Feeding tomatoes: increasing productivity with fertilizers
During fruit formation, tomatoes expend a lot of energy, so they need support with nutrients. Productivity should be increased with the help of mineral fertilizers. It is necessary to pay attention to the substances included in the solutions. Thus, potassium is very important for the plant, as it provides tone, increases stability and increases the number of fruits. Urea in small doses also contributes to the rapid ripening and high quality of tomatoes.
Fertilizing in spring is of great importance for young plants. By adding organic matter to the soil, you can achieve a bountiful harvest with delicious pulp. In addition, fertilizers lay the foundation for the development and formation of branches, on which fruits will later appear.
Vivid signs of deficiency and excess of macroelements
It is important to provide plants with important macroelements in a timely manner - the standard NPK complex and calcium. An excess is just as harmful as a deficiency. You can determine the lack or excessive amount of one or another element by the appearance of the plants.
- Nitrogen. Deficiency slows growth and reduces yield. The deficiency manifests itself clearly: the plants bush poorly, the stem is thin and soft, the inflorescences are only on the tops of the bushes, the leaves are pale yellow, the fruits are small and deformed. From an overabundance, greenery grows luxuriantly to the detriment of fruiting.
- Phosphorus. When deficient, the leaves acquire a gray-green tint and become brittle and thin. The veins on the leaves are purple, there are few flowers, and the ripening of tomatoes is slow. An excess impairs the absorption of potassium, which causes the fruits to be incorrectly colored.
- Potassium. Deficiency causes darkening and drying of leaves. The fruits are poorly colored, do not ripen enough and crack. The pulp becomes hard and white, and the stems cannot support the weight of the tomatoes. An excess leads to early softening of the fruit.
- Calcium. A deficiency leads to the death of flowers, a decrease in the number of ovaries, and blossom end rot.
Having identified a deficiency of an important element in time, it is not difficult to select fertilizers for tomatoes in the open ground.
Fertilizing in the fall
Preparations for growing tomatoes should begin in the fall, so it is necessary to decide in advance on the location of the beds and cultivate the soil in this particular area. In addition, it is necessary to find out what crops have been grown there over the past few years, since after potatoes or eggplants, harmful bacteria often accumulate in the soil, leading to severe diseases related to tomatoes. The plant requires fertile, black soil with a high content of naturally occurring nutrients, which it is recommended to add yourself, for example: mullein, compost and bird droppings mixed with soil will provide an excellent basis for future tomatoes.
In loamy soil you need to add more peat or organic matter. In this case, sawdust, coal chips and finely chopped bark are perfect. Tomatoes do not grow well in highly acidic soil and such areas should be avoided. However, you can make the soil comfortable for plants manually by adding slaked lime or limestone chips in small quantities. If the acidity is average, you should limit yourself to adding chalk powder and ash.
What fertilizers do tomatoes need?
All fertilizers for growing tomatoes in a greenhouse are divided into:
- organic: humus, compost;
- mineral: superphosphate, potassium sulfate, urea, ammonium nitrate, nitroammophosphate, calcium nitrate;
- organomineral are modern mixtures containing humus and mineral additives (sold under the brands: OMU, Forte, Florizel, Joy, etc.).
In addition, there are various stimulators of root formation, fruit formation, growth, and anti-stress (Energen, Epin, Ovary, Bud, HB-101, Zircon, Kornevin).
Try proven fertilizers:
