Tomato cultivation and care. Growing and caring for tomatoes: beautiful red! Variety selection, growing tomato seedlings and proper care

Senior tomato is a positive hero of culinary creations, in contrast to the famous cartoon character. To enjoy the taste of a homemade vegetable, it is enough to know the characteristics of the variety of culture and a few rules for growing tomatoes.

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 tomato, which the French improved to a modern form. Tomatoes are native to South America, where they still grow in the wild. The tomato vegetable came to Europe in the middle of the 15th century when seafarers brought it to Portugal and Spain, from where it ended up in Italy, France and other European countries more distant from sea routes. exotic plant, for a long time considering its fruits 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 a lot of other interesting and important information that 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 taproot system, going a meter or more deep and growing 1.5-2.5 m wide. It is characteristic that when good conditions development, additional roots can form on any part of the stem, so 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, 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 climatic 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 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 peat, half sawdust and one part 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, and two weeks before sowing the seeds, it should also be shed 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 room temperature in sunny days 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 potash fertilizers in 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 open ground: watering is gradually reduced, seedlings are exposed daily for a short time to fresh air under direct sunlight, fed with a solution of 1 g of ammonium nitrate, 7 g of potassium sulfate and 4 g superphosphate in 1 liter of water, carry out preventive treatment against diseases and pests with one percent Bordeaux liquid.

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 get short, you will need an agro-lamp or 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 your tomatoes, make sure upper layer 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. A tomato bush at home, with proper care, 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.

The site for the further cultivation of tomatoes should be well lit and warmed up 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 for autumn digging and 10 g of nitrogen fertilizers in 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 planting year, two loosening of the soil up to a depth of 10 cm should be carried out on the site with 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 blue vitriol 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 are added to the soil. wood ash.

Transplanting seedlings of standard size in greenhouse soil 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 grows. 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 top dressing. 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 garden crops, tomatoes in the open field need loosening the soil, weeding, watering and fertilizing, 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 watering tomatoes - 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 in the course of their life necessary for plants humus. 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 brown spots appear on the fruits. 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, folk remedies, time-tested - decoctions, infusions of herbs with insecticidal, fungicidal and anti-feeding effects.

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 full, 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 put spouts down in cardboard boxes or plastic boxes lined with paper, trying to ensure that each container contains 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 cold veranda. However, when long-term storage tomatoes must be sorted from time to time 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, 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 grow them in open ground is possible only in warm climates. 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 no secret that tomatoes are the most beloved crop, which gardeners grow with love in their plots. There are special methods of agricultural technology of tomato crops. In our article, we have collected the most valuable suggestions for caring for tomatoes.

Main types of care work

In order for tomatoes to please with their harvest, it is required to perform a set of specific work on caring for tomatoes after planting:

• loosening, mulching between rows and hilling tomatoes;
• destruction of weeds;
• watering;
• top dressing;
• garter of tomatoes;
• the formation of bushes (pasynkovanie);
• disease prevention.

Loosening, mulching row spacing and hilling

Periodic loosening garden plants equivalent to watering. After this operation, oxygen access to the root system and a better supply of nutrients increase.

The appearance of a continuous compacted earthen crust is not allowed. Row spacing should be mulched with grass clippings, sawdust, peat moss, newsprint and cardboard. It is useful to mulch plants with humus mixed with sawdust. Mulching is very useful for tomatoes, it helps to retain moisture.

During the growth period, tomatoes should be spudded several times. This procedure promotes the appearance of additional roots. The plant becomes stronger and more resistant to various adverse natural factors.

Weed control

Weed control is the key to growing a large and healthy tomato crop. As you know, weeds are spreaders of many tomato diseases: late blight, viral mosaic, bacterial spot, etc.

How to water

When planting a tomato, the hole should be spilled with a sufficient amount of water. The next watering should be done only after two weeks. Moisture during planting will be enough for reliable rooting and growth. The root will go deeper and in a dry summer it will be able to maintain the water balance of the plant. Otherwise, tomato bushes will grow a weak root system, which will not spread in depth, but on the sides.

