to grow a little, that is, immediately after planting, you cannot remove the leaves, the bush has not yet had time to get stronger. Hasty leaf removal can lead to stunted growth and insufficient formation of future fruits. Two weeks after planting, the bushes will get strong enough, and it will be possible to remove the lower leaves.

Second recommendation.
First you need to inspect all the plants and remove the leaves that have been modified. As we discussed above, a color change can indicate an infection of the leaves. After harvesting the infected leaves, you can cut them off and healthy ones.

Third recommendation.
If for some reason you are afraid to remove the leaves the plant needs, then you can carry out the processing from the north side, where the leaves are not constantly in the sun and are not so involved in the process of photosynthesis. On the north side, the leaves are in the shade. In this case, the removal of such leaves will not affect the growth and development of the plant in any way.

Fourth recommendation.
It is important to carry out the removal carefully and carefully.Sometimes, after removing the lower leaves, new inflorescences begin to grow in this place. It is better to remove them if the flowering process of the plant went well. If there was an insufficient number of flowers and few fruits were formed, then the inflorescences can be left. The number of flowers should be looked at to determine the variety of your tomato.

Fifth recommendation.
The correct technique for removing leaves is very simple, you press the petiole at the base and gently pull it up. If done correctly, you will sort of rip the sheet out of its place. At the time of pulling out, it is better to support the main stem of the tomato so that it does not get damaged. The movements should not be abrupt, because if you move too quickly from the leaves, it can go, as it were, a tightening, and it can make a wound on the stem. Infection can penetrate the wounds and lead to infection of the entire plant.

Sixth recommendation.
The ideal weather for removing leaves is sunny, no rain. It is important to remove excess leaves in the morning, around eight o'clock. When a leaf is pulled out, a small wound remains on the plant in its place. It will heal faster when exposed to sunlight. When the wound heals, the risk of contracting any infections will decrease.

Seventh recommendation.
It is recommended that you take some care when removing excess leaves. It is not recommended to remove leaves more than twice a week. And at a time it is better not to remove more than two or three sheet plates. With this mode of removal, the plant will receive minimal damage.

Eighth recommendation.
There is a general rule to follow. If the removal of leaves occurs on a brush on which the fruits have not yet begun to form, it is impossible to remove more than one leaf. If the fruits on the brush have already formed, then almost all the leaves can be removed, with the exception of a few at the very edge of the shoot. The rule applies only to the lower tier of leaves in the bush. We do not touch the upper part of the bush.

It is recommended to remove the leaves in two steps.

Tomatoes: whether to pick off the lower leaves, how to do it correctly

First stage.

The first time the leaves are removed after the formation of the ovary.

Second phase.

The second time, the operation can be performed when the fruits have already begun to turn red.

What is useful.

With the removal of excess leaves, all the nutrients go to the fruits, which will help improve the quality of the crop.

When to pick off the lower leaves from tomatoes - is it necessary to control watering at the same time

Too much moisture can cause the fruit to crack. To avoid excessive wetting of plants during a rainy period, you need to completely stop watering and more often ripen. Excessive moisture in the soil and plants can lead to the formation of various diseases. Adventure will help you avoid stagnant water in the ground.

Conclusion

Based on all of the above, it can be understood that the removal of excess lower leaves from tomatoes is really important and necessary. This will help the plant to exist better for the gardener, to get the best quality of the crop. Also, yields will increase, and the risk of contracting diseases will be significantly reduced. As in any business, it is important to follow the rules and do everything at a certain time.

Tomatoes: whether to pick off the lower leaves