Should I pick off the leaves from my tomatoes?

Once controversial Tomato leaf removal procedure, has long proven its effectiveness. Agricultural scientists confirm that proper leaf thinning helps achieve several goals simultaneously: reducing the risk of disease, increasing yield, and shortening the ripening period.

Effect of removal

Neat tomato plants tend to expand rapidly as they grow. This applies to tall subspecies and determinate varieties. Large vegetative mass is responsible for the important chemical process of photosynthesis. But vegetable growers' goal isn't lush bushes, but rich harvestTherefore, it's important to intervene in the natural process promptly to remove excess vegetation. This procedure is necessary for both greenhouse tomatoes and tomatoes grown outdoors.

As a result of a correctly performed procedure, several positive aspects are achieved simultaneously:

• Improving air circulation. Mature tomato plants have quite large shoots. Therefore, even if the proper ventilation schedule is followed, oxygen supply is impaired. Poor air circulation leads to increased air humidity. This is especially dangerous in a greenhouse. A humid microclimate is ideal for the development and spread of pathogenic bacteria. Insufficient fresh air allows bacteria to penetrate the plant and cause disease.
• Retaining moisture and nutrients. The leaves of a mature plant are quite large. A lot of moisture evaporates from its large surface area. Furthermore, the leaf blades draw nutrients and vital energy from the tomatoes. Once removed, all the energy is directed toward fruit formation and ripening.
• Contact with the soil is avoided. As the bushes grow, the leaf blades reach 20-25 cm in length and hang limply to the ground. The soil is home not only to beneficial microorganisms but also to pathogenic bacteria. These bacteria easily migrate via the foliage to healthy plants and infect them;
• Providing sufficient light. Tomatoes are very sensitive to low light. Sunlight is necessary for the production of sugars during photosynthesis. The more sugars produced, the greater the ability of the plants to form fruit. The less shade the plants provide to each other, the more sugars are produced.

Which leaves should be removed?

Sometimes the first time you have to pluck leaves is just when transplanting seedlings to their permanent location. When planting thin, elongated seedlings, agricultural experts recommend burying the stems deep in the soil. In this case, the bottom few leaves are useless to the tomato plant. They will only rot in the soil and become a source of disease.

For stocky seedlings planted in the usual way, the lower foliage can be removed 2-3 weeks after transplanting. By this time, the bushes will have acclimated to the new conditions, so the procedure won't cause them stress. The appearance of the leaf blades usually indicates a loss of functionality. Limp, wilted, often yellowed, and soil-touching shoots are the first to be pruned.

You can tell when it's time to thin out your bushes by their appearance. Leaves to trim include:

• creating shade for the fruits on the plant and neighboring bushes;
• growing overlapping with the foliage of nearby bushes;
• located under the fruit cluster on which all the fruits have already formed;
• located in the ground part of the plant;
• fattening branches (not forming fruits).

In addition, it is imperative to immediately remove leaves showing signs of disease, shoots with mechanical damage, and dried parts of the plant.

Rules of the event

In order to remove leaves correctly, you need to prepare the following:

• scissors or pruning shears (well sharpened);
• a bag or bucket for plant waste;
• gloves;
• aqueous solution of potassium permanganate.

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Although leaf removal is beneficial, it is also stressful for plants. Therefore, it is important to perform the procedure as carefully and painlessly as possible. Gardeners recommend using a tool rather than plucking leaves by hand. This will ensure smooth cuts and better healing. After each treatment, the tool should be disinfected. This prevents the infection from spreading from one plant to another. Start with the lower vegetation. Then move on to shoots on the north side. It's important to remember not to remove more than three leaves at a time.

Don't neglect leaf trimming. It doesn't take much time or effort. This simple agricultural technique will help you grow a bountiful tomato harvest. The main thing is to follow all the rules and recommendations and avoid harming the plant.