How many days can you go without watering tomatoes? How to water tomatoes in open ground
Hi all. Do you know that you can get an earlier tomato harvest, even if tomatoes are grown in open ground? It turns out that anything is possible! And to get an early harvest, you can plant seedlings earlier (at the end of April).
Only in this case will it be necessary to initially prepare the planting site and take measures to protect the plants from frost. It is equally important to use early varieties. Seedlings that have reached the age of 60 days can be planted in open ground. In any case, even if you do not plan to get an earlier harvest, it is important to follow some rules.
As for the soil, it is advisable to prepare it in advance, in the fall. To do this, add rotted manure and mineral fertilizers (superphosphate -40 g, potassium sulfate - 20 g) into the ground. In the spring, ammonium nitrate (20 grams) is added to the soil and everything is dug up.
Doses are indicated for an area of 1 m2. When planting tomatoes in open ground, add a little vermicompost to each hole. If there is no vermicompost, then it is replaced with rotted manure. Together with humus, add 30 grams to the hole. ammonium nitrate, 80 gr. superphosphate, and 40 gr. potassium salt.
It is also advisable to add 1-2 tbsp to the hole. ash. Ash not only contains nutrients, but it is also an excellent remedy against many diseases. Only ash is applied separately from other fertilizers. If you want to get an earlier harvest, then try planting seedlings in open ground at the end of April.
Of course, this is a risky undertaking, but if you take protective measures against frost, you can get a harvest 3 weeks earlier. And if you set yourself a goal, then earn a little money from this. To protect the seedlings from frost, they are covered with bottles or milk cartons. In open ground, tomato seedlings are planted at a distance of 35 cm. from each other, and between the rows the distance should be at least 70cm.
Plants are planted less frequently to reduce the risk of late blight infection. When planting seedlings in a hole, water them well. If the seedlings are a little overgrown, then they are planted obliquely. It is important that the height of the plant is no more than 25cm. from the earth.
But you should not bury the plants too deeply, as this may cause developmental delays. After planting, the plant is watered again and a layer of compost mulch or mown grass is sprinkled around the bush.
Watering tomatoes in open ground
As for watering, tomatoes should not be watered on top of the leaves, but you should not water them under the roots either. Watering is carried out between the rows, after which the watering area is sprinkled with dry soil on top.
With this method of watering, the roots receive moisture, but the soil around the bush remains dry and loose, due to which the roots freely receive air. In addition, in this way you reduce the chances of developing late blight. Many amateur vegetable growers water their plants with a small amount of water and this is completely wrong.
You need to water abundantly, since a small amount of water only moistens the surface of the earth without reaching the root system. Some experienced vegetable growers claim that tomatoes are not at all afraid of drought; on the contrary, the less watering, the sweeter the fruits. Some people water their tomatoes only once, when planting in open ground.
And no matter how shocking it may seem, they produce a rich harvest. The thing is that tomatoes are able to obtain water from the soil air, therefore, watering can be replaced by loosening the soil. At the same time, you should know that heat (above 35C) causes pollen sterility.
Caring for tomatoes in open ground
To get a rich harvest of tomatoes, you need to regularly remove the shoots (but not all fruits). Also, as they grow, the lower leaves are removed so that there is a gap of 25 cm between the soil and the leaves. Make sure that both the stems and leaves always remain dry.
In addition, it is important that the plants receive enough light, and that air circulates freely between the plants. We previously made one serious mistake: removing all the leaves from the plant, leaving only the ovaries. But the leaves play an important role in the formation of the crop.
Therefore, only old and damaged leaves need to be removed. If you notice signs of late blight, then it is better to remove all diseased leaves.
Fertilizing tomatoes in open ground
Fertilizing is also important if you want to get a rich harvest of tomatoes. During the season, 3-4 feedings are carried out.
- 1 feeding
- 15 gr. ammonium nitrate
Planting tomatoes in open ground
And so, our seedlings have already grown up, and it’s time to plant them in open ground in a permanent place of growth. But you need to know how to properly plant tomato seedlings in the ground. There are several procedures, the implementation of which will help our seedlings to be better accepted in a new place and please us with a good harvest.
Choosing a site for planting tomatoes
It is worth paying due attention to the choice of site where we will plant tomato seedlings. The first thing we need to take into account is that tomatoes love a lot of light and heat, so the area should be well lit by the sun's rays; ideally, it is best to plant tomatoes under a white wall so that the sun's rays, reflected from it, again fall on the tomato bushes. You cannot plant tomatoes several years in a row in the same place, and it is highly not recommended to plant tomato seedlings in those areas where potatoes, peppers and eggplants were grown last year.
It is also impossible for these plants to grow next to tomatoes. These are disastrous species and if you plant them as a slave, the risk of late blight will increase significantly. The best predecessors for planting tomatoes are cucumbers, onions and cabbage.
Preparing a site for tomato seedlings
After selecting a site, it must be prepared, this must be done in advance, in the fall it must be reforged and, per 1 square meter, the following fertilizers must be applied: 7 kg. organic fertilizers, 40 g of superphosphate and 700 g of lime. After winter, in the spring, the site needs to be reforged again, regular loosening and weed removal. Additionally, you need to add 20 g per square meter. superphosphate and potash fertilizers. A few days after planting tomato seedlings, you still need to add nitrogen fertilizers, calculating 20-30 g per sq. m.
Planting tomatoes in open ground
The most suitable time of year for planting tomatoes is the end of spring and the beginning of summer, when the daytime temperature is between 22 and 25, and at night it does not drop below 15 degrees. Planting tomato seedlings in open ground is best done in the afternoon.
A few hours before this, containers with seedlings need to be watered so that the plants are better removed from the pots. It is not recommended to remove seedlings from pots if you do not plan to plant them immediately.
In this case, the plant will begin to wither and significantly slow down in growth. For planting, you need to dig holes that are not large enough to fit the size of the pot. We add additional fertilizers to the hole: humus, wood ash and other mineral fertilizers.
We plant the seedlings carefully so as not to damage the root system; the roots should be directed downward after planting. After which we water, and sprinkle the hole with dry soil on top. The planting pattern depends on the type of seedling; low-growing tomatoes are usually planted at a distance of 60 cm between rows and 30-40 between plants in a row.
Tall - 70 cm between bushes and 50 between plants. In this case, it is advisable to plant in a checkerboard pattern. But if purchased seeds were used, then it is best to check the planting scheme on the packaging.
Caring for tomatoes after planting
The first time after planting, seedlings need special care and regular watering. After each watering, you need to loosen the soil; this will saturate the soil with oxygen and prevent the appearance of a dense, dry crust on the surface of the soil.
If you do not water regularly, especially in dry weather, the risk of tomatoes becoming infected with blossom end rot will greatly increase. Ten days after planting, you can fertilize again with phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers. If the plant has grown large, but there is no ovary, then all nitrogen fertilizers must be excluded.
Proper watering
Oddly enough, watering the tomato is very important. Therefore, it is undoubtedly important to figure out how often you should water the crop. After all, it is with water that the roots receive all the necessary nutrients.
This unique and tasty vegetable will develop well if the soil in which the crop is grown is 85-90% saturated with moisture. You can check this yourself using one of the simple methods: squeezing a lump of earth in your hand from a depth of 10 cm from the surface.
If a lump has formed and disintegrates when pressed lightly, then the soil moisture is suitable. In other cases, you will have to clarify how often the seedlings need to be watered to achieve the optimal humidity level.
Water is a source of life. And not only for humans, but also for plants. And the “correct” watering of tomato seedlings is to maintain the volume of water and regularity in accordance with the periods of growth of future seedlings.
Watering seedlings
For those who grow seeds in a greenhouse, the first time to water the tomato seedlings is 2, or preferably 3 days after the seedlings sprout en masse. The soil will remind you to water - the top layer will begin to dry out by this time. The sprayer will serve as a good helper for those who are new to growing tomatoes in a greenhouse and for those who are afraid of “flooding” the newly emerged tender shoots. In this case, it is worth carrying out the procedure carefully so that practically no water gets on the plants. Further watering of future tomatoes should be moderate and regular. You should not allow the soil in the greenhouse to dry out, but you also do not need to fill it. Once a month with water for irrigation add organic fertilizers
Watering sprouts
Two days before the picking process, and this period determines the presence of the first 3-4 leaves, the seedlings must be watered last time. Thus, at the time of picking, the soil will still be wet, but crumbly. You cannot water the seedlings after picking for another 4-5 days.
