How to grow a rich tomato crop. How to grow a large crop of tomatoes. Sowing seeds for seedlings
Young plants have a taproot, but when picking and replanting, its growth is limited; therefore, lateral roots develop strongly in the upper 30-40 cm layer of soil. In a seedless culture, tomato roots deepen to 1-1.5 m and spread widely to the sides. This ensures its relatively high drought resistance when cultivated in a seedless manner in the southern zones.
The stem is herbaceous, prone to branching, reaching various lengths - from 0.3 to 2 meters or more. Under favorable humidity conditions, any part of the stem and side shoots is capable of giving aerial roots and taking root. This feature of tomato is used in practice to obtain cuttings and to increase the root system of the plant.
On the stems in the leaf axils, lateral shoots (stepchildren) develop, on which, in turn, new stepchildren are formed.
Tomatoes are standard and non-standard. Standard varieties have a thick, low-branched stem and therefore, even with fruits, they are kept in an upright position. Non-standard varieties are highly branching, therefore, during the formation of fruits, they are prone to lodging.
Distinguish between determinant and indeterminate varieties. The former are distinguished by the growth of the main and lateral stems, ending in a brush. Indeterminate varieties are characterized by strong non-limiting growth of the main stem and lateral stems, therefore, they require continuous pinching and repeated garters to the stakes.
All green parts of the plant are covered with pubescence of long and short whitish hairs that secrete a yellowish oily sap with a specific odor.
The flowers are yellow, five- or multi-petaled, more often collected in an inflorescence - a curl, in practice called a brush. The height of the first flower cluster on the plant and the number of leaves between the clusters depend on the characteristics of the variety and growing conditions.
The fruit is a juicy berry with a different number of chambers. Fruit shape, size and color depend on the variety.
Nutritional value of tomatoes
100 g of fresh ripe tomato fruits contain 5-12% dry matter, of which 4-5% sugars, 0.2-0.9% organic acids, 1.6 mg carotene, vitamins B1, B2, B6. The vitamin content in tomato fruits is highly dependent on the growing conditions, for example, growing at low temperatures leads to a decrease in the content ascorbic acid 2 times.
Unwanted items
A great danger arises in connection with diseases of tomatoes and the accumulation of fungal toxins in fruits. Fungi that cause plant diseases produce toxins that are spread throughout the plant and into the fruit. For humans and warm-blooded animals, these toxins are dangerous, especially the toxins secreted by fungi of the genera Fusarium and Aspergillus. Therefore, it is necessary to fight against plant diseases - by selecting varieties that are resistant to diseases, using care techniques that protect plants from diseases, and methods to increase the natural resistance of plants to diseases.
In greenhouses, tomatoes, like other plants, can be harmed by aphids, spider mites and whiteflies. The fight against them must be carried out with the help of agrotechnical measures and using natural methods and preparations for plant protection and without resorting to potent pesticides. All these methods will allow you to get healthy and tasty dietary products that do not contain harmful substances.
Growing tomatoes
Choosing a variety for cultivation
Late blight-resistant varieties: Aksinya, Mars.
Aksinya (SEMKO-JUNIOR) - included in the State Register of Russian Federation for growing under film shelters in personal subsidiary plots. Fruit ripening occurs on the 95-100th day after full germination. The plant is determinant. The fruit is flat-rounded, slightly ribbed, dense, the color of the unripe fruit is light green, the ripe fruit is red. The number of nests is 3-4. Fruit weight 120—145 g. The taste is excellent. Marketable yield 14 kg / sq. m. Resistant to TMV, fusarium, bacterial leaf spot, late blight.
Hybrid F1 Mars (MASHTAKOV ALEXEY ALEKSEEVICH) - included in the State Register for the Central (3) and Central Black Earth (5) regions. Early ripe. Fruit ripening occurs on the 94-99th day after full germination. The plant is determinate, 50 cm high. The inflorescence is of a simple and intermediate type. The peduncle is articulated. The fruit is flat-round, smooth, red. The number of nests is 4-5. Fruit weight 60-81 g. The taste is good. The dry matter content in the juice is 4.4-5.5%, total sugar 3.4%, ascorbic acid 26.3 mg per 100 g of raw material, acidity 0.5%. The yield of marketable fruits in the Central region is 176-403 centners per hectare. For the first decade of fruiting, it forms up to 170 centners / ha of ripe fruits. It is characterized by field resistance to late blight and resistance to top rot of fruits.
Relatively resistant or slightly susceptible to late blight varieties: Andreyka, Bonus, Flash, De Barao gold, De Barao orange, De Barao black, Goldfish, Cinderella, Canopus, Lotus, Luna, Revenge, Semko-100, Charm, Nutcracker, Junior.
