Features of growing tomatoes in greenhouses
When choosing tomatoes for greenhouses, many factors should be taken into account: yield, fruiting period, size, disease resistance, tall or short variety. You also need to consider some factors for growing tomatoes:
- Air temperature , which should be 22 - 24 degrees.
- Watering . Seedlings are not watered 2-3 days before planting. The bushes in the greenhouse are watered at intervals of 3-4 days.
- Fertilizer . Typically, 20 g of nitroammophoska containing N16P16K16 is used. They are mixed with the soil so that the roots do not come into contact with the fertilizer. 20 g are dissolved in 10 liters of water and watered about 10 bushes.
- Pollination . To get pollen onto the pistil, you just need to shake the bushes in dry sunny weather. When the greenhouse is ventilated, insects fly into it and help pollination.
- The soil . Before planting tomatoes, it is necessary to remove the top layer of soil, as there are a lot of pathogenic bacteria there. To disinfect the soil, dissolve 1 tablespoon of copper sulfate in 10 liters of water and water the beds. It will be useful to add peat, sawdust, humus at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 square meter. You can also use wood ash.
Soil preparation
Regardless of which greenhouse you plan to plant tomatoes in, one of the most important indicators of a good harvest is well-prepared soil. This is one of the significant advantages of the greenhouse method of growing tomatoes compared to planting them in open ground - because here you have the opportunity to independently prepare the most suitable soil composition for the growth of vegetables.
As a rule, a greenhouse is installed on a site and the soil that is located on it is used for it. But if you want to achieve high yields of tomatoes, you will have to carry out work to improve the soil.
The soil for planting tomatoes should be loose, light and have good breathability.
In the process of preparing the soil, you should be guided by the following recommendations:
- In the case of clay or loamy soil, in order to improve its structure in the greenhouse, it is necessary to fertilize it with a bucket of humus, peat and sawdust (a bucket per 1 square meter).
- When the site mainly consists of peaty soils, you should add a bucket of small shavings, humus and turf soil, as well as half a bucket of coarse sand per square meter.
- If chernozem predominates in the greenhouse, a bucket of humus and half a bucket of coarse sand are added per square meter.
In addition to organic fertilizers, it is also necessary to use mineral fertilizers - if you adhere to the specified dosage, they will be very beneficial for the plants and will help you get a good harvest of tomatoes. It will be enough to add 1 teaspoon of ammonium nitrate and 3 teaspoons of superphosphate per square meter of soil. If possible, you can additionally add 1-2 tablespoons of wood ash (it contains many useful microelements that are easily absorbed). After all these manipulations, the beds should be dug well and the soil in them should be loosened.
Agronomist experts do not recommend planting tomatoes in the same soil for several years in a row. This is explained by the fact that pests and diseases can survive in the soil for a long period of time, and they will nullify all your efforts to get a good harvest of tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse.
If possible, the best solution would be to build two greenhouses at once and plant tomatoes and cucumbers in them alternately: one year you plant tomatoes, and the next year you plant cucumbers. If there is only one greenhouse, the tomatoes should be planted in the place where cucumbers grew last season; it is first necessary to remove 10-12 centimeters of the top layer of soil from the bed, this way the seedlings are protected from damage to the rhizomes by rot.
When replacing the top layer of soil, it should be disinfected; for this purpose, a hot solution of copper sulfate is used at the rate of 2 tablets of oxychome per ten liters of water.
Tomato planting dates for the Urals, Siberia and Central Russia
You need to plant tomatoes in a greenhouse when the soil temperature is above 15 degrees . Usually this temperature is set in late April - early May. Otherwise, if the ground is too cold, the seedlings will not develop.
No heating
In the Urals and Siberia, tomatoes ripen late. Seeds are sown in unheated greenhouses from the 20th of April.
With heating
You can begin planting tall tomato seedlings in a heated greenhouse from the end of February to the 10th of March. Early and middle varieties have the same terms. Ultra-early tomatoes, including cherry tomatoes, are planted in early April.
Which varieties are better to choose?
There are early-ripening, mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties. Any one is suitable for a greenhouse. The main thing is that they are all self-pollinating and adapted for closed ground.
Often in such greenhouses there is not very good air circulation, and barren flowers can often be found.
For planting in greenhouses they often use:
- Determinate types of tomatoes , the height of which is about 80-150 cm. With proper care, after 6-8 ovaries, tomatoes devote all their strength to the formation of fruits on the bushes. For example, Rocket, Bely Naliv, Nevsky or Demidov.
- Indeterminate species that grow throughout the growing season. New ovaries, flowers and fruits constantly appear. For example, Cherokee, Wonder of the Earth, Star Gold or Right Size.
Reference. Seeds can be checked for hollowness. They are placed in a 5% solution of table salt and stirred well for 10 minutes. The empty ones will remain floating on the surface, the rest will settle to the bottom.
Below you can watch a video about the most suitable tomato varieties for a greenhouse:
Placing beds according to cardinal directions
Lighting of plants is of great importance for a good harvest. Seedlings that receive more sunlight will produce a bountiful and “sweet” harvest.
There are two main directions:
- North South.
- West East.
North-south is more suitable for tall crops. The sun's rays will pass more evenly between the rows of seedlings. In this situation, tall plants are planted on the north side along the wall.
For low crops, the second option is best suited. It can also be used for mixed plantings.
It is not always possible to position the beds correctly so that they receive more light. In this case, you have to turn on additional lighting.
All gardeners know that the greenhouse where more light pours into the garden bed will produce more crops. When building a greenhouse structure, it is necessary to provide additional lighting.
How many bushes can you plant, at what distance and how to do it correctly?
- The polycarbonate greenhouse should be well lit so that the plants do not stretch out.