Tomatoes like regular plentiful, but not frequent watering. Tomatoes are not recommended to be watered with cold tap water. It is better if the water is settled and warm. It is better to water the plants in the morning, under the root system. Sprinkling is an unacceptable way of watering a tomato; temperature differences in the atmosphere and on the soil can lead to shedding of flowers and cause diseases.

top dressing

For a plentiful harvest of tomatoes and large-sized fruits, fertilizing plants with fertilizers is required. Experienced gardeners feed tomatoes usually four times per season. It is important to know that top dressing is carried out after watering the plants in order to avoid burning the root system.

It should be remembered that fertilizers containing nitrogen enhance the growth of green plant mass and slow down the ripeness of tomatoes. Potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are good to use at the stage of fruit ripening.

Experienced gardeners prefer to feed tomatoes with organic fertilizers: cow and horse manure, bird droppings, fermented green grass contains many plant nutrients and serves as a complete organic fertilizer.

We offer recipes for dressing tomatoes for the season:

1. The first time tomatoes should be fed 14 days after planting. Pour 500 ml of liquid manure solution and 1 tablespoon of nitrophoska into a bucket of water (10 l). Feeding rate - 500 ml per plant bush.
2. The second top dressing of a tomato is carried out at the stage of the appearance of a flower brush. In a bucket of water (10 l) pour 500 ml of liquid manure solution, 1 tablespoon of superphosphate and 1 teaspoon of potassium sulfate. Under each tomato bush, 500 ml of the mixture must be added.
3. The third top dressing is needed at the stage of formation of the ovary. In a bucket of water (10 l) add 1 tablespoon of potassium humate and 1 tablespoon of nitrophoska. 5 liters of top dressing is required per 1 sq.m.
4. The last top dressing is carried out at the ripening stage of tomatoes. In a bucket of water (10 l) add 1 tablespoon of superphosphate. The required feeding rate is 10 liters per 1 sq.m.

Garter

Proper garter of tomatoes will ensure ventilation of the crown of the bush, strengthen the stem of the plant and prevent it from breaking under the weight of the fruit. Pegs can be dug into the holes already when planting a tomato. The stalk of the tomato is attached to the peg with soft twine as the bush grows.

For tall tomatoes, you can use tying on a trellis. In this case, tomato bushes are planted in a row. After 70 cm, supports (wooden, plastic, metal) are driven in. A rope or wire is stretched between them at several levels with a distance of 30-40 cm. With subsequent growth, the plants are attached to the trellis with soft twine.

Tied tomatoes are easier to care for, fertilize, water and mulch the soil.

Formation of bushes (pasynkovanie)

The correct formation of a tomato bush ensures that ripe tomatoes are obtained much earlier than expected, and the quality and quantity of the crop exceed all expectations. Usually the plant is formed on 1 or 2 stems. When a tomato bush is formed in one stem, then all lateral axillary shoots are removed.

And if the plant is formed on two stems, you should leave a side shoot near the first brush. All other stepchildren are removed in a timely manner, preventing them from growing more than 4-5 cm. It is better to break out stepchildren, leaving a column 1 cm long. It will not allow a side shoot to form in the same place.

If you do not remove the stepchildren, the tomatoes will grow strongly into a green mass with many shoots and flower brushes. Due to the short growing season, the fruits will not have time to ripen, they will be small and lose their taste.

Closer to the third decade of August, you should pinch the tops of the plants and remove the flower brushes without ovaries, which will allow the fastest ripening of the fruit. Tomato care in autumn: in early September, a tomato stem is cut at a height of 10 cm from the ground. This prevents nutrients from entering the stem of the plant and will cause fastest ripening tomatoes.

Disease prevention

It is easier to prevent tomato diseases than to treat them later. During the season, tomatoes should be sprayed 2-3 times with special mixtures to avoid the appearance of fungal, viral and bacterial diseases. We offer several recipes for preventive spraying of tomatoes from experienced gardeners.

