Growing tomatoes in a summer cottage is a labor-intensive process.
The result will please you only if you provide balanced nutrition and optimal conditions for plant development.
Particular attention should be paid to the growth stage, when the green mass is formed and the planting of the future harvest is underway..
Why don't tomatoes grow?
The process of active growth in tomatoes begins after they are planted in open ground. However, there are two options for the development of events: the seedlings have taken root well in the new place and are developing quickly, or they are growing poorly and then stop developing altogether. Reasons for slow growth may be :
- clogged, compressed, airtight soil;
- unsuitable soil composition;
- adverse weather conditions;
- lack of nutrients in the soil;
- improper care.
Why fertilize plants?
At each stage of development, tomatoes need feeding with useful elements.
They begin to introduce them with the appearance of the third true leaf. The very first fertilizing is carried out after planting in the ground. If you want to learn more about all the stages of fertilizing tomatoes, read the material at the link.
The main nutritional components for this vegetable crop are nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium.
When there is a deficiency of one or another substance, the plant develops various abnormalities in growth and development. Eg:
- A lack of phosphorus causes slow growth, the leaves acquire a reddish-purple hue, and the edges of the leaf blade curl. This substance is necessary for the formation of the root system and improving the taste of the fruit.
- With a severe lack of nitrogen, you can see sluggish, light green, lifeless leaves, a thin stem, and underdeveloped roots.
- Potassium deficiency is diagnosed when blossom end rot is detected. Thanks to this component, tomatoes gain resistance to various infectious pathogens and temperature changes.
- Pale leaves with obvious green veins indicate iron deficiency and developing chlorosis.
- The uneven green color of tomato leaves, the so-called marble effect, is due to a lack of magnesium .
Proper and timely feeding will help correct this difficult situation.
Important. Excess nitrogen fertilizers lead to the growth of green mass in tomatoes to the detriment of flowering and fruits.
If the plants grow rapidly, but the flowers do not set, most likely you overfed them.
What to water to make them grow better?
Wanting to achieve rapid development of the nightshade crop, each gardener decides for himself what fertilizers to use for this. The choice is made based on your own experience or proven recommendations.
Next, we will talk about the most popular types of fertilizers that can be used during this period. So, how can you fertilize tomatoes if they grow slowly ?
Organic fertilizers
Most often used in private farmsteads: manure, bird droppings, compost, humus, wood ash, peat.
Bird droppings are quite aggressive fertilizers that can damage the root system of a plant.
This substance is added only after composting and the proportions are carefully calculated when preparing solutions.
Ash is a storehouse of useful substances that are contained in an easily digestible form . However, it is not advisable to mix this substance with other organic fertilizers.
Peat, in addition to its nutritional value, can act as a soil moisture regulator.
Mineral supplements
They are divided into three main groups depending on the active substance:
- nitrogen fertilizers (nitrates);
- phosphate (superphosphate);
- potassium (sulfate salts).
Mineral fertilizers are produced in the form of powder or granules. Their use gives good results, and they are completely safe when used correctly . During the growth period of a tomato, one such feeding is enough.
15 grams of potassium, 25 grams of nitrogen and 45 grams of phosphorus are mixed in a bucket of clean water. It is necessary to add 1 liter of mixture to each bush.
Granular preparations are not washed out of the soil so quickly, providing nutrition to plants for a longer time.
Complex drugs
A group of the most popular fertilizers, among them: nitrophoska, ammophos, Universal, Soluble and others.
The advantage of the drugs is the composition, since you do not need to mix the ingredients yourself or select the exact proportions.
One of the most popular drugs is nitroammophoska , contains 3 main components, and the solution is prepared at the rate of 20-25 grams per 10 liters of water.
Folk remedies
Feeding with folk remedies may not give such a pronounced effect, but it is absolutely safe for human health. For example, an iodized aqueous solution is successfully used to enhance plant development and protect against late blight.
4 drops of iodine are dissolved in 10 liters of water . Water 10-14 days after planting tomatoes, at the rate of 2 liters for each bush.
There is an equally simple and quick recipe for obtaining a nutrient mixture: 100 grams of fresh yeast are thoroughly dissolved in 10 liters of warm water. Yeast does not contain essential beneficial elements, so it is more of a growth stimulant.
Folk remedies for feeding tomato seedlings
To fertilize tomatoes, it is not necessary to use ready-made products from the store. There are also folk recipes for feeding:
- At the stage of growing seedlings, you can use dry yeast. The contents of one sachet should be dissolved in a glass of water, adding 2 tbsp. l. Sahara. The product should sit for half an hour, then it is diluted in 5 liters of water and watered over the seedlings. The use of such a composition has a good effect on the further development of culture.
- Eggshell. The product must be heated in the oven, crushed and filled with water for a day. It is good to water the seedlings with this solution, distributing a glass of the product over 3-4 bushes.
- Banana peel. It is enough to pour the peel of one fruit with a liter of water for a day. The resulting composition is enough to water 20 seedlings. This feeding is carried out when the plant already has 4 true leaves.