To get well-developed tomato seedlings with a strong root system, you need to transplant them into containers with trays for watering. This is explained by the fact that after picking, the roots will begin to stretch and get stronger after picking in order to get moisture. 5 days after picking, water the soil again and set a schedule according to which further watering would be done once every seven to ten days.
The amount of water and frequency will gradually change depending on the growth period of the seedlings, because adult tomato seedlings require more moisture.
In general, the condition of the plants themselves and the soil will prompt watering for those starting to dry out with the top layer. Abundant watering should be done before the date of planting tomato seedlings in open ground. This way you can transplant seedlings with minimal damage to the roots.
Watering seedlings in open areas
After planting in open ground, tomato seedlings need to be watered not very often, but quite abundantly. Poor, infrequent watering, which is done very often in abundance, has a bad effect on tomato seedlings.
In the second case, the water will lower the temperature in the soil, and in the future this may affect fruit set. Many people begin to water the seedlings abundantly immediately after planting. But, in reality, tomato seedlings do not require this. Firstly, before landing, it was watered abundantly. Secondly, this watering is enough for the tomato roots to take root well and take root in the soil. Subsequently, the already rooted tomato seedlings are watered according to the following scheme:
- during the period of the appearance of the ovary, the soil should be optimally moistened so that the plants receive sufficient moisture; from the beginning of flowering until the appearance of tomato fruits, the humidity level should be moderate; on hot sunny days, watering should be done in the early morning or about 2.5-2 hours before after the sun sets; when it is cloudy outside, you can water the tomato seedlings at any time.
Watering greenhouse seedlings
Seedlings in a greenhouse should also be watered with caution to prevent water from stagnating on the soil surface. The first watering should be done after the first shoots of tomatoes appear.
The next procedure should be carried out when the seedlings are a little stronger, after about 2 weeks. In general, watering in the spring should not be excessive. It will be enough to moisten the soil once every 8-10 days.
In the summer, watering in the greenhouse should be done quite often, for example, once every 5-7 days. One plant needs 2.3-3 liters of water. Usually, for the convenience of watering, a barrel of water is placed in a greenhouse. However, its presence guarantees excessive evaporation.
And tomato seedlings should be protected from high humidity. Therefore, the barrel should be covered with film or a denser material. Water for irrigation is taken at room temperature. The optimal water temperature is 18-22 degrees.
There is no need to spray the seedlings. You should try to distribute the stream between the stems directly onto the ground. After watering, you should wait until the soil is saturated with moisture and slightly loosen it.
If the soil is dense and absorption is slow, it can be further accelerated using garden tools. For example, using a pitchfork, you can make several punctures between rows of tomatoes.
After all the water has been absorbed, you need to briefly open the doors and windows in the greenhouse to ventilate it. The seedlings should be watered for the last time about 2-2.5 weeks before harvesting. The saturated roots will give moisture to the fruits. Accordingly, maturation will accelerate.
Watering in a mini-greenhouse
Tomato seedlings are often grown on window sills from seeds in a homemade greenhouse. But few people know that this is a troublesome process, since it is more difficult for seedlings to create normal humidity. To ensure good germination and get strong seedlings, you can use some tips from “experienced” gardeners:
- In addition, place open containers with water near the mini-greenhouses so that the seedlings receive additional moisture; before the first leaves form, you can lightly spray the tomato seedlings with water from a spray bottle.
Since planting seeds in mini-greenhouses usually occurs in February, when the heating season is in full swing, you can use another effective method - hanging a wet towel on the radiator under the windowsill with tomato seedlings. As moisture evaporates, it will create favorable conditions.
It is necessary to fertilize the seedlings after they have been planted in separate containers. The tomato seedlings will remain in them for about 20 more days until the date for planting them in open ground arrives.
The rules for watering tomato seedlings before and after planting are not that complicated. By following them, you will not spend a lot of time and effort. The main thing is to carry out the procedures on time in accordance with the maturation of the plants, and then you will get strong seedlings and a good harvest.
How to water tomatoes after planting
17.05.2014 |
Today I’ll tell you how to water tomatoes after planting seedlings in a permanent place. The correct watering regime can protect plants from disease and death, promotes good survival and rapid adaptation to a new place. In order for planted tomatoes to feel good, you should follow simple rules for watering and temperature conditions.
When purchasing seedlings, ask where they were grown, in a greenhouse or cold frame. After all, their further care depends on the conditions in which the tomato seedlings grew. If you grew the seedlings yourself, it will be easier for you to figure out how to properly care for them.
Tomatoes grown indoors on a windowsill require additional hardening. It’s good if you take them outside during the day so that they get used to the wind and sun. If not, when planting the plants will become very sick, if not die.
The same goes for greenhouse seedlings: pampered leaves will suffer greatly from exposure to direct sunlight and fresh air flows.
How to water tomatoes after planting them in the ground
Do not forget that watering planted tomato seedlings depends on several factors:
- Quality of planted tomato seedlings; Physical qualities of the soil; Weather conditions.
Hardened seedlings do not require shading; they can be watered generously once a day. The average water consumption is as follows: 2.5-3 liters of water for each hole (one bucket of water for 4 holes). If plants were planted in a trench, calculate the consumption according to the number of plants in the trench.
It is better to water in the morning, before the sun sets. If the scorching sun manages to dry the soil before the evening, then you can water it after the heat has subsided, consumption is approximately 1.5-2 liters per plant. This way you will provide the seedlings with moisture while maintaining the lightness of the soil: the roots also need oxygen.
If the soil becomes too compacted, the tomatoes will begin to suffer from a lack of oxygen. Therefore, you should not fill them too much.
It is enough to provide light soil moisture, this will be enough for the plants to feed and take root. Daily watering is carried out for 7-10 days until the tomato seedlings take root and begin to grow. When you notice that the plants have begun to grow, you can loosen the soil.
Loosening in the hole is carried out very carefully so as not to damage the roots (to a depth of no more than 3 cm). This is the so-called “dry watering”. This way you will disrupt capillary formations, reducing evaporation from the surface of the earth, plus delivering oxygen to the roots of tomatoes. Alternate abundant watering with loosening and rest: after walking with a hoe, loosening the soil well, you can not water for 3-7, sometimes up to 10 days ( in cloudy weather).
When the tomatoes become tall and powerful, it is better to completely mulch the soil: cover it with a 5 cm layer of young grass. This way you will protect the soil from overheating, there will be no need to fight weeds, you will have to water less often: moisture will remain in the ground much longer. When planting in the ground unhardened seedlings, care should be taken to shade them. To do this, it is covered from the sun and wind with agrofibre or spandbond for a while until it is accepted. Watering will be needed in the morning and evening, about 1.5-2 liters for each plant, depending on the weather and soil composition. Remember the simple rules for monitoring quality watering:
- Water should not stagnate for a long time: otherwise the soil will become compacted and acidic; There should be enough moisture at least until the evening, when you water a second time if necessary. If the soil in the evening is much darker than that around the hole, you can water only in the morning. And vice versa: a light color, almost the same as that around, indicates that you need to water; If, a day after watering, you find that the soil is still very wet, compacted and cracked, the water consumption needs to be reduced.
Once the tomatoes have begun to grow, it is not necessary to water them by hand. It is quite acceptable to water the leaves by sprinkling with a hose using a water pistol, a spinner and other devices. If you have any questions about how to water tomatoes after planting in the ground, ask, I will definitely answer.
Growing tomatoes in open ground
Article posted by: Serg (74)
Sowing and caring for seedlings
Seeds of tomato varieties intended for cultivation in open ground are sown directly into nutrient pots, i.e. without picking. This is explained by the fact that seeds of open ground varieties and folk selection that are not sufficiently resistant to viral diseases, especially the tobacco mosaic virus, are usually used for sowing.