1. From late blight, spraying plants with a solution of kefir helps. For 10 liters of water, 1 liter of kefir of any fat content is added. Plants should be treated for the first time 14 days after planting. Then three more times with a break of 7 days.
2. The soil under the tomatoes is sprinkled with ash. Or you can sprinkle the plants with sifted ash.
3. AT recent times among gardeners, "Magic Balm" is popular. This cocktail will serve as a good prevention against diseases, as well as perfectly feed the tomatoes. A bucket of cow dung, 2 shovels of ash, 4 buckets of nettles, 3 liters of whey and 2 kg of yeast are placed in a 200 l barrel. Fill with water, insist 14 days. The consumption rate of the solution is 1 liter under a tomato bush every 10 days. They say that after such processing, tomatoes grow by leaps and bounds!

Features of care in the greenhouse

There are many similarities in growing and caring for tomatoes in the open field and in the greenhouse, but there are certain features. Plants grown in a greenhouse are more sensitive to temperature changes, drafts, and diseases.

The first watering of tomatoes in the greenhouse should be taken no earlier than 14 days after planting. You should strictly adhere to the norm of watering: 4 liters of water per 1 sq.m before flowering and 12 liters of water per 1 sq.m during the appearance of flowers and until the very formation of fruits. Watering should be done about once a week.

Regular ventilation in the greenhouse is an important condition in growing tomatoes. High humidity prevents pollination of flowers and increases the risk of disease.

In greenhouses, along with natural pollination, artificial pollination is used. In sunny weather, tomato brushes are gently shaken, this process enhances the formation of ovaries.

To grow and harvest excellent harvest tomatoes, you need to correctly choose a variety of tomatoes and know, and most importantly, observe all the necessary conditions for their cultivation.

Tomato belongs to the group of heat-loving crops. Seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of +14-16 degrees, but shoots appear more quickly and amicably at +25-30°C. Reducing the temperature to + 15-16 ° C for 2-3 days when shoots appear prevents seedlings from stretching, especially during low light periods, and contributes to the development of a good root system. Tomato growth stops at +10°C. At temperatures less than +12°C and more than +30°C, flowering stops and ovaries may fall off, since at low temperatures the pollen does not ripen, at high temperatures it becomes sterile, the style lengthens, which makes it difficult for pollen to get on the stigma. Under the influence of temperatures of +5°C and below and +43°C and above, plants are first damaged, then their death. Lowering the temperature to -0.5 ° C causes the death of seedlings, flowers and damage to fruits, and to -1 ° C - the death of the entire plant.

The optimum air temperature for the growth and development of a tomato is + 20-25 ° C during the day and + 16-18 ° C at night.

The optimum soil temperature for the growth of the root system is +20-22°C. Temperatures below + 16 ° C cause a deterioration in the absorption of phosphorus and nitrogen uptake by plants, while adventitious roots develop slowly, water access to plants becomes more difficult, seedling survival rate worsens, and at + 10-12 ° C the roots do not absorb nutrients. Soil temperature above +26-28 degrees, especially for a long time, is also undesirable.

Varieties of cultivated tomato can bear fruit with both short and long days. To receive high yield it is not the length of the day that matters, but the intensity of the illumination of the plants. The more intense the illumination, the faster the fruiting and the higher the yield. Lack of light disrupts plant growth. Long cloudy weather increases the period from flowering to fruit ripening by 10-15 days. The taste and quality of fruits deteriorate.

When growing tomatoes in greenhouses, for better illumination of plants, optimal nutrition areas are selected, which depend on the growing period, type of cultivation facility, varietal characteristics of the crop, and methods of its formation.

Tomato is a relatively drought-resistant plant, but it has a large need for water. The rate and frequency of watering depend on the characteristics of the soil, the condition of the plants, and the level of solar radiation. It is better to water tomatoes in a greenhouse and greenhouse in the morning, in sunny weather, once or twice a week. In open ground, tomatoes can be watered in the evening (no later than 19-20 hours). Irrigation water temperature +20-25 degrees. Excess moisture worsens the air regime of the soil and adversely affects the activity of the root system.

Air humidity has a significant impact on the fertilization of the flower. Optimum air humidity is 60-70%. At 4 higher rates (80-90%), the pollen sticks together and stops spilling out of the anthers. In addition, with high humidity, there is always the possibility of the appearance of fungal and bacterial diseases of tomato. At low air humidity (50-60%), the pollen that has fallen on the stigma of the pistil does not germinate, the fruits do not set.

