How to grow tomatoes. How to grow tomatoes in open ground - timely watering

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, you can grow tomatoes on the windowsill, and at any time of the year. There are many varieties that can produce good yields in room conditions. Growing them is no more difficult than ordinary tomatoes in the garden, moreover, they are not afraid of either drought or Colorado beetle. To enjoy fresh tomatoes in the winter cold, you need to study all the nuances of such cultivation, but the most important thing is to choose the right variety.

Room conditions are significantly different from the conditions in the garden, so not every variety of tomatoes will be able to grow and bear fruit normally indoors. Varieties intended for growing on a windowsill have the following characteristics:

• short stature. Due to the limited space, only low-growing and dwarf tomatoes are able to form a crop. Tall tomatoes require not only a lot of space, but also a large number of nutrients, and there is too little soil in the flower pot for this;
• standardization. Not everyone knows how to form a bush correctly, but this is important condition for tomato productivity. Standard varieties have a strong central stem and a dense crown; it does not need to be pinned or tied up;
• resistance to lack of lighting and disease. Indoor plants receive less light, especially in winter, and therefore really need additional lighting. But there are varieties of tomatoes that normally bear fruit in conditions short day, and they need backlighting only on cloudy days. Their genetic feature is short internodes, due to which the stems do not stretch. Of the diseases, tomatoes are most threatened by the black leg (during the seedling growing period) and leaf mold. The most resistant to them are hybrids, which make up 90% of the total number of potted tomatoes.

In addition to these features, indoor tomatoes are distinguished by the highest taste qualities, and are rightfully considered champions among tomatoes in terms of the content of vitamins and sugars in the pulp. But not all of them can boast of yield, because some varieties are more decorative, and form very small, cherry-sized fruits. Of course, they are also edible, but there are too few of them, and therefore they are used most often to decorate dishes.

If you need tomatoes for daily use, choose high-yielding varieties with larger fruits. As a rule, the mass of indoor tomatoes varies between 15-130 g, depending on the variety. The best of them form low bushes completely covered with fruits. On average, one bush can produce up to 2 kg of tasty, marketable tomatoes per season.

Potted tomatoes have another feature - they are perennials. If, after collecting the last fruits, the bush is not thrown away, then after a while new leaves will appear on the stem. Typically, these tomatoes grow and bear fruit within 5 years, although the most abundant crops are in the first 2 years.

The best varieties of indoor tomatoes

The range of indoor tomatoes is smaller than regular ones, but still impressive. Varieties differ in shape, size and color of fruits, height and shape of the bush, ripening time and other parameters. Every year, their list is replenished with new varieties and hybrids from leading breeding companies. Below are the most popular tomatoes for growing on a windowsill.

Name	Main characteristics
	This early ripe variety forms standard bushes up to half a meter high. Its fruits are red, round, with a high content of sugars. Unlike most potted tomatoes, tomatoes of this variety grow up to 70-100 g. With good care, the yield per plant is about 2 kg. The balcony miracle adapts well to the lack of light and can bear fruit well in winter.
	Early maturing, standard. The height of the bushes does not exceed half a meter, and the weight of bright red elongated fruits collected in clusters is 25-30 g. The pulp of these tomatoes is very tasty and fragrant, they are great for salads. In winter, the plant needs lighting, otherwise the harvest will be rather weak.
	A neat lush bush up to 30 cm high. Tomatoes of this variety have a rounded shape and rich red color, fruit weight is 25 g. With good care, each plant produces 1 kg of delicious marketable tomatoes per season
	Today it is considered the smallest type of tomato, the height of its bushes is only 12-15 cm. Round, small fruits (10-12 g) are yellow and red. big harvest you should not expect from him, but in terms of decorativeness, the variety is ahead of most potted tomatoes. Ideal for winter cultivation, since it does not depend on the length of daylight
	One of the best pot varieties. Plants are not tall, maximum 30 cm, densely leafy, compact. The weight of the fruit is about 20 g, the color is red. One bush gives from 1 to 1.5 kg of tomatoes, which are suitable not only for salads, but also for canning. In the summer it can be grown in the beds, and in the fall the bushes are transplanted into pots and brought into the house.
	Its fruits ripen 85-90 days after germination. standard variety, universal use, well fructifies in the conditions of a short day. His tomatoes are small, weighing 25 g, red, fragrant. The bush itself looks very decorative during the fruit ripening period.
	A popular variety valued for its high yield. The bushes have a compact shape, do not exceed 30 cm in height, do not need pinching. Its fruits are small (20-40 g), red in color, with very sweet pulp. The ovaries are collected in long brushes, and during the ripening period, the leaves are almost invisible under the fruits. The variety is resistant to low light and bears fruit well in winter.
	Yellow-fruited and early maturing variety. It can be grown both on the windowsill and in the open field. The height of standard bushes does not exceed 40 cm, the crown is dense, does not need to be formed. The weight of tomatoes is about 40 g, the yield is very high. The skin of the fruit is thin orange color, the pulp is sweet and juicy
	A new, still rare variety. Standard plant, 25 cm tall, during the fruiting period the entire bush is covered with clusters of yellow small tomatoes round shape. Fruit weight rarely exceeds 30 g, the pulp is very sweet. The variety is neutral to low light, so it bears fruit well in winter.
	Early maturing popular Dutch variety. It bears fruit regardless of the time of year and the degree of illumination. The height of the bushes is about 30 cm, in the open field it can grow up to 50 cm. The weight of the tomatoes is 12-14 g, the color is red, the pulp is moderately sweet

Ampel varieties

In addition to standard varieties, ampelous tomatoes are also in demand among fans of indoor growing tomatoes. They can be planted in hanging planters or in tall pots, from which the shoots will hang beautifully on the windowsill. Caring for them is a little more difficult than for ordinary varieties, and the yield is less, but all this is offset by the great taste of tomatoes and the high decorativeness of the bush. The choice of ampel varieties is still small, and seeds can only be purchased from a few domestic agricultural firms.

Name	Characteristics
	Spreading bush with shoots up to 50 cm. The stems of the plant are thin, but strong, and do not break under the weight of numerous fruits. Stepson bush is not necessary. Round tomatoes weighing 15-20 g, when ripe, acquire a crimson color and become translucent. On one plant there can be up to three hundred fruits of a trade dress. The variety is very decorative, feels great indoors and outdoors.
	Spectacular early hybrid. It can grow vertically (but then it is necessary to tie up the stems) and as an ampelous plant. His tomatoes are round, red in color, with a characteristic tomato flavor, weighing about 30 g. The hybrid is specially bred for growing indoors, so it develops well and bears fruit regardless of the time of year
	A new productive hybrid for ampel cultivation. Shoots are slightly leafy, up to half a meter long, strong. Small red fruits have an elongated shape, mounted on long brushes of 8-10 pieces. Tomatoes are suitable for harvesting for the winter, with heat treatment do not crack. AT good conditions the yield of one bush is 1.8-2 kg
	One of the new ampel varieties. Super early, has a cascade shape of a bush, the mass of tomatoes is 25-30 g. The taste of the fruit is excellent, the average yield is about 2 kg. With a lack of lighting, the number of fruits is slightly less
	Already a fairly well-known ampelous variety of domestic selection. It belongs to medium-early, the bush is quite compact, shoots up to 55 cm long. Egg-shaped fruits of red color, average weight about 40 g. When grown in open ground, the weight of fruits is almost twice as much. The variety is characterized by stretched fruiting, and very plentiful. Tomatoes are juicy, tasty, can be preserved
	Very attractive high yielding hybrid. Shoots grow up to 60 cm; the plant does not need pinching. The brushes are densely hung with small (20g) sweet red fruits, which are suitable for canning. The bush grows quickly, so it needs a lot of space. In winter, the plant must be highlighted, otherwise the yield will decrease.

Agrotechnics for growing indoor tomatoes

Like regular varieties indoor tomatoes best grown through seedlings. And at this stage there are no differences, except that the timing of sowing seeds is different. On average, potted tomatoes begin to bear fruit 90-100 days after germination, and if you want to get the first tomatoes by a certain date, consider this factor. For example, to take the first harvest in January, sow seeds for seedlings at the end of September.

Before sowing, the seeds are disinfected by soaking for 15-30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then left in a damp cloth for a couple of days to hatch.

They are sown in a common container with ordinary soil or purchased substrate to a depth of no more than 1 cm. The distance between the seeds should be within 2-3 cm so that the seedlings are not thickened.

Seedlings are transplanted into separate containers as soon as the seedlings form 2-3 true leaves. The sizes of the pots are selected depending on the variety of tomatoes: for dwarf tomatoes, a volume of 1.5-2 liters is enough, for ordinary room ones 3-4 liters, for ampelous ones - at least 5 liters. All pots must have drainage holes. It is very important to properly prepare the soil, because the development and fruiting of the bush depends on its composition.

The best option is the following composition:

• 5 parts of garden soil;
• 2 parts sand;
• 5 parts of rotted compost;
• 1 part peat.

On a bucket of such a mixture, add matchbox urea and potassium sulfate, a handful of sifted wood ash. All this is thoroughly mixed. Now you can start planting seedlings.

