How to grow tomatoes at home and get a good harvest?
Everyone who has tried to grow vegetables in winter has already seen the benefits of a vegetable garden on the window. It is very interesting to watch the birth of life – from seed to harvest. I feel a real delight when the first flower blooms before my eyes, then the first ovary appears, which turns into a real tomato.
This in itself is very beautiful, and if I have a snowy landscape outside my window, it will add a unique exoticism to my winter vegetable garden.
These plants on a cold winter window will want to protect, save from frost, will definitely want to take care of them. And these worries push all our problems to the background, we forget about our ailments, our mood rises, and winter does not seem so long and dreary.
What do you need to prepare for growing tomatoes in winter?
In order to start a winter vegetable garden on the window, you need to prepare soil, containers, seeds. For sowing lettuce and dill, I take low trays, for tomatoes – buckets with a volume of 10 and 5 liters, depending on the variety. Both in containers and buckets I make sure to make drainage holes to avoid water stagnation.
In the winter vegetable garden you can grow tomatoes of any variety, but indeterminate high-growing tomatoes are more demanding to care for, they need more space in height and a larger volume of soil. Usually, no one grows them in winter.
Low-growing compact determinant tomato varieties with a bush height of no more than 50 cm are ideal for winter cultivation.
How to care for tomatoes on the window in winter?
Care for tomatoes on the window in winter is the same as in summer – watering, loosening, spraying. But in winter, plants grown in our homes have much worse conditions than tomatoes in the summer on the street. Therefore, care is required more thoroughly.
What does this mean?
1. In room conditions low humidity, this is very bad for plants. Therefore, it is necessary to spray as often as possible.
2. The temperature in our apartments is constantly high, both day and night. This is very different from natural conditions and it is very difficult for plants to grow and bear fruit. The soil dries out very quickly and the watering regime must be watched carefully.
3 Because of the limited volume of soil, tomatoes will need fertilizer to produce a full crop.
What danger threatens tomatoes on the window in winter?
Of course, tomatoes on the window in winter face many dangers. The most important thing is that insects – pests and the most terrible of them – the whitefly can appear in the pots.
The second danger is fungal diseases. During the winter, mold can appear on the soil surface, tomato seedlings can be attacked by BLACK PEARL, root rot can occur due to stagnant water and overwatering of the soil.
To avoid all this, you need to inspect your plantings as often as possible.
What I do.
Every day, when I go to the window to turn on the light, I very carefully inspect my plantings, not only the plants, but also the soil.
I look if there is no mold on the surface of the soil, if the soil is not parched, if there are no any insects on the leaves of tomatoes, if the leaves are not yellowing.
Once a week I water my tomatoes, adding a natural liquid remedy, twice a week I spray the plantings.
I alternate plain water sprays with vitamin sprays containing a mixture of micronutrients.
So far my tomatoes are doing well, they are growing very well, quickly increasing green mass, leaves are green, firm, healthy looking. And leaves are an indicator of plant health.
Not so long ago, my tomato plants began to bloom! So, they like everything.
It means that I take care of them correctly, and created exactly those conditions in which my tomatoes want to live and reproduce!
I wish you success in growing a winter vegetable garden!
Even if the tomatoes seem to be doing well at first glance – you can’t relax. A few tips, with which the harvest will be even better:
1. In July, the risk of apex rot increases. What is far to go – my mother pulled out in her greenhouse already two bushes. And only now I remembered the advice: it is necessary to fertilize with calcium-containing preparations. Plus it is not recommended to dry out the soil or overwater it (although for us so far it is not relevant – in 42 degrees in the sun themselves would survive).
2. Fertilizers are now needed not only for tomatoes (to make the fruits more tasty), but also for peppers and eggplants. Here you already need a higher content of potassium, although in idea and universal compositions will work here.
3. Pasinkovanie – a continuous process throughout the summer. I am, of course, in this case theorist, because my tomatoes I did not pasyankovala and now I will not (in time did not do, now let it be an experiment – and what will grow?) But in general, you need to check them once every few days and do not let waste precious energy on the growth of new shoots.
4. Well, and quite banal – tomatoes should be collected every couple of days (if possible), so that they are not overripe. We, for example, collect them even not fully ripe – ripen at home. By the way, many put them next to ripe apples. They say it helps.
And how are you already with the harvest? Is the harvest in full swing?
How to improve the flavor of tomatoes. A unique, but still unknown remedy that will improve the taste and flavor of tomatoes
When choosing a tomato variety, we pay attention not only to the ripening time, yield, size, color and shape of the fruit. Tomato flavor is no less important, especially when it comes to salad varieties.
For years, breeders have been working to develop varieties whose fruits have a balanced flavor and bright, inherent tomato aroma.