In the process of photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is of great importance. Its natural content in the air (0.03%) is not enough to get high yields. Its optimal content in the air for a tomato is 0.1-0.2%. Carbonic top dressings increase the set of fruits and increase their size, sharply increase the overall and especially the early yield of the crop.

Ammonia has a significant effect on tomatoes. When stuffing greenhouses with fresh manure, ammonia poisoning of plants is possible - damage to the lower leaves in the form of burns. Therefore, it is recommended to plant tomatoes in greenhouses a week after they are stuffed.

What soil to choose for growing tomatoes

Tomato can be grown on various soils, but it feels best on sandy or loamy soils, which have good moisture capacity and breathability. In protected ground, you can use the same soil, filling it well with organic and mineral fertilizers.

The tomato is placed on the predecessors that require organic fertilizer - cabbage, cucumber, etc. In the greenhouse, it is most often planted after the cucumber.

The best soil acidity for tomato is pH 6.0-6.5. acidic soils it is necessary to lime, otherwise many nutrients will be in a form inaccessible to plants.

Tomato responds well to the use of mineral and organic fertilizers. Most of all, it consumes potassium, especially during the fruiting period. Potassium is necessary for the plant, especially in the first stages of development, or with a lack of light, with the growth of fruits. It is also needed for the formation of stems and ovaries of a tomato.

Plants use nitrogen to form vegetative organs especially during the period from germination to flowering. At this time, it is necessary to control the doses of nitrogen nutrition, otherwise the plants will begin to flourish, but the flowers from the lower inflorescences will fall off. Increase the application of nitrogen only after fruit set on the first inflorescences.

Phosphorus tomato consumes little. It mainly goes to the growth of the root system, the formation of fruits and seeds. At low soil temperatures (+15°C), the roots practically do not absorb it. This must be taken into account when planting seedlings in the greenhouse and in open ground in the spring.

In addition to these nutrients, tomato in in large numbers magnesium is needed, especially during the period of growth and ripening of fruits, calcium and iron.

How to take care of tomatoes

Tomato plants the first 2-3 weeks after planting, especially in early dates watering is not recommended. Water poured into the holes when planting seedlings is enough for rooting and growth.

In the first half of the growing season, before fruit set on the first inflorescences, watering is limited, but they try not to allow the soil to dry out too much. Water plants under the root. When watering by sprinkling, the temperature of air and soil drops sharply, which has a bad effect on flowering, more flowers fall off, later the fruits are tied and ripen. At the same time, air humidity increases, which leads to the emergence and spread of fungal diseases. During the growth of the fruit, the plant's need for water increases, watered frequently and regularly. The difference in soil moisture at this moment causes a halt in the growth of green fruits, cracking of mature ones. Immediately after ripening, it can lead to the spread of blossom end rot.

After each watering, the soil is loosened, destroying weeds. The first loosening is carried out to a depth of 8-12 cm, the subsequent ones are somewhat shallower (4-5 cm). Deep first loosening allows the topsoil to warm up properly, which is very important for plants at the beginning of the growing season. The soil should not swim and compact. This is harmful to the root system. During the cultivation of a tomato, the soil is loosened three to five times.

Over time, the lower leaves of the plant, most often in contact with the soil, grow old and begin to die off. To prevent the appearance and spread of various diseases on the site, they are periodically (once a week) removed.

Mineral fertilizers are best given to plants in liquid form after watering. The first top dressing is carried out 2-3 weeks after planting the plants in the soil, during the formation of ovaries on the first inflorescence. It mainly consists of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers (20-25 g of superphosphate and 15-20 g of potassium sulfate per 1 m 2). Nitrogen fertilizers should not be given at this time, but if the soils are very poor and this adversely affects plant growth, you can add up to 10 g per 1 m 2 of ammonium nitrate.

