Top dressing of tomatoes in the open field and greenhouse - practical experience. Many people know about foliar, but they use it less often, but in vain

With the annual exploitation of the soil in the garden plot, a gradual depletion of its composition occurs due to plant nutrition. Residues of nutrients are washed out by rain and watering. Seasonal applications are required to control tomato yield. a certain amount fertilizers to enrich the land and protect plants from pests and diseases.

Why do we need fertilizers for tomatoes in open ground

With a smart distribution of top dressing, you can get a rich crop of tomatoes, which are very sensitive to the introduction of various additives into the soil and react with increased resistance to diseases and an increase in the number of fruits. This is primarily due to the history of the appearance of tomatoes in Russia.

Tomatoes are native to South America. The soils there are depleted due to the large number of plants, so tomatoes in wild nature have small fruits. Fallen leaves of plants in subtropical and tropical climates quickly decompose and serve as nutrients for plants growing there. wild species the nightshade family. The climate in the homeland of tomatoes is humid, so tomatoes need regular watering in hot weather. Subject to the regime of fertilizing and watering tomatoes in open field you can achieve large fruits and in large quantities throughout the summer.

There is an opinion about the dangers of fertilizers for vegetable crops and a person. On this occasion, we can say the following: there are certain dosages of fertilizers for each type, methods for their application, a fertilizing calendar. Specifically for tomatoes, this knowledge has been accumulated for decades, so it is important to observe them and not increase the amount of mineral and organic fertilizers.

There are norms for feeding tomatoes in the open field and in the greenhouse. For greenhouse tomatoes norms for calculating fertilizers that are accepted for soil plantings are not recommended. Why? Because there are no natural precipitations in greenhouses that wash out excess substances, the amount of water is strictly dosed. There is more nutrition left in the soil, and it makes no sense to use the formulation indicated for outdoor plants.

Without nutrient solutions, the soil will quickly become impoverished and work on the garden plot will be fruitless and difficult. Therefore, it is worth understanding in detail: what, when and why to contribute for good growth and the development of such a popular vegetable as the tomato.

Types of fertilizer for tomatoes

Used to grow tomatoes traditional views top dressing:

• organic - manure, compost;
• mineral fertilizers- potassium, phosphorus, iodine, magnesium, nitrogen, boron, calcium.

The specificity of top dressing is such that organic substances decompose for a long time and are absorbed by plants throughout the entire growing season. Therefore, such fertilizers are applied once a season - in spring or autumn. Someone advises making organic matter in the fall and digging up the soil, in the expectation that the earth will be enriched with nutrients during the winter. Someone is a supporter of spring organic supplements. Both the first and second methods are justified.

Video about the correct feeding of a tomato in the open field: root and foliar methods

The most high-quality and useful ingredient for root dressing of tomatoes in the open field is cattle manure or chicken manure. The solution must be prepared according to the following rules:

• the first layer is last year's manure;
• the second is grass and garden waste;
• the third is the manure of the current year;
• fourth - tops, cleaning fruits and vegetables.

You should alternate layers until the compost heap reaches a height of one and a half meters. Next, pour it with water (several buckets) and leave to soak. Compost maturation period - one year. During this time, the components are fermented, and they turn into an environmentally friendly fertilizer rich in nutrients for tomatoes. When interacting with the soil, the formation of the upper fertile layer occurs - humus, on which any vegetables, including tomatoes, feel great.

Chicken manure feed

Chicken manure is a valuable nutrient fertilizer for tomatoes in the open field. In addition to a large amount of nitrogen, its composition includes trace elements - phosphorus, magnesium, potassium. Fertilizing is being prepared different ways: from fresh manure, from dry matter. Fresh litter must be diluted with water - in a ratio of 1:20, that is, 1 liter of litter per 20 liters of water.

It should be borne in mind that with the simultaneous feeding of tomatoes chicken manure and nitrogenous fertilizers, plants will first use natural fertilizer, and then the additional one. This is one of the mistakes made by amateur gardeners - an overdose of fertilizers. Plants begin to get sick and there are signs of oversaturation of the soil with certain types of dressings.

Minerals

Mineral fertilizers are applied during the entire period of growth and fruiting of tomatoes. The point here is the exact amount and time of application. Mineral complexes can be bought ready-made and balanced, or you can cook at home on your own.

The basis for mineral fertilizers can be ash and chalk. Chalk helps reduce the acidity of the soil, to which tomatoes are very sensitive. In farms, the composition of the soil is determined by the laboratory method. At home, this can be done using litmus paper. Tomatoes grow well Soil pH 6.2 to 6.8.

• ammonium nitrate;
• urea;
• superphosphates;
• potassium compounds.

The compositions of mineral fertilizers can be combined with organic additives, but the period of plant growth and the amount of top dressing should be taken into account. For example, during the period of flowering and fruit setting of tomatoes, they need more potassium. Therefore, you need to take a potassium supplement and mix something organic into it - compost or home-made liquid green fertilizers.

Dosages of substances in homemade mixtures should be accurately calculated to avoid plant death.

What else can be used to feed tomatoes in the open field

Depending on the available components, as a top dressing for tomatoes, you can use horse dung, pork, rabbit, goose, quail, milk waste, yeast, coffee grounds.

Of the minerals - boric acid, potassium permanganate, iodine.

