Greenhouse in the shade: what can grow in such conditions

Many varieties and hybrids of tomatoes can be grown both in open and protected ground. However, in a greenhouse, especially in conditions of the unpredictable and often quite cold summer of the middle zone, their yield is greater than in open beds.

When selecting tomatoes for future plantings, you must decide which plants will be easier for you to care for: determinate (with limited bush growth) or indeterminate (with unlimited bush growth). In order for the greenhouse to justify its purpose and to be able to harvest a rich harvest from a small area, experienced tomato growers advise giving preference to tall varieties and hybrids. However, great attention should be paid to the formation of bushes so that the greenhouse does not turn into an impenetrable jungle.

• Formation of tomatoes in a greenhouse and open ground: instructions and diagrams

  Win-win options for forming tomato bushes. Visual diagrams that are understandable even to novice gardeners.

Where is it better to plant tomatoes - in the shade or in the sun?

Novice gardeners often wonder: should they plant tomatoes in the shade or in the sun?
The answer to this is clear, given the fact that the culture originated in southern countries. The more heat and sunlight the tomatoes receive when growing, the richer their color and sweeter their taste. Unfortunately, in a small area it is not always possible to provide ideal conditions for all crops. So is it possible to plant tomatoes in shade or partial shade, what will happen to them in this case?

Do plants always need sun?

Plants need sunlight, like all living organisms on the planet. Depending on the level of illumination, they are light-loving, shade-loving and shade-indifferent. Many plants are able to adapt to changing conditions. However, such processes do not occur without leaving a trace; the level of illumination changes the appearance. In the shade, many plants stop blooming, the leaves take on a darker shade of green, become more elongated or wider and thicker than in bright light.

But with excessive lighting, chlorophyll begins to collapse, the leaf blades acquire a pale and even yellowish tint.

In addition, certain plants require sunlight to form and develop floral, vegetative, and fruiting buds. However, there are plants that require darkness to form buds.

From which side the sunlight falls, the leaves will stretch in that direction, and on this side the plant will develop more actively.

The role of sunlight in the development of tomatoes

Natural lighting is considered the most rational and balanced for all plants. Due to the lack of sunlight in the cells, the process of photosynthesis is disrupted, plants slow down in growth, and their immunity decreases. The development of tomatoes is directly related to the intensity and duration of light radiation.

In open ground, the crop successfully bears fruit at illumination levels from 5 thousand to 40 thousand lux, in greenhouses - from 8 thousand to 20 thousand lux.

If there is not enough sunlight:

The minimum cultural requirement is 6 hours of direct sun per day. With 8 hours of sunlight, tomatoes grow even better. Ideally, the bed with tomatoes is located on the south side of the site. Planting on the west side also gives good results.

TOP 10 best varieties of tomatoes for open ground

Get straight to the point! The most popular tomato varieties for growing in open ground rightfully include:

1. Tomato Honey saved. Mid-season, indeterminate. The fruits weigh up to 300 grams, are orange-red, and have a sweetish taste.
2. Pink Elephant. Indeterminate, mid-season. The tomatoes are pink, fleshy, weighing 200-1000 grams .
3. Cameo. Ultra-early ripening, determinate, disease-resistant bush. The fruits ripen pink, fleshy, weighing 100-120 g.
4. Amur standard. Standard, early ripening variety. Fruits weighing 60-120 grams have dense pulp and are well stored.
5. Iceberg. Low-growing, ultra-early. The fruit is sweet and sour, fleshy, pink in color and can grow up to 200 g.

1. Washington. A standard bush that produces approximately 20-30 tomatoes per season. Early ripening, round fruits weighing up to 700 g.
2. Roma. Determinate, mid-season. Plum-shaped tomatoes grow up to 90 g.
3. Prodigy. Determinate, early ripening. The fruits are cube-shaped, bright red, weighing 70-75 g.
4. Shuttle. Early ripening variety, standard type. The fruits are oval, with a spout, weighing 30-60 g and are intended for pickling.
5. Appetizing. Indeterminate, mid-early. The fruits are large, fleshy, weighing 350-450 g.