- If the seedlings grow poorly, then they should be watered with honey water. To do this, you need to dissolve 1 tbsp in a liter of water. l. product.
- Sugar. You can sprinkle the ground around the bush with it or make a solution for watering by adding 2 tsp. product per glass of water. This sweet feeding can be done once a month.
- Black bread. It is necessary to fill it with water at the rate of 1 liter per 0.1 kg of product and leave it warm for 4 days. Then strain the product and dilute the resulting liquid in 10 parts of water. For feeding, half a liter of solution per bush is enough.
Feeding methods
According to the method of applying fertilizer for tomatoes, there are:
- root;
- foliar.
Root feeding is a regular watering, only a nutrient solution is used instead of water . The plant receives useful elements through the root system, but they are quickly washed away when watered or with rain. Therefore, root feeding is more effective when growing seedlings (in case of urgent need).
Foliar feeding is carried out by spraying the vegetative part of the plant. Nutrients are absorbed faster and better, since they do not need to get to the roots .
However, in this case it is important to choose the right concentration of fertilizers so as not to burn the leaves. Such feeding must be carried out in the morning or evening, because... after such treatment, even not very bright sunlight can harm the foliage.
Important. Do not use chlorine-containing preparations on tomatoes; they cause chemical burns.
How to grow strong pepper seedlings with your own hands
Why is it with pepper that we begin to reveal the intricacies of agricultural technology for obtaining seedlings at home ? Yes, precisely because growing pepper seedlings is as easy as shelling pears. You don’t risk overexposing it, since pepper is a crop that has a long growing season. Pepper is the least demanding of all vegetable crops and the most resistant to both growing conditions and pests.
Preparing pepper seeds for sowing
Pepper seeds germinate at soil temperatures of 20-35 degrees Celsius. The ideal temperature is 30 degrees Celsius. This temperature is difficult to achieve without additional measures, even if the boxes with seedlings are indoors. The solution is to keep the seeds moist in a warm place until they germinate. For example, on a radiator.
Germination usually takes 7 to 10 days. Some varieties germinate more slowly. To stimulate germination, pepper seeds are soaked for 5 minutes in a solution of saltpeter (potassium nitrate) or in a 5% solution of chlorine bleach. This breaks down the seed coat and activates enzymes that promote germination. To give your pepper seedlings the best start in life, let tap water sit in a bucket for about two days to allow the chlorine to evaporate. You can also use a carbon filter.
Sowing pepper seeds
To grow seedlings in a home greenhouse or room, seeds can be sown in standard seedling boxes, cups, or pots with a diameter of 10-15cm. It is best to use purchased soil mixture for seedlings from well-established manufacturers. In such soil, the risk of plant root diseases is minimized. Carefully study the annotation on the package of the soil mixture, pay attention to the fact that the pH value is 6.4 to 6.8. For 10 liters of soil in the mixture for seedlings, 7-10 g of urea, 30-40 g of superphosphate, 10-15 g of potassium sulfate and 3 g of magnesium sulfate should be added.
Before filling with soil mixture, jars and boxes need to be filled 1-2 cm with drainage and do not forget about the drainage holes so that the water does not stagnate and the roots rot. For drainage, you can use coarse sand, fine expanded clay or polystyrene foam, crushed on a coarse grater. Make shallow furrows at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other (for pepper - 1.5-2 cm) and manually sow the seeds at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other.
Fill the grooves with a layer of humus, soil or sand, about 0.5 cm, gently, and lightly compact with effort. All seeds should be covered with soil so that they cannot float after you water them. Moderately moisten the soil surface with a spray bottle and cover the seed boxes with cellophane or glass.
Additional lighting with lamps
For seed germination, warmth is required - 22-28 degrees Celsius. You can place the boxes near the radiator and just make sure the soil doesn't dry out. Pepper loves an abundance of light, and as soon as the sprouts appear from the ground, we place the boxes on a well-lit windowsill or under a lamp.
Lamps for illumination will also be needed if your window sills are well lit, but in winter and early spring there is not enough daylight for the normal development of seedlings, so additional lighting will be needed. If the weather is cloudy, you will also need to turn on the lamp.
Watering pepper seedlings
Pepper seedlings require a lot of water, more than tomato seedlings, its absence will negatively affect the size and taste of the fruits, which will be small, crooked and tasteless. Seedlings should be watered moderately but often, being careful not to let water get into the leaves. The soil under the peppers should be slightly moist (but not too wet) at all times. Water for irrigation should be warm (not lower than room temperature); seedlings can get sick and rot from too much cold water.
Rules for applying fertilizers in spring and summer
When growing tomato seedlings, fertilizers are not used.- From the beginning of the growing season, you should alternate feeding methods to achieve maximum results.
- Magnesium, boron and other microelements do not need to be specially added to the soil. These elements are required in small quantities and are well absorbed from the soil.
- During the growth period, tomatoes are fertilized 2-3 times, no more, approximately 1 fertilizing is carried out every 15 days.
Important . Mixing organic and mineral fertilizers is not recommended.