If you choose between dry and liquid dressings, then for tomatoes it is better to use liquid ones, after moistening the soil with water. Solutions reach the desired depth faster and are more easily absorbed by the root system.

One of the popular compositions for tomatoes is green manure based on grass or tops. The cut grass is collected in a large container, chicken manure is added from half a bucket, a pack of yeast, if any, ash. Water is added and left to ferment for two weeks. Next, the grass is used as a mulch, and the plants are watered with a solution.

Fertilizers behave differently in the soil. Nitrogen substances are washed out most quickly. Phosphates are more immobile, so they have a long period of complete dissolution, they are introduced long before transplanting tomato seedlings into the soil.

Foliar fertilizer application for tomatoes

Agronomists advise not to neglect foliar top dressing of tomatoes in open ground. Plants absorb nutrients better through the leaves.

If there is a change in the color of tomato bushes, twisting of the leaves, this means that it is urgent to replenish stocks. nutrients and bring out root dressing. This will speed up the process of saturation of the plant and prevent the processes associated with starvation of growth arrest and fruit ripening.

Foliar spraying is done using iodine, boric acid, a solution of potassium permanganate, trichopolum. The last remedy can be bought at the pharmacy. Growers use it to fight bacteria, as metronidazole (trichopolum) has antibacterial properties.

When to Foliar Tomatoes

For young seedlings, it is more appropriate to use complex additives and foliar top dressing, and for adult plants - potash and nitrogen fertilizers, as well as phosphorus.

Foliar top dressing is carried out early in the morning or in the evening so that the sun does not evaporate the liquid, and it is completely absorbed by the plants.

Fertilizing tomatoes with yeast

Yeast is used as an additive in the manufacture of liquid fertilizers for outdoor tomatoes. They start the process of fermentation and fermentation of the components. The temperature during fermentation rises, which also accelerates the growth of seedlings.

Yeast, when it enters the ground, contributes to the reproduction of beneficial soil bacteria, which has a positive effect on the absorption of nutrients by tomatoes and improves upper layer. More oxygen enters the soil beneficial vitamins and minerals from yeast.

The microorganisms that form the basis of yeast are able to work and multiply at a certain temperature of the soil and air, therefore, such top dressing is applied to a sufficiently warm ground.

To prepare the solution, you need to take a bucket of water and 20 - 30 g of yeast, half a glass of sugar. Dissolve everything and let the composition ferment for a day in heat. Then you can pour into a large barrel - liters per 100 - 120 and water under the root.

Soil selection and preparation for planting tomatoes

It has already been said above that tomatoes came from South America. They have a lot in common with potatoes, including diseases. Therefore, it is not recommended to plant tomatoes in the place where potatoes grew before. Pathogenic microorganisms may remain in the soil, which will prevent young seedlings from gaining strength.

For tomatoes, you should take a separate place in the garden. The soil for tomatoes must be prepared in the fall. Apply phosphate fertilizers, as they take the longest to dissolve and react with the soil, organic fertilizers- manure or compost is also introduced in the fall. By spring, the manure will decompose and be suitable for plants to assimilate.

In autumn, top dressing is applied to a depth of about 30 cm and dug up, leaving large clods of earth. This contributes to better hydration when the snow begins to melt in the spring.

Seedlings are planted in separate holes with a depth of 10 - 15 cm at a distance of 50 cm from each other. Depending on the variety of plants, the distance may be less - up to 30 cm.

You can also make a solid hole - a trench. This is necessary so that water and liquid fertilizers do not spread, but fall directly under the root of the plant.

Trace elements for feeding tomatoes

Trace elements enhance the taste of tomatoes, protect against diseases, increase the nutritional value of fruits. For tomatoes, the following additives are needed:

• calcium - for metabolism, reducing soil acidity;
• boron - affects the amount of vitamin C in fruits;
• magnesium - improves the formation of chlorophyll in the leaves, thereby affecting oxygen metabolism;
• iodine - improves the exchange and absorption of nitrogen by the plant.

With a lack of trace elements, plants get sick, turn yellow, and become covered with dark spots. Reduced resistance to diseases - bacterial and fungal.

Trace elements are applied both by spraying and under the root.

Top dressing recipes

There are many recipes for making micronutrient supplements that are easy to make at home.

For example - whey or milk with iodine. You can use an aqueous solution of iodine. To do this, for 1 three-liter jar of water you need 1 - 2 drops of iodine. It is necessary to water the moistened soil under the tomatoes.

Boric acid solution also affects the taste and nutritional properties of tomatoes. Boric acid does not dissolve in cold water, therefore, it is necessary to pour 10 grams of acid with boiling water, stir and pour into a ten-liter bucket. With foliar feeding, boron is better absorbed by plants. For the entire season, it is recommended to spray tomatoes with boric acid three times.

Calcium supplements - necessary for tomatoes from the stage of seed growth. In the process of seedling development with a lack of calcium in plants, the root system does not grow well, and therefore the entire bush. Calcium is involved in the process of decomposition of organic matter in the soil, which affects the nutrition and absorption of other important elements - nitrogen and potassium. It reduces the acidity of the soil.

Most importantly, tomatoes are considered one of the champions in calcium content and are recommended for dietary nutrition.

When applying calcium fertilizers, the proportions of potassium and nitrogen should be observed, since their excess in the soil leads to poor absorption of calcium by tomatoes.