The second, and sometimes the third top dressing is carried out with mass growth and ripening of fruits. Here it is already necessary to add 15-20 g of ammonium nitrate and 20-35 g of potassium sulfate per 1 m 2, which contributes to a more intensive filling of fruits. Highly good results, especially for 1 receipt early harvest, give foliar top dressing - spraying, which serves as an addition to the usual plant nutrition, but does not replace it. For this, highly soluble fertilizers are used (per 10 liters of water): urea - 16 g, superphosphate - 10 g, potassium chloride - 16 g. Superphosphate is not completely soluble in water, so a water extract is prepared from it: it is soaked a day before application ( 1:10) and stir occasionally. Before spraying the plants, the water extract must be filtered through several layers of gauze. When foliar top dressing, microelements are also used along with fertilizers.

Such top dressing is often carried out simultaneously with the treatment of plants against pathogens or pests. This is best done in the evening, when the nutrient solution applied to the leaves dries slowly, and the morning dew contributes to its better absorption by the plant.

To obtain an earlier harvest of tomatoes, various methods of plant formation are used. The purpose of these operations is to redistribute the consumption of plastic substances of plants towards rapid growth and development of fruits on a certain number of inflorescences.

When growing a tomato without pinching, the yield and its supply mainly depend on the varietal characteristics of the crop and external conditions. In a tomato from each leaf axil, i.e. from where the leaf departs from the stem, after the formation of one or two inflorescences, there is a rapid growth of continuation shoots - stepchildren. Each of them gives rise to a separate stem. Depending on the degree of determinism, 2-3 inflorescences or more are formed on each stem, after which growth stops. In indeterminate varieties, the growth of stepchildren is unlimited. In turn, from the axils of the leaves of stepchildren, the growth of continuation shoots is also possible, etc. The rapid growth of the plant and its branching begin to decline only when the fruits appear on the first inflorescences. But their growth and filling are slow, because more than 5-10 inflorescences bloom and fruit at the same time on the plant.

Stepchildren are removed small (3-5 cm), not allowing them to outgrow. When a large stepchild is removed, a significant wound remains on the stem, and the plant unproductively spends plastic substances on its overgrowth.

For a more complete use of the plot area and an increase not only in the early, but also in the total yield, when grown in one stem on the same plot, plants are planted 15-20% more. For example, if plants without pinching are placed in a row after 35 cm, then when they are formed into one stem, this distance can be significantly reduced - up to 20-25 cm.

Create best conditions illumination, to facilitate the formation of plants and care for them, their garter to various supports, which is carried out three to four times per season, helps. In greenhouses, plants are tied to a wire trellis stretched between 4-5 m and fortified supports, in open ground - most often stakes. Make sure that the twine on the plant is not tightened too tight and does not damage it.

How to properly store a tomato crop

There are biological and technological maturity of tomato fruits. At biological maturity, the growth of the fetus stops, the formed seeds are covered with a hard shell, green coloring fruit brightens. On the section of the fruit, seminal chambers filled with placenta are visible. The fruits collected at this time tolerate long-term transportation well. At a temperature of + 23-25 ​​° C, after 4-6 days they take on the color characteristic of this variety, accumulate the maximum amount of sugars, acids, vitamins - the technological maturity of the fruits begins. In the technological maturity of tomato fruits, two stages are distinguished: the first is the partial browning of the fruit, the second is its full ripening. At the first stage, on the cut, the fruit is already pink and quite suitable for eating. They begin to selectively collect fruits from the plant in this phase of maturity, which increases the overall yield.

In overripe fruits, the amount of sugars, ascorbic acid is sharply reduced, their taste worsens, and in the end, the tissues of the fetus are completely softened. During the harvest, diseased and fallen fruits are removed, which can become a source of the spread of diseases.

In open ground, on average, 3-5 kg ​​of ripe fruits are harvested from 1 m 2. In the middle lane on the plant, all tomato fruits never fully ripen. Therefore, at the end of the growing season, before autumn frosts (or in the event of a threat of late blight), all green fruits that have reached the size characteristic of this variety are collected. Dry, whole, disease-free fruits are laid out in a warm room on racks or in boxes in 2-3 layers. Mature fruits are periodically selected.