When transplanting into pots, seedlings often break off small roots and infection can penetrate into the wounds of healthy plants. In addition, low-growing varieties do not outgrow and remain compact until the end of planting in a permanent place, i.e. low (15-18 cm). Seeds are sown from March 1 to March 25 in cups or pots measuring 10x10 cm.
They are filled with soil mixture and watered with a warm (35 -40°C) solution: 1 tablespoon of universal liquid fertilizer is diluted in 10 liters of water. Then in each cup, in the center, make two holes 1 cm deep, put 1 seed in each and cover with soil mixture.
Such sowing without picking is carried out only for low-growing varieties for open ground in order to protect the seedlings from viral diseases. The sown pots are placed in a box, placed in a warm (22 - 25 ° C) bright place and carefully monitor the emergence of seedlings, which should appear in 6 - 7 days. As soon as the seedlings appear, the pots are moved one by one to a bright sunny windowsill with a temperature of 14-16°C during the day and 12-14°C at night.
When lowering the temperature (opening the vents and window frames), it is necessary to ensure that the seedlings are not standing in a draft. This cool daytime regime will prevent the seedlings from stretching out and help better development roots.
Then the temperature is gradually raised during the day to 18 -22°C, and at night to 15 - 17°C. 5-6 days after germination, the weaker plant is removed from the pot, and the stronger one is left. Care looking after seedlings is an extremely important moment.
Before planting in the garden, seedlings grow for 55 - 60 days. Water moderately with water, at the beginning of growth, once a week, 0.5 cups per plant. When 3 - 5 true leaves are formed, water one glass per plant. Every 10 - 12 days the seedlings are fed.
The first time - 20 days after germination with a solution of nitrophoska (1 tablespoon diluted in 10 liters of water), spending 0.5 cups per 2 plants. The second time is fed 10 days after the first feeding.
2 tablespoons of organic-mineral fertilizer are diluted in 10 liters of water, using 1 glass of solution per plant. The third fertilizing (last) is carried out a week before planting seedlings in open ground.
2 tablespoons of superphosphate are diluted in 10 liters of water (the superphosphate is infused in warm water for three days before fertilizing), everything is stirred well and the seedlings are watered. It is necessary to constantly harden the seedlings at a low temperature. Starting in April, seedlings can be taken out onto a balcony, veranda or left near open window frames at an air temperature of at least 10°C.
The first hardening is carried out in the shade for three days, since it is necessary to gradually accustom the plant to full light in the open air. If the seedlings are taken out in sunny weather on the first day, burns may occur from direct exposure to sunlight. In the future, the seedlings are not shaded. Transshipment of tomato seedlings. © Steve Albert When hardening off seedlings, make sure that the soil in the pots is moist and not dry, otherwise the leaves may wilt and turn yellow. By the time they are planted in the beds in open ground, the plants should be strong, not elongated, leafy (with 7-10 leaves) .
Planting seedlings in a permanent place
In open ground, a sunny place, protected from cold winds, is allocated for planting tomatoes. Low, damp areas with close groundwater are unsuitable for tomatoes, which create unfavorable conditions for the root system of plants.
The best predecessors for tomatoes are legumes, root vegetables, and green ones. To avoid infection with late blight, tomatoes should not be planted after potatoes and tomatoes. Preferred soils are loamy with the addition of organic and mineral fertilizers. Prepare the soil in advance in the area where tomatoes are planted. © Andrew The beds for tomatoes are prepared 5 - 6 days before planting. Before digging up the soil, it must be treated with a hot (70 - 80°C) solution of copper sulfate or copper oxychloride.
Dilute 1 tablespoon of one or the other in 10 liters of water. The solution consumption is up to 1 - 1.5 liters per 1 m2. After this, organic and mineral fertilizers are poured onto clay and loamy soils - 3 - 4 kg of manure humus, peat and old sawdust, 1 tablespoon of superphosphate, potassium sulfate or 1 a glass of wood ash per 1 m?.
Then the bed is dug up to a depth of 25 - 30 cm, leveled, and watered with warm water (40 -50 ° C). Make holes and water them with an antibacterial drug before planting the seedlings. The seedlings are planted in a permanent place in the first and second decades of May.
Planting is done in cloudy weather in the morning, in sunny weather in the afternoon. At the time of planting, the seedlings must be fresh; even slight wilting of the plants retards their growth, leads to partial falling off of the very first flowers and loss of the early harvest. Tomatoes are planted in the first and second decades of May. © Carla The seedlings are planted vertically, only the soil pot is deepened into the soil.
The stem remains uncovered by soil, and only after 15 days the plants are hilled up to a stem height of up to 12 cm. The seedlings are planted in 2 rows. For medium-sized varieties (60 - 70 cm), row spacing should be 50 cm, and the distance in rows between plants should be 40 - 45 cm.
For low-growing (standard) varieties, row spacing is made 40 -50 cm wide, and the distance in the row between plants is 40 cm. Pegs with a height of 50 cm for low-growing and 80 cm for medium-sized plants are immediately placed, but the greatest effect is achieved when the plant is tied to the arches and to a stretched wire using synthetic twine to a height of 1 - 1.2 m. As a result, the plant is better illuminated, ventilated and suffers less.
Until the plants take root, they are not watered for 10 days after planting. After planting, if light frosts are expected, tomato plants need additional shelter, especially at night. After planting the seedlings, the bed is covered with a transparent film until the onset of warm weather (until June 5 - 10), then the film is not removed, but holes with a diameter of 10 - 12 cm are made on it throughout the film and left for the whole summer. As a result, an early harvest is obtained and the plants are freed from late blight infection. If necessary, the seedlings can be tied up. © Andrew
Formation of tomato plants
Plants are shaped so that they can produce 5 - 6 fruit clusters. When the plants are formed into one stem, all the side shoots (stepchildren) that form in the axil of each leaf are removed from the main stem, and 5 to 6 fruit clusters are left on the main shoot.
A pinch is made above the last (upper) flower brush, leaving 2 - 3 leaves on it. With a two-stem form, a stepson is left growing under the first flower brush. In this case, 4 fruit clusters are left on the main stem and the top is pinched, leaving 3 leaves, and 3 fruit clusters are left on the stepson and also pinched, leaving 2 - 3 leaves. Carry out the pinching in a timely manner. © Andrew When forming a three-stem form, leave 2 - 3 fruit clusters on the main stem.
On the two lower stepsons, 2 fruit clusters are left and pinched so that there are 2 - 3 leaves above the upper fruit clusters. In pinched and pinched plants, nutrients are used to form and fill the fruits, which makes their size increase and ripening occurs earlier. On a formed bush, in addition to five or six fruit clusters, there should be at least 30 - 35 leaves.
First root feeding done 3 weeks after planting: dilute 1 tablespoon of universal liquid fertilizer and 1 tablespoon of nitrophoska in 10 liters of water, consumption - 0.5 liters of solution for each plant. At the beginning of the blooming of the second flower brush, second root feeding : dilute 1 tablespoon of universal liquid fertilizer, 1 tablespoon of superphosphate, 1 teaspoon of potassium sulfate or potassium chloride in 10 liters of water, or take 1 tablespoon of organo-mineral fertilizer per 10 liters of water, consumption - 1 liter of solution per plant.
Third root feeding done during the blooming of the third flower cluster: 1 tablespoon of universal liquid fertilizer and nitrophoska is diluted in 10 liters of water, consumption - 5 liters per 1 m2. Fourth feeding carried out 12 days after the third: dilute 1 tablespoon of superphosphate in 10 liters of water (consumption - 10 liters per 1 m2) or use universal liquid fertilizer (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water), consumption - 5 liters of solution per 1 m2? .Sometimes the composition of the fertilizer depends not only on the phase of plant development, but also on the weather: in cloudy weather, increase the dose of potassium sulfate to 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water, and in sunny weather - a dose of urea 2 tablespoons per the same amount of water, spending at this is 5 liters of solution per 1 m2. Plants with weak leaves and stunted growth need to be foliar feeding, that is, spray the leaves with the following solution: dilute 1 tablespoon of urea in 10 liters of water. The best temperature for normal growth and fruiting of tomatoes is 20 - 25 ° C at night. Water the plants abundantly, in sunny weather after 6 days, in cloudy weather after 7-8 days at the rate of 10 -20 liters per 1 m², depending on the air temperature.