To feed the tomatoes with calcium, use dolomite flour, slaked lime, chalk, ground limestone. The fastest way to do this foliar way.

Fertilizing tomatoes in the fall

In autumn, soil preparation begins spring planting tomatoes. During this period, they use phosphate fertilizers, potassium chlorine-containing compounds, manure.

Nitrogen fertilizers are applied in small quantities and only ammonia forms. It is mainly practiced on hard clay soils.

Video how to use correct dressings get a high yield of tomatoes

Potassium sulphate can be added to the soil in the fall. Especially in sandy areas.

The amount and types of fertilizers are used depending on the type of soil and the rate of distribution of nutrients.

In the fall, you can start laying " compost barrel» - unused fruits, vegetables, manure, grass. Leave for the winter and fertilize the ground with a ready-made composition in the spring.

Spring and summer tomato fertilizers

During the period of active growth of seedlings, they need nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. If phosphates were not applied in the fall, then in the spring they must be added to the soil 10 days before planting seedlings. During this time, phosphorus will partially dissolve and will be ready for absorption by plants.

The total number of top dressings is two or three per month. Do not oversaturate the earth with fertilizers - both natural and artificial.

The fertilizer season begins in the spring after planting tomatoes in open ground. After 3 weeks, it is necessary to make nitrogen compounds - ready-made or homemade. tomato bush at this time, actively gaining green mass.

During flowering, the need for potassium and phosphorus increases. The composition can be prepared by diluting according to the instructions ready mixes, and can be made from home ingredients: 250 g of dry chicken manure, 1 tablespoon of superphosphate fertilizer, 1 teaspoon of potassium sulfate. Mix everything in a ten-liter bucket. One bush takes about 1 liter of solution.

Root and foliar top dressing should not coincide in time

The third top dressing is during the formation of the inflorescence. We use potassium.

The fourth - before the formation of fruits or during ripening. Superphosphate and potassium. Nitrogen is not used at this time, as it can cause increased shoot growth, which will negatively affect fruit ripening.

Fertilizers for outdoor tomatoes must be applied regularly, even if the soil is considered fertile. Only in this case will it be possible to remove big number delicious tomatoes. But feeding with nutrients must be carried out according to certain rules, otherwise you can harm the vegetable garden.

Top dressing of tomatoes in open ground should be carried out at least three times during the entire growing season, but if the soil is not fertile, then much more often. In open beds, tomatoes are more likely to face adverse factors, so you need to help them resist diseases, cold snaps, and winds. Besides the fact that fertilizers increase the resistance of plants to various bad conditions, they also help to improve the quality and quantity of the crop.

If tomato bushes lack some element, then you can determine this by appearance. How to fertilize tomatoes will tell the color of the leaves of tomato bushes.

1. From an excess of nitrogen, the plant begins to "fatten". The greenery is dense, the stems and branches are thick. With a lack of this element, the leaves, on the contrary, become pale with a grayish tinge. Flowering and fruit formation is delayed.
2. Phosphorus deficiency can be recognized by the purple color of the leaves. If there is a lot of phosphorus in the soil, then the leaves begin to turn yellow, dry and fall off.
3. The plant can also dry out with a lack of potassium. If formed on the stem and leaves white coating, then you need to reduce its introduction.
4. Phosphates should be eliminated when the leaves curl and dry. An excess of potassium and nitrogen leads to similar problems.

Thus, before applying fertilizer, you need to make the right choice. Minerals can be used organic compounds. Widely used natural products that can compensate for the lack of nutrients in the soil. Various ingredients can be used: eggshell, banana peel, yeast, wood ash.

How to feed tomatoes after planting in the ground, there are many recipes for self-preparation of the composition, you can also buy a ready-made preparation.

After the seedlings are planted, it must be left alone for 7-10 days. During this time, the bushes adapt to a new place and take root. Do not worry if it was noticed that in the early days the bushes are sluggish and do not develop. The fertilizers laid down during the preparatory work will soon give strength, and in a few days the sprouts will begin to straighten out.

If the leaves on the planted bushes have not recovered, the stem looks sluggish even after 15 days, then the first feeding is carried out. Then top dressing is carried out every 2.5 weeks. Especially in dire need of additional elements vegetable crop during flowering and fruiting. Foliar top dressing in the form of spraying can be carried out more often.

Preparatory work on the site

In order for the growing process to bring pleasure, and there are no problems, you must first choose a suitable place for the beds. The site should receive enough light for at least 6 hours per knock, there should not be constant through winds.

Tomatoes feel good in the beds where cucumbers, cabbage, legume. You can not plant for about three years on the land where the nightshade crop was harvested, for example, eggplant, potatoes. These vegetable crops are subject to the same infections and pests.

Before planting seedlings prepare the soil. Preparatory work they begin in the fall, when the entire crop is harvested and the tops of old plants are removed. The soil is recommended to be dug up and mixed with organic fertilizers. Ideal for manure, compost, peat.

In case of increased acidity of the soil, it is necessary to add lime chalk. It is not difficult to measure the indicators, it is enough to buy a litmus strip in a specialized store and lower it into the ground.

If the fall failed to hold all preparatory activities, then it is not too late to do this in the spring. An infusion based on organic components, manure or humus is added to the dug up earth.

