Tomatoes are one of the foods that frequently appear in every family meal around the world. In particular, you can easily grow tomatoes in pots or gardens. It’s great when you wake up every morning to see a bunch of juicy and delicious tomatoes.
The process of growing tomatoes does not require a lot of skill and effort for gardeners to care for. However, tomato plants that do not bear fruit or produce few fruits with the poor quality associated with thin and thin stems are extremely common.
A thin and lifeless tomato stem will not be able to produce much quality fruit in the long run. How to get thick stems on tomato plants. How to nurture strong tomato stems to prepare for a bountiful harvest.
To answer these questions, let’s learn together about the causes and methods of stimulating tomato stems to become thicker and healthier.
How To Get Thick Stems On Tomato Plants
There are many ways to stimulate the stem of tomato plants to become thicker and stronger. A thick and vigorous stem will promise to bring you sweet and nutritious bunches of fruit.
Some ways that can promote thicker and stronger stems are to provide adequate light, observe the distance between tomato plants, provide abundant nitrogen, enough water, and aeration.
Provide Enough Sunshine Every Day
A thick-stemmed tomato plant is a healthy and vigorous tomato plant. The most common reason your tomato plants have thin and weak stems is the lack of sun. As you know, tomato plants need at least 8-10 hours of sunlight per day to grow best.
If you grow tomatoes in a dimly lit area, they will always find a way to turn towards the light to survive. This process will make the stem of the tomato plant grow longer and thinner.
If you plant tomatoes in the ground, choose an area that is well-ventilated and not covered with foliage. Let tomatoes enjoy sunlight every day to stimulate photosynthesis and oxygen exchange of plants.
If you grow tomatoes in pots, make sure to provide them with the full sun each day by placing the pots near a window or sunny area. You should regularly rotate the pot in different directions so that the whole tomato plant receives full sun.
Don’t forget to prune some of the branches and leaves of the tomato plant if they are overgrown to make sure the stem can get full sun exposure. It will help the trunk become thicker and stronger.
Make Sure The Distance Between The Tomato Plants
One of the other reasons why tomato stems are thin and weak is due to overcrowding in a narrow areas. Too many tomato plants in one space will prevent them from absorbing enough nutrients and light.
Many people think that planting more tomato plants will produce more fruit and yield. However, this concept is not true because the lack of light causes the tomato stems to become thinner and weaker. The competition for water, nutrients, and light will become even more fierce as the young plants get bigger.
So when sowing seeds, you can sow in bulk in one tray. However, as the seedlings sprout and grow, you may need to thin them out or transplant them to other containers or areas.
The thinning process is also when you remove weak plants and keep healthy and well-developed young plants. You should keep the distance between the tomato plants as recommended by the gardener. For each different tomato cultivar, the spacing can also vary. However, you should keep the distance between tomato plants at least 1-3 feet.
This distance will give the tomato plant enough space to grow, and absorb water, nutrients, and light. In addition, the root system can also deepen and spread to get nutrients and produce more branches. In particular, the roots of tomato plants also do not have to compete for survival. From there, nutrients will be nourished and thickened.
Provide An Abundant Amount Of Nitrogen
Nitrogen is the element that helps the foliage of tomato plants to develop best. The roots of the tomato plant will absorb nitrogen from the soil to nourish the entire plant. If you want the tomato stems to become thicker and stronger, fertilize them with high nitrogen content.
You can use a slow-release fertilizer to mulch the soil or liquid fertilizer to spray the soil and foliage. In addition, you can also apply NPK 5-5-5 fertilizer or NPK 10-10-10 protein-rich fertilizer. These are two types of fertilizers that both increase the amount of nitrogen in the soil for tomato plants.
However, the amount of nitrogen fertilizer should also follow the manufacturer’s instructions for tomato plants. If you apply too much fertilizer with high nitrogen content, tomato plants can burn roots, leaves, and stems.
Breathable Soil
The tomato plant’s root system needs oxygen from the soil to keep the stem thick and strong. Oxygen is an important factor in the metabolism and stimulates the growth of tomato plants.
For the soil to have good aeration, you need to use high-quality soil. The soil needs to ensure the amount of clay and sand in the composition. If the soil has too much clay, it will be lumpy and poorly aerated.
However, if the soil is too sandy, the aeration will be high, but the root system of tomato plants will be poorly developed because the sand easily loses moisture. Therefore, you must check the soil composition and mix them to ensure a quality soil mixture.
Provide Enough Water For Tomato Plants
Water is one of the most important factors for the growth and development of tomato plants. The tomato plant is a moisture-loving plant and needs a lot of water each day as it prefers 8-10 hours of sun a day. If you do not provide enough water, tomato plants will quickly wilt in the sun.
You should water the tomato plants when the ground is a few inches dry after checking with your finger. Water deeply and infrequently to stimulate root growth. You should not water in the evening because wet leaves will encourage the growth of fungi and pests. At the same time, do not water the leaves and water based on the actual needs of the tomato plant.
In particular, you should not water too much because waterlogging will cause the roots to rot and destroy the entire tomato plant. Make sure the soil is well drained and always maintain the ideal moisture for the tomato plants.
Final Thoughts
Tomato plants with thin and thin stems will not be able to produce many fruits and delicious quality. To promote thicker and stronger stems, you need to ensure that the conditions are ideal for tomato plants to grow.
Some factors are providing adequate light 8-10 hours per day. Maintain a distance of 1-3 feet between tomato plants to minimize competition for light, water, and nutrients. Use fertilizers with a high nitrogen content to help make the body stronger.
In addition, you also need to water the tomato plant enough because it needs a lot of water every day to survive. Do not overwater as it will cause waterlogging, root rot, and plant death. Make sure the soil is well-ventilated to facilitate the exchange of oxygen by the roots. If you want to know more about tomato plant care tips, check out our tomato section.