After watering, the bed is sprinkled with sifted peat or compost with a layer of 1 - 2 cm. In this case, a crust does not form on top, moisture is retained in the soil and evaporation does not occur, which is harmful to the plant, especially in the flowering phase.
Excess moisture with a lack of heat leads to the death of the root system. Tomato in open ground. © Gina In open ground, it is better to water in the afternoon to avoid excessive loss of water through evaporation. You can often notice flowers falling off. This is a sign of a lack of moisture or a drop in temperature.
Plants need to be sprinkled with boron solution (1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water), spending 1 liter per 1 m2. The timing of watering can also be determined by the appearance of the plants - the change in the color of the leaves to dark green and their wilting on hot days. In such cases, the plants are watered in 2-3 doses after a short period of time to gradually moisten the soil. In order for the fertilizers applied with watering to penetrate deeper, the soil between the rows is pierced with a pitchfork to the full depth of the horns.
If the soil on the site is moist, and there is a lot of precipitation, watering is not carried out (fertilizers are applied in dry form). It is especially useful to use fertilizers such as “Breadwinner”, “Fertility”, “Bogatyr”, “Signor Tomato” (1 teaspoon each spoon under the plant). July and August are the time for ripening and harvesting. The main thing in caring for tomatoes is to speed up the ripening of the set fruits and protect them from rotting.
It is necessary to continue to remove newly appearing stepsons, excess leaves, pinch the tops of all fruit-bearing bushes, and remove flower clusters on which the fruits no longer have time to form. In low-growing varieties, the fruit clusters should be turned toward the sun.
It is also a good idea during this period (from August 15), in addition to all the main fertilizing, to additionally feed the tomatoes with the following solution: in 10 liters of water, dilute 1 teaspoon of urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate or 2 tablespoons of nitrophoska, using 0.5 liters of solution each per plant. The period from setting to reddening of fruits in early ripening varieties lasts 40 - 50 days. If overripe fruits are left on the plants, the total yield is reduced, and vice versa, if unripe (brown) fruits are regularly collected, the total yield increases significantly.
Red fruits can be stored at a temperature of 5 - 10 ° C for 40 - 50 days, the air humidity should be at least 80%. Tomato fruits ripen on a branch. © gardenfrisk It is most advisable to remove all formed fruits from the bushes when they are brown, i.e. beginning to turn white, and set them aside for maturation. This simple technique speeds up the filling of the remaining green fruits on the bush.
Before laying for ripening, the fruits must be warmed to protect them from blackening. This is done like this: first, lower the tomatoes for 2 minutes in hot water(60 - 65°C), then cold, then wiped with a soft cloth, then laid.
To speed up the ripening process, it is carried out indoors at a temperature of 18 -20°C. The fruits are placed in small boxes in 2 - 3 layers, removing the pedicels. Add some red tomatoes to the boxes.
They accelerate the ripening process of green fruits by releasing ethylene gas. In the light, ripening tomatoes acquire a more intense color than in the dark. Place drawers on top of cabinets and walls. Materials used:
Tomatoes, like any other vegetables, need watering. If you don't water your tomatoes correctly or enough, you won't get a good harvest. Today we will talk about how to water tomatoes correctly?
How to water tomatoes in a greenhouse and in the ground
Tomatoes should be watered only at the roots or along the furrows; water should be avoided on the stem, leaves and fruits, because there is a risk of increasing humidity, which can then lead to the development of fungal diseases.
Also for this reason, plants may have leaf burns. Through droplets of water remaining on the leaves, as if the sun's rays are focused through a lens, they injure the leaves, and late blight spores instantly germinate into them. With proper watering at the root, we fulfill two conditions: we moisten the soil without increasing the relative humidity of the air. The sprinkler irrigation method has a very negative effect on the growth and development of tomatoes.
How much to water tomatoes?
It is impossible to determine how much to water different tomatoes, given different growing conditions. For the normal development of the plant itself, it is important that the soil moisture was somewhere around 85-90%, and air humidity - 45-50%. It is very simple to check this - take a piece of soil at a depth of 10 cm. The soil should easily form into a lump and disintegrate when lightly pressed. If this is the case, then watering the tomatoes is enough.
How often to water tomatoes for growth
Tomatoes need to be watered rarely, but generously. Frequent watering in small doses has a very negative effect on the development of plants, especially in the first period after planting. Watering after planting a tomato should not be unnecessary. Excessive watering lowers soil temperature, and this increases air humidity in the soil, which ultimately leads to spoilage of tomatoes. Sometimes, due to improper watering, flowers begin to fall off en masse, so it is best to water once, or in extreme heat twice a week, this allows you to maintain a pleasant microclimate inside the soil that does not harm the plants. How often it is best to water the tomatoes on your plot of land often depends on the situation, the main thing is to prevent the soil from drying out too much and the soil moisture being high, then you will get beautiful and juicy fruits.
It should be remembered that rainwater is much healthier for plants than its tap counterpart. Therefore, it is best to water tomatoes with water that has been left in the sun for some time. Tomatoes should not grow in soil where the humidity level is exceeded, so you should not water them every day. Excess moisture will not bring anything good; on the contrary, it can become the culprit for the development of fungus, the fruits will spread and lose their quality. However, you should also not allow the soil to dry out. This can cause the fruit to drop and the tops to rot.
Proper watering of tomatoes in open ground
When to water tomatoes in open ground
Watering in open ground begins only 2-3 weeks after the seedlings have been planted. The first watering is done at the very root. Then alternating watering occurs along narrow and wide row spacings. When massive fruits appear, you can water the entire surface of the soil.
It is worth remembering that watering should be done only at the moment when the plant really requires moisture. First you need to pay attention to the foliage. If the lower part of the leaves begins to curl up a little without straightening out in the morning, this is the main sign of a lack of moisture in the soil and the plant is trying to protect itself from moisture.
Leaves may also curl from the strong rays of the scorching sun. Thus, the plant tries to protect itself from burnout. If in the morning all the leaves are completely straightened and the plant comes to life, this is a sign that there is enough moisture in the soil and watering is not required.
How to water tomatoes in hot weather?
In hot, dry summers, it is better to water tomatoes in the late afternoon. Then the process of retaining moisture in open soil for a longer time occurs. Thanks to prolonged evaporation, an increase in air humidity is stimulated, which has a beneficial effect on the plant. It is necessary to water the tomatoes very carefully, in the holes themselves, so that dirt does not remain on the leaves. Dirty leaves work worse at absorbing carbon dioxide and solar energy. If after rain a large number of soil particles remain on the leaves, they must be removed by spraying with water.
The harm of overwatering tomatoes
But with excess moisture, tomatoes become more watery, in addition, excessive watering makes them very vulnerable to fungal diseases, which later contributes to cracking and shedding of tomatoes. Drying out the soil in which tomatoes grow can lead to blossom end rot disease, drying out and wilting of the plant. Watering must be correct to avoid all these troubles.
Watering a tomato: Video
The main difficulty in caring for many vegetables is proper watering. It is important to walk a fine line between abundant watering and flooding the crop. Tomatoes are quite demanding in this regard, because it is important to choose the right frequency of this event, and also take into account several nuances. They will be discussed below.
How many times a week should I water my tomatoes?
So, the question is almost always formulated exactly like this, but don’t think that simply moistening the soil in time will be sufficient. The fact is that this crop needs soil moisture of almost 90%, but its roots will begin to rot in a matter of days if the moisture does not leave.
Here we can say about tomatoes in open ground that they should be watered as in the saying: rarely, but accurately. In other words, once or twice a week, water all the plantings at the most the right decision. Why can’t you water tomatoes in hot weather as often as possible, but little by little? Of course, this type of soil moisture is one of the most common, but it is not suitable for tomatoes. It will affect not only the growth of the crop, but also the quality of the harvest, and will only have a negative effect.