The last step is the preparation of holes for planting bushes. The distance between the recesses depends on the variety of tomato. If tall varieties are selected, then the distance should be at least 50 cm. For undersized plants the interval can be reduced to 35 cm.

Planting sprouts should be preceded by fertilizing directly into the wells themselves. The day before transplantation, the wells are filled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then you can fill them with wood ash, eggshell or pour pre-prepared yeast infusion.

Characterization of organic components

How to feed tomatoes in the open field depends on the composition of the soil, weather conditions, the condition of the tomato bushes and the stage of their development.

The most popular organic fertilizer, not only for open beds, but also for greenhouse tomatoes, is mullein.

Such top dressing can be used at any stage before flowering. Based on it, a liquid infusion is made. Can't be fresh cow dung apply to the soil, as this can lead to a burn of the root system and the plant will die. Fresh manure is poured with water and left to infuse in a warm place for a couple of days. During this time, the nitrogen will have time to decompose and will not harm the vegetables. The finished solution is once again diluted with water and poured under the root.

During flowering, the need for nitrogen decreases, but the need for phosphorus and potash fertilizers. At this time, you can use complex formulations based on mullein. You can combine mullein with nitrophoska, boric acid and potassium sulfate or with wood ash. The selected components are filled with water, thoroughly mixed and applied directly under the root.

Outdoor care for tomato beds is not complete without bird droppings. It contains a large number of nitrogen. In fresh form, it is also forbidden to bring to the beds. An infusion is made from it. Chicken manure is filled with water. Leave to infuse for 2-3 days. Before watering, the solution must be diluted with water.

During the formation of ovaries and fruiting, it is useful to feed tomatoes with a composition based on mixing chicken manure with superphosphate and potassium sulfate.

Many experienced vegetable growers make a composition of manure, bird droppings and mineral components at the same time. Organic components are poured with water and infused. After that, potassium sulfate and boric acid are added to the infusion. Before use, the prepared solution is diluted with water.

Compost is an infusion based on crushed grass. But you can use a more nutritious composition. Lime, wood ash and a little urea are added to a bucket of chopped grass. All components are poured with water and left to infuse.

Herbal infusion is very popular. You can grind any meadow herbs, but nettle, dandelion, quinoa, chamomile have the greatest nutritional value. You can take a few herbs for the infusion. The selected greens are filled with water and left to infuse for 7 days. During this time, the contents should ferment. Then the solution must be filtered and diluted with water.

Ordinary dry or live yeast can be used to prepare nutrient formulations. Thanks to such top dressing, the plant will develop better, form more ovaries, reduce the risk of developing diseases and pest attacks. You can water the plants only when the earth warms up well. Yeast is poured with water and left to infuse.

Root watering should be done in the evening, when there is no rain and sun. After fertilizing, you need to water the beds with ordinary settled water.

Mineral fertilizers

Fertilizers can also be purchased at the store. There are verified and effective drugs which protect the plant from adverse factors and contribute to its accelerated development.

Top dressing of tomatoes in the open field and in the greenhouse by experienced vegetable growers is most often carried out by the following complex compositions.

Nitroammophoska in its granules contains a large number of trace elements. The granules can simply be scattered between the tomato rows, or you can make a liquid solution. Dissolve 50 g of granules in a bucket of water. As soon as they dissolve, you can start watering. One bush should take about a liter of solution.

Kemira Lux is rich in trace elements that begin to act immediately after they enter the soil. Available in liquid form or in granules. The composition promotes the colonization of beneficial bacteria, improves resistance to infections, and increases productivity.

Tomatoes after planting in the ground can be fertilized with Mortar. The drug is allowed to be used for foliar or root top dressing. Only 15-20 g of the substance needs to be dissolved in 10 liters of water. For a certain growing season, you can choose a separate series. If the seedlings do not develop well after planting, then it is better to choose Mortar brand A, during the fruiting period, brand B will benefit. During the period of fruit formation, top dressing is carried out every week.

Agricola-3 is rich in three main components necessary for growth, development and fruiting - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Magnesium is an additional component. In one liter of water, 2.5 g of the substance must be diluted. It is necessary to apply fertilizer only under the root.

You can independently prepare mineral fertilizers for tomatoes based on folk recipes.

• Top dressing with a high nitrogen content can be prepared from ammonium nitrate.
• Nitrophoska and sodium humate will be useful during the formation of ovaries and fruiting.
• Phosphorus and potassium cannot be dispensed with during the ripening of tomatoes. For cooking, you need potassium chloride and superphosphate.

Each store drug can be found detailed instructions for use and breeding, which must be strictly adhered to. Not only a lack, but also an overabundance of trace elements can adversely affect the development of a vegetable crop.

Foliar feeding

In addition to root dressing of tomatoes after planting in the ground, it is also useful to carry out foliar spraying with nutrients. If root top dressing for the entire growing season needs to be applied 3-4 times, then foliar spraying with nutrients can be carried out at intervals of 10 days.

1. Before the flowering period begins, the leaves can be treated with a urea-based solution.
2. During flowering and the formation of ovaries, it is useful to treat with a solution of superphosphate.
3. Useful composition of boric acid, blue vitriol and urea. All components are taken in equal quantities and filled with water.
4. You can spray the plant with a solution based on only one boric acid.
5. Many gardeners use a recipe based on milk and iodine for processing. Milk and a few drops of iodine are added to a bucket of water. This composition is able to saturate the plant with microelements and protect against the penetration of pathogenic bacteria.
6. You can prepare a solution from wood ash, which will replace any other complex fertilizers. The ash is poured with water and boiled for 30 minutes. After the solution has cooled, it is diluted with water, crushed soap is added and the green part of the plant is sprayed.
7. To process greens, you can mix Fitosporin and Zdraven.