Andreyka (SPb GAU) - early maturing, standard, determinant, 50-60 cm high. The fruit is round, smooth, yellow. Number of nests 2. Fruit weight 34-50 g. Good taste. Productivity 3.0 kg / sq. m. Relatively resistant to late blight.
Bonus (VNIISSOK) - late ripening, standard, determinant, erect, 40-45 cm high, with weak stepson formation. The fruit is round to flat-round, smooth, firm, red. The number of nests is more than 4. The weight of the fruit is 95-112 g. The taste is good. The yield is 3.7-4.6 kg / sq. m. It sets fruit well in conditions low temperatures... It is relatively resistant to late blight, septoria and tobacco mosaic virus. The fruits retain their commercial qualities for 3-4 months after harvesting.
Flash (SEDEK) - very early. The plant is standard, determinant. The fruit is round, slightly ribbed, red, resistant to cracking. The number of nests is 4 or more. Fruit weight 80-110 g. The taste is excellent. Productivity 4.8 kg / sq. m. Resistant to extreme growing conditions, relatively resistant to late blight.
De Barao gold (GISOK) - for film greenhouses. Fruit ripening on the 120th day after full germination. The plant is indeterminate, strongly branched, more than 2 m high. The fruit is oval, smooth, yellow. Number of nests 2. Fruit weight 79-83 g. Taste good. The yield is 6.2-6.4 kg / sq. m. Weakly affected by late blight.
De Barao orange (GISOK) - requires a garter to the stakes. Late maturing, indeterminate. The fruit is ovoid, smooth, orange. The number of nests is 2-3. Fruit weight 65 g. The taste is good. Productivity up to 8.0 kg / sq. m. Weakly susceptible to late blight.
De Barao black (GISOK) - requires a garter to the stakes. Late maturing. Indeterminate. The fruit is ovoid, smooth, purple-brown. The number of nests is 2-3. Fruit weight 58 g. The taste is good. Productivity up to 8.0 kg / sq. m. Weakly susceptible to late blight.
Goldfish (GISOK-AGROP) - requires a garter to the stakes. Mid-season. Indeterminate. The fruit is cylindrical, smooth, orange. Number of nests 2. Fruit weight 90 g. Good taste. Productivity 8.7 kg / sq. m. Weakly susceptible to late blight.
Cinderella (VNIISSOK) - early maturing, determinate, semi-spreading, 45-53 cm high. The fruit is round, smooth, red. The number of nests is more than 4. The weight of the fruit is 126-160 g. The taste is good. Productivity 7-8 kg / sq. m. Poorly forms stepchildren, relatively resistant to late blight, resistant to top rot of fruits. Plastic, resistant to adverse weather conditions.
Canopus (SibNIIRiS SO RAAS) - mid-season, determinant, medium-branched, 50-60 cm high. The fruit is cylindrical, smooth, red. The number of nests is more than 4. The weight of the fruit is 100-106 g (up to 400 g). The taste is good. Productivity 3.1 kg / sq. m. The fruits ripen quickly. Drought tolerant. Weakly susceptible to late blight, bacterial spots and tobacco mosaic virus.
Lotus (VNIISSOK) - early maturing, determinate, semi-spreading, 45-50 cm high. The fruit is round, smooth, pink. The number of nests is more than 4. Fruit weight 100 g. Fruits of excellent taste, delicate consistency, prone to cracking when overripe. Productivity 8-10 kg / sq. m. Drought-resistant. Ties fruit well in adverse weather conditions. Relatively resistant to late blight.
Moon (ALLEH) - mid-season, determinate, semi-spreading, 50-56 cm high. The fruit is round, smooth, dense, orange. The number of nests is 3–4. Fruit weight is 68–71 g. The taste is excellent. Productivity 7-9 kg / sq. m. The fruits retain their commercial qualities for a long time. Relatively resistant to late blight.
Revenge (VNIISSOK) - early maturing, standard, determinant, erect, slightly branched, 30-55 cm high. The fruit is round, smooth, dense, red. The number of nests is 2-3. Fruit weight 70-90 g. The taste is good. Productivity 8 kg / sq. m. Drought-resistant. Resistant to top rot of fruits, slightly affected by late blight, macrosporiosis. Ties fruit well in extreme weather conditions. Resistant to fruit cracking.
Semko-100 F1 (SEMKO) - requires a garter to the stakes. Early maturing, determinate, 60-70 cm high. The fruit is obovate, slightly ribbed, dense, red. The number of nests is 2-3. Fruit weight 50-60 g. The taste is excellent. Productivity 8.9 kg / sq. m. Resistant to the tobacco mosaic virus, tolerant to late blight.