In many ways, the way you water in hot weather depends on the growing season of the tomato. In different regions, heat occurs at long intervals, so here it is better to focus on the period of seedling growth. When you just moved it to your site and planted it, the plant needs constantly moist soil. Therefore, watering can be somewhat more frequent. We will repeat this regime in the future, when the period of mass fruit set begins. Between these intervals we return to watering twice a week, but abundantly.
Is it possible to water tomatoes from above?
An equally interesting question, because not every crop likes to take a shower, and the tomato prefers wet roots, but completely dry stems. You might think that during a hot period it is better to water all the plantings in the evening and thereby cool them, but we immediately abandon this idea. Only at the root, in the furrows. You can water from above, but only between the rows of the tomato, and at the same time watch to see if moisture gets on the leaves.
Even if you decide to refresh the plantings from above when the sun has already set, this will not be a guarantee of safety. And in the future you will have to deal with such “pleasant” moments as late blight or burns on the leaves. And remember that a strong stream of water can wash away the soil and expose the roots, which is also detrimental to plantings.
When is the best time to water tomatoes in open ground?
Next we will touch on the water itself. Cold water from a well is not the best solution. The simplest answer to the question is it possible to water cold water, there will be the fact that the temperature of the water and soil for tomato seedlings should, if possible, match. If the earth is warmed up to about 24° C, then drinking water from a cold well is clearly the wrong decision. It’s not for nothing that many sites have large barrels for collecting rainwater. They will be the best option: the water is much softer and will be to the taste of your plantings, and in the barrel it will be warmed up in any case.
And finally, another no less interesting point is what time of day is best to water tomatoes. It is clear that on a hot, sultry day you should always refuse to water any plant, as this will only harm it. Ideally, this is early in the morning, or in the evening, but at least a couple of hours before sunset, so that the water can be absorbed into the soil. If the weather is a little cloudy, the time of watering does not matter much, since without the sun there is no risk of moisture evaporating before it has time to be absorbed. And by the way, you can’t water and forget about loosening, because without access to air for the roots, tomatoes in open ground die. Alternating watering, loosening and resting the plantings will give excellent results.
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How to properly plant and care for tomatoes?
Tomato is one of the most favorite crops that can be found on the plot of almost any summer resident. To fully enjoy the harvest of this extremely tasty fruit, the tomato must be planted correctly.
It is impossible to know absolutely everything about growing your favorite tomatoes without watering, as well as feeding them and planting them in open ground or in a greenhouse, but everyone who dreams of a rich harvest should know the basic secrets of care.
Choosing the right variety
The variety of tomatoes is amazing. Fruits can be small, large, medium, elongated, round, pear-shaped, ellipsoidal, oval and heart-shaped. The color range is also impressive. After the usual red tomatoes come orange, white, yellow of all shades and even almost black.
Any experienced housewife will tell you not only everything about growing her favorite variety, but also that not every fruit is equally good in a salad or for storing for the winter.
Table of feeding mixtures for tomatoes.
Therefore, in addition to choosing early or late tomato varieties, you also need to take into account its further purpose. For example, “Tiger”, “Budenovka” and “Pink honey” are best used fresh in salads, and varieties “ Scarlet Sails", "New Year's", "Novichok" are ideal for preparing for future use.
- "Eugenia."
- "Aurora".
- "Red sunshine."
- "Fat Jack"
- "A little prince".
- "Hurricane".
- "Admiral".
- "Dandy".
- "Spring drops."
- "Shady Lady."
- "Tsarskoye Selo".
- "Harmony".
- "Admiralteysky".
Late variety tomatoes:
- "Vladimir F1".
- "De Barao."
- "Giraffe".
- "Cosmonaut Volkov."
- "RIO GRAND".
- "Titanium".
- "Date fruit".
- "Finish".
- "Khutorskoy salting"
- "The Miracle of the Market"
- "Octopus F1".
Popular pink varieties:
- "Demidov".
- "My family".
- "Oh-la-la."
- "Moscow pear"
- "Cute guy."
- "Supermodel"
- "Parsley the gardener."
- "Scarlet Candles".
- "Pink Stele".
- "Slav".
- "Monastery meal"
- "Dad."
The most delicious varieties for open ground:
- "Golden Queen"
- "Hope".
- "Ballerina".
- "Uncle Styopa."
- "Ivan Kupala".
- "Caratine"
- "Laura".
- "Kemerovoets".
- "Scarlet Mustang".
- "Pickling delicacy."
- "Siberian trump card"
- "Sensei".
- "Scheherazade".
- "Pudovik."
The best varieties of tomatoes for the greenhouse:
- "Yarilo."
- "Blagovest".
- "Buddy."
- "Scorpion".
- "Gina."
- "Funtik."
- "Semko-Sinbad".
- "F1 Soyuz 3".
- "F1 Soyuz 8".
- "Semko-Sinbad".
- "Red cheeks."
- "Rosy cheeks."
- "Cavalier".
- "Shustrik F1".
Tomatoes for the northern regions:
- "Verlioka".
- "De Barao."
- "Olya F1".
- "Ural F1".
- "Admiralteysky".
In addition, you can select special tomato varieties for wet soil, plant height, and even for transportation or long-term storage.
Proper seed preparation
Proper planting of tomatoes always begins with very careful preparation of its seeds. One of the interesting and effective tips for growing tomatoes is exposing the seeds to contrasting temperatures. To do this, they are soaked for 12-15 hours between 2 layers of damp cloth. The temperature should be about 20ºС. Then they are placed in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours. This procedure is carried out cyclically for 2 weeks. Thanks to this method, all weak seeds die. Tomatoes, the cultivation of which began with such hardening, always have high seedlings and a rich harvest.
To sow seeds in the ground, you need to prepare the following tools and materials:
- Seeds.
- Soil for seedlings.
- Peat humus cubes or any available container 4-5 cm deep.
- Watering can.
- Settled water.
- Cellophane film.
- Spray.
- Tablespoon.
- A ruler or cardboard with a straight edge.
Step-by-step work:
- Pour moistened soil into peat humus cubes or your container so that about 1 cm remains to the top.
- Compact the soil.
- Using a sprayer, moisten the soil surface
- If a container is used, then a 2x2 cm grid is drawn on the ground with a ruler or cardboard. When sowing in peat humus cubes, this step is skipped.
- Tomatoes are planted according to a 2x2 cm pattern.
- After distributing the seeds, they are sprinkled with 1 cm of dry soil and lightly compacted with a tablespoon.
- The containers are covered with cellophane film and placed in front of the window.
As soon as the very first loop of seedlings appears, without waiting for the remaining ones to appear, the container is immediately moved to a cool and bright place. It is better not to place seedlings close to glass. She is cold there and will not absorb food. The film is removed during the day.
After the seven-lobed leaves open, the seedlings begin to feed themselves using their own root system. During this period, timely feeding with mineral fertilizers is very important. Of those offered on the market, you can use the following: Kemira-lux, AVA, Uniflor-rost. The film is finally removed. Water the tomatoes sparingly using a watering can.
Proper lighting is no less important than fertilizer, since at this stage the development program of the plant is formed. Fluorescent lamps are placed at a height of 7-10 cm above the seedlings. Approximately 6-8 weeks after germination, tomatoes can be planted in open ground or a greenhouse.
Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse
In order for the tomatoes in the greenhouse to feel good, not get sick and produce a generous harvest, you need to properly prepare the greenhouse itself for the season. Tomatoes are planted in early May. At this time the nights are still cold, so the greenhouse should have a double layer of film. It is important to make vents on all sides, remove the top layer of soil, and disinfect the remaining soil with copper sulfate. If you plan to grow tomatoes in greenhouses in winter, then you need to take care of additional heating and lighting.
Vegetable neighborhood table.
The beds are prepared a week before planting the seedlings. The soil is loosened, emerging weeds are removed, and humus is added. For poor soil per 1 m² you will need a full glass of charcoal and 5-7 kg of humus, for fertile soil - 3-4 kg of humus.
Tips for growing healthy and productive tomatoes in a greenhouse are simple but important:
- The soil for planting must be warmed up.
- Seedlings should not be planted too deep.
- Nitrogen fertilizers should be in moderation.