Phytosporin is a biological product that enhances plant immunity, promotes its recovery in case of damage, accelerates growth and improves development. Phytosporin can be used as preventive measures every 10 days. Dissolve 5 g of powder in a bucket of water.

Fertilizer Zdraven helps to strengthen the root system of vegetable crops, reduces the formation of barren flowers, improves taste qualities fruits, increases disease resistance. On the 14th day after transplanting the seedlings, a solution can be prepared. On a bucket of water you need to take 15 g of the substance.

Foliar nutrition will help not only make up for the lack of any substances, but also protect against diseases and pests.

Foliar treatment should be carried out before 10 am in dry, calm weather. It is recommended to combine foliar fertilizer with treatment from pests and diseases.

In order for tomatoes to give a good harvest, gardeners must properly feed them with fertilizers throughout the growing season. “Feed” tomatoes with fertilizers as necessary, both organic and mineral, observing the optimal balance of top dressing in the open field after planting tomato seedlings. To ensure full growth of the fruits, the root system of tomatoes needs mandatory feeding.

As a reference, we recall that the fruits of tomatoes should ideally contain about 94% water, 0.6% fiber; 1% protein, 4% carbohydrates, vitamins A, C, PP and others, as well as a number of organic acids. In Russia, this type of nightshade began to be eaten starting from the 18th century, but on the other hand, it is widely and everywhere, growing tomatoes even in the northern regions in greenhouse conditions. Due to the high content of vitamin C in ripe tomatoes, as in citrus fruits; phosphorus, iron and especially potassium, they will be correctly included in the diet of patients with metabolic syndrome, with and even with gastrointestinal diseases and digestive disorders.

To give tomatoes big harvest good fruits containing the whole complex of vitamins, minerals and fiber, you need to know and follow the agricultural technique for the use of various mineral fertilizers and organic dressings. Tomatoes, in turn, are quite demanding on the nutritional characteristics of the growing soil, do not forget about this when planting seedlings in open ground in spring.

Fertilizing the soil in the fall for the future planting of tomatoes

The struggle for the harvest of the next year begins in the autumn of the previous one, therefore ideal option will determine in advance the area under the tomatoes on suburban area, given the predecessors (potatoes, eggplant, or), after which it is irrational to plant tomatoes, primarily due to the accumulation of related diseases and pests. It would be nice to know in advance the data on the fertility of the soil in which you are going to plant seedlings in the spring. Since this is not always feasible, experienced gardeners believe that you can’t spoil porridge with oil, especially in the pre-winter period, and fertilize by eye with organic fertilizers (mullein, bird droppings, compost), because by spring everything will decompose in the ground and will become an excellent top dressing for tomatoes.

In autumn, to improve the structure of the soil, it is better to introduce potash and phosphorus fertilizers into the soil, combining this with deep digging of the site. In heavy clay and loamy soils, peat and rotted sawdust should be added.

Soils with high acidity need to be “deoxidized”, limestone chips, fluff are suitable for this purpose ( slaked lime) and dolomite flour, as well as lighter deoxidizers: chalk and wood ash.

If in the fall, for some reason, the plot for tomatoes was not fertilized, then digging it up in the spring before planting them, you can only add ripe humus, but not fresh manure. Top dressing of tomatoes in the open field in spring can take place in three stages:

1. The first feeding of tomatoes occurs at the end of the second week after they are transplanted into open ground.
2. The second - foliar top dressing of tomatoes, stimulating the formation of a fruit ovary, is carried out during flowering.
3. The third top dressing is at the stage of formation of fruit ovaries.

The total amount of top dressing dictates the state of soil fertility. Poor sandy soils require top dressing every 2 weeks. There is no need to fertilize fertile black soil at all.

It is enough to carefully observe the process of vegetation of tomato bushes, appearance which will indicate an overabundance or lack of nutrients. For example:

• too much nitrogen lush greenery, and the disadvantage is that the color of the foliage turns pale - the timing of flowering and fruiting will be postponed.
• Phosphorus imbalance: foliage becomes clearly purple tone- flaw; leaves turn yellow and fall off - excess.
• The branches and leaves of a tomato dry out - there is not enough potassium, and become covered with matte spots - potassium is in excess.
• If the leaves of tomatoes growing in the open ground began to curl, it became necessary to feed potassium and nitrogen in careful doses, excluding phosphates.

When choosing a fertilizer dosage for tomatoes, you must strictly follow the instructions and your own assessment of soil fertility. The "gluttonous" root system of tomatoes will use the maximum possible amount of fertilizers applied to the soil, not at all caring about the consequences, which can harm, first of all, the quality of tomatoes. Experienced gardeners know that it is better to underfertilize than to overfertilize tomatoes.

Fertile soils initially have a sufficient set of macro- and microelements, but impoverished soils are in dire need of their harmonious periodic replenishment by applying appropriate fertilizers. This is true not only for growing tomatoes, but also for other vegetable crops in your garden.

