There is no agreement between tomato plants and hobby gardeners. The plants want to branch out widely - tomato lovers prefer single-shoot growth with large fruits. Proper thinning will give you the upper hand. This is how it works.
Why should you thin tomato plants?
Tomato plants should be thinned to encourage single-shoot growth, which results in larger and more flavorful fruit. This is done by removing unnecessary side shoots or shoots, allowing the plant to concentrate its energy on a limited number of flowers and fruits.
Why do thinned tomato plants produce larger fruit?
Most tomato plants strive to branch as widely as possible. They want to produce lots of flowers and numerous small fruits to reproduce. Tomato gardeners, on the other hand, aim to harvest voluminous fruits. Targeted thinning is therefore essential in order to steer a tomato plant in the desired direction. Unnecessary side shoots must be removed; referred to in technical jargon as austerity.
As a result, the plant wastes its energy not on bushy growth, but on a limited number of flowers and fruits. Sufficiently supplied with water and nutrients, stately and aromatic tomatoes develop. Tomato plants are continually thinned out throughout the season because they don't give up easily. This activity therefore plays a central role in nursing.
Identify and thin out stingy shoots
As part of the branching process, sterile side shoots, also known as stingy shoots, sprout in the leaf axils along the main shoot. Thinning focuses on eliminating them. Here's how to do it:
- grab a stinging instinct 3-5 centimeters long between two fingers and snap it out
- move larger side shoots back and forth until they break out of the leaf axil
- let thinned plant material fall to the ground as valuable mulch
The more tomatoes you grow, the quicker a stingy instinct will escape your attention. If there is a risk of a larger wound due to thinning, only break off the shoot tip. At least this way a debilitating bloom is prevented. Avoid cutting tomato plants if possible. Compared to breaking out, this method of thinning carries a significantly higher risk of infection by late blight.
Tips & Tricks
Experienced hobby gardeners can prevent the unpleasant smell of plant sap on their fingers by wearing disposable gloves (€14.00 on Amazon) while thinning. Alternatively, a thick layer of Niveacreme effectively prevents the development of unpleasant scents.