Step 1. A drainage layer of fine gravel, pieces of bark, expanded clay or other material is poured onto the bottom of the pots. Fill the containers to the top with soil and make a small depression in the center.

Step 2 Pre-watered seedlings are carefully taken out one at a time and planted in pots, deepening to the cotyledon leaves. Water carefully.

Step 3 They put the pots on the windowsill (preferably on the south side) and regularly turn them around every 2 days with the other side facing the light. In the mornings and evenings, as well as in cloudy weather, plants should be illuminated with a phytolamp.

After a week, the plants are fed with half the dose of nitrogen fertilizers necessary for growth. During the flowering period, in order to increase the percentage of pollination, the stems of the plant are shaken very lightly and carried over the flowers with a feather or a soft brush. After the formation of the ovaries, fertilizing with potash fertilizer is required every two weeks.

In varieties that need to form a bush, stepchildren are removed, the top of the main stem is pinched, and excess inflorescences are cut off to increase the size of the fruit. Tall bushes are tied to supports that are stuck into the ground along the edge of the pot.

If there are signs of fungal infection, all plants are sprayed with phytosporin or another antifungal agent. To prolong fruiting, regularly pick ripe fruits, remove dried leaves, do not forget about top dressing and watering. The earth in pots should be periodically loosened, trying not to hook the roots. With such care, your tomatoes will delight you all winter with a plentiful harvest of sweet, tasty fruits.

Video - Tomatoes on the windowsill in winter: the best varieties

Video - Tomatoes on the windowsill in winter: the best varieties and the procedure for growing tomatoes at home

Some biological features of growing tomatoes

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The beds are arranged so that adult bushes do not interfere with each other. Too close planting will negatively affect the growth of bushes and the ripening of fruits. Compact varieties are planted with an interval of 35-45 cm, large - 55-65 cm, the distance between rows is 60-70 cm and 90-100 cm, respectively.

This will be enough for growing tomatoes in a mobile film greenhouse.

Considered earlier, they are harvested in a short time.

Further care for cherry tomatoes during the period of growth and fruiting is watering, loosening, feeding, as well as disease prevention. How to feed tomatoes read here.

After a couple of days, you can plant seeds. The time of their germination depends on the variety of tomatoes, the quality of the seeds and their storage time. In some tomatoes, the seeds germinate in a week, in others - after 3 weeks. Therefore, each variety of cherry tomatoes is sown in a separate planting box.​

This variety of small tomatoes is loved by many gardeners and not without reason, as they have a great taste, friendly fruit ripening, always a plentiful harvest, versatility in use, fairly long shelf life, the ability to grow on a loggia or on a windowsill.

Type of tomatoes and features of their cultivation

- drawers or flower pots.​

Once a week, pinching is carried out, removing side shoots when they reach 4 cm in length. Only some early maturing varieties with limited growth do not stepchild. To obtain larger fruits in racemes with many inflorescences, technology is used when some of the flowers are plucked out. In early August, pinching of growth points is used, since the fruits no longer have time to grow and ripen. ​

Planting tomatoes should not be done near potatoes.

The plant does not tolerate high humidity, but is demanding on watering, which is necessary for the growth of fruits. With a lack of light, the development of tomatoes is delayed, the leaves turn pale, the stems are strongly drawn out. Additional illumination of plants during the seedling period has a beneficial effect on the quality of seedlings and its productivity.

Tomato, or tomato, is a perennial plant belonging to the nightshade family, but is cultivated everywhere as an annual vegetable crop. The homeland of the tomato is South America, where its semi-cultivated and wild plantings are still common. Came to Russia from Western Europe and at first it was cultivated as an ornamental crop, but, thanks to the Russian agronomist A.T. Bolotov (1738-1833), it was recognized as a vegetable food crop. Nowadays, growing a good crop of tomatoes is one of the favorite activities of millions of vegetable growers, amateurs and professionals.​

Growing and caring for tomato seedlings

As for open ground, holes for planting tomatoes are dug in advance and filled with plenty of water. For example, if you formed holes today, then you need to plant tomatoes tomorrow morning or evening. True, in the greenhouse this event can be scheduled for the day, the active sun will not be able to damage the tender seedlings through the shelter.

If the greenhouse is stationary, then the soil is treated more carefully

Indeterminate varieties

In order to know how to grow cherry tomatoes tasty and healthy, you need to take into account some features for caring for them.

In order for the seeds to germinate, a sufficiently high temperature is needed - about 30. Given this, the landing containers are located close to the heating devices, the top is covered with glass or a transparent film to preserve humidity.

They differ in early maturity, height, color and shape of the fruit, taste.

Cherry tomatoes are different varieties, some of them grow more than 1 meter in height, others are undersized. If you want to grow tomatoes at home, choose undersized varieties up to 40 cm.

Pinching growth points prevents the formation of new flower brushes, and all the nutrients go to the ripening of existing fruits

Growing tomatoes in open ground

The seedless method consists in planting seeds in open ground on permanent place growing tomatoes. The seedless method is practiced only in the southern regions and is carried out two weeks before the end of the last frost. Usually, an ordinary sowing method is used with row spacing of 65-70 cm. Seeds are sown to a depth of 2-5 cm. The plant density in a row is formed by thinning out sprouted seedlings, removing less viable shoots from a row. The first is carried out when two true leaves are formed in the seedlings, leaving 20-25 cm between plants in a row. The second - in the phase of plants having 5-6 leaves, leaving 40-50 cm between plants, focusing on the size of the bush. In the climatic conditions of the south, summer and even summer-autumn re-cultivation is possible, which is used after harvesting early vegetables and greens.

Proper care of the soil, maintaining it in a loose state, making required amount organic and mineral fertilizers contributes to the fact that tomatoes for cultivation can be planted on almost any soil. The only exceptions are very acidic soils and solonchaks.​

Growing tomatoes can be done both in a greenhouse and on open ground, and at home.

The seedlings are carefully removed from the container or planted directly in peat pots, the soil around is slightly compacted and mulched with peat. You can immediately put supports for garter tomatoes. A few days after planting, the tomatoes are not watered. They may become lethargic, but on the second day they should begin to move away. Watering is carried out when the seedlings come to their senses, it is because of this pause before planting that the holes are abundantly filled with water so that the soil is moist and in deep layers.

. It is extremely important not only to fertilize it, but also to disinfect it, since most often greenhouse crops, including tomatoes, die from various diseases - fungi, viruses, bacteria, which are warm and humid environment they multiply at lightning speed. Do not use greenhouse soil again, if you doubt the quality of the land, you should also not use it for greenhouse cultivation. With long-term cultivation of tomatoes in a greenhouse every year upper layer soil is replaced, for this, 10-15 cm of soil is removed, it is thrown out, since it is there that the concentration of pest diseases is highest. You can send this soil for processing, mix it with bleach and leave it for a year or two. Also, do not forget that after tomatoes the land cannot be used for growing other crops.

They do not stop growing, they grow and bloom all the time, respectively, and they generally give more crops, but the fruits ripen later and not evenly.

They need daily but moderate watering. With a lack of moisture, cracks appear on the tomatoes. Brown, with its excess - the fruits crack and become watery.

When shoots appear, seedlings are placed in the most illuminated place. Care during this period comes down to watering and loosening the soil, as well as top dressing, which is carried out every 10 days.

Breeders have bred varieties of cherry tomatoes for growing in our climate.

​Sow the seeds in boxes or flower pots (if you will be growing them at home). Water the plants well with warm water and cover with cling film. Tomatoes sprout quickly, so you will see the first sprouts in 3-5 days.

​.​​How to grow tomatoes correctly? Tomato plantings are placed away from potato plantings, after vegetable crops that do not belong to the nightshade family. In areas where such predecessors were grown, planting and growing tomatoes is allowed no earlier than after 3-5 years. Violation of this rule inevitably leads to plant disease with common diseases, such as late blight. Tomato seedlings can only be grown indoors, in warm greenhouses and by planting seeds in the ground under film shelters. Growing tomatoes begins with the fact that in order to obtain seedlings of early tomatoes, seeds are sown in the first half of March. Growing seedlings takes 65-70 days. Sow in filled soil mixture seedling boxes, peat pots, paper bags or plastic wrap. Liter bags of milk or kefir are suitable for this, if you plant two plants in each.

Harvesting and methods of fruit ripening

Ripe tomato fruits are rich in sugars, contain vitamins of group B, C, vitamin K, carotene and pectin substances, nicotinic and folic acids. They also contain proteins, starches, fiber and many other useful for human body trace elements. Fresh tomatoes and tomato juice are useful for gastritis with low acidity, diseases of the cardiovascular system, anemia, memory loss and general loss of strength. In addition, there is an opinion that if you eat a lot of tomatoes, then this contributes to the prevention of cancer.

Top dressing is necessary for all greenhouse crops, and especially for tomatoes. Tomatoes in the greenhouse are fed 4-5 times, this is the only way to get a good harvest.

Any soil must be treated with fungicides - antifungal drugs, and it is desirable to act on it high temperature- ignite in the oven or pour boiling water - this is how they prepare the ground for seedlings. course for large greenhouse it is quite difficult to prepare the soil in this way, so vegetable growers use chemical or bio means. For example, the earth can be disinfected by spilling it with Bordeaux liquid, potassium permanganate or a solution of copper sulfate.