For indoor soil, we have compiled a separate rating: the best varieties of tomatoes for greenhouses.

Is it permissible to plant tomatoes in dense shade?

Of course, you shouldn’t plant tomatoes where there is chronically insufficient light (for example, on the north side of a building or fence). In this case, the bushes will develop poorly and appear frail and elongated. Even if the fruits set under such conditions, their taste will be bland or sour.

Plant crops that can easily tolerate shade in a shady area. Spicy herbs, lettuce, climbing beans, parsnips, garlic, and herbs love shade.

List of shade-tolerant vegetables for the garden

When the area of ​​a garden or cottage is limited, and the most illuminated areas are reserved for the main crops, the question arises of which vegetables, herbs and berries grow in the shade. Many cultivated plants can tolerate a lack of sunlight, and some of them prefer to grow in dense shade.

Shade-tolerant vegetables for the garden include:

• climbing and bush (asparagus) beans;
• jusai (Chinese or allspice onion);
• oregano;
• cilantro (coriander);
• leaf salad;
• Melissa;
• mint;
• parsnip;
• parsley;
• table beets;
• celery;
• thyme (thyme);
• dill;
• garlic;
• wild garlic;
• chives;
• sorrel;
• tarragon (tarragon).

In the shade, where sunlight is rare, the following develop more actively:

Are tomatoes planted in the shade of trees?

Often a tomato greenhouse is located so that there are fruit trees nearby. This often happens in small areas. Over time, the garden grows, the pear and apple trees become taller. Sometimes a shadow from a tall tree from a neighboring dacha falls on the greenhouse structure.

If there is only a lacy shadow, planting tomatoes is permissible if a number of conditions are met.

Features of growing tomatoes in the shade

If there is a lack of light due to nearby trees, you can try to increase the amount of light.

Growing tomatoes will be more successful if you influence a number of factors:

With a few tricks, tomatoes can be grown quite successfully in low light conditions. There is no point in hoping that the crop will produce a harvest in the complete absence of direct sunlight. This situation does not contribute to the normal growth and development of bushes.

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Shade-loving vegetable crops and shade-tolerant plants for the garden

Some summer cottages are located in a forest area and are surrounded by trees. This makes the sun poorly illuminate the vegetables, which affects the process of photosynthesis, and subsequently the harvest. In order to get good harvests of healthy and tasty vegetables and herbs even in such a plot, you should select shade-loving plants. And, as it turned out, quite a few of them were bred.

Such plants feel quite comfortable in low light conditions and produce good yields. If not the entire garden is poorly lit, then heat-loving and light-loving vegetable crops should be planted in light areas, and plants that grow well in the shade should be planted in the shade. If there are trees in the garden, they also cast a large shadow. When planning a planting scheme, this must be taken into account.

Advantages of mixed plantings

Rational use of usable space and proper placement of garden crops will help you get a generous harvest. Compared to the traditional method, mixed planting of vegetables in the garden has many advantages:

1. Saves space in the garden.
2. Vegetables and herbs from different families pull different nutrients from the soil, which prevents soil depletion.
3. Green manure crops planted on compacted beds improve the structure of the soil and enrich it with nitrogen.
4. Companion plants often act as living mulch and serve as protection against drying out and erosion of the soil.
5. The proximity of different crops helps to improve the taste and increase the size of ripening fruits.
6. Compacted plantings leave little room for weeds to grow.
7. Properly selected accompanying crops will restrain the development of fungal diseases, repel pests with their aroma and attract beneficial insects. For example, onions will repel carrot flies, and carrots will repel onion flies.

In mixed (combined, compacted) plantings, the main crop and a satellite plant are planted. These can be green manure, accompanying vegetables, herbs and even flowers - they will create favorable conditions around the main neighbor for the growth and ripening of fruits.

Planning plantings in a garden with shaded areas

Before drawing up a planting scheme, you need to determine the places with shading and its degree. A little shade will not harm even fastidious crops, but dark places on the site require special attention when choosing crops for planting. If the plot is new, then vegetable crops should be planted on it, taking into account the orientation of the garden to the cardinal points.

