Preparing seeds and soil
The soil for seedlings must be nutritious, loose, and disinfected.
- You can buy all-purpose soil for seedlings at a garden center and steam it in the oven or microwave.
- Some summer residents simply spill boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate on the soil.
First you need to sort the seeds:
- To do this, use a saline solution prepared from 1 glass of water and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- The seeds placed in it are left for 20 minutes.
- After the specified time, all damaged, weak and empty seeds will float to the surface, and high-quality material will settle to the bottom.
- After this, the good seeds are washed and soaked for 30 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide.
- They are then left in the water overnight and planted in the morning.
Sowing seedlings
To grow in a greenhouse, tomato seeds are sown at the end of March; for open ground, sowing is done in the first ten days of April.
You can pre-germinate them by wrapping them in a damp cloth. This process will take 3-4 days.
You can plant seeds in plastic containers and wooden boxes. It is better to give preference to plastic - such containers are easy to wash and disinfect. There must be drainage holes in the bottom of the container, and a tray underneath.
Some people use ordinary plastic or peat cups for planting. A drainage layer of expanded clay must be placed at the bottom of any container to prevent rotting of the delicate roots.
Then the container or cups are filled with slightly moistened soil and sowing begins:
- 2-3 seeds are immediately planted in separate containers, then the weaker shoots are removed, leaving the strongest seedling.
- In the container, grooves are cut with a wooden stick at a distance of 4 cm from each other. The depth of the grooves should be 1 cm.
- Seeds are placed in them at intervals of 2 cm, after which they are sprinkled with a thin layer of fertile soil and lightly moistened with a spray bottle.
The best way to sow seeds for seedlings. Sowing tomatoes - video
Rule 6 – the simpler, the more effective
As for growing tomatoes in “snails,” these stories just make me laugh. The seedlings are compressed in rolls, and if the seedlings are not picked in time, they will instantly stretch out. If it’s just a matter of saving space, sow tomatoes in a small container: up to 10,000 seeds can be sown in a box measuring 30x30 cm, the main thing is not to confuse the varieties.
What’s interesting: none of the enthusiasts of this method show the entire process of growing tomatoes, from the “snail” to harvesting, as I do. I would like to see this. Then perhaps I would change my mind.
All the best.
Seedling care
Shoots appear 5-7 days after sowing.
Until the seedlings emerge, the box with seedlings is kept at room temperature, then the temperature is reduced to 12-15 degrees during the day and 8-10 degrees at night.
When the seedlings get a little stronger, the temperature is again raised to 20-25 degrees.
The recommended air humidity for growing seedlings is 60-70%.
At two weeks of age, the seedlings are planted in separate cups.
Feeding:
- After 10 days, the first fertilizing is carried out with a mixture of potassium salt, superphosphate and urea.
- After another 2 weeks, the tomatoes are fed a second time.
Water the seedlings with warm water in the first half of the day. Watering should be plentiful, but rare.
Plants are planted in the garden at the age of 65-70 days.
On a note! By the time of planting in the ground, the bushes should have a developed root system, many buds on the first cluster, a thick stem, and dark green leaves.
Landing at a permanent place
In order for tomatoes to produce a good harvest and not get sick, it is necessary to observe crop rotation. The best predecessors for them will be root vegetables (excluding potatoes), all types of cabbage, and perennial herbs.
The soil should be neutral or slightly acidic. Light and fertile soil contributes to earlier harvesting.
Tomatoes are planted in open ground after the threat of frost has disappeared; the seedlings must first be hardened.
At first, it is recommended to cover the plants with film or agricultural material to protect them from the cold.
Drop off rules:
- Most often, tomatoes are planted in two rows with an interval between plants of 25-30 cm.
- Row spacing should be 50-65 cm wide.
- Seedlings should not be buried more than 4-5 cm compared to the initial planting.
- Overgrown seedlings are planted obliquely, with their crowns facing north.
After planting, make sure that a hard crust does not form; the soil is regularly loosened after watering.
In open ground
15-20 days after planting, the tomatoes need to be hilled; in the future, this procedure is carried out twice more. Simultaneously with hilling, mineral fertilizers are applied. Their deficiency can be identified by the appearance of the plants.
Tomatoes do not like irrigation by sprinkling; moisture is applied strictly at the root. The culture requires rare but abundant watering. You can determine the need for moisture by the appearance of the tomatoes - the leaves darken and become drooping.
On a note! With excess moisture, gray rot and late blight can develop; insufficient watering can provoke the appearance of blossom end rot.
For the first 10-15 days after planting the seedlings, tomatoes do not need to be watered; the moisture added during planting will be enough for them. With the appearance of ovaries, the need for water in tomatoes increases sharply. At this time, the plants are watered at intervals of 5-7 days, adding up to 5 liters of water under each bush.
To retain moisture in the soil during the fruiting period, mulching is used. When low-growing tomatoes begin to yield, watering is reduced. With determinate varieties, the opposite is done, giving them more water during this period.
Tomatoes can be formed into one, two or three stems.
- All stepsons are removed, not allowing them to grow more than 5 cm in length.
- This procedure must be performed in the morning on a sunny day so that the wounds heal before evening.
- Stepchildren should not be torn off by hand, so as not to damage the stem. Typically, sharp pruning shears or small scissors are used.