Ripening is carried out in complete darkness or in the light, but in the latter case, the process is faster. The temperature is maintained at +23–25°C, relative air humidity is 80–85%, the room is ventilated – in this mode, green fruits fully ripen in 6–8 days. Temperatures above +30°C during ripening cause uneven coloring of the fruit. In cool rooms at temperatures below +20 ° C, the synthesis of lycopene (the pigment that determines the red color of fruits) slows down, and the ripening process is significantly delayed. After ripening, the fruits in their own way chemical composition and taste practically do not differ from those that have ripened on the plant.

Ripe fruits are stored for up to two weeks in dark, occasionally ventilated rooms at a temperature of + 4-6 ° C and a relative humidity of 80-90%. Green fruits (which have reached biological maturity) are stored for up to 50-60 days at temperatures above +8-10°C. For long-term storage (2-3 months), the fruits are sprinkled with sawdust or high-moor peat. You can store plants with fruits, hanging them upside down in a room at a temperature of + 12-14 ° C.

Plants with bright, extremely tasty fruits have long gained worldwide popularity. Now few people remember that they were taken out of South America in the 16th century, and at first they served as decorations for the gardens and parks of sovereigns. European countries. No one dared to eat beautiful fruits then: apparently, someone spread a villainous rumor about their supposedly poisonous properties. The plants got their name from their native, Aztec " tomato"transformed into a pan-European" tomato". The Italians were the first to try dangerous fruits and, admiring the marvelous taste, gave the new products the second name “pomodoro” - “tomato”, or “apple of gold”. Since then, the victorious procession of tomatoes in the kitchens of the whole world has begun.

These herbaceous plants from the Solanaceae family are divided into three large groups: Peruvian, hairy and ordinary.

In turn, the common tomato is divided into cultivated, semi-cultural and wild species. There are more than 2000 of its varieties.

Tomato is an annual plant with an erect or decumbent pubescent or bare stem and unpaired pinnately dissected leaves. The inflorescence is a simple, uncomplicated or polysyllabic curl. Inflorescences can be small or large various shades yellow color. There are ovaries different sizes and shapes: round, elongated, smooth and ribbed. Fruits - large or small berries of round, elongated, ellipsoid, pear-shaped, oval shape. The color of the fruit can be extremely diverse: white, all shades of yellow, orange, red and even black and red. Tomatoes contain soluble sugars, organic acids, pectins, vitamins and minerals.

Sowing and caring for seedlings

Tomatoes are heat-loving plants that die with a sharp drop in temperature. Seeds germinate at a temperature of 20-25 degrees C. Seedlings should be kept for a week at a temperature of 10-12 degrees C during the day and 8-10 degrees C at night. Plants begin to bloom at a temperature of about 20 degrees C. The most optimal conditions for good growth and development - at least 25 degrees C at an air humidity of 50% and 70% of the total moisture capacity of the soil. Tomatoes can be grown in fertile, loose soil with an acidity of about 4.5.

In the southern regions of Russia, tomatoes are grown by sowing in the ground. In other regions of the country, it is customary to plant seedlings in greenhouses and greenhouses on insulated beds, which are then planted in the ground.

Caring for a culture at an early stage of development

Tomato care is carried out by regular loosening of the soil, weeding, fertilizing, bush formation, systematic watering, and pest control. The most common diseases are macrosporiosis, septoria, late blight, blossom end rot, streak and stolbur. Pests: mole crickets, scoops, wireworms, gall nematode, whitefly.

soil for tomatoes

Tomatoes are grown on soils consisting of a mixture of several components. The soil should be porous (up to 70-75%), with the lowest moisture capacity of about 50%, air capacity of 20-25%, density - 0.4-0.6 g / sq. cm.

In greenhouses, the crop can be grown in soil and on mineral wool. Identical results in different climatic conditions cannot be guaranteed. Nevertheless, such information may be useful for practicing vegetable growers.

: 250-350 pcs. (number of seeds in 1 g); seed consumption - 25.000-30.000 pcs/ha; Maximum temperature germination - 25 degrees C.

In winter, seedlings should be grown for 9 weeks, in spring - 6 weeks; in summer - 5 weeks. Until the flowering stage of the first brush, seedlings should be healthy and well developed.

Place to land

For sowing, use separate area. The nursery must be disinfected and provided with lighting, air ventilation and temperature control. It is best to separate part of the greenhouse with a film. A constant microclimate can be achieved with a double film.