Charm (VNIISSOK) - early maturing, standard, determinate, erect, strongly branched, 38-45 cm high. The fruit is cylindrical, smooth, dense, red. Number of nests 2. Fruit weight 30-35 g. Taste good. Productivity 4-5 kg / sq. m. Weakly affected by late blight. Cold resistant. Ties fruit well in extreme weather conditions. Transportable.
Nutcracker (VNIISSOK) - early maturing, standard, determinant, erect, 30-40 cm high. The fruit is round, smooth, red. The number of nests is 2-3. Fruit weight 60-65 g. The taste is good. Productivity 5 kg / sq. m. Plastic. Resistant to drought and waterlogging. Ties fruit well in extreme weather conditions. Weakly affected by late blight.
Junior F1 (BREEDING STATION NAMED AFTER NN TIMOFEEVA) - requires a garter and plant formation. Very early, ripening 80-85 days after full germination, determinant. The fruit is flat-rounded, slightly ribbed, red. The number of nests is 3-4. Fruit weight 90 g. The taste is excellent. Productivity 9.0-9.9 kg / sq. m. Tolerant to late blight.
Growth needs
Tomato is a thermophilic culture, the optimum temperature for growth and development is + 24 ° С (+ 20 ... 28 ° С) during the day and + 18 ... 28 ° С at night. Small frosts (-0.5 ... 1 ° C) cause the death of the tomato. The increased temperature day and night, and even with a lack of light, causes the stem to stretch, weakens the development of mechanical tissues and the growth of the root system.
Tomato is a moisture-loving plant, this is due to the plant's property to develop a significant vegetative mass and form a large number of fruits. It has a strong root system and is considered a drought tolerant plant, however, when grown in seedlings, it often lacks moisture. Lack of moisture in the soil stops growth, causes buds and flowers to fall off, and reduces yields. Excess moisture in the soil causes a stop in growth, blue discoloration of the stem and leaves, dropping of buds. Significant fluctuations in water content in the soil are undesirable, which lead to severe cracking of the fruit.
Tomato prefers moderate air humidity. At high humidity, plants are poorly pollinated, various fungal diseases develop (late blight, brown leaf spot, apical rot, etc.).
The tomato needs intense sunlight, especially during the early phases of growth and development and during flowering. With a lack of light during the period of growing seedlings, a thin stem and small light green leaves are formed, and during the flowering period, flowers fall.
An increase in the duration of lighting during the day and an increase in the intensity of light accelerate the growth and development of the tomato. However, plants require periods of darkness — 6-8 hours per day.
Placement and preparation of soil for growing tomatoes
Tomato grows poorly in low places, on heavy soils, in this case it is planted on ridges or ridges. But with excessive heating of the soil (50 ° C and above), the tomato becomes sick with stolbur.
Tomatoes grow well on different types of soil, but always with increased fertility. The tomato is not very sensitive to the reaction of the soil, but it develops better in neutral or slightly acidic soils (pH = 6.0-6.5). The acidic soils under the tomato are lined with dolomite flour, since it contains both calcium and magnesium.
Tomato plants take out more potassium from the soil than calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus. Despite the fact that tomato extracts 2 times less phosphorus from the soil than nitrogen and 5 times less than potassium, it quickly reacts to a lack of phosphorus in the soil, especially in the first months of cultivation, as well as during the period of fruit formation.
The best predecessors are crops for which organic fertilizer (manure) was applied last year - cabbage, cucumber, zucchini, onions, legumes, corn. You can not plant after tomatoes, peppers and potatoes and return to the old place earlier than after 2-3 years.
Soil cultivation begins in the fall, immediately after harvesting the previous crop. The soil is loosened to initiate weed germination. The main digging is carried out to a depth of 22-26 cm with the plowing of fertilizers.
The tomato is responsive to organic fertilizers. The best are humus or peat composts at the rate of 4-6 kg per square meter. m. However, fresh manure and nitrogen fertilizers cause a strong development of the aerial part, sometimes at the expense of generative organs, and delay fruiting. The best effect is obtained with the complex application of organic and mineral fertilizers. On medium- and low-fertile soils, organic fertilizers are applied in a rotted form at the rate of 40-60 kg per 10 square meters. m with the addition of 40-50 g of superphosphate and 50-60 g of potassium sulfate.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
Sowing seeds of tall varieties of tomatoes for cultivation in greenhouses can be started at the end of February, but at this time natural light may not be enough, and to obtain high-quality tomato seedlings, additional lighting will be required in specially equipped greenhouses, isolated from drafts. Seedlings should not be overgrown, so do not rush to sow seeds. From March, satisfactory and good seedlings can also be grown on windowsills, isolated from drafts.
