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Do potted dwarf tomatoes need to have their tips pinched?

When growing potted dwarf tomatoes, many people wonder whether tip - pinching is necessary. In fact, this depends on the growth condition of the plant and our maintenance environment.

Dwarf tomatoes are naturally short, generally only 30 to 60 centimeters tall. They have strong branching ability and dense leaves. If the main stem grows too fast during the seedling stage, for example, if it exceeds 15 centimeters, we can pinch the tip at this time. We remove the growth point at the top by 1 - 2 centimeters. This can make the base grow more lateral branches and make the plant more full.
In the flowering and fruiting period, if there are branches that grow 徒长 (luxuriantly without proper fruiting), and they exceed 30 centimeters without flower spikes, we should also pinch the tips in time. Otherwise, nutrients will be wasted, which will affect fruit setting. Moreover, the space in the pot is limited. If the plant is about to touch the balcony railing or the load - bearing capacity of the flower pot is about to be exceeded, we can control the height at 40 - 50 centimeters by pinching the tips. This makes daily management convenient and the light more uniform.

Pinching the tips has many benefits for dwarf tomatoes. Firstly, it can break the apical dominance, so that nutrients no longer only go to the top but are transported to the lateral buds. Generally, we can see the lateral buds start to move in 3 - 5 days, and effective fruiting branches can grow in 7 - 10 days. Secondly, it can optimize the nutrient distribution. The nutrients that were originally used to grow the main stem are used for the flower spikes. In this way, each flower spike can set 1 - 2 more fruits, and the fruits will expand faster, which can increase by about 15%. In addition, the plants of dwarf tomatoes are dense, and the middle and lower parts are prone to being stuffy. After pinching the tips, the distance between the leaves is kept at 5 - 8 centimeters. The ventilation and light transmission are improved, and diseases such as gray mold and powdery mildew will be much less.

How long does it take for the buds to grow after pinching the tips? This is not fixed and depends on the temperature, the method of pinching the tips, and our maintenance. The most suitable temperature for germination is 20 - 25℃. At this temperature, the lateral buds begin to germinate in 4 - 6 days, and strong lateral branches of 3 - 5 centimeters can grow in 10 - 12 days. If the temperature is lower than 15℃, it will take more than 10 days to germinate. If the temperature is higher than 30℃, the lateral buds are prone to (luxuriant growth), and they can grow more than 2 centimeters a day.

When pinching the tips, if we keep 2 healthy true leaves at the top, that is, half - pinching, the germination is 1 - 2 days faster than full pinching (completely removing the top growth point), and the lateral buds are stronger. Keep the pot soil moist within 3 days after pinching the tips. The germination performance is also different at different growth stages. When the seedling has 5 - 8 leaves, pinch the tip in the morning on a sunny day. The buds will grow in 3 - 4 days, and the branches will grow in 7 - 10 days. It is also easy to form 2 - 3 strong lateral branches.

At the early flowering stage, when the first spike of flowers buds, leave 2 leaves above the flower spike and pinch the tip. The buds will grow in 5 - 6 days, and the branches will grow in 12 - 15 days. At this time, the proportion of lateral branches with flower spikes can reach 40%. At the full fruiting stage, when the second spike of fruits expands, pinch the tip of the fruitless branch. The buds will grow in 7 - 8 days, and the branches will grow in 15 - 20 days. However, at this time, we need to cooperate with leaf thinning to improve the light.

Finally, there are some precautions to remind everyone. Do not pinch the tips too frequently. Do not exceed 3 times per plant, otherwise, the root absorption capacity will decrease, and problems such as leaf yellowing and reduced fruit setting rate will occur. For ultra - dwarf varieties like "Dwarf Fairy", which have strong branching ability, there is no need to pinch the tips. Just thin the dense branches. Pinching too much will instead inhibit flower bud differentiation. It is best to pinch the tips from 9 to 11 a.m. on a sunny day, not on rainy days or in the evening, to reduce the risk of disease infection. As long as we follow these methods, potted dwarf tomatoes can grow compact and full, which can not only be (ornamental) but also harvest a lot of fruits.