What to do with the tops of Tomatoes? 3 beneficial uses of tomato greens

Experienced gardeners know that tomatoes need to be “trimmed” regularly, as this crop produces many unnecessary shoots. Some varieties regularly give "stepchildren", which also need to be cleaned on time, otherwise the garden will turn into wild thickets, from which it is then difficult to get fruits.

And what to do with all this greenery? Really throw it away? I also asked this question and asked my friends summer residents about the ways to use tomato greens... Their answers did not disappoint me!

Here are the top 3 useful ways to use greens:

1. Making mulch. For those who are not strong in agrotechnical terminology: mulch is a "dump" of various materials, which covers the topsoil.

This technique helps to weed less often and over time additionally fertilizes the soil.

To make tomato green mulch, you need to chop unnecessary shoots and leaves into small pieces and leave to dry in the sun.

The finished material can be sprinkled on trees along the trunk circles or aisles in the beds. Thus, you save yourself from overgrowing unnecessary shoots and improve plant growth!

By the way, tomato mulch is very effective against mice and some pests. Therefore, pay special attention to covering the ground near fruit bushes so that rodents do not spoil your harvest.

2. Pest control. Tomato tops are a natural insecticide and help to kill, for example, aphids and the Colorado potato beetle, the most common enemies of the crop.

To prepare a pest control agent, you need to make a decoction. You will need a lot of tops and a large capacity: you can borrow from your neighbors.

Be careful and do not use disease-affected plant areas!

4 kg of freshly harvested herbs should be chopped and filled with 10 liters of warm water. The contents should be infused for 3-4 hours, after which the substance must be brought to a boil under a lid, and simmer for half an hour over low heat.

When the broth has cooled, it must be filtered and diluted with water in a ratio of 1 part broth to 4 parts water. You need to add about 40-50 g of soap (you can liquid) so that the finished product sticks to the plants.

With this liquid from a spray bottle, it is necessary to process the plantings once a week.

3. The most valuable ash. If there are a lot of tomato bushes left after harvest, wait until they dry and burn them in a metal container (for example, in a barrel).

The result is a highly compact and valuable fertilizer that will help the perennials prepare for winter.

The cooled ash can be added to the soil both before wintering and stored for preparation for the next season.

Of course, there are other creative ways to use tomato tops, like composting them. I gave just a few examples of how to turn "summer cottage waste" into a useful acquisition for your garden. Share your experience: what do you do with tomato tops?