Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse under covering material

We grow tomatoes. Secrets of a productive bed. Covering greenhouses and greenhouses with Agrotex material

The new summer season is approaching.
Everyone's favorite crop and one that is often grown in our gardens and vegetable gardens is tomatoes. To get a good harvest, you need to prepare in advance, purchase seeds or ready-made seedlings, choose a planting location, etc. Almost every gardener has his own method of growing vegetables; in this article we want to share our technology with you. Tomatoes are native to South America and are one of the most heat-loving and weather-sensitive plants. The most common and affordable way to grow tomatoes in our country is by seedlings and in greenhouses with replaceable covering material. Greenhouses and structures in which tomatoes are grown must be able to be ventilated - excess moisture leads to diseases of tomato plants. Agrotex covering material is ideal for this role - it is mobile, removable, porous, reliable and effective. It protects plantings well from wind, precipitation, cold, overheating and burns. Does not form condensation on the inside of the material, it can be used for up to three agricultural seasons. It forms its own microclimate, which does not happen when using conventional polyethylene. The beds should be located from north to south, in a bright, sunny area of ​​the site, and protected from drafts and strong winds. To cover greenhouses and greenhouses, we use Agrotex covering material with a density of 42-60g/m2. It is recommended to plant tomatoes after legumes, cabbage crops, root vegetables, and onions. It is advisable to place after nightshade crops no earlier than 3 years later, since they have common diseases. Tomatoes prefer cultivated soil, sandy loam or light loamy, well heated, with an acidity pH of 5.5-7. Seeds for seedlings are sown to a depth of 0.5-1 cm 45-60 days before planting in a permanent place.

Tomato plants are very sensitive to thermal conditions; the optimal temperature for seed germination and development is 20-25°C. Temperatures both above and below the optimal have a negative effect on the plant: at 35°C and above, pollination of flowers does not occur; at 15°C Flowering and fruit set stop, growth stops below 10°C, and frosts of 1-3°C cause severe damage to tomatoes or even death. Therefore, after transplanting the seedlings to a permanent place, we cover the plants without a frame with Agrotex non-woven material with a density of 17-30 g/m2. This allows you to create an optimal climate for the growth and development of seedlings, improve the survival rate of bushes, and also protect them from spring temperature fluctuations.

Tomato stems are brittle; the plant may not support its own weight and collapse or break, which will lead to rotting of the fruit or death of the plant. Therefore, tomatoes require staking as they grow. The material for gartering must be soft, durable and does not retain moisture; Agrotex'Sad tapes made of non-woven material have these properties. It is not recommended to use fabric garters, because... they absorb water, and due to the constant humidity in the greenhouse, they provoke rotting in the place of attachment. Watering the plants is carried out as the soil dries, wetting the humus layer to the full depth. Tomatoes are relatively drought-resistant, but they cannot withstand excess moisture in the soil; if there is excess water, they get sick. Fertilizing is carried out 3-4 times per season: after planting seedlings after 3 weeks, the next fertilizing is done during the formation and ripening of the crop. It is necessary to monitor the amount of nitrogen in fertilizers, since if there is an excess of it, tomatoes develop vegetative mass to the detriment of fruiting.

To increase productivity, in addition to pinching tomato bushes, it is necessary to weed and loosen the soil. It is best to use non-woven Agrotex 60g/m2 black as a mulching material for tomatoes. Unlike available mulching products (cut grass, straw, etc.), Agrotex does not accumulate excess moisture, which is critical for tomatoes. And there will be no worries about weeding at all. The fruits ripen in August and are picked at pink ripeness. Tomatoes are left to ripen at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.

Have a rich harvest!

Making a greenhouse

Making a greenhouse for tomatoes with your own hands is not that difficult. You can build a greenhouse from many materials. several simple options for greenhouses for tomatoes with photos below:

Arc-shaped greenhouse made of pipes

The material for such a greenhouse is plastic pipes. They are used to construct a kind of tunnel in the garden bed. It is advisable to place the bed in the west-east direction. Pipes (or metal rods) are stuck into the ground at a distance of approximately 60-80 cm from each other. The top is covered with plastic film or non-woven covering material. The bottom of the covering material is fixed with any heavy objects. This type of greenhouse is suitable for low-growing tomatoes. Greenhouse for tomatoes from old frames

For production, used wooden frames are used, placed on a wooden base. Decide on the length and width of the structure and make the base of the greenhouse by driving pegs into the ground around the perimeter. Cover the pegs with rope and lay a foundation of bricks held together with cement along the line. A wooden beam of the required length is laid on the foundation. The number of rows of timber is determined by the height of the greenhouse. It is not recommended to make a greenhouse more than 1.2 meters in height. Frames are screwed to one side of this frame so that they can be opened upwards.