Sugar content largely determines the flavor of tomatoes. Some varieties genetically lack sourness, while others have fruity notes in their flavor.
However, the same variety can show itself completely differently in different growing conditions.
Gardeners often “sin” on the seed producer and complain that tomatoes do not meet the promised flavor, too sour or tasteless.
But the flavor is influenced not only by genetic characteristics, but also by growing conditions. About how we can influence the taste of tomatoes – in this article.
Surely you have noticed that tomatoes brought from the southern regions are much sweeter than those that grow in the middle zone. It’s all about the number of sunny days and the activity of the sun.
The closer to the south, to the equator, the brighter the sun, and, accordingly, the more sugars accumulate in the fruit.
It is clear that except for moving to another region, we can not affect the number of sunny days.
Nevertheless, the choice of location for the greenhouse can significantly affect both the yield and the taste of the fruits that are grown in it. Choose the best place for the greenhouse on the south side of the plot.
There should be no buildings, high fences or large trees near the greenhouse that cast shadows on it.
The materials that we use to shade the greenhouse in May and June to reduce the temperature and protect the plants from excessively bright sun, should not be forgotten to remove at the time of fruit ripening.
Tomatoes are characterized by strong growth, and if it is not regulated: if you do not remove shoots in time, if you do not remove excess leaves, the plants will grow too much leaf mass, which will shade the fruit.
Maintaining the optimal distance when planting seedlings also affects the degree of illumination of plants and fruits themselves.
Tomato planting schemes depend on the type of plant: determinant or indeterminant and the way the bush is formed: in 1 or 2 stems.
Watering, which is so necessary for plant growth and fruit weight gain, should be reduced and minimized during the ripening period. From mid-August, you should stop watering tomatoes altogether.
By this time, the plants have a powerful root system, so they are quite capable of providing themselves with moisture. With excess moisture, the fruits become watery in taste.
If watering is not done regularly, the moisture leads to a sharp growth and cracking of the fruit. Without additional watering, the flavor of the fruit becomes more intense.
Modern vegetable gardeners are becoming more and more fascinated by the ideas of organic farming, which is based on the care, first and foremost, of soil fertility.
Living soil, rich in biohumus, with a diversity of soil microflora, is the ideal environment for growing healthy plants that can reach their full potential.
How to get a record tomato harvest and surprise all the neighbors?
Tomatoes are very heat-loving plants. Therefore, seedlings are planted in the middle or end of May, when the air temperature approaches 20 degrees Celsius. It is easy to provide ideal conditions for the plant in a greenhouse, but it will be just as effective to use heated beds.
Wells for seedlings can be dug a day before planting. And in them bring a mixture of magnesium sulfate and superphosphate. Such fertilization will not only improve rooting, but also stimulate the development of the root system.
For organic growers, too, there is one tip. You can replace mineral fertilizers with onion husks or yeast solution. For the second option, you will need to dilute a bag of baker’s yeast in 10 liters of water, and then let the mixture infuse for a few hours. In each well you will need to pour 200 ml of such an infusion. Such additives will not only provide the plants with everything they need, but also add resistance to disease.
During growth and ripening it is important to organize proper care of plants, otherwise you will not see a rich harvest even from strong and healthy seedlings.
Everyone probably has a couple of water bottles at home. Never throw away such an important thing for the care of tomatoes! With its help you can organize drip irrigation of tomatoes.
For this purpose it is necessary to cut off the bottom of the bottle, and make a few holes in the cap. This operation can be done with a red-hot needle or an awl. It is important that the holes are not too small, otherwise they will be clogged with soil.
Bottles will need to be dug 10 cm deep, at a distance of 20 cm from the plant.
This method of watering not only saves resources and time, but also deprives weeds of nutritious moisture. The water in the bottle should be refilled every 5 days, so you don’t have to worry about the plants drying out during the working week.
Mulching is an equally effective method. Covering the bed with mulch will keep moisture in the soil longer and protect the roots of the plant from temperature fluctuations. Straw or sawdust is suitable as mulch. You can cover the ground with a film or use sun-dried weeds.
What to feed growing tomatoes?
Achieve high yields of tomatoes can be achieved with the help of mineral fertilizers. To prepare such fertilizers is quite simple and it does not take much time.
Fourteen days after planting, tomatoes are fertilized with a solution of ammonium nitrate. To do this, 20 grams of the drug will need to be diluted for 10 liters of water.
However, to feed tomatoes, you can use not only agrochemicals, but also resort to folk and organic remedies:
Use ordinary iodine from the pharmacy. It not only accelerates fruit ripening, but also prevents the development of a dangerous disease – phytophthorosis. The mixture is prepared at the rate of 4 drops of iodine per 10 liters of water. The resulting liquid is watered tomatoes 2 liters per plant.
