Tomatoes, also known as tomatoes, are both vegetables and fruits that are popularly grown in many households. Proper pruning is essential for growing tomatoes. Let's understand the methods of pruning tomatoes.
Benefits of Tomato Pruning
Tomatoes are vine plants with strong branching ability. Each leaf axil will produce forks, and they grow rapidly throughout the growing season. Allowing them to grow unchecked will consume a lot of nutrients, leading to insufficient nutrition for flowering and fruiting. Therefore, pruning tomatoes can reduce unnecessary nutrient consumption and increase ventilation and light penetration in the field, making it one of the effective measures for high yields.
Methods of Tomato Pruning
When the main stem of the tomato plant grows to a height of over 30 centimeters, select a robust lateral branch growing from the leaf axil below the first flower cluster at the base and let it grow as a double stem. Remove all other lateral branches. The first pruning should wait until most lateral branches have grown to over 10 centimeters to avoid poor growth.
Precautions for Tomato Pruning
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Prune on Sunny Days: Pruning should be done on sunny days, preferably between 10 am and 2 pm, when the temperature is high and humidity is low, which is conducive to wound healing. Pruning during cloudy or rainy weather when dew is not dry may cause wound rot and pathogen infection.
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Avoid Pruning 1-2 Days After Watering: After watering, the plant's water content is high, and pruning will cause large wounds that are slow to heal.
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Disinfection: Before pruning, the operator must disinfect to avoid cross-infection. Prune healthy plants first and then diseased plants. Dispose of the pruned lateral branches in a pile to prevent the spread of pests and diseases.
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Avoid Using Fingernails: When pruning, never use fingernails to pinch off branches. Instead, snap them off to reduce the risk of infection.
Above is the introduction to tomato pruning techniques. Proper pruning of tomatoes is very helpful for the quality and yield of tomatoes.