You can see another option for a simple and inexpensive greenhouse made from old frames in this video:

Greenhouse for tomatoes made of slats covered with film

For this design, wooden frames covered with film are made. Four frames will be needed for the side walls and one or two to secure the top. The size of the frames depends on the size of the planned greenhouse.

There are several simple rules for growing tomatoes in a greenhouse. The number of fruits removed from the bushes depends on proper care of tomatoes. Plant care consists of the following stages:

Watering and fertilizing

Tomatoes should be watered sparingly , as excess moisture in a greenhouse will lead to the development of diseases. When watering, water must reach the roots, so you should water in several stages, waiting for the liquid to be absorbed. Complex special fertilizers are used to feed tomatoes

Read also: How to grow pelargonium from seeds at home

Pinching (trimming)

Too thick tomato bushes in a greenhouse interfere with the formation of fruits on them, so excess stems are removed from them. The lower branches extending from the trunk (stepchildren) are removed using pruning shears. On some varieties you should also trim the top so that the bushes do not stretch upward. These techniques help plants form a sufficient number of fruits, rather than expending energy on building up leaf mass.

To prevent the bushes from falling under the weight of the fruits, they are tied to pegs stuck 20 cm from the stem into the ground.

There are many ways to properly tie a garter. The main thing is not to forget that the rope should be soft and not damage the tender shoots.

Hilling and loosening

Several times a season, tomatoes in a greenhouse should be loosened and hilled. Loosening provides oxygen access to the roots , and hilling helps to form additional roots on the trunk.

Disease Prevention

Once every 20 days, tomatoes are treated with copper-containing preparations to protect against late blight.

Stimulation of fruit formation

There are special preparations to increase the formation of ovaries on tomatoes. These mixtures are sprayed on plants during flowering. You can use a solution of boric acid 1g. per liter

Ventilation

Tomato does not like air humidity and overheating above 30 degrees , so the greenhouse should be opened slightly at the ends or the frames should be raised. When hot weather sets in, the cover can be removed completely, covering the tomatoes only at night.

Features of this option

This method has a number of advantages:

1. Ease of implementation . This is not growing in a greenhouse, when you need to build a large and reliable structure; greenhouses can be quite small. For arcs, any available materials are used - from pieces of thick wire to plastic elements or curved slats.
2. Low cost . Shelter costs several times or even tens of times less than greenhouses. You only need arches and covering material, which is sold by the meter in gardening or hardware stores; you purchase as much as you need.
3. Ease of use . If it’s warm during the day, you can raise the shelter or even move it completely to the side. And when stable warm weather sets in outside, the material is removed altogether. As for the arches, they can be mobile or stationary, it all depends on the design.

When it gets warm outside, the covering material is simply removed and the tomatoes are grown as usual

1. Protecting plants from the sun at first . Bright sunlight in the spring often burns the leaf blades of seedlings and tomatoes have to recover from the damage. Under cover, this problem is much lower, since sunlight is shaded and diffused, and the seedlings adapt much better.
2. Plants depend much less on external weather conditions . The greenhouse maintains a higher temperature and if the day is cool, the canopy does not rise and the plants do not become overcooled. They are also protected from temperature changes during the day; under cover the spread is much shorter and the plants do not experience stress.
3. You can plant seedlings in a greenhouse much earlier than in open ground . This allows you to harvest earlier. Typically the difference is 1 to 2 weeks. To create the best conditions, the shelter is constructed in advance, so the air and soil will warm up much faster.
4. You can use this option for full-cycle cultivation . In this case, a large shelter is constructed and the material is not removed. In essence, this is the same as a greenhouse, only much less money is spent on its construction.

You can purchase a ready-made version.
Most often this is a structure made of aluminum profile. The author of the video uses a large structure and grows tomatoes in it all season. He notes that in this case it is very convenient to shade the tomatoes with covering material during hot periods of the season.

What kind of shelter should there be?

The main criterion is temperature. The shelter should provide warmth for the vegetables. The soil should warm up well in the spring.

The structure should not interfere with cultivating the soil around the plants. It is best to cultivate seedlings in a greenhouse. To avoid too high a temperature, the structure must have ventilation.

The easiest way to cover tomatoes is to use a frame made in the form of metal arcs stuck into the ground. Such a greenhouse can be either permanent or temporary.

Choose a suitable covering material

Gardeners argue about which covering material is better, let’s look at the features of the two most popular options:

1. Polyethylene film . A simple and inexpensive solution that is used very widely, comes in different densities, and lasts from 1 to 5 years. It allows sunlight to pass through well, but does not allow air to pass through, so without ventilation, condensation constantly accumulates inside. Protects from adverse influences, it is always warm inside.
2. Agricultural canvas . The most famous option is Spunbond, but there are also products from other manufacturers. Shades the plantings, but still allows light to pass through. The material is also moisture-permeable and breathable, while retaining heat well inside the space. Very light, even if it lies on tomatoes without arches, it almost does not injure them.