- Planting and care must be timely. Tomatoes should be planted in moist soil on a cloudy day or in the evening. Yellowed and diseased leaves are removed immediately.
The beds are usually laid out along the greenhouse. Their width is approximately 50-90 cm. The quantity depends on the parameters of the greenhouse itself. A passage of 50-70 cm is built between the beds. A distance of 40-60 cm is left between the tomatoes. The planting pattern of a given crop in a greenhouse is determined by the method of plant formation and its variety. The traditional scheme looks like this.
Experienced vegetable growers advise not to water in the very first days after planting the crop in the greenhouse. You need to wait a week until the culture takes root. In the future, it is important to adhere to the optimal water temperature for greenhouse tomatoes. Greenhouse tomatoes are watered with water at 20-22°C. Before the flowering phase, the plant is watered after 3-4 days, while approximately 5 liters of water are needed per 1 m². During flowering, watering is increased to 10 liters per 1 m². It is best to water greenhouse tomatoes at the root. This should be done in the morning, and not in the evening, when condensation forms.
Another main condition for obtaining a rich harvest is maintaining humidity and optimal temperature conditions. Tomatoes are not afraid of drafts. You can ventilate the greenhouse in any way: open the ends, tighten the film at the bottom, open the top and side windows. Be sure to ventilate the greenhouse 2 hours after watering, which is very important especially during flowering. Wet pollen cannot easily enter the pistil, so pollination will not occur.
Growing tomatoes in soil
For planting tomatoes in the ground, set aside an open sunny place, reliably protected from cold winds. Damp and low areas with close groundwater passage are unsuitable for this purpose, creating very unfavorable conditions for the root system of the crop.
It is not recommended to plant tomatoes where its predecessors were eggplant, pepper and physalis. Do not plant 2 years in a row and the tomato remains in the same place. Potatoes, carrots, zucchini, onions, pumpkin, cucumber and cabbage are considered good predecessors.
Before planting plants, prepare the soil. It is disinfected and fertilized. The simplest and most affordable way to fertilize the soil is considered to be a mixture of ash and compost, at the rate of 1.5 cups of ash per full bucket of compost. This mixture is used to water furrows or holes well.
It is better to plant seedlings in the evening. Overnight she will get stronger and will tolerate the procedure much easier. For planting, trenches or individual holes are dug. Next, carefully remove the bushes from the seedling containers and transfer them to a prepared place along with a lump of earth. It is extremely important not to damage the root system. For painless removal, water the plant generously about an hour before transplanting. The distance between tomatoes in the ground and their beds is similar to growing a crop in a greenhouse.
Ground tomatoes are watered immediately and regularly from the first time after planting. After watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil between the rows of plants. This perfectly saturates the soil with oxygen. This procedure will improve the entire process of crop growth and ripening of its future fruits. If you water a tomato irregularly, there is a high probability of blossom end rot and the plant itself becoming brittle. Mulching around the crop will prevent rapid evaporation of moisture from the soil.
Cultivation care
We cannot imagine proper care for tomatoes, both greenhouse and ground-grown, without the rule of the 3 “Ps” - gartering, pinching, fertilizing.
Plant staking can be done in different ways. In small areas for tall tomatoes, it is best to use a pyramid garter, in areas with frequent winds - “Bracket” supports. The figure schematically shows the supports with the designations: 1 - stake, 2 - bandage, 3 - bracket. Also, for soil crops, you can use a garter on a grape trellis or in the simplest and most affordable way, using a regular peg and rope. For greenhouse crops, frame or linear trellises are mainly used.
Pinching is a necessary procedure when growing tall tomato varieties and hybrids. If you do not stop the growth of the stem on its additional shoots, then this vegetable crop will spend its entire supply of nutrients on increasing the vegetative mass, to the detriment of fruit growth. This procedure is not necessary for low-growing varieties. The more stepsons they have, the richer the yield. Pruning is usually carried out in the morning so that all wounds on the plant heal before nightfall. The lower stepsons are removed first. Cut them off with scissors, a knife, or pinch them off with your fingernails. Finding stepsons is very simple - it is a side shoot growing from the axil of the leaves. In order for the bush to grow into one stem, all stepsons are removed. When forming a crop into two stems, you need to leave the main shoot and the strongest additional one. It is not recommended to grow more than three stems in a bush. The unnecessary additional shoot must not be allowed to grow too large. It is better to inspect plants for pinching once a week.
Plants need to be fed throughout the season. It is better to perform this procedure monthly. Compost and all kinds of fertilizers must be applied between the rows. It is better to apply any fertilizer a couple of weeks before planting. It is necessary to choose fertilizers with a low nitrogen content in relation to other main components.
Collection and storage of fruits
Tomatoes are harvested at any stage of maturity. It depends on their further purpose. Red, brown, green and fruits that are at the stage of milk maturity are collected. The fruits are torn off very carefully, without thereby damaging the entire plant.
Ripe tomatoes are used for cooking tomato juice, salads, purees and pastes in canning for the winter or just for immediate consumption at the time of collection. Ripe tomatoes can be stored in plastic boxes or cardboard boxes with paper on the bottom.
Brown and green fruits are suitable for pickling and pickling. All unripe tomato fruits are suitable for artificial ripening. For this purpose, large fruits are selected, without visible damage or dents. It is better to leave such tomato fruits in cardboard boxes to ripen. During the process, 2-3 ripe fruits must be placed in the middle of the box.
It is extremely undesirable to store harvested tomatoes in damp cellars: high room humidity can cause them to rot. If the cellar is dry and has ventilation, then the tomatoes will be stored for a long time and well. During long-term storage, fruits must be sorted from time to time in order to promptly remove rotten tomatoes and prevent infection with rot and damage to the rest of the crop.
VseoTeplicah.ru
Growing tomatoes outdoors
Tomatoes are the most common crop in summer cottages. It would seem that such a familiar, tasty, healthy plant should please you with an abundance of harvest. But, unfortunately, it is not possible to achieve high fruiting of bushes everywhere.
Like any other crop, tomatoes have their own growing tricks, especially if they grow in open ground.
Tomatoes in the open ground are tied to pegs
Rules for planting tomatoes in open ground
Seedlings for open ground are prepared in any usual way. There is no need to rush and plant tomatoes in the countryside early. Planting in open ground should be done no earlier than the first half of June.
Soil preparation
It is necessary to prepare the place and soil for planting tomatoes in the fall. You can do the following: first fertilize the soil with manure, and dig up the next day. During the digging process, for every 10 sq. m add at least 400 grams of superphosphate and potassium chloride. The depth of fertilizing is 30 cm.
If this procedure cannot be carried out in the autumn, then with the onset of spring, saltpeter is introduced into the depths of the soil (200 g per 10 sq. m). good fertilizer Nitrophoska is used, which is also added in the spring (600 g per 10 sq. m). Another interesting composition, which will enrich the soil for tomatoes - pour 1.5 cups of ash into a compost bucket and water the holes with bushes with this mixture.
Planting seedlings in the ground
Seedlings are planted in prepared soil in the afternoon, which will allow them to grow stronger overnight and adapt to new conditions. For seedling bushes, holes or trenches are dug in the soil. Then the bushes are removed from the containers as carefully as possible and, together with a lump of soil, are transferred to the prepared holes. In order not to damage the roots and to easily remove the seedlings from the pot, the soil should be watered generously.
Required distance for tomatoes:
- low-growing and early varieties - 30 cm between bushes and 60 cm between rows;
- tall varieties - 50 cm between bushes and 70 cm between rows.
Watering tomatoes
Tomato bushes need regular watering, especially in the first days after transplantation. At the end of watering, the soil between the rows must be loosened so that it is saturated with oxygen. These actions will lead to the plants activating the growth and ripening of set fruits. With irregular watering, tomatoes are affected by blossom end rot, especially in hot weather. After about 10 days, the bushes are fed with a special mixture:
- superphosphate - 40 g;
- garden mixture - 60 g per 10 liters of water.
If the tomato bushes have become more massive, plump, and the ovaries practically do not develop, then eliminate all fertilizers containing nitrogen.
To grow tomatoes, you need to choose the brightest areas where the plants will receive enough sunlight. Tomatoes should receive 2.5 liters of water daily, which will have a beneficial effect on their growth and fruiting.
