I had never thought about this procedure and never breaking off the leaves from tomato. Once I got to the acquaintance to the country and saw how she carefully cuts off a few leaves. I was curious and I started to ask her for what she is doing and what the benefits of this procedure.
In short, she told me that, thanks to this method, the bush tomato is better developed, and the fruits are of higher quality and productivity as a whole increases. I went to many popular forums for farmers, and there is this information is confirmed. Some gardeners are happy to share their successful experiences and gave their recommendations. Also, this method is suitable for plants that grow in the open field and for those that are grown in the greenhouse. We can say that it is a universal way.
The main advantages of this method
- The lower leaves of tomato evaporate huge amount of life-giving water, and do not carry any value for plants
- Large sheets of density in tomato contributes to poor air exchange. As a result, plants are more prone to various diseases due to excessive moisture in the lower part
- Once you have watered the tomatoes, the lower its leaves can come into contact with the ground and begin the process of decay with time. As a result, the plant is affected by bacteria and eventually we get late blight. With the disease of tomatoes it is very difficult to fight, but it is much easier to prevent it
In addition to cutting all the "extra" leaves, I recommend watering these plants only at the roots.
Which leaves break off from tomatoes
Our main goal - to make a tomato bush stronger and resistant to disease and increase yields.
So, first of all I remove yellowed leaves and those that have already visible black dots. Next'll break those leaves that cover a sun's rays and do not allow the plant to develop normally. Also delete all the lower leaves are large. Even gardeners with more experience are advised to pick off the leaves at absolutely every educated brush. As a result, we obtain the required plant ventilation and lighting efficiency.
I for myself have developed the following rule: Twice a week'll break 2 or 3 of the lower leaf of the plant. If I see that the plant is well developed, it can be terminated, and 5 leaves - will be no problems.
You also need to remember quite important ruleIf the brush itself is already starting to be borne fruit, then you can safely remove all the leaves that are below it.