The main among the soil macro-and microelements affecting the yield are: nitrogen, potassium, calcium and phosphorus - the most demanded various types nightshade plants. Nitrogen contributes to the proper development of nightshade seedlings before the formation of buds. The baton of nitrogenous compounds with the onset of the period of formation of fruit ovaries is picked up by potassium and regulates the juiciness of tomatoes. Phosphorus is extremely important for the growing season of tomatoes, the lack of which the leaves of seedlings and developed bushes will respond to. purple tint. Without a sufficient level of calcium, it is not necessary to talk about a high-quality root system and strong stems. Full calcium filling is the protection of tomatoes from diseases. But all these elements must be in balance, only then will the best fertilizers for tomatoes be obtained.

Organic fertilizers have been known to mankind and gardeners since time immemorial and are valued for their naturalness, safety and environmental friendliness. These include manure-humus, mullein, bird droppings, wood ash, peat, silt and compost. In the process of their decomposition, mineral elements and carbon dioxide, which is so necessary for plant photosynthesis, are released.

It is better to apply a number of organic fertilizers before winter in autumn so that their organic structure is completely decomposed, which will improve the soil structure, its friability and drainage capabilities. Folk forms of fertilizers can also be classified as organic, for example, yeast mash, which is prepared from a mixture of: 10 liters of water, 10 grams of yeast, a small amount sugar or old jam, which, after mixing, must be kept in a warm place for several days and, after fermentation, used as root dressing after watering early in the morning or in the evening.

Manure, mullein, bird droppings in dilution with water are fermented, for urgency yeast can be added. The fermented slurry is diluted with water in proportions of mullein and manure 1:7, and bird droppings 1:20, and after watering, each plant is fertilized under the root.

Herbal mixtures of weeds or an infusion of chopped nettles, chopped beforehand, are poured with water and insisted for several days in warm weather. As soon as the fermentation stops and the solution brightens, it can be used tenfold with water as a liquid root top dressing only for tomatoes in the open field.

Mineral fertilizers are inorganic compounds that contain the chemical nutrients necessary for plants in the form of various mineral salts.

Depending on what nutrients they contain, fertilizers are usually divided into simple and complex. Simple mineral fertilizers contain any one mineral plant nutrition element.

This type includes phosphorus, nitrogen, potash and mineral fertilizers. Complex fertilizers contain two or more main nutrients at the same time. Mineral fertilizers for tomatoes are produced at chemical enterprises, they have convenient and durable packaging, on which all the information and even instructions for use for plant nutrition are written.

Mineral salts such as ammonium sulfate, ammonium sulphate, carbamide provide the soil with nitrogen, but will acidify it excessively. It turns out that when they fertilize nightshade plants, which are harmed by excess acidity, it is necessary to add lime to the soil after applying this series of fertilizers.

An important source of nitrogen in early dates growing tomatoes is urea. The most used mineral fertilizer is superphosphate, which can saturate the soil with phosphorus, which is easily absorbed by the root system of tomatoes and peppers, but direct contact with the roots of the powder of this fertilizer can burn them - you need to take care of the soil layer.

Complex fertilizers for tomatoes

Such fertilizers are best purchased in a production blend, where several different mineral salts are combined in a balance at an accurate dosage, useful plants when applied correctly. Gardeners approve mineral complex: "Kemira", "Mortar" and "Universal".

Experienced gardeners are able to complete various mineral fertilizers themselves: double, triple - according to the number of combined elements. For beginners, such creativity can turn into the fact that plants can receive some elements in excess from such combinations, others in deficiency, and the difference between them can turn into a failure to assimilate the third element. When growing tomatoes in open ground, urea, nitrophoska, calcium nitrate and potassium monophosphate are most often used.

Instructions on how to properly feed tomatoes in the open field?

The frequency of application of fertilizers during the growing season of tomatoes correlates with the state of soil fertility, but usually at least 3 times per season, and according to objective indications, more is possible. Moreover, such dressings can be foliar and root. It is desirable to alternate them.

Foliar top dressing of tomatoes

Foliar top dressing of tomatoes is appropriate while the fruits of tomatoes are pouring, because they transport nutrients faster when sprayed through the leaves. For example, pale leaves indicate a significant lack of nitrogen, and the best and fastest way to deliver it to the plant is by spraying with an aqueous solution of urea.

Spraying time - early in the morning or after sunset, so that the nutrients are absorbed optimally. The fertilizer solution must be at least +22°C.

Root nutrition of tomatoes

Root nutrition of tomatoes is a dosed watering with liquid fertilizer directly under the root of the plant. It should be carried out after watering for better transportation directly to the root system. This fertilizer should be applied under each plant.

So, the agrotechnics of feeding tomatoes is quite complicated, it requires compliance with important rules, compliance with the terms of feeding, only the best fertilizers for tomatoes, and most importantly, a competent selection of types of fertilizers, both organic and mineral.

Tomatoes are one of the most beloved crops by gardeners. This is annual plant belonging to the Solanaceae genus. You can grow them outdoors, but the best option are the greenhouse and film shelters. To receive high yield requires regular feeding and good lighting. However, not all gardeners know how to feed tomatoes, and in what period it needs to be done for the full growth and development of tomatoes.