When planting fruit trees and shrubs, you should take into account that they will cast a shadow, so they are most often planted near fences and hedges. You should not place beds with strawberries, wild strawberries and small shrubs near trees. These crops are best placed closer to the center of the site or in the most illuminated place.

Shaded areas can be reserved for ornamental plants, among which there are many shade-loving varieties.

The direction of the beds is also important. They need to be placed either from north to south or from west to east. This direction will allow the soil to be heated more evenly and the crops to be illuminated.

List of vegetables for planting in the garden for the winter

To plant vegetables in the garden for the winter, it is important to carefully select planting material. Here is a list of crops that are likely to survive winter frosts well and will delight you with a good harvest in the spring:

• Onion
• Garlic
• Radish
• Beet
• Carrot
• Dill
• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Spinach
• Salad
• Celery
• Parsnip
• Coriander
• Sorrel

It should be remembered that when planting vegetables in the garden for the winter, planting material is sown only dry; the seeds cannot be soaked. In addition, the total number of seedlings should be one third greater compared to spring plantings. This is due to the fact that some of them will not germinate.

In spring, the main problem for seedlings most often becomes the dense crust of soil compacted over the winter, which does not allow the sprouts to break through to the sun. Therefore, after the snow melts, you need to carefully loosen the planting areas in the garden, breaking the crust if it has formed.

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What crops to plant in the shade

In gardening, it is customary to distinguish between the concepts of shade-loving and shade-tolerant plants. Such crops include the following plants and vegetables.

Much of growing crops in shaded areas depends on the growing zone. In cool areas, such as Siberia, it is better to grow herbs and low-maintenance vegetables in the shade, as some heat-loving plants may be cool there. In regions with a hot climate in partial shade you can get a good harvest of tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants and peppers.

The quality of the harvest in shaded areas will not be worse, but fruits, roots and berries will take a little longer to ripen. If there are shady areas in the garden, then the following vegetable crops can be placed on them without compromising the yield.

Beet

This culture belongs to the shade-loving plants. The root vegetable grows well in full shade and in areas with small glimpses of light. Such conditions, combined with optimal watering and fertilizers, promote the growth of good beet tops, which are used for making soups and obtaining high yields of root crops.

Cabbage

Almost all types of cabbage - cabbage, Brussels sprouts and broccoli prefer shaded areas with moist soil. Caring for cabbage planted in the shade means timely control of weeds that grow quickly.

Potato

It prefers shaded, cool places with optimal soil moisture. Therefore, it can be safely planted in dark places in the garden.

Spices

To avoid empty space near fruit trees, you can place small beds with spices. Parsley, mint, basil, green onions and dill grow well in the shade. With good watering, these crops produce juicy, lush greens of rich color.

Salad

Almost all types of lettuce will grow well in the shade. Suitable for planting are lettuce, leafy and pumping varieties of lettuce, spinach, watercress and sorrel. These crops prefer cool places with good humidity. Therefore, in the shade, lettuce leaves will be more juicy and contain more vitamins.

Beans and beans

When choosing beans and beans for sowing in the shade, you need to pay attention to the varieties when choosing seeds.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes can be grown in partial shade in the middle zone and in the south of our country. Special “polar” varieties bear fruit well and tolerate lack of light and cool conditions. Such plants are usually very low-growing with thick, fleshy stems.

The fruits on them are formed in clusters, are small in size and have juicy pulp. These varieties usually always show good yields and are grown even in northern regions in open ground.

Berry bushes

Not all fruit bushes can grow in low light conditions. But some species can be planted. These include plants that grow wild in the forest. In such conditions, they constantly do not receive enough sunlight and have long adapted to living in the shade.

These include rosehip, serviceberry, viburnum, honeysuckle, and chokeberry. By planting such shrubs in your dark garden in the fall, you can enjoy delicious berries and dry your supplies for the winter.