- It would be good if there was a drip irrigation system with warm water. You can install a tank in the greenhouse in which the water will be heated and settled.
- Ventilation required.
- Insulate the soil with hay or straw to prevent the return of frost.
- Make holes 20 cm deep at a distance of 30-50 cm.
- Pour 1-2 liters of water into each.
- Place the seedlings in the holes, early varieties - 2 pieces in each, late varieties - one at a time.
- Fill the hole with soil and compact the soil.
- Trim leaves that touch the ground.
Despite the fact that the conditions in the greenhouse are more comfortable, before planting, tomatoes must be hardened by taking them outside, gradually increasing the time.
Schemes for growing vegetables in greenhouses of various sizes
3x4
For greenhouses measuring 3x4, a two-line or three-line tomato planting scheme is used . Low-growing varieties are planted, as a rule, according to a two-line scheme.
In a 3x4 greenhouse you can place 132 or 78 bushes, depending on whether you plant one or a couple of them in one hole.
Mid-season and hybrid varieties are planted in two rows per bed . This makes about 24 bushes. Tall varieties are planted in two rows in a checkerboard pattern. In such a greenhouse, 20 bushes will be comfortable.
3x6
In a greenhouse with a layout of 3 by 6 meters, a two-line or three-line tomato planting scheme is used. A comfortable number here would be 200 bushes if you plant 2 in one hole, or 120 if you plant each bush separately.
How many tomatoes can you plant in a 3 by 6 greenhouse? There will be 40 bushes of medium-sized tomatoes. High varieties - 32 bushes.
For your information. Tree-like plants require at least 100 cm of free space, and therefore in a greenhouse of this size, 14 of them can be planted in 2 rows.
3x8
An interval of 30-50 cm wide is usually made between plants , which means that if you plant 3 rows of 2 bushes in each hole, you will get 264 pieces. If each plant has its own hole, there will be 162 of them.
Medium-sized species are planted in 2 rows with an interval of 50 cm. Thus, there will be 52 tomato bushes. Tall varieties are planted in 2 rows in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of 70 cm from each other. You will get 44 bushes. It is better to plant tree tomatoes at a distance of 1 meter between plants. There will be 18 of them in two lines.
Technologies
Double row
Suitable for standard and determinate types of tomatoes that are planted in rows. The distance between plants is from 25 to 40 cm.
Chess
The distance is about 60 cm between bushes, and 80 cm between rows. For determinate types of tomatoes, this scheme is also suitable. Then 50 cm are measured between the holes if there are three stems, and 30 cm for bushes with one stem.
Interior design of a polycarbonate greenhouse: irrigation systems
Wide paths are good because it is convenient to place buckets of water on them, which will be heated for irrigation. But water supply can be made more practical and convenient.
Drip irrigation has proven itself well. It doesn’t use as much water, but makes watering better and easier. option is subsoil irrigation. To equip , you need to place a pipe under the ground, making many holes in it in advance. Thanks to this method, the water will go directly to the roots.
Another option is capillary mats. This is an expensive but high-quality method. The mats absorb water perfectly, so the plants do not dry out.
Interesting fact! The largest greenhouse is in the UK. These are two dome-shaped structures that are connected to each other. More than a thousand crops are grown there, even tropical coffee.
Proper care
In order for tomatoes to be pleased with their productivity, they need to create suitable conditions:
Air temperature – from 22 to 24 degrees.- Ventilation.
- Air humidity -70%.
- Plants should be fed with monopotassium phosphate and potassium nitrate along with watering once a week.
- Disinfect the soil before planting.
- If pollination is necessary, shake the bushes during flowering or attract bees, wasps and bumblebees with sweet kvass and compotes.
Attention! To prevent tomatoes from getting sick, they are sprayed with copper sulfate.
Next, you can watch a video that describes in detail how to organize the care of tomatoes in a greenhouse:
Common Mistakes
- Wrong choice of seeds. Hybrid varieties are suitable for large planting volumes. They get sick less and also have higher yields.
- Wrong landing site. For example, outdoor varieties are planted in a greenhouse, and greenhouse varieties are planted in open ground.
- Thick polyethylene film for greenhouse.
- 24-hour light and high air temperatures.
- Daily watering and water falling on the leaves.
- Late planting when the height of the shoots is already more than 4 cm. It is better to plant in the morning and when the shoots are still small.
- Fertilization with manure. As a result, plants form powerful shoots and large leaves to the detriment of the fruits.
- Refusal to prevent disease.
- Procurement of hybrid seeds for further cultivation.
For good growth and development, the lighting period should be at least 12 hours a day. For this purpose, phytolamps are often used in greenhouses.
Location of the greenhouse on the site
Even before starting construction, you need to think about how the ridges will be located in the future greenhouse; it is advisable to develop a plan and draw a diagram. Correctly placed buildings in relation to the cardinal directions and the sun will provide uniform lighting to all plants in the greenhouse.
Scheme: good location of the greenhouse on the plot
If the ridges are located along the greenhouse, then it is better to place the greenhouse with the long side from north to south, in which case the sun will pass across the sky, illuminating three of its four sides and, accordingly, most of the plants in a day. This will be the best option, because morning and evening rays are most effective for photosynthesis of greenery, and plants that are not fully provided with bright light turn pale, stretch out and produce a lower yield.
If space on the site is limited, then you need to install the greenhouse so that maximum illumination of the ridges occurs in the morning. Then the night cooling will not cause much harm to the sprouts. If the topography of the land plot is pronounced, then it is better to install the greenhouse on a southern slope and place the beds across the slope.
Important! It is better to place tall plants at the end of the greenhouse, from west to east, in which case they will be better lit during the day.