Fertilizers for open ground and greenhouses

Top dressing of tomatoes in the open field, namely when transplanting seedlings, is an important point that many gardeners miss and suffer from the resulting poor-quality crop. Initially, you need to treat the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect it. The answer to the question of how to feed tomatoes when planting in the ground is ordinary saltpeter. It is brought directly into the hole for 1 tbsp. spoon. This procedure is carried out in order to also facilitate the engraftment of seedlings.

Advice. Also, a complex of fertilizers can be added to the hole: superphosphate, ash and compost. Organic fertilizers are applied in a glass, superphosphate 20 g.

When planting tomatoes in a greenhouse, it is also desirable to feed them. How to feed tomatoes in this case and what to use for this? Here you can use ordinary dry yeast. Means is being prepared in the following way: for 3 bags of yeast, 2 tbsp. a spoonful of granulated sugar, 0.2 kg of ash and 1 liter of liquid mullein. All components are dissolved in 1 bucket of water. The infusion is concentrated, so it must be diluted (1 liter per 10 liters of water).

Tomatoes

Further feeding of tomatoes

The first top dressing is needed as soon as the tomatoes are planted. How to fertilize tomatoes during this period? Top dressings are root and foliar. Most often, gardeners use the first type, completely forgetting about the second, considering them useless. And completely in vain, since they have a better effect on the growth of tomatoes and fruiting.

Foliar top dressing of tomatoes is extremely useful. The fertilizer falls directly on the leaf, is absorbed by it, and the plant receives additional nutrition much faster than if you apply top dressing at the root. But the benefits of root dressings are also obvious, the main thing is to produce them on time and use suitable means.

foliar top dressing

The first dressing of tomatoes is done 10 days after picking. For further fertilization, the instruction is as follows: feed 1 time in 10 days. Under this regime, the plants will be resistant to diseases, easily resist pests, and the yield will be greater.

First dressing

During the period of seedling growth, special ready-made dressings are most often used. For example, it can be Zdraven for seedlings of tomatoes and peppers or universal. Breeding is recommended in accordance with the instructions.

After the tomatoes were planted on permanent place, the type of fertilizer changes. It depends on the fertility of the soil. If it is poor in nutrients, then organic and mineral fertilizers should be applied.

From organic matter, an infusion of mullein or bird droppings is recommended. Sprinkling the earth with ash with the next watering also has a positive effect. You can make an infusion of grass, let it ferment and use it as a top dressing.

From mineral fertilizers with poorly fertile soil, nitrophoska and other complex fertilizers are suitable, if the soil is fertile, then potassium sulfate or potassium magnesia. The consumption of all these types of fertilizers is 1 tbsp. spoon for 1 bucket of water. Watering is carried out under the root.

Second top dressing

The second feeding coincides with the flowering period of the second brush and the beginning of the formation of ovaries on it. How to feed tomatoes during this period?

During the second feeding, a whole complex of organic and mineral fertilizers is used. Prepare the following composition:

• 10 l of mullein solution (can be replaced with a solution of chicken manure);
• 1 st. a spoonful of any mineral fertilizer;
• 3 g of copper sulfate;
• 5 g of potassium permanganate.

The resulting solution needs to feed the tomatoes at the root. The consumption of the solution is:

• undersized tomatoes - 1 l;
• determinant tomatoes - 1.5 l;
• tall tomatoes - 2 l.

You can also make top dressing that promotes the formation of ovaries. For these purposes, superphosphate has proven itself well (1 teaspoon per 5 liters of hot water, mix and cool). The solution is intended for root top dressing.

Tomatoes during this period are also very responsive to foliar feeding, when 1 g of boric acid and magnesium sulfate are diluted in 10 liters of water. Plants are sprayed with the solution.

The simplest and most affordable fertilizer during this period is ordinary ash, which is scattered on the soil surface. You can also prepare an infusion (10 teaspoons of ash per 10 liters of water, leave for 7 days). Such top dressing, applied with watering, accelerates the growth of fruits.

Important! The introduction of boric acid is necessary if its deficiency is observed. You can notice by the appearance of the plant: the growth of the bush slows down, the ovaries form poorly, and the fruits have an irregular shape.

Third top dressing

The third feeding coincides with the period of active fruiting. They use the same composition as for the second top dressing, but it is imperative to pay attention to the appearance of the tomatoes. If there are few fruits, and there is a lot of green mass, then the nitrogen part is excluded from the composition of the fertilizer or simply fertilizing with ash.

Foliar top dressing for diseased tomatoes

What fertilizers are needed for foliar top dressing if the plants do not feel very comfortable in the open field?

If there is a slowdown in the growth of tomatoes, pallor of the leaves and weakness of the stem, then urea is used. To do this, 1 teaspoon of fertilizer is diluted in 10 liters of water and sprayed.

Important! Top dressing is also good because it is suitable for processing from pests and diseases.

When flowers fall, boric acid is used (1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water), and calcium nitrate will help out in low light (15 g per 10 liters of water).

Boric acid

If the plant looks weak, depleted, then after nitrogen top dressing, foliar top dressing is carried out with urea and calcium nitrate (for 10 liters of water, 10 g of urea and 15 g of nitrate).

The best fertilizers for tomatoes

As indispensable helpers in growing tomatoes, many gardeners note the following fertilizers.