Red and black currants

These shrubs grow well in the shade under certain conditions. In the southern regions they are planted only in the shade. There the berries grow larger and juicier. In the middle zone, currants can also be planted in the shade, but the harvest can be harvested a little later.

There is no need to worry about the fact that there is little sunlight on the site. Many vegetables, herbs and shrubs grow well in such conditions. Therefore, you need to select in advance vegetables and other types of plants that will grow in the shade.

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Unusual, rare and miracle vegetables in the garden

The more different vegetables you plant in the garden, the more interesting it will be in the summer on the plot. With some effort, you can grow not only traditional crops, but also rare, outlandish plants:

1. Pepino (melon pear). In temperate climates it is grown as an annual. It produces fruits that taste like a mixture of melon, pumpkin and cucumber.

2. Melotria. Fresh roots and canned fruits are used for food. An actively climbing vine, strewn with unusually colored fruits, is often used for vertical gardening.

3. Tladianta (red cucumber). The plant comes from the Ussuri taiga, so its tubers can overwinter in the soil. The taste of the fruit is reminiscent of a carrot-pumpkin cocktail.

4. Luffa. Young fruits are suitable for eating, and ripe ones are suitable for making soft and delicate washcloths.

5. Romanesco (cauliflower variety). It is grown no more difficult than white cabbage, but has a delicate nutty taste.

6. Purple (blue) potatoes. The pulp of root vegetables is colored deep purple. Mashed potatoes or French fries made from blue root vegetables have a pleasant potato flavor.

With proper care, miracle vegetables planted in the country house or in the garden will produce a harvest of unusual fruits and will become the envy of the neighbors.

Greenhouse in the shade: what can grow in such conditions

An area bathed in bright sun for most of the daylight hours is considered great luck. But this doesn't happen often. In suburban areas there are usually residential and commercial buildings, fences and fences, trees and shrubs. Therefore, owners often face the question: is it possible to install a greenhouse in the shade? Will plants have enough light, or is it not worth even dreaming of good harvests?

Don’t rush to get upset - everything is not so scary. There are many crops that are quite happy with diffused light; they grow well in a greenhouse in the shade. Most plants do not need to be exposed to hot rays all day. Even for the most shaded areas of the site, it will be possible to select varieties that will feel quite comfortable there. And a greenhouse in the shade of trees will delight you with a stable harvest.

Rules for mixed planting of vegetables

When planning mixed planting of vegetables in your garden, you need to be guided by the basic principles of their placement:

1. Crops belonging to the same family cannot be planted in the same bed. They are characterized by the same diseases, pests and essential nutrients, so the risk of infection, crop loss and land depletion will increase several times.
2. Vegetables need to be placed so that light-loving plants are not shaded by their neighbors in the garden, and shade-loving plants are not exposed to the scorching rays of the sun. Tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, corn, melon, and watermelon prefer bright sunlight. Cabbage, radishes, turnips, radishes, beans, carrots, onions and garlic require moderate lighting.
3. Combine crops with different ripening periods. Early ripening crops include Chinese cabbage and kohlrabi cabbage, early varieties of cucumbers and potatoes, onions, radishes and lettuce. Compared to them, fruit ripening occurs later in tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkin, peppers, beets, eggplants, late varieties of cabbage and cucumbers.
4. Plant in the garden only those crops that are compatible with each other. The compatibility table for vegetables in the garden will help you navigate when choosing neighbors.

It is useful to plant fragrant herbs on compacted beds, which with their strong aroma will repel pests and attract pollinating insects. In a combined planting, lemon balm, oregano, mint, coriander, marjoram, basil or sage will not be out of place.

Traditional greenhouse location

Many gardeners believe that the most correct location of the greenhouse (in most regions) is north-south. Otherwise, severe overheating of the plantings is possible, and at noon there will be an excess of light on one side and a lack of it on the other. Timiryazev was sure that only half the power of the midday sun would be sufficient for photosynthesis for green plants; excess sunlight could be harmful.

