Tearing the leaves of tomatoesis one of the treatments that give rise to many doubts. In this article, we explainhow and when to remove tomato leavesfor he althy plants and a high yield. You will also learn what is the difference between peeling leaves andtopping tomatoes and removing side shoots , i.e. wolves. Here's all about peeling tomato leaves!
Tearing tomato leaves
Fig. depositphotos.com
1. Peeling tomato leaves
Peeling tomato leavesis a procedure aimed at reducing the risk of disease and accelerating fruit ripening on the bush.Removing some of the leaves makes the tomatoes better lit, ripen better, and as a result, they are more tasty and aromatic.
Air circulation is better among plants with thinning leaves, thanks to whichtomato leaves dry faster after watering or rainfall, which reduces the risk of infection by fungal diseases.
When deciding on this treatment, however, remember thatexcessive removal of tomato leavesis not recommended. After the leaves are torn off, the fruit ripens faster but no longer gains weight. Tomatoes stripped of their leaves do not produce new fruit and end their vegetation prematurely. Therefore, this procedure is usually performed only when there are already a lot of fruit on the bush and they are of the right size. We just want to accelerate their maturation.
Which tomato leaves should be cut?
In order not to disturb the plant's development,only 1 to 3 leaves are torn off at a time Yellowing leaves with spots or other symptoms of diseases are removed first. Thanks to this, the infection will not spread to the next, still he althy leaves.
It is also importantleaves the lowest lying and in contact with the groundThese are most often soaked during watering and easily infected by diseases of tomatoes.
When to remove tomato leaves?
Once the tomatoes are well grown, you can graduallyremove the leaves under the lowest cluster , leaving 1-2 leaves each. As the fruit rises, you can move to higher and higher clusters.
Tomato leaves are removedalways on a clear, sunny and warm day. We never strip tomato leaves on a rainy day or when the plants are wet after watering. Moisture promotes the penetration of fungal diseases into the morning after tearing off the leaves.
How to cut tomato leaves?
Tomato leaves can be plucked with your handor pruned with a pruner.In both cases it is important to have clean hands or a disinfected instrument. Thanks to this, we minimize the risk of transmitting diseases from plant to plant.
The whole leaf is always cut off or torn off , never a fragment. Thanks to this, the wound formed after the procedure is as small as possible.Tear off the leaf with the petiole , right at its base, so that there are no fragments of petioles that may then rot and weaken the plant.
2. Removal of tomato wolves (side shoots)
Tomato leaf peeling is often confused withremoving tomato side shoots , i.e. wolves. Wolves are side shoots that grow out of the leaf branching from the stem. The aim of this procedure is to obtain a plant that is grown on only one shoot (sometimes on 2 or 3 shoots). This prevents the tomato bush from becoming too dense and from growing sideways.
Why are wolves removed from tomatoes?
Removing the side shoots of tomatoesis necessary when growing fast-growing and vigorous tomato varieties that produce a lot of green at the expense of the fruit.Removing side shoots allows you to obtain a plant that yields better and gives better-grown fruit.
By leading tomato bushes on one shootwe obtain narrow but quite tall plants that can be tied to the wires installed in the greenhouse or a tunnel, or for stakes (in the case of cultivation in the ground). This allows to obtaina large yield from a small area of tomato cultivation(greater growth upwards, with less branching to the sides). When the cultivation area is larger, you can try to grow tomatoes in 2 or 3 shoots. This solution can also be used in the cultivation of tomatoes on the balcony, if the leafy shoots of tomatoes are to, for example, cover the balcony railing, serving as a shield.
When to remove tomato side shoots?
Tomato side shoots should be broken offwhen they are several cm long. Stems should be broken off at their base, right next to the main shoot.
Good to know!
Removed tomato side shoots take root very easily. Therefore, it is worth putting the first removed shoots into a jar with water and wait for the appearance of roots. Then we plant them in pots, thus obtaining new plants. Although they will start to bear fruit quite late, but at a low cost it will allow you to get a crop from additional plants.
3. Topping tomatoes
Topping out tomatoes is removing the top of the main shoot.The aim of this procedure is to stop the further growth of the plant and make it concentrate on faster fruit ripening. Thanks to this, most of the tomatoes will be able to ripen on the bush before the autumn cold weather and we will have to stop growing them.
When to top tomatoes?
Topping of tomatoes is carried outabout 7-8 weeks before the planned date of completion of tomato cultivation. In practice, in garden crops, in the ground and on balconies, this treatment is carried out around mid-August.In greenhouses and tunnels, this can be done later due to the longer growing season under cover.
How do I top my tomatoes?
When removing the tomato tip, make sure that 2 to 3 leaves remain above the last flower.
Are all these treatments necessary?
Wolves removal and tomato toppingare not necessary for tomato and dwarf varieties. These tomatoes usually grow and yield well without removing the wolves and are naturally limited in growth without topping.
When growing tomatoes on balconies and terraces, we usually want them to be a decorative element as well. Then remember thata tomato bush with excessively stripped leaveswill not look good. Therefore, in such plants, usually only old leaves, already yellowing and infected with diseases that are more disfiguring than decorating tomato bushes, are removed.
Excessive removal of tomato leavesdisrupts the growth and yield of the plant. In particular, it leads to disturbances in water management, which may result in the cracking of tomatoes on the bush. Therefore, even when performing this procedure intensively, remember that there should never be less than 15 to 20 leaves on the bush.
What to do with tomato leaves stripped off?
Tomato leaves that are torn off can be used in the garden, as long as they do not come from plants infected by diseases or pests. Unfortunately, tomatoes are quite easily susceptible to fungal diseases, including a very dangerous potato blight. In the event that these diseases recur on our crops every year,tomato leaves and shoots are removed from the gardenHowever, if there are no symptoms of diseases on the plants and we are sure that the shoots and leaves are stripped of he althy plants, we can prepare slurry and spraying of tomato leaves. The liquid manure will be a good fertilizer for the tomatoes themselves, and the spraying will be used to fight pests of other vegetables.
