DO THESE 3 things now and harvest tomatoes by fall!

If you want your tomatoes to keep producing throughout September, now is definitely not the time to just let them grow on their own. At this very moment, I am carrying out several important tasks that keep the plants healthy, well-ventilated, and capable of continuing to produce and ripen new fruits. The code now revolves entirely around one thing: preserving what is already on the plant and ensuring that new fruits have enough strength to ripen. One of the first tasks I do is removing the leaves around those ripe fruits. When the fruit begins to ripen, I remove the leaves that unnecessarily shade it, especially those that are already yellowed, damaged, or no longer contribute to the plant. In this way, the fruits are better exposed to air and light, and the plant gains a neater and more airy appearance. You shouldn't overdo it; I don't remove a large number of healthy leaves at once because they are still necessary for the plants to carry out photosynthesis and produce food. I am now paying special attention to the corks. If we leave them to grow unchecked, the plant wastes a lot of energy on unnecessary growth instead of directing it toward the already-formed fruits. That's why I regularly inspect the plants and remove new suckers while they're still small. This is a task that doesn't take long if done regularly, but can make a big difference in maintaining the plant. Another important task I am currently performing is decapitation, or the removal of the plant's apex. This is particularly important with tall tomato varieties that would continue growing taller and producing new flowering tiers even as the growing season gradually comes to an end. When I estimate that the plant has formed enough tiers and fruit, approximately after the fifth or sixth flowering branch, I pinch off the tip above the last desired flowering tier, leaving a few leaves above it. Why am I doing this? Because I want the plant to stop wasting its energy on unlimited upward growth and producing new flowers that might not have enough time to develop mature fruits. Instead, energy and nutrients can be directed toward already-formed fruits that now need to ripen. Decapitation is especially useful at the end of summer because it enables us to direct the plant toward the completion of production. I want a tall plant, full of new small flowers and barely noticeable fruits that we might not even notice harvesting by the end of the season. I want what has already been formed to have enough time to grow and mature. Of course, this is also the period when I pay special attention to pests, and fruit flies are one of the problems that can cause significant damage precisely on the fruits. I do not want to use preparations that could leave unwanted residues on the fruits we harvest daily, so I always give priority to natural methods of protection. I regularly inspect the leaf surfaces, stems, and the fruits themselves. If I notice fungus gnats, I remove them manually, and I treat the plants with natural preparations intended for plant protection, which can be used in the garden when applied correctly. It's important to me that I don't provide protection blindly. First, I examine the plant, identify what's attacking it, and only then choose the method of protection. I leave the link to a detailed video on this topic in the description. Another task I'm currently working on is removing leaves that show signs of illness. As soon as I notice a leaf with suspicious spots, drying, color changes, or other signs of disease, I remove it from the plant. I don't leave such leaves to decay under the tomato plants; instead, I take them out of the garden. The goal is to reduce the possibility of the problem spreading to healthy parts of the plant. During this period, prevention is especially important to me. I use natural preparations to protect my tomatoes, but I always pay close attention to what I use and when. I don't want to treat the plants directly before harvest with preparations that require me to wait a long time before I can use the fruits. Therefore, I choose methods suitable for this stage of vegetation and always adhere to instructions for preparation and application. I also leave a link to a video on the topic of preparing natural remedies for protection in the description for you to search for. Of course, regular harvesting is one of the most important tasks from now on. We do not leave ripe fruits on the plant longer than necessary. As soon as they reach the appropriate ripeness, we harvest them. In this way, the plant does not waste additional energy on fully ripening already mature fruits but can instead continue nourishing and developing those that are still coming. That's exactly what I want to achieve right now: to have as many healthy fruits on the plants as possible, which will continue ripening over the next few weeks. The partridge in this part of the season requires a bit more attention than at the beginning. It's not enough to just water and wait for the harvest. Regularly inspect the plants, remove what is no longer necessary, and protect the healthy parts. Control pests, prevent unnecessary growth, and regularly harvest ripe fruits. That's why now, every time I walk through the garden, I examine each plant one by one, checking whether they have new sprouts, or damaged or diseased leaves. The plant smells bad; we should remove some leaves that are blocking the ripe fruits. Is it time to top the plant? We have new fruits that are ready for harvest. Such a brief review often reveals the problem while it's still small, and then we can solve it much more easily. The goal at the end is not just to have good tomatoes now, but to preserve the plants long enough to reward us with new fruits in the coming weeks. And if the weather conditions are favorable, combined with regular care, proper pruning, and harvesting, tomatoes can indeed continue producing fruit well into September. So if you also have tomatoes in your garden right now, don't neglect them. Just a few minutes of attention every few days right now can mean many more healthy fruits by the end of the season. I'm now curious about how your garden looks these days. Do you have more problems with pests, diseases, or is your biggest issue heat and lack of water? Tell us in the comments— we're really interested in what's going on in your gardens.