Seedlings are planted in bio-heated greenhouses at the end of April, in ordinary film greenhouses at the beginning of May. For planting use seedlings 45-60 days of age. At a temperature of +20 ... 26 ° C, seedlings appear on the 4-5th day, and at + 18 ° C - on the 7-10th day after sowing. Based on this, it is necessary to calculate the optimal time for sowing seeds. For planting in early May in film greenhouses, late and mid-season varieties are sown in early March, early-maturing varieties can be sown later - at the end of March.
Before sowing, the seeds are disinfected by lowering them for 15 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (cherry color), then washed with water. For better development of seedlings, before sowing, the seeds are treated in a solution of mineral fertilizers containing trace elements (0.05% MnS04, 0.01% CoS04, 0.03% CuSO4, 0.03% NH4MoO4, 0.25% H3BO3, 0.25% ZnS04). You can also use a mixture of mineral fertilizers with microelements for this. The seeds are kept in this solution for 12 hours; if possible, air is passed through the solution (bubbled). As a result, the germination energy and germination capacity of tomato seeds increases by 70%, the yield increases by 10–15%, and the content of vitamin C increases by 2–4%.
Tomatoes at an early age tolerate transplanting well. therefore, at first the seedlings can be grown in boxes, and later transplanted into separate pots with a diameter of 11-13 cm. Wood ash is added to the soil mixture for tomatoes —1-1.5 cups per bucket of mixture. It neutralizes acidity and contains nutrients - potassium, calcium, iron.
Boxes with a depth of at least 8 cm are pre-disinfected with a solution of bleach (100 g per 1 liter of water). Tomatoes are sown in rows, the distance between rows is 4 cm, and in a row is 1-2 cm. The seeds are sprinkled with a layer of soil mixture 1.5 cm thick. After sowing, the temperature in the room is maintained at +20 ... 26 ° C. In this case, seedlings appear on the 4-5th day. At a temperature of + 18 ° C, seedlings will appear on the 7-10th day.
Growing tomato seedlings
For the normal growth and development of tomato seedlings, it is important good lighting.
When loop-shaped shoots appear, the box is immediately rearranged for a week in the brightest and coolest place with a temperature of +14 ... 16 ° С during the day and +12 ... 14 ° С at night, so that the seedlings do not stretch out. Then the temperature is increased to + 18 ... 22 ° C.
When the plants have a second true leaf, they are dived into cups. When transplanting, make sure that the root is not bent. The stem should be covered with soil to the very leaves. In this case, the ground level should be 2 - 4 cm below the edge of the pot.
The optimum temperature for the development of tomato seedlings is from +18 to + 26 ° С, at night it is several degrees lower than during the day. An incorrect ratio of day and night temperatures leads to dramatic physiological changes, and when the temperature drops to + 12 ° C, plant growth stops.
It is very dangerous to increase the humidity of the air and soil, which often leads to plant disease with gray rot, brown spot, late blight. Therefore, tomatoes must be ventilated daily. Drafts are not scary for tomatoes.
Good lighting is required for normal growth and development of plants. Every 10-12 days, seedlings are fed with liquid fertilizer (nitrogen is 2-2.5 times less than potassium salt). After the appearance and development of the next pair of leaves, the soil can be poured another 2-3 cm.
Preparing seedlings for planting in a permanent place
The first 15-20 days after the emergence of tomato seedlings, mainly roots grow, and only later the leaf system begins to actively develop. Therefore, 40 days after germination (one and a half months after sowing), the seedlings can begin to stretch. At this time, they begin to prepare seedlings for planting on permanent place... A week before planting, they begin to harden the seedlings: they take it out into the fresh air, gradually accustoming it to a lower temperature and direct rays sunlight... First, the seedlings are taken out in the morning and evening hours, then left in the fresh air for the whole day.
To protect against viral infections, plants are sprayed with skimmed (skimmed) milk diluted 10 times with water.
The timing of planting in a permanent place depends on the type of protective structures, on the weather and on the resistance of the grown tomato variety to adverse conditions. Seedlings are planted in warm greenhouses with bio-heating in late April - early May, in cold film greenhouses - in mid-May, and in early June - in open ground. In all cases, it must be borne in mind that in May and early June (until June 6) in the Moscow region, frosts are possible, which are detrimental to tomato plants.