If cassettes are used for seedlings, they must be with drainage holes at the bottom. Several types of seed substrate are used. The most popular is compost made from a mixture of peat and sand. Seeds are best sown on greenhouse racks.

If water is retained in the garden due to insufficient drainage, the seedlings may be infected with the "black leg".

When seedlings are sown directly into the soil, the seeds should not be sown too thickly so that the seedlings are not too thin and weak. Sowing is best done in rows to make the most of the lighting.

Immediately before sowing, the substrate should be thoroughly moistened. After sowing, the substrate should be covered with a 5 mm layer of vermiculite, sand or peat and a film to maintain soil moisture. If necessary polyethylene film can be replaced with paper or jute.

To prevent overheating, the beds can be covered with white polystyrene foam plates.

Heating of young plantings

Trays and boxes for sowing seeds are recommended to be placed on open racks above heating devices. There should be a fairly large distance between the racks and heating devices (at least 0.5 m) to prevent overheating. With the help of racks, you can maintain a uniform temperature. Before the first shoots appear, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of no more than 23 degrees C. The film from the garden should be removed immediately after the sprouts appear. In order not to expose the seedlings to excessive evaporation, the film should be removed in the afternoon.

The beds should not be over-filled with water when watering. Soil moisture is best checked by hand by lifting cylinders or soil-humus cubes. It should be watered only with a very finely sprayed jet. So that the seed film does not remain on the seedlings, the soil should not be allowed to dry out.

Planting seedlings of tomatoes in open ground

Seedlings are transplanted into soil-humus cubes, peat pots or plastic pots 10-14 days after sowing. During this period, the first true leaf reaches 0.5 cm in length.

It is best to transplant seedlings into soil cubes measuring 10x10x10 cm. Plants cannot be transplanted before noon: in the morning they are too fragile and can be damaged. If, nevertheless, planting is done in the morning, then it is better not to water the seedlings the night before.

When transplanting, it is necessary to raise part of the earthen coma together with the plant, supporting it from below with your hand, loosen the soil and place it in a soil cube. You can not pull the bush out of the soil. After placing the seedlings in a soil cube, the soil must be gently kneaded by hand so that the roots properly come into contact with the ground.

When transplanting seedlings from cassettes, it is better to remove the soil ball with a bush using spikelet substrates.

If the seedlings are too dense, and the light falls only from above, the seedlings may stretch too much. In order for the seedlings to be low and strong, it is necessary that the light also falls on the sides of the stem. Therefore, 2-3 weeks after picking, it is imperative to arrange the seedlings, when the plants are distributed in 20-30 pieces per 1 sq.m.

When to start planting seedlings?

Tomatoes should be planted on permanent place after the appearance of the first flower brush. The plant should have 7-8 leaves, a strong root system and about 30 cm in height. To a permanent place, it should be transplanted vertically. The stem cannot be covered with earth.

Tall tomato varieties are planted in a two-line method: 100+60+45 (50) cm, plant density 2.5 pcs/sq.m. Bushes not exceeding 100-120 cm can be placed thicker: 3-3.5 pieces / sq.m. After planting, the plants must be watered.

A few days after planting, the tomatoes must be tied to a twine stretched vertically. This operation should be carried out at least once a week. Having tied up a seedling, you must immediately begin to form a plant.

Removing leaves

1.5-2 months after planting, it is necessary to begin the gradual removal of the lower leaves of the seedling, which cause air stagnation in the surface zone, which can subsequently lead to diseases. This operation is carried out at least once a week. For 1 time, you can remove no more than 3 leaves. 24 hours after the procedure, the plant must be watered.

When 7-9 clusters are formed on the plant, it can reach the length of the upper trellis, but the growth of some varieties of tomatoes may continue. One of the most popular ways to form a seedling is to throw it over a trellis. After that, it should be carefully lowered and tied to the stems of neighboring plants.

The number of leaves on a bush

A plant with a high degree of vegetative development must have at least 15 leaves and 8 brushes with fruits. The normal frequency is the formation of 1 brush per week. Between the brushes should grow at least 3 leaves. A bush is considered overloaded if more than 8 racemes bloom on it. In this case, enhancing the generative development of the plant should be avoided.

