Of course, it's not enough just to plant your tomato plants in the garden for a rich harvest. In addition to watering, it also requires further care and this includes removing the tomato's stingy shoots. Have you heard about it? As a beginner, you are probably wondering what it is, or at least how to do it correctly? If you don't really dare to change anything about the plant, just follow our guidelines. We explain when the right time is and how to remove these side shootsTomatorecognize and how you proceed. And why do you have to prune tomatoes? Or is it just a recommendation that you can simply leave out?
What is a miserliness?
Like any other plant, tomato plants form numerous side shoots on their main shoot over the course of their growth cycle. This is also important because this is where the leaves and flowers and later the fruits form. But not all shoots are desirable and necessarily useful. Which shoots should you remove from tomatoes and, above all, why? The so-called greedy instincts are formed. They are located on the leaf axils, i.e. where a leaf shoot grows from the main shoot.
Strain tomatoes: yes or no?
Some people believe that these shoots take unnecessary strength away from the plant and do not produce any yield, which is not entirely true. Stingy shoots continue to grow in the same way as the main plant, except that due to their later development they produce fewer and smaller fruits, but more leaves and shoots. This also means less light can penetrate the plant.
However, they also feed on the main plant for this purpose, which is largely unnecessary. In addition, the tomato plant becomes lusher and heavier and these stingy shoots need to be supported at a certain point so that the entire main plant does not tip over at some point.
Thinning out tomatoes makes perfect sense because it means the main plant gets a lot of fruit that is also large and more aromatic. Becauseall the nutrients, which you add to the plant during the vegetative phase, are fully available to this remaining plant mass. Thinning in turn ensures that sufficient sunlight can reach all important parts of the plant and that they dry quickly after rain due to better ventilation. This prevents fungal diseases.
So in summary, if you don't max out your tomatoes, the tomatoes will have lots of leaves but little fruit and you may just be creating unnecessary extra work for yourself by encouraging disease and pest infestation due to a weakened plant.
Do you really have to thin out all varieties?
No, it actually depends on the type of tomato. You should thin out all varieties that are grown like sticks. If you are unsure, just look at the label as this information should be noted there. For example, you can use cocktail tomatoes, i.e. cherry tomatoes, but wild tomatoesalso with balcony, vine and bush tomatoes, although thinning can be carried out, it is not absolutely necessary and if so, then only to a small extent.
Pictures of axillary shoots and instructions on how to remove them
Still not sure which shoots you can remove from tomatoes? You can orientate yourself using the photo above. You will quickly get the hang of it and will be able to immediately identify those side shoots on the tomato that are unnecessary.
Straining tomatoes – how to do it correctly?
If you stick with it and thin out the plants regularly while the new shoots are still small and thin, you won't need any special tools. How can you properly maximize tomatoes?
You can easily snap them off with your fingers. If you miss it or have overlooked one or two of the stingy shoots so that they have now grown vigorously, it is best to use hand scissors so as not to injure the main shoots. This is especially important if the axillary shoots have already become fibrous. You can first try gently bending the shoot back and forth. If it doesn't break off on its own, take the scissors.
Cultivate tomatoes – when?
Since tomato plants grow quite quickly, the first axillary shoots appear relatively early. You can expect the first ones at the beginning of summer. Then you can expect to repeat this once a week until the end of the season/harvest. If you do this, the shoots will also be easier to remove.
You should also let stick tomatoes grow like sticks, which requires a little help. As soon as the first side shoots have appeared, think about which ones you want to leave on the plant as the main shoots. This can be a single piece or up to three pieces. You can cut all other side shoots along the main tomato shoot. Tie thesestuck to supports.