Standard forms do not need to be formed.
For preventive purposes, bushes are sprayed two or three times a season with Bordeaux mixture or a solution of any copper-containing preparation. The need for this measure increases after the rainy period.
To the greenhouse
When grown in a greenhouse, plants need to be tied to a trellis a week after planting.
Greenhouse tomatoes must be shaped.
- Indeterminate varieties are pinched above the 5th brush, leaving two leaves on top.
- Determinate varieties are formed in such a way that there are 4-5 brushes left on the bush.
The lower yellowed leaves are periodically torn off. Watering is carried out in the first half of the day, after which the greenhouse is ventilated.
Root dressings are applied three times per season. As a top dressing, you can use mineral complexes, liquid organic fertilizers, and an infusion of mowed grass.
For more successful pollination, the bushes are shaken during flowering.
How to protect tomatoes from diseases and pests?
Few people have met a tomato grower who has not at least once encountered late blight or powdery mildew. These diseases are very dangerous and can leave you without a harvest not only this year, but also in subsequent ones. That is why it is very important to carry out timely prevention of these, as well as many other diseases.
Prevention of late blight
Most often, greenhouse plants suffer from this disease. To protect the plant from late blight, do not allow the air temperature to drop sharply and monitor the humidity level. An effective preventive measure is treatment with drugs such as Abiga-Pik, Consent and Revus.
Prevention of cladosporiosis
Brown spot of tomatoes (cladosporiosis) is a fungal disease manifested by yellowish spots that first cover the lower leaves and then spread to the entire plant. To prevent this disease, monitor the humidity in the greenhouse (no higher than 80%) and regularly remove old leaves.
Prevention of powdery mildew
Improper watering and excess nitrogen fertilizers contribute to the development of powdery mildew. To prevent the disease, use a 0.5% solution of Baktofit (according to the instructions).
Get rid of infected plants
Never put the remains of diseased plants into the compost! Otherwise, you risk infecting the entire area.
- Determinant of tomato diseases: photos, descriptions, control measures and prevention
Are the tomato leaves turning black and brown spots visible on the fruits? Find out what diseases could cause these and other symptoms!
Harvesting
Harvesting is done every 3-5 days as the fruits ripen. You can pick tomatoes at the stage of technical maturity, when the skin begins to turn red, brown or yellow. Lying in the sun, such fruits will fully ripen and will not differ in taste from those that ripen on the bush.
If you pick tomatoes green, it will be impossible to get the same taste from them.
- Early ripening varieties begin to ripen in the second half of July, and from mid-August the bushes begin to die off. If the weather forecast is unfavorable and a sharp cold snap begins, it is better to remove all the saturated fruits the day before.
- In mid-season varieties, the fruiting period shifts two weeks ahead.
- Late tomatoes and giants are harvested in August when grown in open ground. They can be left in the greenhouse until September.
Urgently remove the fruits if late blight symptoms appear on the leaves, otherwise you may lose the entire harvest.
Tomatoes can be stored in a cool room for up to 2 months, placed in wooden boxes. Of course, the fruits should not be overripe. Red tomatoes picked from the bush remain fresh for no more than 5 days. During this time, they need to be eaten or used for processing and preparation of canned vegetables.
On a note! Since tomato tops are often affected by late blight, it is better to burn them after harvesting.
Which varieties to choose
To grow good and large fruits, you need to familiarize yourself with the varieties of tomatoes that are suitable for growing outdoors.
Black Prince
Among large-fruited varieties with frost resistance, the Black Prince tomato is popular. The hybrid was bred by Chinese breeders for cultivation in harsh climatic conditions.
Ripe fruits appear on the bushes four months after sowing the seeds. Tomatoes are covered with a peel painted in a dark burgundy color, their weight reaches three hundred grams. The yield per square meter is 6-8 kilograms of tomatoes.
Bullfinch
Fans of low-growing plants can purchase compact Bullfinch tomatoes. The height of the bushes is only 35-45 centimeters. They do not need to be tied to supports or pinned. During the growing process, small clusters are formed on the bushes, on which 3-4 fruits are tied. The advantages of the crop include its taste and resistance to cracking after harvest.
Marfa
This is a high-yielding hybrid tomato that can withstand even severe frosts. Marfa has spreading and tall bushes more than one and a half meters high. After three months, the first ripe tomatoes appear on the plant, which can be collected and eaten. They are quite small and therefore they harvest 3-4 kilograms of crop from a bush.
The advantages of Martha include:
- resistance to sudden drops in temperature;
- ease of care;
- dense fruits that are stored for a long time and do not crack.
Altaic
Gardeners who do not want tall tomatoes can purchase Altai tomato seeds. This variety is distinguished by its average harvest ripening time and resistance to frost. The Altai variety has simple brushes on which 5-6 tomatoes are formed. Each fruit weighs about 350-400 grams. Ripe tomatoes have a ribbed surface and a flat-round shape.
Korneevsky
The tomato was developed by Russian breeders in the second half of the 80s of the last century specifically for planting and growing in harsh climatic conditions. Korneevsky tomatoes have powerful and tall bushes that grow up to two meters. Gardeners advise tying them to supports so that they do not break due to the wind.
The advantages of the Korneevsky variety include productivity, thanks to which it is possible to harvest 6-8 kilograms of tomatoes from the plant.