Agricultural canvas is great for small structures

How to prepare soil and planting material

Buy seeds from a trusted manufacturer . To begin with, they should be placed in a disinfecting environment. This can be either a solution of potassium permanganate or a solution of hydrogen peroxide.

It is also advisable to soak the seeds in a growth stimulator . Purchase any composition of this type, prepare according to the instructions and soak the seeds for the prescribed time

Prepare containers of suitable size . Fill them with ready-made soil or a mixture of humus, peat and garden soil. Place the seeds in increments of 2-3 cm, the distance between rows is 5 cm.

Cover with a layer of nutrient mixture about 1 cm thick . Place in a warm, dark place, cover or wrap with film on top to create a favorable microclimate inside. After germination, place on the windowsill

When 2 or more true leaves appear on the plants, it needs to be planted in separate containers . Plastic half-liter cups work great.

How to grow tomatoes

Tomatoes are grown in greenhouses and in open ground, but to get a good harvest, it is better to use seedlings. If you don’t have time to grow it at home, you can purchase ready-made bushes for planting at gardening stores. But in this case, there is a risk of getting a low-quality product; besides, if you plant the seedlings yourself, it is easier to control what fertilizers were applied and provide quality care.

Today, there are many successfully used methods for growing vegetable crops. Tomato is no exception - it can be planted in several ways: in a bucket, in paper and under film.

Experiments with growing tomatoes began due to the reluctance or lack of ability of gardeners to tinker with seedlings. And now everyone can choose the most comfortable method for themselves, because the dacha has become not only a garden for growing vegetables, but also a place of relaxation. Tomatoes are also grown without seedlings - under covering material or film.

How to grow tomatoes

Note! Tomatoes should not be planted after potatoes, peppers or eggplants, because these crops have similar diseases. It is also not recommended to plant tomatoes in a place where they have already grown for 4 years. It is also better to exclude the proximity to potatoes in order to prevent infection with late blight. But after legumes, cucumbers, zucchini or pumpkins, tomatoes will grow well.

The bed should be prepared when the earth begins to warm up: loosen the soil, add fertilizer and water. Fertilizers should be used organic: peat, humus. Wood ash is also used. To answer the question of when to plant tomatoes under covering material, you need to understand in what climatic conditions they will grow. Tomatoes, both seedlings and seeds, should be planted as soon as the danger of frost has passed; for the middle zone this is usually mid-May. For planting seeds, you must choose early-ripening varieties, otherwise they may not germinate.

Seeds, prepared in advance (warmed up, disinfected, washed) are sown in furrows that should not exceed 1 cm in depth.

Planting in open ground

Different varieties of tomatoes can survive at different temperatures, but the general survival range of tomatoes is considered to be from 0⁰ to +43⁰. There are frost-resistant tomatoes that do not die in frosts down to -4⁰, but only in calm weather and for a very short time. If the nights are frosty, it is useless to plant them outside without shelter. What factors increase plant resistance to cold?

• Zoned varieties,
• low bushes with strong thick stems,
• well developed root system,
• adequate nutrition and
• absence of diseases and pests,
• hardening

If you want to grow tomatoes without seedlings by immediately sowing the seeds in open ground, do not rush to plant the seeds

It is important not only to wait for warm days and absence of frosts, you also need to keep the soil warm. A covering material or film laid out on the ground will help speed up this process.

At soil temperatures below +10⁰, the seeds will not germinate or will lie in the ground for too long and will produce weak, sparse growth, which often gets sick and dies. To get vigorous shoots, you need soil heated to +16⁰.

The heat requirements for seedlings growing from seeds directly in the garden are the same as for seedlings at home or in a greenhouse. Until the daytime temperature is about +23⁰, and the night temperature is not lower than +15⁰, the seedlings need to be protected from cold air. Don't forget that all the requirements for warm air and soil also apply to water. The plant is basking in the sun, its roots are tenderly embraced by the loose warm earth, and suddenly the whole idyll is disrupted by an icy shower from a watering can. Such stress has a detrimental effect on all tomato systems. Do not mock your pets, keep the container with water in the sun, and when the liquid heats up above +20⁰, water it.

Seedlings grown on a windowsill and properly hardened can be planted in open ground if the minimum temperature at night is not lower than +10⁰. Don’t panic when you see +6⁰ on the thermometer; this is not lethal cold for tomatoes, but such coolness is undesirable for good plant development. Carefully monitor the forecast and cover your plantings in time.

Conclusion. Tomato seedlings are a fairly hardy plant; temperatures that are destructive for them are below 0⁰ and above +43⁰. There is no need to subject plants to such extreme experiments; they can withstand critical values ​​for a very short time. Much depends on the variety and condition of the seedlings. If strong, hardened tomatoes of varieties zoned for northern areas survive a slight frost, then delicate exotic tomatoes, accustomed to warmth, will die every single one.