Don't rush to pick a ripe tomato. Let it hang on the branch a little longer, then it will become more useful and tasty.
Fertilizing tomatoes is carried out only at the very beginning of their growth, and then stops. With the formation of ovaries, fertilizing is introduced again. Moreover, they begin to feed the plants when the ovaries are fully formed. If you apply fertilizer earlier, the ovaries will develop slowly and the yield will decrease.
It is believed that if a plant has many complex flowers, then the bushes will give a rich harvest. Actually this is not true. The fact is that with an abundance of flowers, the plant experiences a lack of pollen and drops flowers, which reduces the yield. Therefore, in order to avoid such a nuisance, it is necessary to carry out manual pollination of plants. The process is carried out 2-3 times a week by shaking the stems.
Too hot weather has a detrimental effect on growing tomatoes in open ground, since at high air temperatures the tomato fruits stop turning red (the plant becomes oversaturated with red pigment). In this case, you can try to create conditions for fruit ripening. But there is a nuance here that in this way the presentation of the fruit will improve, but the taste will not become more intense.
Pinching bushes as a method of accelerated fruit ripening
Many tomato bushes branch greatly during growth, and a large number of side shoots appear - stepchildren. Stepchildren must be carried out so that nutrients are not spent on useless ovaries formed on stepsons, but the fruits from them do not ripen. Bushes are formed by leaving the main stem and the stepson shoot that appeared first, that is, there should be 2 stems left on the plant. The stepsons formed later are plucked off immediately after they appear, leaving a 1 cm cutting at the stem. If the stepsons have grown sufficiently, then only the top is removed. Stepping is carried out at least once every 7 days.
After the formation of the first 2-3 clusters of flowers, the top of the plant is removed in order to provoke the tomatoes to ripen the fruits earlier.
It is important to harvest on time. If the fruits hang on the branches for a long time when the air temperature reaches 8 ° C, then they will quickly deteriorate during storage. It is advisable to collect the fruits early and place them in containers with ripe tomatoes - the ethylene released from them will contribute to the ripening of other fruits.
By following these simple methods, you can achieve a high yield of tomatoes that grow in open ground. The plants will delight you with health and strength, and the fruits will be large and juicy.
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How to grow tomatoes in open ground
Growing tomatoes in open ground. Necessary conditions for growing tomatoes in open ground.
When to plant tomatoes in open ground
The timing of planting tomatoes in the ground is very limited and varies not only in different regions of our country, but even in different areas. Tomatoes are usually planted in open ground between June 6 and June 11. If you are in doubt about when to plant, ask your neighbors who have been growing tomatoes for more than one year - they probably have their own experience as to when exactly it is best to do this specifically in your area. In our Nizhny Novgorod region, we usually plant tomato seedlings on June 6-7. Until this time, the threat of frost on the soil remains. In case of later frosts, you need to listen to the weather forecast in a timely manner and cover the tomatoes with film or lutrasil overnight. However, I have never done this myself - my perfectly hardened seedlings have more than once endured light frosts without any shelter.
How to prepare beds for growing tomatoes
First, let me remind you once again that you cannot plant tomatoes where any nightshade crops grew before - this can nullify all your efforts in growing seedlings and further caring for the plants. The best predecessors for tomatoes are legumes, root vegetables, and green crops.
In open ground, a sunny place, protected from cold winds, is allocated for planting tomatoes. Unsuitable are low, damp areas with close groundwater, which create unfavorable conditions for the root system of plants.
Tomato is less demanding on soil fertility and soil composition than others vegetable crops, but this does not mean that tomatoes can be planted in the ground without any fertilizer. Soil acidity should not be lower than pH = 5.5. Sandy and loamy soils require the application of organic and mineral fertilizers and drainage. The need for nutrients changes during the growing season of tomatoes. In the first period (before the fruits begin to form), plants use only 5-7% of the consumed amount of fertilizer. As the green mass increases and especially the formation and growth of fruits, the consumption of nutrients increases sharply.
Tomatoes need all the necessary elements of mineral nutrition, but most of all potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. Lack of phosphorus reduces the absorption of nitrogen by plants, which leads to cessation of growth, delay in setting, formation and ripening of fruits. With mineral starvation, the leaves acquire a blue-green color, then grayish. Tomatoes are especially sensitive to phosphorus deficiency during the initial growth period, so superphosphate is usually immediately added to the soil for planting tomatoes.
Tomatoes, like other crops, need nitrogen during the period of intensive growth of plants and fruits. However, excess nitrogen in the soil is undesirable, since it causes a strong increase in green mass (the so-called “fatification”) to the detriment of fruiting. In addition, this leads to intensive accumulation of nitrates in fruits.
Potassium is necessary for the formation of stems, eliminates the harmful effects of elements that increase soil acidity, and improves the digestibility of other elements of mineral nutrition.
Based on this information, you can prepare the ideal soil for tomatoes. Humus, compost, and rotted manure can serve as a source of nitrogen. It is advisable to lighten heavy loams with sand. In addition, for 1 sq. m add 2 tablespoons of superphosphate and 1 tablespoon of potassium sulfate.
Before planting seedlings, the ridges are watered with a hot solution of potassium permanganate (at the rate of 1 g per 10 liters of water). The seedlings are planted vertically, filling only the pot with soil mixture. Hybrids and varieties of tall plants are planted in the middle of the bed in one row or in a checkerboard pattern 50-60 cm apart. After planting, tomatoes are not watered for two weeks to prevent the plants from stretching.
Tomato pinching
Starting from a young age, tomato plants form side shoots - stepsons - in the axils of the leaves. The removal of side shoots from tomatoes is carried out so that nutrients are not spent on excessive shoot formation and on the growth of fruits doomed to unripe. True, most early ripening varieties can be grown without pinching. For mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties, this operation is simply necessary. First of all, the shoots are removed from the axils of the leaves located below the first brush. These shoots generally lag behind the main ones in development, they will not have time to produce a harvest, and the juices will be taken away.
After the first cluster, the shoots are left so that the bush, depending on the variety, grows into 2-4 trunks; the remaining stepsons from top to bottom are systematically removed at least once every two weeks. You should not cut off the shoots at the base - they will grow back in a few days. When removing the stepson, a “stump” of 1-2 cm is left.
Stepchildren should be removed when they have grown no higher than 3-5 cm, without allowing them to outgrow. If you pinch large shoots, a wound remains on the stem and the plant experiences stress.
When the first tomato inflorescence begins to bear fruit, all lower leaves, especially those that touch the soil, must be removed. By the time the fruits on the first inflorescence ripen, not a single leaf should remain lower along the stem. It is advisable to remove leaves and shoots in sunny weather in the first half of the day so that the wounds have time to heal.
Pollination of tomatoes
The productivity of tomatoes largely depends on the number of fruits set. Tomatoes produce a large amount of high-quality pollen, suitable for pollinating their own and neighboring flowers. But the quality of the pollination process greatly depends on weather conditions. Temperature has the greatest influence on tomato pollination. At night temperatures below 13°, the anthers become deformed and pollen quality decreases. At high temperatures air (above 30-35°), ripe pollen grains lose viability, fertilization does not occur, flowers fall off (such overheating most often occurs in greenhouses - another reason why I prefer to grow tomatoes in open ground).
❧ To attract pollinating insects to the beds, greenhouses and greenhouses, plant bright annuals - honey plants, for example, mustard, rapeseed, coriander, basil - between the tomatoes. It is believed that these crops also improve the taste of tomato fruits.
But even in suitable temperature conditions, it is advisable to “help” the pollination of tomatoes a little. To do this, throughout the entire flowering period, you need to gently shake the plants every 2-3 days. This method helps to increase yields both on plants in open ground and on greenhouse tomatoes. Flowers are pollinated during the day in warm sunny weather by lightly shaking the flower brushes. In order for pollen to germinate on the stigma of the pistil, it is necessary to water the soil immediately after shaking or spray the flowers with a fine spray of water.