Technology and method of obtaining seeds

Both are suitable for growing in greenhouses.

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You definitely need a garter of plants and mulching the soil to protect the fruits from pollution and the earth from overheating. Tomatoes are harvested only when they are fully ripe, otherwise the fruits are completely tasteless.

You will need

1. It is also necessary to arrange seedling illumination so that the daylight hours for seedlings are at least 14 hours. Otherwise, it will be impossible to get strong, stocky seedlings.
2. The most popular: in the open field - Red Cherry, Beads, Honey Drop, on the balcony - Minibel, Cherry Lisa F1, Pygmy, Zelenushka F1, in hanging baskets - Cherripalchiki, Garden Pearl, Cascade Red (F1).​
3. Seedlings need to be thinned out as soon as they grow a little. It is not recommended to do this when the seedlings are still very small, since it is necessary to select and leave only the strongest. If you planted seeds at a great distance from each other, you do not need to thin them out. When growing in pots, you need to leave only one plant at a time, otherwise they will interfere with each other to grow normally.

Instruction

• Autumn care for the planting site includes digging 30-35 cm deep and applying organic or mineral fertilizers. On fertile soils, only the application of mineral fertilizers is used: 10 g of nitrogen, 10-15 g of phosphorus and 5-12 g of potash fertilizers per square meter. A full dose of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers is applied when digging in the fall, and a full dose of nitrogen fertilizers is applied before planting in the spring. On infertile soils, organic matter is applied in autumn at the rate of 6-7 kg / sq.m.
• Tomatoes require a certain ambient temperature for growing, so they are recommended to be grown in greenhouses and greenhouses.
• The first time tomatoes are fertilized two weeks after planting
• For large and stationary greenhouses, you can also use gas method disinfection. For this, special sulfur bombs are needed, they are set on fire and during the combustion process gases begin to be produced that penetrate the soil and into all nooks and crannies of the greenhouse. Gas, reacting with moisture, forms sulfurous and sulfuric acids, which destroy fungal, viral, bacterial infections, snails, slugs, ticks and other pests.​
• Also, when choosing a variety, one should pay attention to its other characteristics, such as disease resistance, yield, how well the fruits are stored, whether they tend to crack.

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For tomatoes grown indoors (on the balcony in containers and in hanging baskets), the soil is fertile, loose, moisture and breathable. Once a week, to increase the yield, the bushes need to be fed with Fertility humate.

Pick

The safest way to grow cherry tomatoes seedling method. The term of sowing seeds is calculated based on the time of planting plants in a permanent place. Under the film in the greenhouse, seedlings are planted at the age of about 2 months, in open ground a month later.

Varieties

Do not forget to periodically loosen and water the plants, and during the flowering period, pollinate the cherry tomatoes with the "ovary". It is also necessary to fertilize tomatoes. To do this, purchase any complex fertilizer but before using it, read the instructions on the package. It is not necessary to fertilize often, it is enough to do this only once every 2-3 weeks.

Tomatoes are harvested every 4-5 days, and more often at the peak of fruiting. For current consumption, fully ripe fruits are harvested, but to increase the yield, a method is used in which a lot of brown or milky fruits are harvested. The technology of post-harvest ripening is applied to the fruits harvested in this way. The ripening method is also applied to the fruits of the last harvest, when all the fruits are harvested, regardless of their degree of maturity (since they will no longer be grown).

When using seedless planting, we must not forget that weed control is of paramount importance. Immediately after germination, tomato plants do not grow at all quickly and can be drowned out by fast-growing weeds.

How to grow cherry tomatoes. Tomato cultivation technology

To obtain mid-season and late varieties of tomato, seeds for seedlings are sown in the period from April 1 to April 10. Seedlings are grown for 60 days in special nurseries, greenhouses or small-sized film shelters. In this case, they are planted, as a rule, directly in the ground under shelters. In this case, the feeding area should be at least 6x6 cm.

Growing tomatoes are an extremely successful plant. They are extremely responsive to various agronomic practices and special care conditions. Amateur vegetable growers grow tomatoes by sowing seeds in open ground, under temporary film shelters, planted in greenhouses and greenhouses, on balconies and loggias, and even grown in rooms on windowsills.

. At this time, nitrogen-containing substances such as diluted manure are introduced, or urea can be used. The manure is dissolved in water and the beds are shed in half a bucket under a bush, urea is added at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 10 liters, two liters of solution are poured under a bush.

Beyond the soil

Planting seedlings in a greenhouse begins much earlier than planting tomatoes in open ground. But how much earlier - it's up to you, and each case must be considered individually. Great importance has what region you are in, what the weather is like and, of course, what kind of greenhouse you have. If this is a serious building with the ability to keep warm inside - this is one thing, but if you call it a greenhouse covered with foil garden beds are something completely different. In the first case, seedlings can be planted almost all year round, technically it is possible all 12 months, but in deep winter the seedlings grow very poorly and slowly, so it is reasonable to wait until February or March. Seedlings begin to be planted in a film greenhouse in April or even early May. Before planting

Cherry tomatoes are very healthy. The fruits of this amazing vegetable contain various minerals that have a positive effect on metabolism and the lymphatic system. They are rich in antioxidants, organic acids and vitamins. Eating cherry tomatoes will help improve well-being and prolong youth.

When a plant has 4-6 full-weight leaves, a pick is made. At an earlier stage of plant development, this should not be done because of the danger of seedling disease.

seedling care

If you have tall tomatoes, be sure to put pegs, otherwise the stems will break under the weight of the fruit. Low-growing varieties, especially those that grow at home, do not need to be tied up.

When ripening or laying fruits for storage, you should be aware that mature fruits emit ethylene, a gas that accelerates the ripening of neighboring fruits. This factor must be taken into account when ripening fruits or when laying them for storage. In addition, fruits of different degrees of maturity are stored at different temperatures. Mature - at 1-2 degrees, brown - 5-6 degrees, milky and green - 10-12 degrees.

When growing tomatoes with seedlings, an ordinary, with a row spacing of 70 cm, is used, the method of planting it in open ground or the tape method. With the tape method, the aisles alternate at 50 and 90 cm. Such methods provide planting from 3-4 to 6 plants per sq.m. For giant varieties, the plant nutrition area, respectively, is increased by 3-5 times.

If the method of growing seedlings in pots is used, then the seeds are sown directly in pots. However, more often, especially when growing early tomatoes, the seeds are first sown in sowing boxes, and only two weeks after germination, seedlings in phase 1-2 of true leaves are transplanted (dive) to a permanent place.

The plant has a highly developed root system. With a sufficient presence of moisture and nutrients in the soil, additional roots form on any part of the plant stem. Thanks to this ability, a tomato can reproduce not only by seeds, but also by the so-called lateral shoots (stepsons) and cuttings.

Landing in the ground

The second time the tomatoes are fertilized 7-10 days after the first feeding. You can repeat the procedure or choose something else, such as chicken manure solution. In its pure form, it is not used, as it is very caustic.

They also process the greenhouse itself

​check the night temperature in the greenhouse, it should not fall below 15-17 degrees

6 Harvest

After picking, it is useful to water the plant with sodium humate - 1 gram of the drug is used for two liters of water. Care for seeded seedlings is the same as for seedlings.

Soil for seedlings

Cherry can not stepchild. But if the plant becomes too branchy, cut off unnecessary branches. Stepchildren grow between a real leaf and a stem. Do not cut the main leaves, the tomato will bear fruit poorly or even start to hurt.

To use the listed methods of growing tomatoes, it is better to take seeds of your own production. To do this, we select the most early-ripening and productive healthy plants, which we note by observing their growth and development. From the first and second brushes of mother plants, we select fully ripened fruits. The fruits are taken immediately after their redness, preventing their overripe. The selected fruits are washed, dried and cut across. From the cut halves, we select the seeds with a spoon, placing them in a glass or enamel bowl. We are waiting for the seeds to ferment in their own juice. A sign of seed readiness is the formation of a film and clarification of the juice. Then they need to be rinsed with clean running water, carefully dried, scattering on paper. Ready seeds are stored in paper bags at room temperature.

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How to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse - Onwomen.ru

• Before sowing, we prepare seeds by sorting and selecting the largest of them. Tomato seeds are checked for germination by placing them in a 5% solution. table salt or ammonium nitrate. After 7-10 minutes, heavier seeds will sink to the bottom, and those that remain afloat are rejected. Next, the selected seeds are disinfected. To do this, they are immersed in water heated to 50 degrees for 5 minutes, and then cooled in cold water. Finally, soak the seeds in clean water room temperature. Soaking takes place in a gauze bag filled with seeds by half the volume. Tomato seeds are soaked for 1-2 days, while the water changes 2 times.