Seedlings of tomatoes should be strong, not elongated, with dark green leaves, a well-developed root system, 6-8 developed leaves and have a flower raceme with flowers or buds. Plant height should be 22-25 cm. Healthy seedlings have an even green stem. Blackening and constriction on the stem indicate a disease of the seedlings with a black leg. Brownish-red spots on stems and leaf petioles, dark irregular shape spots on the leaves, curliness of the leaves indicate a viral disease - a streak. Mosaic leaves (with light and dark green spots) indicate the infection of seedlings with the tobacco mosaic virus - a dangerous disease that is difficult to get rid of. With black bacterial spot, small black spots form on the leaves and petioles.
Tomatoes are planted in unheated film greenhouses and under small-sized film shelters 2-3 weeks earlier than in open ground (mid or late May).
In greenhouses, the most favorable thermal and air-gas regime for plants is formed on ridges 80-100 cm wide, 20-25 cm high. The distance between rows is 60-80 cm, and in a row between plants, 25-40 cm, depending on the variety (late , higher varieties at a greater distance, more early ripening. - at a smaller).
Seedlings are planted in holes 10-12 cm deep. An organomineral mixture is placed in each hole (300-500 g of humus, compost or peat with the addition of 5-10 g of superphosphate and potassium salt). Then the wells are watered with warm water, 0.5-1 l each. A peat pot with seedlings is immersed in the resulting slurry and covered with soil, tightly squeezing the walls of the pot with it. After planting, the soil is mulched with a layer of peat 2-3 cm.
The root system of a tomato is treated with a drug that promotes root growth - Heteroauxin, Kornevin or Kornerost. These are biological growth stimulants secreted by plants and promote the growth of the root system.
Prepared holes are watered abundantly, seedlings are planted, covered with dry earth and slightly compacted.
Immediately after planting, the plants are watered by adding to the irrigation water a solution of biological products containing beneficial soil bacteria - Agat-25K, Batsillin.
Agat-25K is a biological product containing beneficial soil bacteria, their waste products, biostimulants, growth substances from plant seedlings and a starter set of 14 microelements and 3 macroelements. The drug stimulates good growth of the root system, displaces phytopathogenic fungi from the soil, including pathogens of late blight and fusarium. In addition to the fungicidal action, Agat-25K stimulates the growth and immunity of plants, increases their resistance to chemical stress and drought.
The biological product Bacillin, created on the basis of another soil bacterium, inhibits the growth of pathogens of bacterial cancer, necrosis of the heart of the stem, bacterial mottling and black bacterial spot of nightshade crops.
Tomatoes are grown on garden soils, on which azotobacter develops well and is active. Therefore, the preparation azotobacterin can be successfully used under tomato plants. The azotobacter developing in the rhizosphere of tomato suppresses the development of phytopathogenic fungi, including Fusarium, releases biologically active substances stimulating plant growth, and also increases the conversion of nitrogen into a form accessible to plants and plays the role of additional nitrogen nutrition in the late phases of plant development, increases the nitrogen content in the soil. Azotobacter can be added in the form of a preparation Azotobacterin or in the form of a preparation Combined pseudobacterin (PS-2) containing, in addition to azotobacter, cells of other soil bacteria.
When grown in a greenhouse on a trellis, the plants are tied to a string hanging from a wire stretched under the greenhouse roof. One end of the twine is loosely tied around the stem under the first true leaf, and the other is tied to a wire stretched over the row of planted plants. As the plants grow, they are wrapped in twine in a spiral. The rope should not be pulled too tight to avoid damaging the stem.
Growing in solar greenhouses
To water tomatoes on a warm, windless day, raise the film on both sides and water the plants at the root, but the film is not lowered until evening; in summer, if the night promises to be warm, the film is not lowered at all. The next day after watering, the soil is loosened. Loosening slows down the evaporation of moisture from the soil and ensures an active supply of air to the roots, as well as better gas exchange. It is good to add dry soil or peat under the plants. This will help preserve moisture in the soil and prevent the relative humidity of the air from rising above the norm.
With a lack of moisture or sharp fluctuations in the water regime, rare but abundant watering, the top rot of the fruit appears - dark, gradually growing spots on the top of the fruit. The disease is aggravated by a lack of calcium salts and an excess of nitrogen fertilizers. Therefore, the plants are sprayed with calcium chloride (0.3-0.5%) or calcium nitrate (0.5-1%) from the beginning of the formation of the first fruits and 2-3 more times with an interval of a week.