How to water tomatoes correctly
Early ripening varieties of tomatoes need to be watered only four times: at planting, 7-10 days after planting (watering should be plentiful), at the beginning of July and, finally, after July 20th. Large-fruited varieties need to be watered more often and, depending on the weather, every 2-3 days during drought. After watering, be sure to loosen. You can dig grooves between the rows of tomatoes and fill them with water. It is useful to cover the rows with weeded or cut grass and water over it. The water temperature should be 20-22 °C. Under no circumstances should you water your tomatoes with unsettled tap water, much less taken from a well or borehole. The garden must have a large-volume reservoir where water is heated to the required temperature and allowed to settle so that salts precipitate.
It is better to water tomatoes, like other crops, in the evening.
Remember that waterlogged soil, especially during the fruiting period, reduces the content of dry matter and sugar in tomato fruits, they become sour and watery, and their fleshiness also decreases.
Fertilizers for tomatoes. When should you feed tomatoes?
Tomatoes are fed based on their growing season. We have already said that in the early stages of development, plants need nitrogen fertilizers. If you have properly prepared the soil for seedlings and the soil on the ridges, then additional nitrogen fertilizing may be minimal. For example, a single watering with a solution of chicken droppings, fermented infusion of grass, and well-diluted slurry.
If your plants grow too quickly, have powerful stems and large, juicy, dark green leaves, they are most likely fattening from excess nitrogen. The situation can be corrected by temporarily stopping watering the plants, increasing the temperature and adding phosphorus fertilizers (3 tablespoons of superphosphate per 10 liters of water).
Before flowering, the plant needs increased doses of phosphorus fertilizers, which are applied to the soil in advance. If you neglected to add phosphorus when preparing the beds, you can do this already during the flowering period in the form of foliar feeding.
At the height of flowering, fertilizing with ash is appropriate (1-2 cups of ash in a bucket of water, leave for 24 hours, spray on the flowers and leaves in the evening). This procedure, among other things, helps prevent tomato diseases.
How to properly harvest tomatoes
At the beginning of August, all flowers and newly formed ovaries must be removed from bushes in open ground, especially from late-ripening varieties, since they will not have time to ripen anyway. In the greenhouse this is done 1-2 weeks later. To stop growth, the tops of indeterminate plants must be pinched; the nutrients will be directed to the ripening of the fruit. It is best to pick brown (beginning to turn red) fruits, which have 4-6 days left before ripening. If you regularly harvest just such fruits, the overall harvest will increase significantly, since the remaining fruits will receive more nutrition and develop faster. On the contrary, when the fruits are overripe, the overall yield decreases.
ped-kopilka.ru
The importance of proper watering
How well tomatoes will grow on your plot depends on their nutrition. Of course, the best way to deliver nutrients to them is in the form of solutions, so watering rules become especially important.
Watering method from plastic bottles will help provide tomatoes with moisture when the owner of the garden cannot be on the site every day
In general, the irrigation rate in each case is set differently depending on the growing conditions. However, there are optimal conditions for the growth and development of tomatoes that need to be taken into account. Air humidity should be in the range of 45-50%, and soil moisture 85-90%.
It is fairly easy to check these conditions manually. At a shallow depth, a piece of earth is picked up and rolled around with your fingers. If a lump forms easily and quickly and is destroyed by light pressure with your fingers, then everything is correct.
Why is it so important to keep balance? Everything is very simple. If there is too much moisture in the soil, tomatoes will begin to lose their sugar content and become watery. This will create excellent flora for the proliferation of various bacteria and fungi. Cracks will appear on the fruits, and the fruits themselves will begin to fall off. Over-dried soil will not lead to good either. The buds and ovaries will begin to crumble, cracks will again appear in the fruits, and there will be a threat of blossom end rot.
Watering frequency
A lot depends on this factor. It is important to know the limit, since deviation from it can cause a significant delay in plant development. For example, some gardeners who have the opportunity to constantly care for their plantings water their tomatoes often and little by little. This leads to the fact that the soil temperature drops and air humidity rises to 80-100%, which is almost twice the norm. This has a particularly bad effect on plants during the period of their adaptation to a new place after planting seedlings. During flowering, this can lead to massive falling off of flowers and ovaries. At best, fruits will set more slowly due to poor pollination of flowers.
Remember that in open ground, tomatoes grow roots much longer than their greenhouse counterparts - up to 1-1.5 meters. This happens especially quickly in dry weather, when the plant goes deeper in search of moisture.
It turns out that the tomato is trying to feed itself, which means it does not require so frequent watering. The correct option would be to water twice a day during the week. Sometimes even once is enough, but it must be plentiful in order to supply the plant with water for the next week. It is especially good to grow tomatoes in loam, since such heavy soil can retain moisture for a long time and retain it in large quantities.
It is better to water a tomato at the root to better saturate the root system with moisture.
Basic Rules
The effectiveness of irrigation depends on several factors. One of them is the type of watering - at the root. This is done in order to saturate the plant with the necessary moisture and at the same time maintain air humidity at the desired level. You can also water in furrows, as long as drops of water do not fall on the stems and leaves of the tomato. If they fall on the leaves, the drops turn into lenses through which the tomato will get burned in the sun. This in turn will only accelerate the development of late blight.
As for air humidity, when watering at the root, it will be maintained at the required level, which will prevent fungal diseases from developing.
The sprinkling method, actively practiced by gardeners, will not work here, since it does not in the best possible way will affect the growth and development of tomatoes.
Photo gallery of rules for watering tomatoes
Water with settled warm water Do not water the leaves
In order for tomatoes to grow properly and without diseases, you need to water them with settled warm water, which should be approximately equal to the temperature of the soil. Typically this value varies between 24-26 degrees. Trying to water tomatoes with a hose leads to a drop in soil temperature, disruption of the acid balance and damage to the roots. The best option is to water with rainwater, which contains carbonic acid. This has a softening effect, unlike tap water, which is excessively hard. If there is no alternative, mix it with some manure, compost and weeds to soften it.
The weather directly affects the time of watering plants. In bright sunshine, it is better to wait until the evening and water a few hours before sunset. Over the rest of the evening and night, the water will be well absorbed and will be absorbed by the plants. In cloudy weather, watering time does not matter.
Mulching will help retain moisture for as long as possible. As a mulching material, you can choose either special films like spunbond or organic residues. So straw, collected weeds and compost, laid on top of the bed in a layer of five centimeters, will significantly retain moisture in the top layer of soil and allow it to maintain looseness, while simultaneously reducing the number of growing weeds. In addition, this composition will begin to decompose over time and provide the soil with all the necessary nutrients.
Determining the amount of water
To determine the amount of water for optimal irrigation, you need to take into account how well the soil retains moisture, weather conditions, the presence of mulch, plant variety and age, and planting pattern.
You can draw certain conclusions by looking at appearance tomato bushes. With a lack of moisture, the color of the leaves darkens, and in dry weather, wilting begins. Lethargy of the leaves is the first sign by which you can understand that it is time for urgent watering.
During the formation of ovaries, as well as during the period of rapid development, tomatoes especially need moisture. If there has been no rain all week, the bushes can be watered once, using three to five liters of water for each. When the fruiting period begins, it is necessary to prevent the soil from drying out. This requires watering twice a day at the same rate of water consumption per bush.
Tomatoes especially need water during the period of active growth and fruit set.
Watering low-growing and tall varieties
The situation is somewhat different with watering bushes of small and large heights. At the beginning of fruiting, low-growing varieties are watered with much less water, and after a while the watering is stopped. This makes it possible to achieve uniform yield of the crop and increase its volume. Cracks will not form in the tomatoes, and they will be protected from late blight and brown spot. Tall varieties are distinguished by the fact that they simultaneously grow already formed, ripening, and already growing fruits. When the first wave of fruits ripens, watering is maintained at the same level. Tall varieties are watered once every four days, spending 10 liters on each bush. With this volume of water, the fruits reach their maximum large sizes.
Watering low-growing tomatoes is somewhat different from watering medium- and tall-growing ones.
All of the factors listed above should tell you what frequency and rate of water consumption should be set in your case, since only you decide which variety to plant and where. Compliance with watering rules allows you to grow a high-quality crop and avoid diseases. A good harvest is the best indicator of your work this season.
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