Under favorable conditions, the seeds germinate in 4-5 days. The first true leaf is formed approximately on the tenth day after germination, the next 3-4 leaves a week after the first and in the future each new leaf after 4-5 days. Starting from this moment, lateral shoots (stepchildren) begin to form in the axils of the leaves. The period from the first shoots to flowering of plants takes about 60-70 days, from flowering to fruit ripening 50-70 days.​

What varieties of tomatoes are suitable for a greenhouse

The third top dressing falls on the beginning of the flowering of tomatoes. At this point, plants no longer need nitrogen, but potassium in order to set fruit, and it is contained in wood ash. A glass of ash per 1 m2 is enough. After fertilizing, the tomatoes must be watered.​​. If the gas method is not suitable, then bleach can be used. 400-500 grams of bleach is dissolved in a bucket of water, infused for several hours, the contents are stratified and the liquid is drained. It is filtered and used for spraying, whitewashing all structures in the greenhouse, as well as walls, roofs, the soil should be warm. The ideal temperature for a tomato is 22-26 degrees, under such conditions, planting should be most of the day. bountiful harvest- the norm from one bush is at least 3 kilograms, under favorable conditions, 10 or more can be removed. Productivity depends primarily on the variety, and then on the method of cultivation and care. But even the most prolific variety can be spoiled, yet compliance with agrotechnical rules plays a very important role. Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse has its own subtleties; greenhouse tomatoes require completely different care than ground ones. If you want to try this method of growing tomatoes, or you already have experience, but you are looking for useful recommendations, then this article is for you. better in greenhouses.

Cherry tomatoes grow well in neutral or slightly acidic soils. They love nutritious soils rich in minerals with good drainage properties.

A few months after planting, the plants will begin to fruit. Cherries ripen very quickly, and one bush bears fruit for about 6 months. Harvest fruits as they ripen. If you properly care for the plant, it will delight you with a bountiful harvest.

Planting time for tomato seedlings in the greenhouse

Cherry tomatoes can be grown indoors or outdoors. The principle of planting and caring for all varieties of tomatoes is approximately the same, but there are some subtleties. Cherries give a good harvest of small fruits, they are distinguished by "friendliness" of ripening, which is precisely why gardeners like this variety so much. This tomato variety is usually pickled, salted or used in fresh.​​Before planting, water is added to the seedling holes, at least a liter. It is good to pour a handful of wood ash into the hole. Plants are planted vertically, slightly deeper than they grew in the nursery. At potted seedlings, pots are sprinkled with a layer of earth 2-3 cm, in order to prevent them from drying out. Elongated or overgrown seedlings are planted obliquely, leaving only fruit brushes with 2-3 sheets under them not covered. Leaves from the fallen parts of the stems must be removed. On the sprinkled parts of the plant stem, additional roots are subsequently formed. As the plants grow, they are tied to stakes. Seeds are sown to a depth of 1-2 cm. After planting the seeds with soil through a strainer, they are watered with warm water and, having closed the boxes with foil, put them in a dark place. The temperature is maintained at 24-25 degrees, with strict observance of the temperature regime, shoots appear quite quickly. After their appearance, the film is removed, and the temperature, in order to avoid stretching the seedlings, is reduced to 15 degrees within a week. Then it is again raised to 24-25 degrees.

Preparing the soil

The soil for tomatoes should always be kept loose.

Read more How to grow tomato seedlings It is imperative to prepare the soil for tomatoes, and no matter what greenhouse you will grow them in. The land begins to be prepared in the fall, organic fertilizers are applied to it, for example, compost and mullein, so that by spring they will rot and saturate the soil with nutrients, in particular nitrogen, necessary for active growth. The earth is deeply dug up, loosened, weeds, roots are removed and fertilizers are applied, two buckets per 1 m2. From above, the soil can be mulched with peat or sawdust, this will partially prevent the emergence of weeds in the spring. It is good to add wood ash to the soil in the fall. It is crushed into dust and mixed with soil, 1-1.5 cups of ash is required per 1 m2. Tomatoes are divided into determinant and indeterminate varieties. The first ones are compact, form up to 5-6 inflorescences, and after that the central stem stops growing, the last flower brush forms on it.

In order not to disturb the root system, seedlings are planted in a permanent place with a clod of earth, carefully removing the plant from the planting container.

Soil soil can be purchased at the store or prepared in advance, since autumn, on your own. Before planting, the earth must be spilled with a solution of manganese heated to 70 to disinfect it.

Plant tomato, or tomato (lat. Solanum lycopersicum)- a species of herbaceous annuals and perennials of the Solanum genus of the Solanaceae family, whose representatives are widely cultivated throughout the world as a vegetable crop. Tomato in everyday life is called the fruit of a tomato - pomo d "oro in Italian means a golden apple. And the word tomato comes from the Aztec tomatl, which the French improved to modern form. The homeland of tomatoes is South America, where they still grow in the wild today. The tomato vegetable came to Europe in the middle of the 15th century. Seafarers brought it to Portugal and Spain, from where it got to Italy, France and others, more remote from sea routes. European countries. The tomato was bred as an exotic plant, for a long time considering its fruits to be poisonous. For the first time, a recipe for an allegedly Spanish tomato dish appeared in a cookbook in Naples in 1692. Tomatoes appeared in Russia in the 18th century and were grown at first as a decorative curiosity, since the fruits did not fully ripen in the Russian climate, and only the outstanding Russian naturalist, writer and philosopher Bolotov A.T. managed to achieve full ripening of tomatoes, thanks to seedling method their cultivation, as well as the use of the ripening method.

From our article you will learn how to grow tomato seedlings, when to plant tomato seedlings in the ground, how to fertilize tomatoes, how to combat diseases of tomatoes, what fertilizer is best for tomatoes, how to pick tomatoes, what varieties of tomatoes exist for open ground, and get many other interesting and important information, which will help you grow a rich and high-quality crop of these beautiful fruits.

Planting and caring for tomatoes (in brief)

• Landing: sowing seeds for seedlings - from mid to late March, transplanting seedlings into the ground, depending on the variety - after 45-60 days.
• Lighting: bright sunlight.
• The soil: loose, warm, moderately moist, rich in organic matter, neutral or slightly acid reaction.
• Predecessors: good - carrots, onions, cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, legumes; undesirable - tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant and other nightshade plants.
• Watering: regular, drip. Consumption - 1 liter of water per plant.
• Hilling: 8-12 days after planting in the ground, after watering, then 2.5-3 weeks after the first hilling.
• Pasynkovanie: 3 weeks after planting seedlings in the ground.
• Mulching: organic material - grass, peat or sawdust.
• Garter: to stakes or trellises at the level of the first sheet, then at the level of the second brush, then at the level of the third brush.
• Top dressing: 1st - 10-12 days after planting seedlings in the garden, 2nd - two weeks after the first feeding, and 3rd - two weeks after the second.
• Pests: scoops, thrips, wireworms, slugs, mole crickets, gall nematodes and sprout flies.
• Diseases: late blight, brown, brown, white and black spots, white, gray, top and stem rot, verticillium, tracheomycosis, streak, bacterial cancer and viral mosaic.

Read more about growing tomatoes below.

Vegetable tomato (tomato) - description

Tomatoes have a highly developed, rapidly forming branched rod root system, going to a depth of a meter or more, and growing 1.5-2.5 m wide. It is characteristic that, under good development conditions, additional roots can form on any part of the stem, therefore, in culture, it is possible not only seed propagation tomatoes, but also vegetative - stepchildren or cuttings. The stem of tomatoes is branching, decumbent or erect, reaching a height of 30 to 200 or more centimeters. Unpaired tomato leaves are dissected into large lobes, in some varieties they resemble potato leaves. The flowers collected in the brush are inconspicuous, small, of varying degrees of yellowness, they are bisexual - in one flower there are both female and male organs. The fruits are multi-celled berries different forms- rounded, ellipsoidal, cylindrical. The mass of the fruit can be only 30 g, and can reach 800 g. The color of ripe fruits depends on the variety: it can be pale pink, orange, bright red, raspberry, white, light green, light yellow, bright yellow, golden yellow, brown, purple and almost black. Tomato seeds are flat and small, pointed at the base, different shades yellow color, with pubescence, giving them a grayish tint. They do not lose their germination from 6 to 8 years.

In a botanical sense, tomatoes are berries, but in 1893 the Supreme Court of the United States, and in 2001 the European Union decided to consider tomatoes not as fruits, like all other berries, but as vegetables.

Growing tomatoes from seeds

Sowing tomato seeds

Growing tomatoes in open ground is carried out through seedlings, since when seeds are sown directly into the ground, the fruits do not have time to ripen during the season. Growing seedlings of tomatoes begins in winter in such a way that a month after the second picking it can be planted in open ground. In each climate zone planting tomatoes for seedlings is carried out on time, but in any climate, subject to all the necessary conditions, the period from the moment of sowing seeds to planting seedlings in the garden, depending on the variety, is 45-65 days. For example, in the middle lane, seeds for seedlings are sown from March 8 to March 20. If you are going to grow tomatoes not in the ground, but in a greenhouse, the seedlings will be ready for transplanting into a greenhouse in 30-35 days. By the way, in areas with a short summer in the open field, it is better to grow large-fruited varieties of tomatoes: even if they do not have time to ripen, they can be ripened by removing brown ones from the bush. Small-fruited tomatoes become tasteless and lethargic when ripened, while large-fruited ones remain juicy, sweet and tasty even after ripening indoors.

