How to Stepson Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers and Eggplants

Over time, stepchildren appear on the trunks of tomatoes and other plants - lateral shoots from the leaf axils. Resources are spent on their development, and therefore, if you leave them all, the harvest will not be as plentiful and large as it could be. In addition, the bushes will become very dense, especially at the bottom, which favors fungal diseases. But watering, feeding, weeding and loosening such plants is not very convenient. The way out of the situation is pinching, that is, removing most of the processes.

To get a good harvest, remove most of the stepchildren from tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and eggplants. The procedure will also benefit pumpkins, watermelons and melons, and you can do without pinching with zucchini and squash.

What you need to know before pinching tomatoes and other plants

Each type of plant has its own nuances, but there are also general rules for pinching, which are best adhered to:

• Carry out the procedure in the morning. The weather is preferably dry, without rain, although this is not critical for greenhouse conditions.
  instagram viewer
• Use a sharp knife, garden shears, or simply remove the shoots with your hands for pinching.
• Carefully cut or pinch off the stepchildren, leaving a stump a few millimeters long. Try not to damage the stems, and if you accidentally hurt, sprinkle ashes on the “wound”. You can also sprinkle the cut points, although strong and healthy plants normally tolerate the procedure without it.
• If possible, after pinching each bush, treat the tool with a pale solution of potassium permanganate or medical alcohol so as not to transfer the disease from one plant to another.

How to stepchild tomatoes

The removal of lateral shoots is relevant both for plants in the open field and for greenhouse inhabitants. The main thing in this case is to take into account the characteristics of the variety or hybrid that you planted.

When to pinch and shape tomatoes

It is not worth delaying the removal of stepchildren. Start the procedure two weeks after landing in greenhouse or open ground. Stalk regularly and try to get rid of the shoots while they are quite small so that the plants do not waste extra energy. Cut off or pinch off the lower leaves that touch the ground. So you reduce the likelihood of fungal and bacterial diseases.

Further, the procedure depends on the characteristics of the variety or hybrid. For undersized (determinant) leave the first strong stepson at a height of 30 cm, and the second even higher. If you already have three stems - one initially main and two obtained from stepchildren, but there are very few flowers on the bush, you can leave one more at the top of one of the formed stems.

Tall tomatoes (indeterminate) are best formed into two stalks. After about 45 cm, leave one strong additional shoot. Then keep the plant in this form and remove the stepchildren already from the two main stems. If there are very few ovaries, then on several new stepsons you can leave buds and two leaves next to them, and cut off everything above.

The growth of the bush should also be limited. It is better to do this 30-40 days before you plan to harvest the last harvest. Otherwise, all the fruits simply will not have time ripen. To do this, simply pinch both stems at the very top, leaving two leaves above the last brush.

How to stepson cucumbers correctly

Removing side shoots is a useful procedure for cucumbers. You can do without it if your variety or hybrid already has limited growth of side shoots. Another exception is plants without trellises and garters that grow in open ground.

When the plants are already 40-50 cm, lateral shoots will begin to appear in the axils of the lower leaves. Delete them all. Do not delay the procedure, it is better to get rid of the processes while they are very small.

With time cucumbers will stretch another 40–50 cm, begin to bloom. At this time, remove the lower leaves from the bushes at a height of about 40 cm, as well as all stepchildren. Leave only the leaves and ovaries (flowers) that emerge from the axils on the main stem.

When the cucumbers become another 40–50 cm taller, the time will come for the next circumcision. Now you can leave one sheet already on the stepchildren and the main trunk. And when the plant is above a meter and a little, you should not remove the shoots.

How to stepson pepper correctly

The removal of lateral shoots is especially important for medium and tall plants both in greenhouses and in open ground. Small plants with small fruits can be left untouched.

Wait until the plant is above 30-40 cm: you should not remove the lateral processes earlier. By this time, the first fork of several stems will already appear, there may be two or three of them. Everything below it should be cut off or pinched off. And we are talking about stepchildren, and about leaves. The crown flower, which will appear at the fork itself, also pinch off at the bud stage. If you leave it, you will get a normal fruit, but the development of the plant itself and the rest of the crop will slow down.

Next, pay attention to the stems that come out of the fork. Each of them now becomes the main one, and an additional one departs from it, that is, a new fork is obtained.

Leave the main stem behind the second fork. On the second, pinch off or cut off the growth point above the flower or ovary and be sure to leave the leaf near it. In this way, continue to shape the pepper as it grows. Leave 10-14 ovaries for the whole bush, no more, otherwise some of the peppers will turn out to be small, weak and deformed.

How to stepson eggplant correctly

Removal of side shoots is primarily needed when growing in a greenhouse. But in the open field, it will benefit. An exception can be made only for undersized varieties. They will form a small, neat bush without outside help.

Do not remove shoots from the main stems immediately after landing in a permanent place. Better to wait a few weeks eggplant managed to adapt. After that, cut off the shoots that appear in the axils of the leaves before they have time to develop and grow. Do not leave a single stepchild before the first fork.

After forking, you can form an eggplant into one, two or three stems. That is, leave all the well-developed ones that are available, or some of them. On weak plants, leave one stem, on strong and powerful plants - more. Further on each of the stems, remove the stepchildren that appear.

As a result, leave no more than 5-6 fruits on the plant. So they will develop normally, and you will get a good harvest without small and underdeveloped specimens.