Borofoska

This tool is used in rainy weather, when nutrients are washed out of the soil, on sandy soils, and also if crops that absorb large amounts of phosphorus and potassium were previously grown at the planting site of tomatoes. It is allowed to use as top dressing throughout the summer. Allows tomatoes to make up for the deficiency of potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. The benefits are obvious: the yield increases by 20%, the fruits become larger, flowering is longer. At the same time, the soil retains a supply of nutrients for the next season.

Note! Borofoska (application specifically for tomatoes) is the most common fertilizer among gardeners.

Ammophoska

Universal fertilizer that can be used everywhere. It contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur. It is especially necessary to make it on sandy, clay and marshy soils.

Important! Together with ammofoska, organic fertilizers can also be used, from which the result will only improve.

Ammophoska as a fertilizer (application for tomatoes, peppers and cabbage) is justified in various terms. So, when the question arises of how to fertilize tomatoes when planting in the ground, you can safely answer, Ammophoska. It helps plants to better transfer the transplant. Since it contains potassium, it can be safely applied during the periods of flowering and fruit set, because it is at this time that tomatoes need potassium fertilizers.

Ammophoska

Fertik

For infertile soils, you can buy a Fertik. This is a relatively young drug that is produced on the territory of the Russian Federation, but Finnish raw materials are used. The product is available in small granules of pale red color and in the form of a concentrated solution. The fertik is dissolved in the required volume of water, according to the instructions, and top dressing is carried out at the root. You can also apply from autumn.

Zircon

The Zircon preparation is very important when growing tomatoes. But it is not only a root former, in connection with which it is used as a fertilizer for tomatoes during transplantation, but also increases resistance to diseases and is a growth regulator. Good for seed germination.

baby

The Malyshok preparation is recommended to fertilize the soil both for seedlings and for an already adult plant. It contains all the elements needed for good nightshade growth. Its use has a positive effect on the growth and root formation of the plant, rapid fruiting and helps tomatoes adapt to stressful conditions.

Baikal

Do not lose sight of biofertilizers, one of which is Baikal. In practice, it has been proven that when growing tomatoes using this preparation, you can get a rich harvest (from one bush up to 150 kg). In order to achieve such success in your area, you need to act strictly according to the scheme:

1. A container without a bottom is made from a barrel or boards for planting tomatoes with a volume of about 1 m².
2. Holes are drilled along the perimeter of the container for oxygen access.
3. A 10-centimeter layer of urgasy is laid out at the very bottom.
4. On it is the same layer of soil mixture, which consists of turf, Baikal biofertilizer, ordinary earth and EM compost, taken in equal proportions.
5. At the beginning of May, 1 tomato seedling is planted under a film shelter in a prepared container.
6. The lower leaves are cut off and, after drying, another 10-centimeter layer of soil mixture is added.
7. This procedure is carried out as the plants grow until the container is completely filled.

What will the gardener get from growing tomatoes in this way:

• the bushes will have a very powerful root system;
• such a plant does not need to cut off stepchildren, so a real giant grows - a whole tomato tree;
• the first collection will be a little late, not earlier than mid-July, but the fruiting will be long (until mid-October), since such bushes are resistant to cold snaps.

Folk remedies

Not only mineral fertilizers for tomatoes are used on household plots. Folk natural dressings are very popular. They contribute to proper development and long-term fruiting.

Iodine

Ordinary medical iodine is widely used for growing tomatoes. It promotes faster ripening of fruits.

Important! Iodine is a prophylactic against late blight, which causes great harm to tomatoes.

It can be used both indoors and outdoors. As soon as the landing is made on a permanent place, 2 weeks after the first dressing of the seedlings is carried out. In the future, it can be carried out every 2 weeks. In 1 bucket of water, dissolve 4 drops of a medical preparation and water the plant under the root. For 1 plant, up to 2 liters of solution will be required.

Nettle

Top dressing of tomatoes in open ground is very important. Nettle infusion is well suited for this. It contains many nutrients: potassium, magnesium and calcium.

To make it, you need young nettles before they bloom. The greens are put in a bucket, compacted and filled with water. In this form, it should stand for 2-3 weeks. The container can be placed in the sun to speed up fermentation. Every 2-3 days the infusion should be stirred.

Such top dressing can be used weekly, after its introduction, mandatory watering is required. If you do not like the smell of nettle fermentation, then you can add valerian root to the container with the solution.

Nettle as a fertilizer

Tomato diseases and their prevention

In the process of caring for tomatoes, you need to not only think about how to feed the tomatoes, but also how to protect them from diseases and pests.

Tomatoes are most susceptible to such diseases:

• mosaic;
• late blight;
• top rot;
• leaf curl.

This list can be continued for a very long time. The main thing to understand is that the plant hurts less, proper care is very important. And in order to prevent the development of diseases, it is important to detect the first signs in a timely manner and either begin treatment or destroy diseased bushes.

Disease prevention also plays an important role. For these purposes, copper oxychloride, homa, are suitable, which are diluted as a solution of the required concentration and sprayed on plants. You can combine this procedure with foliar top dressing. Is an effective tool to combat late blight, spotted rot and macrosporiosis - the main diseases of tomatoes.

Which of the above means - a special one ready from a store or a folk one - to choose, each gardener decides for himself. Some are sure that they have not yet come up with anything better than complex ones and give preference to them, others do not want to water the garden with “chemistry”, therefore, according to the old-fashioned method, they use ash and chicken droppings. Both have pros and cons, which must be weighed before applying under the root or spraying the bush.