Watering seedlings after picking
Picking is an important step in growing tomatoes. It is necessary to plant tomato seedlings so that each plant receives a sufficient volume of air and substrate for further development. Water the transplanted plants with warm water so that the seedlings take root well and grow.
Tomato seedlings should be watered in the morning on sunny days. This should not be done in cloudy weather, otherwise the plant will stretch too much. Watering should be moderate, since excess moisture will lead to excessive vegetative growth, and the seedlings will be very fragile. At the same time, excessive dryness negatively affects the quality of seedlings and the yield of tomatoes in the future.
The best fertilizers for rapid development
Of all nutrients, phosphorus is especially valuable during this period . This useful element not only promotes active growth and the development of a powerful root system, but also strengthens the immunity of tomatoes, preventing damage by pathogenic microorganisms.
In addition, phosphorus stimulates the absorption of minerals , in particular nitrogen, the appearance of ovaries on the bush, and provides energy processes in the cellular system of the plant.
During this period of plant development, many gardeners use superphosphate , a water-soluble phosphate fertilizer. You need to add 15-20 grams of the drug into each well.
As practice shows, competent and timely feeding of tomatoes in open ground is mandatory. By following the basic recommendations and adhering to the correct proportions when preparing the solution, you can count on a very good result.
But an excess of nutrients will not bring a double harvest, but, on the contrary, will increase the likelihood of developing diseases and slow down the growth of tomatoes. Therefore, it is better to underfeed the plants a little.
What to feed at home
It should be taken into account that an excess of nutrients is just as harmful as their deficiency, so you cannot overfeed the “seedlings”.
This is the main thing you need to remember when starting to apply fertilizer. If the seedlings grow well and look healthy, then they do not need feeding. But if the bushes look stunted, they urgently need help.
Ready-made fertilizers
When choosing fertilizer for tomatoes, you should give preference to liquid fertilizers. Dry mineral mixtures are used after diluting with water. It is recommended to apply fertilizing in the morning, so they are better absorbed. In addition, by moistening the soil in the evening, you risk causing the appearance of fungus.
- Of the industrial preparations, experts consider “Rastvorin” and “Kemira Universal-2” to be the best fertilizers for tomatoes.
- If you do not find such fertilizers on sale, they can be replaced with universal fertilizers - “Krepysh”, “Agricola”, “Ideal”. They will also be able to complete the task.
- Tomatoes also respond well to fertilizing with Nitrophoska, which contains all the basic nutrients and many additional ones (1 tablespoon of fertilizer is diluted per liter of water.)
- For foliar feeding, superphosphate is used (1 tablespoon per liter of hot water). The solution is allowed to brew for a day and the top layer is drained without sediment, which is then diluted with 10 liters of water and used for spraying on the leaf.
If industrial fertilizers are intended for feeding adult bushes, then for seedlings their concentration should be reduced by 2 times. Loosening the top layer of soil will help the fertilizer to be better absorbed. You need to loosen the soil regularly, doing this 2-3 hours after watering.
Folk remedies
In addition to chemicals, you can use traditional methods, which are also very popular among gardeners. Let's talk about the most common of them.
Yeast. Fertilizing tomato seedlings with yeast not only enriches the soil, but also improves the soil structure. Fungal microorganisms, when multiplying, have a positive effect on the growth of tomato bushes and future productivity. First, a concentrate is prepared from the yeast, which is then diluted with water before use.
To prepare a yeast solution, take 10 g of yeast, 4 tablespoons of sugar and 10 liters of water. The mixture should ferment well. Before application, 1 part of the solution is diluted with 10 parts of water.
Iodine. This element is necessary not only for humans, but also for plants. A weakly concentrated iodine solution will help strengthen the immunity of tomatoes and promote better fruiting. It is also an excellent remedy for fungal diseases.
Spraying the leaves at the first signs of late blight and powdery mildew will help quickly cure the plants. To prepare the fertilizer, add 10 drops of pharmaceutical iodine to 1 bucket of water. Used for root and foliar feeding.
Ash. This substance contains about 3 dozen minerals that are vital for plants. Moreover, all of them are contained there in an accessible form. Environmentally friendly ash, which is used as fertilizer, can be obtained from logs and boards, without the admixture of various chemicals or artificial materials. Wood ash contains predominantly calcium.
Potassium predominates in the ash obtained after burning herbaceous plants and straw. A solution of this substance perfectly reduces soil acidity. To prepare the fertilizer, dissolve 1 tablespoon of ash in 2 liters of water and leave for 24 hours.
Hydrogen peroxide. The drug is used for plants as a fertilizer, growth stimulator and protective agent against pests and diseases. Watering with hydrogen peroxide helps seedlings absorb nutrients, supplies the root system with oxygen, improves soil structure, and neutralizes mineral salts and chlorine.
As a result, metabolic processes in plant tissues improve, and young tomatoes literally “come to life.”
To prepare a solution of the required concentration, 1/2 tbsp. spoons of hydrogen peroxide are diluted in one liter of water and replaced with this composition for regular watering.