Before planting seedlings of tomatoes, the seeds are heated for two days at a temperature of 30 ºC, then for another three days at a temperature of 50 ºC, after which they are soaked for half an hour in a pink solution of potassium permanganate, then rinsed for 10 minutes in clean running water and kept for several hours in growth stimulant.

For sowing tomato seedlings, any universal soil is suitable, including one consisting of equal parts of sand and peat. You can grow tomato seedlings in a substrate consisting of seven parts of peat, half of sawdust and one part of sod land. Seedlings also grow well in the soil of three parts of peat and one part of humus with the addition of sawdust and mullein in half. Whatever soil you prefer, it must be disinfected in the oven or microwave oven, and two weeks before sowing the seeds, shed it with a one percent solution of the EM-Baikal preparation. You can also sterilize the soil by freezing: put a container with ready-made soil for seedlings in the cold at the beginning of winter, and bring it in in the spring, let it warm up and start sowing.

Boxes for growing seedlings of tomatoes should be at least 10 cm high. If you have enough space, try not to sow the seeds thickly, but it is even better to use peat tablets with a diameter of 33-36 mm for sowing, spreading 2-3 seeds in them, and then it will be possible to avoid picking seedlings. Do not plant the seeds too deep: sow them in moist soil and sprinkle on top with a layer of soil or vermiculite 3-4 mm thick. Cover crops with foil or paper.

Growing seedlings of tomatoes

Proper care of tomato seedlings has a positive effect on the quality and quantity of the future harvest. Until germination, the temperature in the room with crops is maintained at 25 ºC. As soon as sprouts appear, and this happens on average after 5-7 days, the film or paper is removed (it is better to do this in the afternoon), then the seedlings are arranged under bright diffused light, and the temperature is lowered during the day to 10-15 ºC for a week, and at night up to 8-12 ºC. After seven days, the temperature in the room on sunny days is set within 20-25 ºC, on cloudy days - 18-20 ºC, and at night - 14-16 ºC. Make sure that with regular ventilation, the seedlings do not fall into a draft.

Watering the substrate is carried out with settled water at room temperature through a fine sprayer once a week, however, from the moment the seeds are sown in moist soil until the first true leaf appears in the seedlings, the soil is not watered. When the seedlings develop 5 true leaves, they switch to the irrigation regime once every 3-4 days. Be prepared for the fact that you will have to organize additional lighting for the seedlings, since they need 12-16 hours of daylight hours for normal development, but if you do not have this opportunity, feed the seedlings with potash fertilizers in a low concentration. When the seedlings have grown, add a layer of soil 1-2 cm thick to the boxes to provide stability to the seedlings.

Picking tomatoes

The picking of seedlings is carried out in the phase of development of two true leaves. There are directly opposite opinions about the need to pick tomato seedlings, and the adherents of each of them have their own reasons. To understand whether the seedlings really need this procedure, you can do an experiment: dive some of the seedlings by transplanting them after pinching the central root into a cup with a volume of at least 0.5 l (if you use a container of a smaller volume, you will have to dive the seedlings twice ), and for the rest of the seedlings, just pour a little soil into the container for stability. This simple experience will allow you to determine which of the seedlings develop better and whether the picking of the seedlings is really necessary.

Before diving tomatoes, moisten the soil in the container with seedlings. When picking, transplanting seedlings into cups can be carried out individually, or two seedlings can be planted in one container, and when they stretch to 10-15 cm, their stems are tightly tied along the entire length with a synthetic thread. When two stems grow together into one, the thread is removed, and you get a plant with a powerful stem and two root systems.

After picking, the temperature in the room where the seedlings are kept is raised for a week to 25-27 ºC on sunny days, up to 20-22 on cloudy days and up to 14-17 ºC at night, then they return to the previous temperature regime.

Two weeks before planting, seedlings begin to prepare for the conditions in which they will grow in the open field: watering is gradually reduced, seedlings are exposed daily for a short time. Fresh air under direct sunlight, feed with a solution of 1 g of ammonium nitrate, 7 g of potassium sulfate and 4 g of superphosphate in 1 liter of water, carry out preventive treatment against diseases and pests with 1% Bordeaux mixture.

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill

At home, you can grow different vegetable crops- tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, bitter peppers and others. Light-loving tomatoes are best grown on a southern windowsill, as they need good lighting and are not afraid of even direct sunlight. In the autumn-winter period, when daylight hours become short, you will need an agro-lamp or a fluorescent lamp for the normal development of tomatoes. For growing in an apartment, it is better to choose dwarf or undersized varieties, for example, Little Florida, Oak, Red or Yellow Pearl, Pinocchio, as well as Balcony Miracle, Bonsai and Bonsai micro hybrids.

Soil is poured into the cups, consisting of peat, sand, humus and soddy soil in equal parts, it is poured with boiling water, and when it cools down, the seeds are laid out on it. Sprouted seeds are placed in a glass one at a time, unsprouted - 2-3 seeds each. Deepen the seeds by 2 cm. Germinate the seeds by wrapping them in a damp cloth for several days, until tiny sprouts appear on them. But before the start of germination, the seed is checked for germination: it is dipped for 15 minutes in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate - during this time, viable seeds will swell and settle to the bottom, and unsimilar ones will float.

Cups with crops are kept at a temperature of 25-30 ºC covered with glass or film, and after 3-5 days, when the seedlings hatch, the containers are transferred to the windowsill, on which a device for additional lighting. Before watering the tomatoes, make sure that the top layer of the substrate is dry. To moisten the soil, a rubber medical bulb is used, filling it with settled water at room temperature and introducing water between the walls of the glass and the soil. Thus, you will not wash out the soil and will be able to avoid waterlogging of its upper layer. To moisten the soil, you can use the method of watering in the pan.

When the seedlings get stronger, they are transplanted into larger containers: undersized varieties will need three to five liter pots, and for tall tomatoes, dishes with a volume of 8-12 liters are needed. A layer of drainage is laid on the bottom of the pot, then a layer of sand 2 cm thick, a tomato seedling with earthy clod from a glass they transfer it to a pot and gradually add so much earth so that the pot is filled and does not contain voids. The seedling is buried along the cotyledon leaves.

As the tomato grows, you will have to pinch it - remove the shoots that develop in the axils of the leaves. Do not use cutting objects for this, break off the stepchildren with your hands, leaving a stump of 10-20 mm. This procedure stimulates the development of the main shoots and greatly increases the yield of the bush. The optimal daytime temperature after tomato transplantation is 28 ºC, and the night temperature is 15 ºC. Water the tomatoes 2-3 times a week with settled water at room temperature, trying not to erode the surface of the soil. Once a decade, fertilize tomatoes with mineral or organic top dressing, but carefully monitor the concentration so as not to provoke the growth of greenery to the detriment of fruit formation. Watch for the stability of the stem and, if necessary, be prepared to tie the bush to a support. To make sure your tomatoes are pollinating, gently shake the plant a couple of times a week. When most of fruits will be formed, it is advisable to remove the top of the bush and flowering brushes. tomato bush at home, with proper care, it can bear fruit for five years, but the first two years are usually the most fruitful.

Planting tomatoes in open ground

When to plant tomatoes in the ground

Planting tomatoes in the ground is carried out in June, when the danger of frost passes and warm weather sets in. By this time, the seedlings develop a root system, flower clusters appear, the number of leaves reaches seven or eight, and the stem grows to a height of 25-30 cm.

Plot for further cultivation tomatoes should be well lit and warmed by the sun and be protected from the wind. It is good if cabbage, legumes, onions, carrots, beets, turnips and other root crops were grown on it as predecessors. If pepper, eggplant or potatoes grew on the site, that is, representatives of nightshade, then you can grow tomatoes on it no earlier than in three years.

soil for tomatoes

Tomatoes love soil rich in organic matter, while they have the ability to quickly select all nutrients from it, therefore, humus or compost in the amount of 4-6 kg per m², as well as mineral fertilizers: phosphorus and potash, 20 g each, must be applied to the soil for tomatoes in advance six months before planting tomatoes under autumn digging and 10 g of nitrogen fertilizers in the spring in the year of planting. In October, the year preceding the planting of tomatoes, the soil on the site is dug up with organic matter, and the larger the clods of earth, the better, and in the spring of the year of planting, two loosening of the soil up to 10 cm deep should be carried out on the site with embedding nitrogen fertilizer. Subject to the annual introduction of organic matter into the soil in one area, it is possible to grow tomatoes for 2-3 years, after which it is necessary to take at least a three-year break.

How to plant tomatoes outdoors

Before planting seedlings in open ground, they dig holes in the area as deep as the glass in which the seedlings are located, and spill them well with water. The holes are placed in a row at a distance of 30-40 cm, an interval of 50-60 cm is maintained between the rows. Seedlings 30 cm high are planted in holes at a right angle, elongated specimens or seedlings of tall varieties are planted at an inclination with their apex to the south, immersing a quarter or even a third of the stem. The soil is compacted, watered, a peg is stuck near tall tomatoes, which the plant may need as a support. Approximate density of plants per 1 m²:

• tall varieties and hybrids - 3-4 bushes;
• varieties with limited growth of the main stem, as well as those that form only one stem - from 6 to 10 bushes;
• varieties that form 2-3 stems on a bush - 4-6 plants.

Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse

Planting tomatoes in the greenhouse is carried out in the first decade of May. However, at this time it is still cool at night, so cover the greenhouse with two layers of film with a gap of 2-3 cm between them. After the onset of warm weather, and this can happen as early as early June, the top layer of the film can be removed. Keep in mind that tomatoes are not grown in a greenhouse at the same time as cucumbers, since the ventilation mode necessary for tomatoes, lower air humidity and keeping temperature are completely unsuitable for cucumbers. In addition, growing tomatoes requires constant light, the slightest shading from trees or bushes can adversely affect the future harvest.

Do not plant tomatoes in the ridges after the predecessors, or at least replace the top layer of soil 10-12 cm thick after them to avoid infection with anthracnose, then disinfect the soil with a boiling solution of a tablespoon of copper sulphate in 10 liters of water. Vitriol can be replaced with two Oxychoma tablets. In preparation for planting, 3 tablespoons of double superphosphate in granules, a teaspoon of potassium nitrate or carbamide, a tablespoon of potassium magnesia and potassium sulfate and a couple of glasses of wood ash are added to the soil.

Transplantation of standard-sized seedlings into greenhouse soil is carried out according to the same principle and in the same order as planting in open ground, but elongated or overgrown seedlings are planted in this way: in the bottom of the hole, they dig another hole the size of a pot, in which a long seedling. Here they install a peat pot in it or roll over an earthen clod with overgrown seedlings and bury only this lower hole, and leave the upper hole open. After two weeks, when the seedlings take root, it will be possible to bury the second hole. Why do they do it? The fact is that the plant on the stem section buried underground immediately begins to form additional roots and, wasting strength on this, takes root for a long time and poorly.

After planting the seedlings, it is not watered for two weeks, after this period the seedlings are tied to a support up to 2 m high and form single-stemmed plants with 7-8 flower brushes from them, ruthlessly removing all the resulting stepchildren and leaving only stumps 1- 2 cm. To be sure that the pollination of tomatoes will be successful, they resort to lightly shaking the flower brushes, followed by watering the soil or spraying the flowers with water from a fine sprayer. A couple of hours after shaking and spraying, in order to reduce air humidity, airing is arranged in the greenhouse. By the way, in addition to doors and side windows in a greenhouse for growing tomatoes, it is necessary to install ceiling windows so that condensation does not accumulate on the film. The fact is that too high soil and air humidity reduces the amount of sugar and dry matter in tomato berries, which makes them watery and sour. Before the formation of buds, tomatoes are watered once every 5-7 days at the rate of 4-5 liters per m², from the moment flowering begins, the amount of water per unit area during irrigation is increased to 10-15 liters.

The optimum temperature for tomatoes in a greenhouse is 20-22 ºC.

During the growing season, tomatoes will need 3-4 root dressings. The first top dressing is applied three weeks after the seedlings are planted in the greenhouse, and it consists of a tablespoon of nitrophoska and half a liter of liquid mullein dissolved in 10 liters of water. The second top dressing in the form of a solution of a tablespoon of complete mineral fertilizer and a teaspoon of potassium sulfate in 10 liters of water is applied two weeks after the first top dressing. The third time the tomatoes are fertilized after another two weeks, dissolved in 10 liters of water with two tablespoons of wood ash and one tablespoon of superphosphate. Fertilizer consumption is approximately 6-8 liters per m². If you need to speed up the filling (ripening) of fruits, during full fruiting, apply 5 liters of such a solution to each m² of beds: 2 tablespoons of superphosphate, a tablespoon liquid humate sodium per 10 liters of water.

Tomato care

How to grow tomatoes

Like any other horticultural crops, tomatoes in open ground need loosening the soil, weeding, watering and top dressing, protection from pests and diseases. Necessary measures care for tomatoes are also hilling and shaping bushes.

Loosening the soil between the bushes and between the rows should be carried out several times per season - every 10-12 days, in order to destroy the crust formed on the surface. Simultaneously with the loosening of the site, weeds that have appeared are removed. The first hilling of tomatoes should be carried out 8-12 days after planting seedlings in the ground, the next day after watering. The second time they water and spud the tomatoes two and a half or three weeks after the first.

And do not forget about the formation of bushes. In the conditions of Ukraine or Stavropol, for example, you can grow bushes with several stems, but if you have a cool climate, it is better to grow single-stemmed tomatoes, leaving 2-3 brushes on them and removing stepchildren, otherwise instead of harvesting tomatoes you will grow a crop of tops. The first time the side shoots are removed 3 weeks after planting the seedlings in the ground, when they reach a length of 5-7 cm. Tall varieties not only stepchild, they also pinch the growth point in early August. And in climbing varieties, the lower leaves are removed, which reduces the risk of fungal diseases and provides light and air access to the plant, and, therefore, guarantees an earlier and higher yield.

Watering tomatoes

Growing tomatoes in open ground involves regular watering of plants. Tomatoes are watered into the wells, spending up to 1 liter of water per plant. It is better to do this in the afternoon or in cloudy weather. Be sure to water the tomatoes before loosening, during the flowering of the first and second brushes and after applying dry fertilizers. The best way to water tomatoes is drip. In this case, water enters the soil slowly, so there is no sharp fluctuation in air humidity that can harm plants. In addition, water does not stagnate on the surface of the site, but is absorbed into the soil, which reduces the risk of fungal diseases.

The soil in the area with tomatoes can be mulched with black covering material - this measure inhibits the growth of weeds and retains moisture in the soil. Mulching the site with organic matter (grass, sawdust or peat) will attract earthworms that loosen the soil and produce the humus necessary for plants in the course of their life. However, make sure that moles do not appear on the site after the worms, for which earthworms are food.

How to tie tomatoes

Tomatoes can be tied to stakes or to stretched trellises. It is better to place the stakes on the north side of the row, keeping the distance between them and the stems 9-11 cm. For the construction of the trellis, the stakes are hammered every 4 m, ropes or threads are pulled between them. Tying is carried out in three stages:

• immediately after planting seedlings in the ground at the level of the first leaf;
• at the level of the second brush;
• at the level of the third brush.

Top dressing of tomatoes

The first dressing of seedlings is applied 10-12 days after planting the seedlings in the ground, and it consists of a mixture of organic and mineral fertilizers: 20 g of superphosphate is added to 10 liters of mullein solution (one part of slurry to 8-9 parts of water) - this amount should enough for 10 bushes of tomatoes. The second and third top dressings are applied after the first with an interval of two weeks: dry mineral fertilizers are scattered over the area at the rate of 20 g of superphosphate, 10 g of ammonium nitrate and 15 g of potassium salt per m². After that, the site is loosened, embedding fertilizers, and then watered.

Sometimes it is necessary to observe changes in the appearance of plants due to a deficiency or excess of one or another element in the soil. For example, tomatoes turn yellow, or rather, their leaves turn yellow or red, and the stems become brittle against the background of sulfur starvation. From a lack of boron, the stems of tomatoes turn black at the point of growth, the cuttings of young leaves become brittle, and appear on the fruits brown spots. Tomato leaves turn yellow and turn up from a lack of molybdenum, in which case the plant can even be affected by chlorosis, as in the case of iron deficiency, in which the leaves become almost white, and the tomatoes do not ripen and do not even grow. If you find such symptoms, you can get rid of the deficiency of one or another element by foliar top dressing containing the missing element.

Tomato processing

In a cool climate, tomatoes sometimes do not have time to ripen. How, then, to save the harvest, on which strength was spent and hopes were placed? How to process tomatoes to speed up their ripening? We offer you such a simple way: young pine shoots, aged in the refrigerator for a week, chop, pour water in a ratio of 1: 2, boil and simmer over low heat for 5-10 minutes. After the broth has cooled, strain it and dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:3. This composition should be sprayed with bushes during the formation of buds.

Pests and diseases of tomatoes

The most common diseases of tomatoes are late blight (common and southern), from which tomatoes dry, spotting (brown, brown, black and white), rot (white, stem, gray and top), mosaic, from which tomatoes crumble, verticillosis, tracheomycosis, streak and bacterial cancer. We will tell you about the symptoms of diseases, how to deal with these diseases, how to process tomatoes in order to save the crop, what processing agents can be used to rid tomatoes of diseases, and which ones are undesirable to use, we will tell you in a separate article. Now we want to remind you that if you follow the agricultural technology of a crop, you can almost certainly avoid its infection with all these diseases.

Of the pests of tomatoes, most often you have to deal with scoops, thrips, wireworms, sprout flies, slugs, bears and gall nematodes. You can read more about pest control in this article. We will only say that in any case it is preferable to use natural, time-tested folk remedies to get rid of pests - decoctions, infusions of herbs that have insecticidal, fungicidal and anti-feedant actions.

Collection and storage of tomatoes

Cut off all buds and flowering shoots on tomatoes three weeks before harvest to speed up the ripening of already formed fruits. Harvesting is carried out selectively, as the fruits ripen - not complete, but to brown, pink, yellowish, or milky. Such tomatoes ripen perfectly in a week or two, retaining an excellent taste and sweetness. Green tomatoes taken from the bush will also ripen, but will not be as tasty. You need to finish harvesting before the night temperature reaches 8 ºC, as at this temperature the risk of disease damage to tomatoes increases. Many gardeners try to pick tomatoes before the "cold dawn" so that the crop does not die.

However, each variety matures at its own time. For example, early-ripening varieties can be harvested in mid or late July, mid-ripening varieties ripen in late July or early August, late-ripening varieties in August-September. Ripe tomatoes are placed spouts down in cardboard boxes or plastic boxes lined with paper, trying to keep each container no more than 12 kg of fruit, otherwise the pressure on the bottom row will be too strong. The shelf life of ripe fruits before processing, canning as a whole or eating is not more than a week.

Harvested and placed for ripening, brown and pink tomatoes ripen faster than milky white and green ones. Large, intact tomatoes, taken from the bush along with the stalks, are suitable for storage and ripening. Tomatoes are also ripened in cardboard boxes covered with lids. In the middle of the box put 3-4 ripe fruits that produce ethylene, which speeds up the process of ripening tomatoes. If ripening tomatoes in wicker baskets or plastic boxes, it is necessary to cover them on top with burlap or some other dense material that prevents ethylene from escaping. If you want your tomatoes to ripen as quickly as possible, keep them warm. Pink tomatoes ripen in 5 days, brown ones in a week, fruits that are in the degree of milky maturity - in 10 days. But to keep the tomatoes until mid-December, spread paper between the layers of tomatoes and keep them in a cool room - a glazed balcony is quite suitable for this, like a dry cellar or a cold veranda. However, during long-term storage, tomatoes must be sorted out from time to time in order to prevent any one rotting fruit from infecting all the others.

Types and varieties of tomatoes

There are several classifications of tomatoes. The classification of the American scientist C. Rick divides tomatoes into 9 types. We have adopted the traditional classification, in which tomatoes are divided into only three types: ordinary tomato, Peruvian tomato, hairy tomato.

Currently, there are over 70 varieties and hybrids of the common tomato, and these are only tomatoes for open ground. According to the structure of the bushes, tomatoes are standard, non-standard and potato-shaped. Standard tomatoes are compact bushes, with thick stems, corrugated, medium-sized leaves on short petioles. This is a very large group of medium-sized and dwarf varieties and hybrids that form few stepchildren. The leaves of non-standard tomatoes are large, slightly corrugated, their stems are thin, lodging under the weight of the fruit. Non-standard tomatoes can be both tall and dwarf. Now the so-called semi-standard tomatoes have appeared - a cross between the described species. Potato tomatoes with large, potato-like leaves are rare.

There is a division of tomato varieties according to the type of bush growth into low-growing (deterministic) and tall (indeterminate). In this group, superdeterministic and semideterministic varieties are also distinguished. The subtleties of this classification are of interest only to professionals.

According to the time of ripening, tomatoes are divided into early, mid-season and late varieties.

The early varieties are

• Irma- medium and large-sized tomatoes, ripening in 100 days, on a bush 50-60 cm tall, not requiring stepsoning, with good keeping quality - the variety is ideal for canning in its own juice, for autumn salads and whole-fruit freezing;
• Zest- bushes 50-80 cm high with dense red heart-shaped fruits, weighing about 100 g, excellent taste - with sweetish watermelon pulp. Good for both salads and canning;
• Butuz- height of the bush is 50-60 cm, the yield is high, the mass of red barrel-shaped fruits is 100-200 g, the taste and keeping quality are good.

Of mid-ripening tomatoes, such varieties are popular

• bull heart- soft, juicy fruits of large and medium size, pink-red color with a thin skin and an excellent sweetish taste. Productivity is good, but the variety is susceptible to brown spot infection;
• Lady fingers- a bush about 50 cm high, not forming stepchildren, with a small amount leaves and pear-shaped fruits of red color with dense, hard pulp - ideal for canning;
• – Koenigsberg- a tall variety, reaching from 1.5 to 2 m with elongated red fruits in the form of an eggplant of excellent taste and weighing up to 300 g.

Late tomato varieties worth growing

• De Barao- a powerful plant up to 4 m high with plum-shaped, even, dense fruits weighing up to 70 g of high taste. The variety is cold-resistant and shade-tolerant, intended for fresh consumption, whole-fruit canning and long-term storage;
• The finish- a bush up to 75 cm high with fruits of excellent taste quality of orange-red color weighing up to 90 g. The variety is distinguished by productivity and resistance to verticillium.
• Cherry- a well-known and beloved by many variety with excellent decorative and high palatability of small sweet fruits weighing up to 30 g, collected in a brush. They can be preserved directly with a branch. They are suitable for growing both in open ground and on a balcony or in a greenhouse.

We offer you a description of several unusual varieties of tomatoes, information about which you may find interesting.

• pepper tomatoes, which are also called banana-shaped, differ not only in their unusual appearance, but also in their unusual taste. Popular varieties: Jersey Devil, Auria, Uncle Styopa.
• ribbed tomatoes large-fruited and productive, they are similar in shape to a peeled orange, but with convex slices. Varieties: Tlacolula, American Ribbed.
• orange tomatoes, containing more sugar, lycopene and beta-carotene than regular varieties are indicated for people allergic to red fruits. The most famous variety is Persimmon.
• yellow tomatoes have a rich taste and a golden, pleasing to the eye color. They contain lycopene and a large amount of carotenoids. These tomatoes are also suitable for allergy sufferers. The best varieties: Golden domes, Honey drop, Wonder of the world, Goldfish.
• white tomatoes they have an unusual taste - they have a lot of sugar and no acid. Varieties: White Snow, Bull's heart white, Snow White.
• black tomatoes- leaders in the content of ascorbic acid, beta-carotene and other vitamins, they are also valued for their extraordinary taste qualities, however, unfortunately, these hybrids do not have a high yield, in addition, they are not cold-resistant and at the same time ripen late, so they can only be grown outdoors in a warm climate. Varieties: Raj Kapoor, Gypsy, Black Prince, Blue Sky.
• green tomatoes, which never blush, have a unique taste. Most famous varieties: Emerald apple, Swamp.

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It is hard to believe that tomatoes (they are tomatoes) have been known to Europeans since the middle of the 16th century, but they began to be eaten only at the very end of the 18th century. Prior to this, tomato bushes were grown exclusively as ornamental plants, and their fruits were considered poisonous. As early as 1774, gardening manuals warned that tomatoes would drive those who eat them crazy. Perhaps they were not so far from the truth: a delicious juicy tomato can really drive a true gourmet crazy!

Tomatoes are herbaceous annuals or perennials belonging to the nightshade family. The tomato has a very developed root system, and its seeds are kept for about nine years.

Growing seedlings of tomatoes

For sowing tomatoes, you must use: plastic containers, seedling cassettes and so on, which need to be disinfected before sowing. Any containers must be with special drainage holes at the bottom, otherwise the plants will be susceptible to disease. Before starting sowing, it is necessary to ensure a good, regular temperature and air ventilation.

For sowing tomato seedlings, you can use any or a mixture of and taken in equal parts. Sowing too thick is not worth it, otherwise the seedlings will stretch out. In sowing, you need to do it in rows, this will allow you to use the lighting with maximum benefit.

Immediately before sowing, the substrate must be thoroughly moistened. Seeds are needed - for disinfection, improving their sowing qualities and the speedy appearance of more friendly shoots. It is necessary to warm dry full-weight tomato seeds with variable temperatures: 48 hours - about +30 ° C, and another 72 hours - at +50 ° C. You can sow dry or pre-soaked in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. We lower the seeds into a glass with a solution, stand for about half an hour. After that, the seeds must be washed in running water for about 10 minutes. Immediately after sowing, the substrate must be covered with a film or a thin (about 5 mm) layer, this will help maintain soil moisture.

Until the first shoots, you need to maintain a temperature not higher than +23 ° C. And immediately after their appearance, the film from the seedling containers must be removed. In order not to expose still very weak seedlings to excessive evaporation, it is better to remove the film in the afternoon. it is necessary to produce a finely sprayed jet; it is impossible to flood the seedlings strongly with water. The temperature regime must also be observed: as soon as the first shoots appear, the temperature should be reduced to +8 ° С ... +10 ° С at night and +10 ° С ... +15 during the day - within 3 days, thus hardening the seedlings already from the first days of her growth. Hardening must be continued until it is transplanted into a greenhouse, but not less than 15 days for the entire time of its growth.

Seating preparation

For the cultivation of tomatoes, it is better to choose the southern, southwestern or southeastern areas. Good harvests give tomatoes planted near the southern wall of buildings or a fence. Tomatoes can be successfully grown in the same place even 2-3 years in a row, although then fertilizers must be applied for planting. The best predecessors for tomatoes are, and. It is not recommended to grow tomatoes after, and. In those areas where these crops were cultivated, tomatoes can be planted no earlier than three years later. Otherwise, you will put the plants in danger of getting sick.

The soil for planting tomatoes in open ground must be prepared in the fall. So, if the soil is elevated, for autumn digging per 1 m2 it is necessary to make:

• 0.5-0.9 kg;
• 5-7 kg organic fertilizers(you can take bird droppings, peat or);
• 40-60 gr.

If you applied a sufficient amount of fertilizer (about 10 kg per 1 m2) for the previous crop, then the area allotted for growing tomatoes only needs to be dug up.

