Instruction
1
First and foremost, you must know what varieties of tomatoes you are growing. Some varieties almost do not need additional formation. It usually plants of small stature with a branched structure, the stepchildren in these tomatoes can not be removed. However, there are tall varieties that need to form in one or two of the stem.
2
Stepsons is an additional shoots per plant of tomatoes produced in the axils between the main stem and side shoots. They Rob plants of food and moisture, slow down the process of flowering and fruiting. Stepchildren should be removed as early as possible before they reached considerable size.
3
Removal of laterals is done by hand, do not use scissors or other tools. Excess shoots should be gently break down, taking care not to injure the main stem and side shoots. The sooner you discover the appearance of a stepchild, the less the wound from removing it.
4
Removal of laterals is not a single procedure. You must constantly observe the tomato plants and the appearance of unwanted seedlings immediately get rid of it. In the first half of the summer, during the formation of tomatoes, you have to remove the stepchildren almost every week, especially if your site has created favorable conditions for active growth of tomatoes. Usually in the second half of the summer, the procedure has to spend much less, because at that time begins the formation of fruit, and the plants don't have the energy to build green mass.
5
To reduce stress from the removal of laterals, it is recommended to combine this procedure with watering and fertilizing, but you need to remember to wait a while until the place removal of laterals is dry, then the plant will not lose moisture and nutrients when watering.