At each stage of development, seedlings need their own optimal air temperature. The seeds should germinate in a cool place, then the seedlings should be moved to a warmer place, and when the first true leaves appear, the air temperature should be reduced again. Before planting in a greenhouse or open ground, it is advisable to harden the tomatoes so that sudden frosts do not destroy them.

Try not to deviate from the recommendations for the optimal temperature for growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, on a windowsill and outdoors. If you keep them in heat or cold all the time, the seedlings may survive, but they will weaken and begin to get sick. If the thermal conditions are incorrect, the leaves will develop too rapidly to the detriment of the ovaries. When certain values ​​are exceeded, the pollen does not fertilize the pistil, and the flowers die without producing fruit. Tomatoes will please you with a good harvest only if they themselves have a good life.

It is especially difficult when your husband is not around and you have to do everything yourself. Of course, I don’t have enough strength to build a “house” for tomatoes. And I decided to grow tomatoes under light cover. Here's what I did.

Types of covering materials

The method of growing tomatoes under film or covering material is used in the southern regions and in the middle zone; it is also quite suitable for the Moscow region. Plants in open ground need shelter because:

• the soil freezes quickly;
• it is necessary to protect them from direct rays of the sun;
• there are climatic conditions that do not correspond to the culture;
• there is a lack of heat.

There are many types of covering material of different types and qualities on sale: film, glass, polycarbonate, acrylic for greenhouses, reinforced film and a modern development - spunbond (agrofibre). The main selection criterion should be its ability to retain heat. It is also important to consider:

• reliability;
• ability to protect from sunlight;
• ease of use.

Important! Plants should be covered when the weather worsens, the air temperature drops, and during periods of prolonged rain.

Film is common because it is inexpensive and easy to use, but it is not very reliable. A film greenhouse can deteriorate in one winter. Despite this, many gardeners still cover crops with it. But the reinforced film will perfectly perform its function in any climate.

Sometimes glass is used for shelter in greenhouses, but it must be thick enough. With the advent of modern materials, this method is abandoned, because glass is short-lived, can easily crack if it is not thick enough, does not attach well to the metal frame of the greenhouse and does not provide sufficient protection from direct rays of the sun.

Polycarbonate

Nowadays, a modern and practical material is used for greenhouses - polycarbonate. It is better to buy it with a cellular type of covering, so that direct sunlight is evenly distributed over the covering, which has a good effect on planting.

Polycarbonate does not change shape and does not collapse under any climatic conditions, reliably retains heat and does not let cold air flow through, is easy to install and does not absorb moisture. The disadvantages include the high price of this type of shelter.

Acrylic

More recently, they began to grow tomatoes under acrylic, a new covering material. It perfectly protects plantings from low temperatures, while being non-toxic and safe. Acrylic is lighter than glass, durable and flexible. Its positive qualities have already been appreciated by many gardeners. When growing tomatoes under acrylic, it is important to ventilate the greenhouse during the day, because the temperature there rises quite high, and to cover it at night.

This covering material has the following advantages:

• the ability to transmit approximately 90% of sunlight, which has a positive effect on the growth and fruiting of crops;
• transmits ultraviolet radiation;
• does not become cloudy for a long time and remains transparent;
• ecologically pure;
• maintains the necessary microclimate;
• does not prevent the penetration of water and air, without interfering with the evaporation of excess moisture;
• promotes ventilation, preventing the formation of fungus;
• durability.

With all its advantages, acrylic also has a number of disadvantages:

• highly flammable;
• thin material may crack;
• high price;
• The service life is still shorter than that of polycarbonate.

Botanical description

Tomatoes are a nightshade herbaceous plant. In its homeland it can be perennial. In countries with a harsher climate, it is annual. The root system is a rod with many lateral branches and is covered with many hairs. In open warm ground, in the southern regions, the roots reach a meter in length. In greenhouses they grow up to thirty centimeters. Roots easily form on any part of the stem. The stems themselves can be erect or require garter, and according to the nature of growth: constantly branching - indeterminate and, conversely, determinate. The leaves are of normal shape, but their color changes under the influence of external conditions and the state of the plant. Flowers of both sexes are collected in “fruit raceme” inflorescences. The fruits are fleshy and juicy berries of different sizes and shapes. The color of ripe fruits ranges from golden to brown and purple, depending on the variety.

Tomatoes are a self-pollinating plant. It begins to bloom approximately on the fiftieth day after germination from the seeds, and the fruits ripen another sixty days later. During this period, any sudden external changes, especially temperature fluctuations, can be detrimental to the crop. And here you need to know what the lowest temperature tomato seedlings can withstand, and not allow the plant to fall into extreme temperatures - below five degrees. It will also die in heat above forty-three degrees.