It is possible to carry out foliar feeding of tomatoes twice, i.e. spray the leaves with a fertilizer solution: the first time - when buds are formed, the second - after two weeks. To feed tomatoes, take 80 g of ammonium nitrate, 150 g of superphosphate and 70 g of potassium chloride per 10 liters of water. All solutions are filtered before use. Each type of fertilizer is used separately every other day. Superphosphate is used in the form of an aqueous extract (dissolved in hot water and insist during the day). Foliar dressing is best done when the leaves are wet, or in the evening, when the heat subsides and evaporation slows down.
In greenhouses, tomatoes are often sick with mosaics and leaf mold (brown spot). In case of a mosaic disease, the leaf shrinks, its color becomes mosaic (with alternating dark light green areas), the end parts become threadlike. The disease is transmitted with the sap of diseased plants during pinching and processing of plants. Brown spotting is expressed in the appearance on the underside of the leaf of spots with a greenish-brown bloom of fungal spores, the affected leaf turns black and dries up. The spores of the fungus are quickly transferred to other plants, so the affected leaves must be removed immediately. Disease of plants is promoted by high humidity in the greenhouse, therefore, all windows and doors are opened, and the film is raised in the film greenhouse.
In greenhouses, it is important to maintain optimal humidity and temperature. When white flocculent plaque (white rot) appears, ventilation is increased. The affected areas of the plants are removed, and the affected part of the stem is powdered with chalk.
In warm rainy weather, bacterial cancer may develop. At an early stage of infection, small brown spots with dark cracks appear on the leaves. In the future, the leaves turn brown and wither, brown stripes on the shoots turn into ulcers. Fruits develop spots with concentric circles. Affected plants must be removed from the field immediately, as the disease quickly spreads to neighboring plants.
With late blight, brown spots with a yellow border appear on tomato leaves, whitish fungal spores appear on the back of the leaves in wet weather. Black-brown stripes form on the stems, and vague brown spots on green fruits. To prevent late blight, the lower leaves of plants are cut off to enhance ventilation.
Planting tomato seedlings in open ground
The ridges are prepared 7-10 days before planting.
On loamy and clayey soils per 1 sq. m beds add a bucket of humus or compost, half a bucket of peat, 200-300 g of wood ash, 80 g of double granular superphosphate, 20 g of potassium sulfate and magnesium sulfate. The bed is dug to a depth of 25-30 cm, leveled, watered with water, and then a solution of pink potassium permanganate (3 liters per 1 sq. M).
In the evening on the eve of planting, the seedlings are watered abundantly. Landing is carried out in the late afternoon, after 4 pm.
Low-growing tomatoes are planted with row spacing of 60-70 cm, the distance between plants in a row is 25-30 cm, and tall ones - 50-60 cm in a row. Along the cord, make holes with a depth of 10-12 cm. In each hole, put 300-500 g of organic-mineral mixture and pour water at the rate of 0.5-1 l per plant. Near the holes on the north side, at a distance of 10-12 cm from future plants, stakes are driven in to tie them up. Chunky seedlings are planted vertically in holes 3-4 cm deeper than they grew. Elongated seedlings can be planted obliquely into furrows 12 cm deep, sprinkling the lower part of the stem with 2-3 leaves with soil. After planting seedlings, the soil around the plants is mulched with peat. The stem is tied to a support in several places at a distance of 30 cm.
Plant care
Watering
Irregular watering of plants in hot summer often leads to the disease of fruits with apical rot. With a lack of water, tomato leaves become dark green in color, wither on hot days. In this case, the plants are watered in 2-3 doses at short intervals to gradually moisten the soil, since the change of a dry period to a very wet one during fruiting leads to cracking of the fruit. For irrigation, water holes are arranged around the plants. Watering rate - 1 / 2-1 / 4 l per plant. After watering, the bed is sprinkled with a layer of sifted peat or compost 1-2 cm thick.
Loosening the soil
At the beginning of tomato growth, special attention should be paid to loosening the soil and removing weeds. Loosening the soil after each rain or watering to a depth of 5-6 cm.In hot dry weather, loosening helps to reduce the evaporation of moisture from the soil, and in rainy cold weather it provides better gas exchange between air and soil, reduces the possibility of plant disease with fungal diseases.
When loosening, it is necessary to slightly huddle the plants, raking the soil to the stem (about 5-6 cm). Tomatoes are sprinkled 2-3 times per season, this gives the stems reliable stability and enhances the growth of the root system.
Stepping and munching (pinching)
The lateral shoots in the leaf axils, upon reaching a length of 3-5 cm, are broken out with your fingers or cut out with scissors, leaving a small stump in place of the stepson. To prevent the transmission of a viral infection, work must be carried out in thin rubber gloves, which, after processing each plant, are washed in a solution of potassium permanganate or, better, in alcohol. Gardening tools are treated the same way. It is best to pinch in the morning, when the plants contain a lot of moisture and the stepchildren break off easily. Patching should be carried out several times per season, avoiding the outgrowth of the shoots.
