What leaves do I pick from Tomatoes, so that the bushes become healthier, and the fruits Larger

I have been growing tomatoes for many years. During this time, I managed to study the peculiarities of the culture and acquire useful secrets that help me achieve a generous and tasty harvest.

One of these is the removal of leaves on a bush. How and when to do it correctly will be discussed further.

The benefits of removing leaves

There is a constant debate about the advisability of removing tomato foliage. Novice gardeners deny this need, and more experienced ones practice, understanding the purpose of this action.

Correct and timely removal of tomato leaves is useful for the following reasons:

1. The fruits have more access to sunlight. In the absence of sufficient illumination, they cannot fully develop. Usually, these bushes are characterized by small, low-yield and tasteless tomatoes;

2. The plant spends more energy for growing and ripening fruits. Excess green mass takes away a lot of nutrition and moisture, which the root system extracts from the soil;

3. Air circulation is improved. Moisture stagnates in dense green branches for a long time, therefore bacteria and diseases begin to develop. Such an environment often provokes the development of phytophthora;

4. Tomatoes overloaded with foliage, when watered or in heavy rain, often lean to the ground, getting dirty and contributing to fruit rot.

What leaves to remove

First of all, I pick off the yellowed, spotted and dried leaves. They take away extra energy from the bush and can be a hotbed of pests.

As for the total mass, I remove the lower leaves, as well as those that thicken the bush in any part of it. Leaves that grow from the brush are also undesirable.

If all the tomatoes have already tied on it, it is better to remove them. As a result, tomatoes will receive more nutrition and grow larger and more beautiful.

We must act gradually. It is unacceptable to remove a large number of leaves at one time. This is stressful for the bush, so I recommend removing 2-3 pieces several times a week.

I do this in the morning in sunny dry weather, because the plants need time to dry out the resulting damage. If the bush is large and very actively growing, I allow myself to pick off 5-6 leaves on it at once, but at the same time I definitely follow his reaction.

I begin to remove the leaves when the ovary has formed. At this stage, you can clearly see where in the bush it needs to be done first.

Thanks to such simple actions, I manage to significantly improve the quantitative and taste indicators of the crop.