In the southern regions, some inhabitants of closed ground have to be specially shaded, protected from scorching rays (such “sissies” are, for example, cucumbers). And for owners of comfortable modern polycarbonate greenhouses, the issue of shading is very relevant. Heating strongly from the sun's rays, polikarbonat can create a real “steam room” inside the structure. A greenhouse in the shade does not need a shading net.

Greenhouse in the shade: can it be installed?

To answer this question regarding a specific location on the site, it is advisable to determine its degree of shading. The maximum amount of sunlight enters the greenhouse from the end of February to the end of October. At the height of the summer season, it is often necessary to create artificial shading to avoid excessive overheating of the air in the enclosed space of the shelter.

There are several ways to calculate the shading created by environmental objects. For example, let's look at one of them. On February 21, areas of darkness created by the environment are marked in front of the building. In the time interval from 9 to 15 hours, the impact they have on the greenhouse is determined.

It is recommended to use a special solar map, which helps determine the coordinates of the luminary at various periods of time, as well as the hourly shadows created by surrounding objects. This method helps to obtain fairly accurate shading zones (individual) from each nearby object. Thus, you can find out in advance which objects and for what period of time will shade the greenhouse.

Shade-loving and shade-tolerant crops for a greenhouse in the shade

Most vegetable growers traditionally consider cucumbers to be an absolutely sun-loving crop, which begins to suffer when there is a lack of light. Meanwhile, modern breeders have been able to develop several varieties that can successfully bear fruit in partial shade. These are hybrid varieties Danila, Arina, Mastak, Podmoskovnie Vechera, Sekret Firmy and others.

Their representatives feel great in diffused light. Such cucumbers, which develop under partial darkening, produce consistently high yields and bear fruit longer. True, most of the varieties presented are late-ripening. But in closed ground it is possible to sow earlier and get harvests faster.

Almost all types of lettuce grow wonderfully in the shade: lettuce, cabbage and leaf varieties; spinach, sorrel and watercress. In humid conditions, they quickly grow powerful, succulent leaves containing many useful substances. Green onions, parsley, dill, mint and basil also thrive without bright sunlight, forming lush greens with bright, rich colors.

In the conditions of the south and middle zone, tomatoes can be grown in partial shade. There are special “polar” varieties that can withstand lack of light without loss. These short and powerful plants with fleshy stems show consistently high yields. Tomatoes grow on them in lush clusters, formed by neat fruits with juicy pulp.

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Senor Tomato – what the popular garden plant likes and doesn’t like

Adding an article to a new collection

Growing tomatoes seems to be a simple task, but every experienced gardener has his own couple of secrets. Some people primarily “conjure” seedlings, others have special planting schemes, others carefully follow “secret” schedules for watering or fertilizing...

But there are nuances and rules that apply during cultivation always and absolutely to all varieties, groups and varieties of tomatoes - be it dwarf early-ripening cherry tomatoes grown on a windowsill, late standard plants in a greenhouse or large-fruited indeterminates of medium ripening in open ground.

So, what exactly does this important Senor Tomato like and dislike?

How to sow seeds and care for tomato seedlings

Whatever tomatoes and in what conditions you are going to grow, you will have to start by sowing their seeds and growing seedlings, and this is done for all tomatoes in the same way. The only difference at the initial stage is in the timing of sowing - early-ripening varieties are sown approximately 100-110 days before the expected harvest, mid-ripening varieties - 120, and late - 130-140 days.

Before planting, it is recommended to soak tomato seeds in a solution of a growth stimulant (Heteroauxin, Zircon, Epin, aloe juice, etc.) and germinate in a damp cloth in a warm place (for example, on a radiator).

Sow the sprouted tomato seeds to a depth of 1-1.5 cm in any container at hand. If you sow in seedling boxes, make grooves in them at a distance of 3 cm from each other, spill them with water, spread the seeds at intervals of 1.5-2 cm and sprinkle with dry soil. If you sow in separate containers (plastic or peat humus cups, plastic bags, cassettes, etc.), water the soil when the water is absorbed, make a hole in the middle and put 2 seeds in it (if both sprout, then remove the weaker plant).

Immediately after sowing, cover the container with glass or film and keep it in a warm (23-25°C) place until germination.