Spring tillage for preparation for tomatoes should include the application of 30-40 g of superphosphate and 25-30 g of fertilizer per 1 m2 of soil. Immediately before planting, already under the last loosening of the soil, it is necessary to apply 15-20 g of potash and 30-40 g of fertilizers per 1 m2.

Planting tomato seedlings in the ground

from timely and quality fit hardened seedlings into the ground largely depends on obtaining a high yield of tomatoes.

It is necessary to plant tomatoes in the first decade of June, and only after the danger has passed will warm weather be fully established. Both in ridges and on a flat surface, the plants must be placed in rows, with a distance between them of 30-40 cm, between rows - 30-50 cm.

Before planting tomatoes on the site, it is necessary to make holes and spill them well with water - 0.9-1 l per hole. Try to purchase tomato seedlings a few hours before planting so that it does not fade - the wilted one takes root poorly, gets sick, and lags behind in development. Those who grow seedlings on their own should not have such problems, they can plant them in the garden immediately after they are taken out of the cups or selected from.

It is necessary to plant plants a little deeper than they grew in a greenhouse. Experienced gardeners it is advised to cut off several lower leaves of the plant, and when planting, deepen them as much as possible (up to half of the stem is possible). It is necessary to plant a little with a slope to the northwest. The roots of the seedlings must be carefully compressed with earth, without bending them, so that the ends of the roots are directed to the bottom of the hole. After the tomato seedlings are planted, the plants must be watered, and the hole itself should be sprinkled with dry earth on top.

Excellent results are obtained by growing tomatoes under simple film shelters and on insulated soil - steam beds. This allows for higher yields of early tomatoes and also accelerates the ripening of fruits.

To make steam beds, it is necessary to dig a pit about 60 cm wide and about 20 cm deep. Inside, you need to load biofuel - heated manure (about 5 cm layer), and cover it with earth 15 cm from above. Seedlings in steam beds should be planted in the same way as and in open ground, the only difference is that you need to start planting 20 days earlier, somewhere in the middle of May.

Quite often, shelters made of transparent polyethylene film are also used, the use of which, especially when combined with fallow ridges, makes it possible to plant tomato seedlings as early as early May and get a tomato crop in mid-July. Film-covered frames should be installed over the fallow beds immediately after planting the seedlings, leaving them for the entire growing period. Care for plants under the film is exactly the same as for those growing in open ground: timely loosening, top dressing, formation of bushes.

Tomato care

Caring for tomatoes consists in hilling, loosening the soil, and watering, forming a bush and timely combating and.

The soil in the aisles and rows with tomatoes needs to be loosened - approximately every 10-12 days, but at least several times during the summer. If you are cultivating tomatoes in heavy soils, deep loosening is necessary in the first 10-15 days after planting.

The first time to spud tomatoes is necessary 9-11 days after planting the seedlings. Immediately before starting work, it is necessary to water: hilling with moist soil will accelerate the formation of new roots on the stem of the plant. The second hilling must be carried out 16-20 days after the first.

Tomatoes must be watered in a timely manner in the wells, the water consumption is 0.7-0.9 liters per plant. best time considered the second half of the day and cloudy weather. Watering is required during the flowering period of the first and second brush, before loosening the soil, after applying dry mineral fertilizers. Plants are undemanding to air humidity, but if it is excessively high, they can also become ill with brown spotting.

During the summer, tomatoes need to be fed several times with organic fertilizers.

The first top dressing should be carried out 10-12 days after planting - with a mixture of mineral and organic fertilizers. So, for a 10 liter bucket of mullein solution (for one part of mullein or slurry, you need to take 8-9 parts of water), you need to add about 20 grams of superphosphate. One bucket of this nutrient solution should be used for 10 plants. The second and third top dressing (with an interval of 2 weeks) should be done dry mineral fertilizers immediately after loosening or under hilling. About 20 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium salt and 10 g of ammonium nitrate must be added to a plot of 1 m2.

Top dressing of tomatoes with a solution of mullein, photo from the site

In the process of caring for tomatoes, great attention must be paid to the formation of a bush - timely pinching, pinching the top of the stem. The practice of many gardeners has shown that excellent harvest mature tomatoes in the open field can be obtained by forming a plant bush into one stem, leaving 2-3 brushes.

Tomato plants need to be tied to stakes or a special rope stretched along the rows. Stakes should be placed on the north side at a distance of 9–11 cm from the stem.

Plants must be attached to stakes in three steps:

• the first time - immediately after planting the seedlings (not far from the first leaf);
• the second and third - as the plant grows, at the level of 2 and 3 brushes.

If tapestries are used, stakes must be driven in every four meters, between which the thread must be pulled.

Pests and diseases of tomatoes

The most common diseases of tomatoes:

• late blight;
• macrosporiosis;
• streak;
• septoria;
• stolbur;
• top rot.

Pests:

• wireworms;
• whitefly;
• bears;
• gall nematode;
• scoops.

The lack of most nutrients in tomato plants can be defined as follows:

• with a lack of nitrogen, the color of the stem, leaves, and also the fruits themselves change. The leaves become smaller, yellowish in color, the veins below the leaf become red-bluish, and the fruits become harder and smaller;
• if there is a lack of phosphorus, the leaves of the plant are wrapped inside;
• with a lack of potassium, the sheets become curly;
• a lack of calcium leads to the fact that young leaves are completely covered with yellow spots, and the old ones become larger and change color to dark green. Often in such cases, tomato plants are affected by blossom end rot, especially at high humidity;
• with sulfur starvation, the leaves first become pale green, after which they intensively turn yellow, and sometimes turn red. Sulfur starvation appears first on young leaves, while the stems become extremely brittle and brittle;
• lack of boron leads to blackening of the growing point of the stem, and the fruits are affected by brown spots;
• if there is a lack of molybdenum, the leaves of the tomatoes turn yellow, twisting up, gradually the entire plate is affected by chlorosis;
• in case of iron deficiency, tomatoes completely stop growing. Their young leaves are affected by chlorosis. In the most severe cases, the leaves of the plants turn completely white.

harvesting tomatoes

Three weeks before the final harvest, the buds and flowering shoots of the plant must be removed, this will contribute to the early ripening of the bulk of the fruit. Tomatoes are harvested selectively, first of all, ugly fruits are removed.

To keep tomatoes for a long time, they need to be harvested not red, but brown, and only then they are put to ripen. Tomatoes must be removed from the bushes until the air temperature at night drops below +8 ° C (at low temperatures, the risk of tomato diseases increases significantly).

Varieties and hybrids of tomatoes

According to the structure of the bushes, tomatoes are divided into:

• nonstandard;
• standard;
• potato-like.

Non-standard ones are distinguished by thinner stems that lie down during the fruiting period, as well as large, slightly corrugated leaves.

Standard tomatoes are distinguished by compact bushes with fairly thick stems, heavily corrugated leaves, medium in size, with short petioles.

Potato (large-leaved) tomatoes are quite rare, and they are called so because of the leaves, shaped like potatoes.

Today, there are more than 70 varieties and hybrids of tomatoes for cultivation in open ground, as well as over 40 - for closed ground. The most common of them:

Early ripe varieties

White filling- one of the most productive varieties.

The bushes of the variety are relatively small and do not need pinching. The fruits are round or round-flat, fleshy, smooth, slightly ribbed at the stalk, weighing up to 130 g. The color of mature fruits is bright red, in an unripe state - milky white.

Ground Gribovsky- Resistant to both disease and low temperatures, drought tolerant, but high humidity susceptible to late blight.

It gives high yields not only when grown through seedlings, but also by sowing seeds directly into the ground. The fruits of the variety are round or round-flat, smooth, medium in size, weighing up to 100 g.

sparkle- low medium-branched tomatoes.

The fruits are elongated-oval, weighing up to 110 g, the growing season is up to 115 days. High-yielding, with tender fruits.

Mid-season and mid-late varieties

These varieties are most suitable for outdoor cultivation, the fruits ripen in 100-130 days.

New in Transnistria- mid-late, extremely productive variety.

Bushes of medium height, medium-sized fruits weighing up to 60 g, orange-red or bright red, elongated-oval, smooth, with a rather dense shell. Resistant to blossom end rot.

Torch- high-yielding variety, characterized by friendly ripening of fruits.

Bushes are compact, medium-sized. The fruits are very easily separated from the stalk, round, smooth, red, weighing up to 100 g.

Late-ripening varieties

Late-ripening tomato varieties are best grown in the southern regions of the country, since their growing season reaches 150 days. In terms of yield, they are significantly superior to early and mid-season.

Ermak- grade undersized tomatoes with round-oval red fruits with a rough skin, weighing up to 140 g.

Tomato variety Ermak, photo from the site

It is steady against cracking, differs in stably high yields and amicable ripening. The fruits of the variety are stored on plants for a long time.

tortilla- indeterminal (tall) non-standard hybrid.

Best grown in a greenhouse, fruiting all season. Flat-round fruits weighing up to 100 g. Extremely resistant to viruses, root rot and brown spot.

I shared with you all the secrets successful cultivation tomatoes. I hope they help you get a rich harvest of delicious tomatoes!