There is another way to form. On the trellis with the help of special coils it is necessary to attach a vertical twine. The growing stem descends onto the net or staples. In this case, the lower leaves must be removed. We also recommend that you familiarize yourself with the gardener's calendar in order to choose the most accurate date for planting in the ground.

Growing tomatoes vertically (video)

Care of mature plants

Flower fertilization occurs at a temperature of 23-32 degrees C. If the temperature drops below 15 degrees C, the tomato will not bloom, at temperatures below 10 degrees C, growth stops. Too high temperature is also unfavorable for growth and development - pollen grains do not germinate and photosynthesis is inhibited.

Watering tomatoes

There are two ways to water. Irrigation with sprinkler systems is traditional but outdated.

A more modern way is watering with drip irrigation systems. In this case, watering and fertilizing the plants occur at the same time, since fertilizers are added to the nutrient solution. The advantages of this method of irrigation are as follows: water flows for a long period of time and does not cause a sharp fluctuation in soil moisture; the set humidity level is not violated; water does not stagnate on the soil surface, and this reduces the risk of fungal diseases.

Over watering

Do not forget that excessive watering of tomatoes is very harmful. Water should be at room temperature. Amateur summer residents are advised to water in the evenings and not to water the plantings on a hot sunny day. If tomatoes are grown indoors, then you can water through the pan. It is necessary to ensure that water does not get on the leaves and trunk and does not cause burns.

Preparation of nutrient solutions

Nutrient solution for tomatoes should be made on the basis of concentrated stock solutions. The working solution is supplied to the plant through a drip irrigation system. Fertilizers are selected in such a way that individual components did not precipitate.

• Mother solutions (kg/m3)
• Stock solution A:
• Calcium nitrate - 63.7;
• Potassium nitrate - 10.0;
• Ammonium nitrate - 4,0;
• Iron chelate (9%) 0.56.
• Stock solution B:
• Potassium nitrate 30.4;
• Potassium phosphate 20.4;
• Potassium sulfate 4.4;
• Magnesium sulfate 18.5;
• Manganese sulfate 0.16;
• Boric acid 0,12;
• Zinc sulfate 0.11;
• Copper sulfate 0.012;
• Ammonium molybdate 0.012.

The consequences of a lack of elements

The concentration of elements should not be violated, since tomatoes require a certain amount of elements, the lack of which adversely affects the ovary and development of the fruit.

A lack of nitrogen causes changes in the color of the foliage, stem and fruits of tomatoes. The leaves become small, yellowish, the veins on the underside of the leaf acquire a red-blue hue, the fruits grow small and hard.

With a lack of phosphorus, the leaves are wrapped inside.

A lack of potassium causes curling of young leaves and a burn of old ones.

With a lack of calcium, young leaves become covered with yellow spots, old ones increase in size and become dark green. Often in these cases, plants undergo blossom end rot, especially when high humidity air.

In cases of sulfur starvation, the leaves first become pale green, then turn yellow or even redden. Sulfur starvation appears first on young leaves. The stems become too brittle and brittle.

Boron deficiency causes blackening of the growing point of the stem. New leaves begin to grow at the bottom of the stem, the cuttings of young leaves are fragile. The fruits are affected by brown spots.

With a lack of molybdenum, tomato leaves turn yellow and curl up, the entire plate is affected by chlorosis.

With a lack of iron, tomatoes stop growing. Young leaves are affected by chlorosis. In the most severe cases, the leaves may turn completely white. Zinc deficiency causes the appearance of small pale leaves.

Growing tomatoes (video)

fruit harvesting

Harvest fruits in the stage of maturity should be daily. It is recommended to pick tomatoes in the pink degree of maturity, since red fruits accelerate the ripening of the brush. Fruits are best harvested without stalks.

For indoor plant lovers

Tomatoes can also be grown indoors: on the windowsill or on the balcony. For the windowsill, it is better to choose low-growing varieties, you can put a rather large flowerpot on the balcony and grow tall and large-fruited plants, for example: "Bull's Heart", "De Barao" and "Carlson".