Sometimes the plants are grown in two stems. In this case, one stepson is left growing under the first flower brush. It is more convenient to deal with varieties that do not require pinching - with self-limiting growth of the stem and lateral shoots. In such varieties, stepchildren are not formed and growth is limited to 50-70 cm.
Growing tomatoes of such varieties not only saves time and labor costs, but also reduces the possibility of infection of plants through the wounds formed on them.
The old lower yellowed leaves must be removed, which promotes active gas exchange in the near-ground part.
In late July - early August, the top of the stem is broken off and the buds are removed, since the fruits from them will not have time to ripen. This technique is called pinching. Pinching can be skipped if any reliable protection from frost to October. At night and in cold weather, from the end of July and throughout August, the plants are covered with a film.
Top dressing
During flowering, the first feeding is carried out: 5 g of ammonium nitrate, 15 g of superphosphate, 4 g of potassium chloride are diluted in 10 liters of water and used per 10 sq. m landings. During the fruiting period, a second feeding is given - 10 g of potassium salt and ammonium nitrate are used in the same proportions.
From mineral substances most plants require phosphorus and potassium. With a lack of phosphorus, the formation of ovaries and fruits is delayed, the leaves appear red, purple and violet shades. With a lack of potassium, plant growth stops, the leaves turn yellow between the veins, die off, curling downward, leaves wrinkling appears, as if spreading from the edges, greenish-yellow spots appear on the fruits. With magnesium starvation, brown and brown spots appear between the leaf veins in tomatoes.
Excess nitrogen is harmful to tomatoes, causes curling of leaves, thickening of the stem, strong growth of stepchildren, fruiting is delayed. If these signs are present, it is urgent to feed the plants with superphosphate and potassium sulfate (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water - 5 liters of solution per 1 sq. M of the garden or by foliar method, as indicated below). Fertilizing with nitrogen, of course, is excluded.
Foliar dressing
At the first signs of plant starvation, foliar feeding is carried out. Each type of fertilizer is used separately every other day. To feed tomatoes, take 80 g of ammonium nitrate, 150 g of superphosphate and 70 g of potassium chloride per 10 liters of water. This amount of top dressing should be sprayed over an area of 100 sq. m. Superphosphate is used in the form of an aqueous extract (dissolved in hot water and infused for 24 hours). The solution is filtered before use.
Foliar dressing cannot be carried out in rainy weather, since the solution does not enter the leaf tissue and is washed off the plant. It is better to carry out foliar dressing after rain, when the leaves are wet, or in the evening, when the heat subsides and evaporation slows down.
Spraying with boric acid is also effective to prevent tomato ovaries from falling off.
Additional pollination and treatment with fruit production stimulants
To improve growth, increase yields and quality of fruits and stimulate immunity to diseases, plants are periodically sprayed with growth and fruit formation stimulants.
To increase yields, flower brushes can be treated with fruit-forming stimulants. It is necessary to spray the brushes very carefully so that all flowers or buds are covered with droplets of solution. It is better to do this with a spray bottle, if it is not there, you can simply dip the flower brush into the solution.
To combat late blight, as well as to stimulate growth and fruit formation, biological preparations are used that act as natural growth stimulants. These are primarily preparations based on gibberellin - Gibberellin and Ovary. Gibberellins strongly stimulate the growth of shoots, leaves, fruits and, to a lesser extent, plant roots. They affect not only the growth of shoots, but also their formation. Under the influence of gibberellin, shoots begin to grow and grow intensively, flowering and fruiting are accelerated.
Another type of natural growth stimulants produced by plants are auxins, which act at all stages of growth and development. On the basis of these substances, preparations Zircon and El were created. El-1 - arachidonic acid isolated from seaweed - a natural plant growth stimulator activates the development of all processes in them, increases germination energy and seed germination, stimulates development, increases resistance to adverse conditions the environment, and also enhances the protective capabilities of plants, stimulates the development of immunity, increases resistance to pathogens. Zircon is an auxin, a natural plant growth and development stimulator with the same broad spectrum of action as that of the El preparation.
Epin, an analogue of a natural phytohormone, has a high physiological activity. It activates other phytohormones in plants - gibberellins, cytokinins and auxins, its use regulates the synthesis by the plant itself of its own hormones necessary in a particular phase of development and thereby increases the yield of crops in stressful situations, their resistance to diseases. Plants treated with Epin are distinguished by balanced growth and development, abundant fruiting, resistance to diseases and unfavorable environmental factors, the yield increases by 20-40%, the content of sugars and ascorbic acid in the fruits increases, the content of nitrates decreases by 50-70%, and also the amount of radionuclides and heavy metals.