No less effective fertilizer – wood ash. More precisely its water solution. For 10 liters of water dissolve 1 cup of ash and the resulting liquid water the beds with tomatoes. And undissolved residue can simply under the plants.
Chicken droppings and cow dung act on plants no worse than a complex mineral fertilizer, because they are extremely rich in nitrogen and phosphorus.
From chicken droppings prepare a solution. To do this, a ten-liter bucket one-third filled with litter, and the remaining 2/3 – water. The solution is insisted for about a week, after which a liter of the infusion is diluted in 10 liters of water and the resulting liquid spilled between the rows at the rate of 5-6 liters per square meter. Cowslip is prepared in the same way.
Tomatoes will highly appreciate feeding with nettle infusion.
It is prepared only from young leaves, which are infused for 10 days. One part of water should be added to 2 parts of nettles. Then a liter of infusion is diluted in 10 liters of water and the resulting liquid water tomatoes under the root at the rate of 1-2 liters per plant. So you will add nitrogen and iron to the soil.
Farmer’s lifehacks
To improve the formation of ovaries, accelerate ripening and additional immunity, tomatoes can be sprayed with a solution of boron. Although tomatoes need a small amount of boron, if there is a shortage of it, you can’t expect a good harvest.
For this solution you will need to mix half a teaspoon per 4 liters of water. For a better effect, you can also add a dozen drops of iodine. Such fertilization should be carried out before and during flowering, as well as at the beginning of fruit wilting. More than three times to carry out the procedure is not worth it.
We hope that these tips will help you get a big and tasty tomato harvest.
How do you fertilize your tomatoes? Share your tips in the comments.
Read also other interesting news. We will be pleased with your attention!
Almost every family has recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. And so it is with the vegetable garden. If there is a dacha, where everyone hurries to get to on weekends, there are also vegetable garden secrets, inherited from grandfathers, grandmothers, dads or moms. We have collected just such. Take note, they will come in handy.
Growing sweet, juicy and strong tomatoes is a real art, and tomato care for many dacha growers turns into a fascinating hobby, where not only the process, but also the result is important. To get closer to the cherished goal, start with fifteen tips that will help in growing perfect tomatoes! They are simple but effective, and not everyone knows about them.
In order for the stems to become strong, they need to be trained. Growing tomatoes outdoors, this happens naturally, they are swayed by the wind, but in the greenhouse there is no wind.
The effect of air circulation can be created artificially by putting a fan near the seedlings and turning it on for 5-10 minutes a day. In small dacha greenhouses, the fan is installed above the door. In addition to their ability to deliver carbon dioxide and oxygen to plants and to mix warm and cool air flows, fans can prevent disease and protect plants from heat stress in hot weather.
Another secret to growing tomatoes: 2-3 days before planting tomatoes in the ground, cut off 2-3 lower leaves from the seedlings. Do not be afraid to cut off your plants in principle. You can tear off a few leaves so that the sun can better illuminate the fruit.
But do not get too carried away, remember that leaves are responsible for photosynthesis and the formation of sugar, which affects the taste of your future tomatoes. The fewer leaves you have, the less sweet the fruit will be.
The secret of growing tomato seedlings is that when you plant the rastanenya, put in each planting hole a handful of ground rye breadcrumbs, a little wood ash. Tomatoes will grow large, strong and sturdy.
To make tomatoes produce more flowers and then fruits, spray them with boric acid at the rate of 5 g per 5-10 liters of water. this is another secret of growing sweet tomatoes: boric acid helps tomato seedlings to extract the necessary amount of useful microelements and vitamins from the soil, as well as prevents fruit rot and improves the taste characteristics of tomatoes.
Boric acid solution can be used at the initial stages of crop development, and in no case should it be used during the flowering period, as it can slow down the growth and development of ovaries.
When transplanting tomatoes into the vegetable garden, bury them deeper than when they were growing in cups. The secret to growing tomatoes in the open is that if seedlings are planted in this way, they grow roots around the stem, and the stronger the root system, the more nutrition is supplied to the fruit.
The strong odors of nasturtiums and marigolds confuse pests in search of food, and their roots produce a substance that repels soil nematodes. Between tomato bushes you can plant nasturtium of the variety Alaska to repel harmful whitefly. Protect from various insect pests and velvets, they do not like tomato worms, cabbage moths, nematodes and various beetle pests.
And also, according to the observations of experienced gardeners, roses feel great next to tomatoes. Tomato leaves contain a chemical substance that acts as an insecticide for some insects and, moreover, they protect roses from fungal diseases and black spot.
