The second half of summer is quite a difficult time for tomatoes. Just then they are weakened and often have no strength to create new fruits. In addition, they are more likely to victims of diseases, especially potato plague. Announcement comes to the rescuei.e. removing the vertex of the plant growth. In this article you will find out what exactly this procedure is, when and how to perform it and on what tomatoes.
Announcement is the removal of a growth cone, which is active merystematic tissue. It is located at the end of the main branch.
Thanks to this treatment, the plant stops growing up, and its energy is redirected to the lower parts, i.e. leaves and fruit. So there is a faster ripening of crops and improving their quality.
Any novice gardener will manage, because it requires neither specialized tools or a lot of experience. However, it is worth knowing when and how to do it correctly so as not to hurt the plant.
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The announcement applies only to high -stem varieties. It’s about those that climb naturally. However, we cannot do this procedure for self -lengthening tomatoes, i.e. those ending with growth after the creation of a few groups of fruit. Then it could harm them.
Why is it worth announcing high -growing plants? First of all, removing the height of the top will increase the mass and quality of the crop. The tomatoes will therefore be large, juicy and aromatic. In addition, we will protect them against fungal diseases due to shortening the ripening time of crops. In addition, we reduce the consumption of nutrients by specimens – they will not allocate energy to flowers or shoots that would not be able to mature anyway.
The ideal time for announcing tomatoes is the beginning of August. You can also perform this procedure in the middle of the monthbecause currently the growing season is extended due to climate warming. However, this should not be done later – although the temperatures are still high, the sun reaches less, which results in difficulty in the process of photosynthesis and the slowdown in fruit ripening.
How to announce tomatoes? At the beginning we prepare a sharp tool, e.g. a knife or a pruning shears: soak them in isopropyl alcohol or spirit to prevent the transmission of pathogens.
Then we proceed to the very announcement: We remove the main shoot 2-3 leaves over the last inflorescence. However, we leave the leaves necessary for the assimilation process. We also get rid of side shoots that are formed above the cutting place.
After this procedure, we regularly water and supply plants with fertilizer rich in phosphorus and potassium, e.g. with banana cuticles. However, we avoid nitrogen fertilizers stimulating vegetative growth.