For the first few days after germination, do not water the seedlings at all. Subsequently, water once a week, but generously. This is best done with a spray bottle or watering can for indoor plants.

When the first pair of true leaves appear, start picking up the tomato seedlings.

Feed tomato seedlings according to the following scheme:

If you sowed tomatoes very early (February - early March), until April they will have to be illuminated daily with fluorescent lamps (up to 14-16 hours a day). Otherwise, the seedlings will stretch out and have a pale color.

Which carrot loosens beds better than others?

The advantages of growing carrots, in addition to those obvious to humans, include the plant’s ability to loosen the ground, since it is a root crop. But for such “natural digging” you need to choose traditional varieties – long and strong.

Keep in mind that they will all be mid- and late-ripening.

For example, the bright orange “Queen of Autumn” will dig up a bed as much as 25 centimeters - this is the length of the root crop, but will ripen only after 130 days. Mid-season "Vita Longa" will ripen in 115 days and grow up to 30 cm. The leader in sugar content, "Emperor", also reaches a length of 30 cm, being ready for harvesting in 135 days. So, if you want to loosen the soil, long carrot varieties are a good choice.

However, in the case of this crop, you will have to work with the shovel yourself. The soil should be loose, ideally sandy, without stones or compactions. Otherwise, what awaits you is not beautiful and even carrots, but funny freaks.

Which carrots diversify the garden?

Through the efforts of breeders, a wide variety of varieties and hybrids have been introduced to the carrot market, which sometimes causes confusion among beginning gardeners. So, Baby carrots are a separate variety, and not just unripe regular carrots. Unripe carrots do not have the taste and the beneficial substances that they accumulate during the ripening process. Real baby carrots are complete in terms of taste and nutritional characteristics, but due to their small size they are perfect for baby food (in fact, hence the name) and growing in a limited area.

Round and small, like radishes, carrots are another option for a small raised bed with clay soil that is too difficult to shovel deep.

These varieties are undemanding to the type of soil and will make the season much easier for older gardeners.

The purple, white and yellow varieties of carrots are intended to remind you that growing this crop is an interesting activity. Moreover, purple carrots have a sharp taste, white carrots have a mild taste, and the sweetest carrots are yellow.

How to choose fertilizer for carrots

If you do a few things right from the beginning, you will be successful.

The first important step is to make sure the soil is loose and free of rocks. It is better to dig twice or choose a raised structure.

If the soil seems heavy, be sure to add plenty of well-rotted compost, but do not apply fresh manure! For carrots, phosphorus fertilizer is more important than nitrogen fertilizer.

Like most other root vegetables, carrots require a supply of phosphorus to form a juicy and strong underground part. But because it has one thick tap root rather than many small fibrous roots, the area from which carrot plants can absorb phosphorus is small and limited to a very small space around the root itself. Therefore, stock up on Folirus liquid foliar fertilizer containing phosphorus and spray the carrots according to the instructions.

How to plant carrots correctly

So, you have dug up the bed and are ready to open the carrot season. Here's a tip: Plant your seeds three weeks before your last frost date. Then replant every 2-3 weeks and stop about 3 weeks before the first expected fall frost. Then you will get an uninterrupted harvest conveyor.

Planting carrots in rows about one and a half centimeters deep is the most convenient way to care for the crop in terms of weeding. Sow about 3-5 seeds at a time, about 3cm apart. Mark the ends of the rows with planted radishes. Maintain a distance between rows of approximately 40 cm.

Water carefully, or better yet, spray with a spray bottle to avoid the formation of a soil crust.

When the seeds begin to sprout after 1-3 weeks, you will need to thin out clearly to a distance of 3 cm. Just take scissors and cut off the excess sprouts.

After two weeks, you will need to thin the seedlings again so that they are 10cm apart. Then place some mulch, which will help maintain moisture and give you a clearer idea of ​​where your plants are.

Remember that at the start only hand weeding is suitable!

The first few weeks are the most important for carrots. During this time, the plant grows a tap root (the largest of all roots, which will later become a carrot).

