Many gardeners, especially beginners, throw away tomato tops due to their inexperience.
In vain. She is a valuable assistant in gardening matters.
Experienced gardeners have long been using this natural “instrument” with great effect.
True, there is an important nuance: since the leaves of the plant contain alkaloids (tomatine and solanine), the tops in large quantities can be toxic to humans.
Therefore, it is recommended to exercise caution when working with it.
How can the tops help? For example, they will drive out aphids.
To do this, prepare an infusion of tomato leaves: pour a few handfuls of tops into 1 liter of water and leave for a day.
Then we strain it and pour it into a spray bottle. We spray the damaged plants.
Tops are also a good remedy for preventing black spot on roses.
We prepare exactly the same solution as against aphids. We spray the flowers, especially on damp days.
Tops are also good as an element of compost. You just need to add them there. They will enrich the compost with nutrients.
Dried tomato leaves can also be used as mulch to retain moisture in the soil and suppress weed growth.
If you scatter tomato tops around some plants, they will repel pests such as carrot flies, cabbage moths, etc.
Tomato tops are also used to feed plants – they make an infusion.
The chopped tops are poured with water (1:2) and left for 5-7 days, stirring occasionally.
Before use, strain and dilute with water (1:10). Water the plants at the roots.
