Trimming and shaping of indoor plants
On how houseplants are formed, their productivity, attractiveness and duration of fruiting largely depend. Formation should ensure uniform distribution in the crown of branches of different orders, allowing the plant to make fuller use of the amount of air power allocated to it. The formation also contributes to the abundant formation and the most even distribution on the plant of bright green leaves, buds, flowers and fruits in plants such as tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and cucumbers.
The formation of vegetable plants has its own characteristics. So, in the room conditions for the formation of cucumbers, it is necessary to stimulate or limit the growth of their lateral shoots. In the varieties of Room Rytov, Phoenix, Topolek, Photon and others, with the appearance of the third present leaf, it must be nipped together with the kidney to continue the shoot. In this case, new side lashes appear, on which a large number of female flowers are formed. After the appearance of 5-6 leaves, the tip of the whip is plucked. Several differently formed parthenocarpic hybrids, for example, such as TCA hybrids. V.M.Nazarova( 1989) recommends that from the main stem in the lower 4-6 nodes completely remove all lateral shoots and flowers. Above this, the next 4-5 lateral shoots are pricked onto 1 leaf. Follow shoots - 2 sheets. Even higher - for 3 - 4 sheets.
Tomatoes are usually formed into a single stem. To do this, as the plants grow, the emerging lateral shoots( stepchildren) are removed as soon as they reach a length of 3-4 cm. If the tomatoes are too intensively grown, the tips of the shoots can also be removed.
The formation of subtropical and fruit crops in room conditions( tea, noble laurel, laurel cherry, feijoa, coffee, all citrus and fruit crops) should be carried out as follows: if the plant was not cropped in the year of planting, then in the spring of the second year, March - early April, the upper part of the main shoot cut at an altitude of 10 - 12 cm above the kidney. From the lower buds 2-3 primary shoots will grow, which will serve as the skeleton of the plant. Once the shoots have reached 15-20 cm, they should be pinched. Pinch is made during the period of active plant growth( May - June) and promotes the appearance of new shoots. Every year the height of the plant increases by 5 - 7 cm compared with the previous year. When forming, you should not be afraid of strong pinching and pruning, as the more the plant is cut, the better the lateral shoots will develop and it will quickly take the desired form. The figure shows the branching scheme of the bush of a room lemon, indicating the order and number of shoots.
Trimming
Almost all subtropical and fruit plants require periodic trimming. It provides for the removal of shoots thickening the crown, cutting out broken, weak and diseased branches, shortening too much growing branches, stimulating the appearance of new shoots, rejuvenating sick and old plants. When pruning, it should be remembered that many subtropical and fruit plants form flowers and fruits only on the growth of the current year, so it is extremely important to annually remove old, discolored shoots. When pruning or prischipke cut is always done on the kidney, outward from the crown.
Trimming is best done in the spring before the beginning of plant growth with a sharp pruner or a garden knife or in the fall after the end of the growing season. Pull the fingers with your fingers. Places of cut are best disinfected with crushed coal, and in "weeping" plants, secreting milky juice( figs, grapes) in places of cut, moisten wounds with water.
Garter
An important element in the care of indoor plants is the garter of growing shoots, especially for cucumbers and tomatoes. In cucumbers flowers are formed on long lashes, which should be directed to frames made of thin wire, from shoots of hazel or bamboo. Tie the shoots should not be tight, be careful that they do not break during the garter during the bend.
The hanging shoots that have reached the top of the support can be left in this position, they look good and at the same time yield fruit. Strongly expanding whips should be put small grids on which they will freely rest. For overgrown plants, the support can be made outside the pot, attaching it to the floor or wall.
Garter is especially necessary when growing tomatoes. A growing shoot is tied to the support in such a way that it has a vertical direction.
An obligatory technique for caring for plants in the room is cleaning the leaves from dust. Dirty indoor plants are not only ugly, but they do not grow well. Pots or boxes in which you grow plants must also be clean. Moldy or covered with moss, they prevent air from entering the soil. Therefore, at least 2 times a year they should be washed with hot water and cleaned with a hard, better metal brush.