For the first few weeks after you plant your carrots, the plants will be too small to compete with the weeds.

At this time, you need to take care of thorough weeding, but without using chemical herbicides, as they will damage the delicate carrot shoots.

The best and worst companion plants for carrots

Tomatoes are the best companions for carrots.

They provide shade for these little vegetables that are so sensitive to heat, and offer a natural insect repellent called solanine. In gratitude, the carrots aerate the soil for planting tomatoes for the next season.

However, tomatoes will stunt carrot growth if the plants are placed too close together. Therefore, be sure to plant them at a distance of at least 30-40 cm from each other.

Rosemary, sage and chives can repel carrot flies and are thought to improve the flavor of root vegetables.

You should not plant carrots near coriander, whose roots produce substances that inhibit the development of neighbors, and from parsnip, since the crop suffers from diseases and pests common to carrots.

When planting potatoes and carrots next to each other, these two crops will compete intensely for phosphorus, being root crops. Therefore, either refuse this option, or arm yourself with liquid foliar fertilizer, as recommended above.

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Once upon a time, at the very beginning of my journey as a gardener, I, having read all sorts of smart thoughts and enriched with valuable knowledge, came to my mother on the weekend to observe with my own eyes the correct cultivation of tomato seedlings.

Everything turned out to be much simpler than it is usually described in special articles and books. Mom doesn’t bother much with selecting soil and soaking seeds. Over all these years, she hasn’t felt much of a difference between science and practice, so she places the seeds in the ground dry and not disinfected in potassium permanganate. And we have enough harvest in abundance.

As for the soil - usually the soil is taken from the garden, mixed with compost, all this is soaked for 12-15 hours and voila - the soil is ready for planting.

But with seedlings, of course, there is more trouble. It cannot be overfilled or underfilled, kept in the sun or hidden in the shade, created heat or kept in the cold, fed, and a bunch of other “No” things.

Where, when and how to plant tomatoes in the ground

By the time of planting in the ground, tomato seedlings should be 35 cm high and have 8-10 true leaves. A few days before planting, start hardening it off. At first, simply open the window for a while, then take the plants outside for a short time, gradually increasing the time spent outdoors. And before planting, leave the seedlings outside overnight.

In the middle zone, tomato seedlings are planted in a greenhouse in the second half of May, in open ground - in early to mid-June. In more northern regions, accordingly, 1-2 weeks later, and in more southern regions - 1-2 weeks earlier.

Since any tomatoes belong to the Solanaceae family, of course, the rules of crop rotation are the same for any of their types and varieties. What is the best way to plant tomatoes in the garden?

Good predecessors : cucumbers, zucchini, squash, pumpkin, all types of cabbage, radishes, onions, garlic, green manure.

Bad : tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes and other members of the Solanaceae family.

If you have limited space and the tomatoes in the garden have to live in close proximity to other cultivated plants, remember that not all “neighbors” “love” tomatoes. So, good “partners” for them are legumes, leafy greens, herbs, early strawberries, root vegetables, cabbage, melons, and green manure. But it is better to avoid proximity to other nightshades, corn, peas, cauliflower, broccoli and kohlrabi.

Despite the fact that today there are already more or less cold-resistant varieties of tomatoes for risky farming conditions, in general, the tomato is a native southern crop that requires a lot of sun and warmth. The ideal place for this plant on the site is a southern slope, protected from cold northern winds by a solid fence or outbuildings, or a greenhouse.

Plant bushes at a distance of 35-45 cm from each other and 55-75 cm between rows. Dig holes slightly larger than the soil ball of the plant.

Preparing the soil for tomatoes is carried out in 5 stages:

Features of shadow areas

Almost every garden plot has places where shadow constantly falls. But shaded areas vary depending on what the shade provides. Coniferous and deciduous trees create different conditions, as do various buildings and a solid fence.

If the shadow comes from deciduous trees, then periodic formation of the crown will improve the situation, but the shadow from a house or fence cannot be changed in any way.

In addition, the shade creates its own microclimate and soil condition. For example, in a forest zone, the soil has a top coniferous litter, which allows air to pass through well and retains moisture. The soil is more acidic. Plus, ventilation is weaker, and the temperature due to the lack of sun is slightly lower than in the rest of the garden.

It is important to consider that shadows move throughout the day. Plants create bizarre light patterns; it will be interesting to play with this using landscaping.

Plants growing in the shade rarely have bright flowers; they have interesting textures and shapes, and variegated leaves.

Landscape designers recommend playing with contrasts and planting plants with dense leaves and thin, carved ones, emphasizing fragility and tenderness, and emphasizing unusual shapes.

How and when to water tomatoes

Tomatoes do not tolerate high air humidity, especially at low temperatures. Therefore, water them with warm water and only at the root, so that water does not get on the leaves (this can provoke the development of fungal diseases).

Plants require the most moisture during fruit formation. In open ground, water tomatoes 1-2 times a week, using 3-5 liters of water per plant. In the greenhouse, water once a week, but more abundantly - 8-10 liters of water per bush.

Remember, frequent and poor watering causes increased growth of the above-ground parts of plants, but the roots do not develop. Because of this, tomatoes become more susceptible to disease and may lose their ovaries.

You can tell whether plants have enough moisture or not by looking at their leaves:

How, what and when to feed tomatoes

If you have properly prepared the bed for tomatoes in the fall and added the necessary nutrients to the planting hole in the spring, during the remaining season it is enough to feed the growing and ripening tomatoes twice:

Of course, on poor soils, under changing weather conditions or the need to enhance the growth and fruiting of tomatoes, it is possible to make adjustments to this minimal scheme by adding certain substances for root and foliar feeding of tomatoes, as well as using folk remedies if desired (yeast, nettle, egg shell, etc.).

How to deal with diseases and pests of tomatoes

Preventative care for future tomatoes to prevent the appearance of diseases and pests begins long before the first fruits set on the bushes, and continues until harvest. And if the plant is affected, you need to immediately take appropriate treatment measures - the same for all types and varieties of tomatoes.

Most often, tomatoes suffer from:

Depending on the stage of infection, both folk remedies and chemicals can be used against these diseases. But it is best to prevent the occurrence of diseases at all by carefully observing agricultural practices for growing tomatoes and crop rotation.

The most dangerous pests of tomatoes are aphids, Colorado potato beetles, spider mites, cutworms, whiteflies and slugs. Each of them has its own proven means, used according to a specific scheme, and measures to prevent the occurrence.

Gardeners' questions about planting in the shade

Below we will look at some popular questions that concern gardeners.

What to plant in the shade of apple trees?

Apple trees have a fairly large crown. They shade a decent part of the site, so it is advisable to use it for planting. The best ones for this are:

• clover;
• celandine;
• lupine;
• white mustard;
• marigold;
• Brunner;
• crocuses.

Vegetable crops include garlic, onions, climbing beans, spinach and sorrel, cilantro, as well as cucumbers, zucchini and pumpkin.

The main thing is not to plant plants with a powerful and deep root system, since the ground needs to be constantly dug up.

What flowers should I plant in the shade under trees?

Choose flowers depending on the shape and size of the crown. Melissa, lilies of the valley, daisies, primroses, bells, violets, crocuses, forget-me-nots, and pansies feel great in the shade of trees.

Is it possible to plant garlic in the shade of trees?

Garlic is one of the best crops to grow in the shade. Its leaves become juicy and bright, and the taste and aroma are richer. Garlic does not like excess light . Its feathers become yellowish, and its roots become dry and less juicy.

What to plant in the shade from conifers?

Under coniferous trees it is recommended to plant strawberries, milkweed, scillas, snowdrops, lilies of the valley, tulips and daffodils, as well as lingonberries and blueberries.

What to plant under lilacs in the shade?

It is very difficult to plant any flowers under lilacs, as the bush grows quickly. The best option is lawn grass, clover. If you want to plant a flower garden, then choose annual flowers that can be replanted depending on the size of the lilac bush.