Another type of growth stimulation and protection against diseases is preparations based on humates. Penetrating into the cell, humates activate the synthesis nucleic acids, which is the reason for the influence of humic substances on the acceleration of the growth and development of plants, the process of photosynthesis in the leaves is accelerated in them and nonspecific immunity is enhanced. As a result of the use of humates, the susceptibility to diseases (late blight, septoria) decreases, the content of nitrates decreases and the amount of sugars in fruits increases, the yield increases, the ripening period is accelerated, and the quality of fruits and their preservation are improved.
Pest and disease control of tomato and other nightshade crops
When the first signs of disease appear, it is necessary to repeat the treatment with biological products that inhibit the development of pathogenic bacteria and fungi: Agate-25K (from pathogens of late blight and fusarium) and Bacillin (against pathogens of bacterial cancer, necrosis of the stem core, bacterial mottling and black bacterial spot of nightshade crops).
The main diseases of tomato- late blight, septoria, alternaria.
The predominance of damp cool weather leads to the epiphytosis of late blight. With late blight, brown spots with a yellow border appear on the leaves of a tomato; a whitish coating of fungal spores appears on the back of the leaf in wet weather. Black-brown stripes form on the stems, and vague brown spots on green fruits. To prevent late blight, the lower leaves of plants are cut off to enhance ventilation. In July, it is necessary to start treating plants against late blight with Fitan, a preparation containing soil bacteria B40. Phytane inhibits the development of pathogen spores by 98% and has a inhibitory effect at the stage of leaf infection and sporulation of the fungus. Fitan's antiphytophthora activity lasts for about 7 days. To contain the manifestation and development of late blight, weekly plant treatments will be required during the growing season. When the first signs of disease appear, it is necessary to repeat the treatment with the biological product Agat-25K.
Tomato plants grown in open ground and in the greenhouse, it is necessary to systematically spray with diluted skim milk against tobacco mosaic viruses and streak. When the tobacco mosaic virus is infected, mosaic light and dark green spots form on the leaves, the tops of the plants curl. The infection is very easily transmitted not only by insects, but also with clothing and through the hands of a person, therefore, the plants affected by the virus are carefully removed, and the tools and clothing used are disinfected.
Brown spots on the stems and petioles of leaves, dark irregularly shaped spots on the leaves, the appearance of curly leaves indicate the disease with another viral disease - streak. Fruits develop surface patterned angular spots, tissues harden, fruits become ugly and cracked. With the further development of the disease, the leaves dry out, the whole plant becomes brittle and dries up. The infection with the smallest particles of plant sap is spread by insects and people who process tomatoes. To reduce the damage by the streak, nitrogen-potassium fertilizers are applied and the temperature is raised to +22 ... 24 C. The affected plants are carefully removed from the greenhouses.
Concentric brown spots on the lower leaves and fruits, covered with black spores in wet weather, are formed in macrosporium. The fungus, the causative agent of macrosporiosis, also affects potatoes, eggplants and other nightshade crops.
White rot is expressed in the appearance at the base of the stem, leaf stalks, on the fruits of a white flocculent bloom, gradually becoming covered with black dots. The tissues soften and lick, and if the base of the stem is affected, the plant dies. If the lesion is insignificant, then the affected parts of the plants are removed, and the remaining part of the stem is powdered with chalk. Affected plants should be removed, and the rest of the plants should be treated with biological products Agat-25K and Bacillin, which inhibit the development of pathogenic bacteria and fungi.
Watery gray spots near the stalk with black dots indicate that plants are damaged by black fruit rot. Affected fruits rot. The affected plants must be removed, and the rest of the plants must be treated with the biological product Bacillin, which inhibits the development of pathogenic bacteria.
In warm rainy weather, bacterial cancer may develop. At an early stage of infection, small brown spots with dark cracks appear. In the future, the leaves turn brown and wither, brown stripes on the shoots turn into ulcers. Fruits develop spots with concentric circles. Affected plants must be removed from the field immediately, as the disease quickly spreads to neighboring plants. When the first signs of disease appear, it is necessary to repeat the treatment with the biological product bacillin, which inhibits the development of pathogenic bacteria.
At the very beginning of growing plants in the greenhouse, you need to hang up yellow glue traps to combat the whitefly.
In greenhouses spider mites, aphids, thrips, and whiteflies often develop. If manual collection does not help, then biological products are used against aphids and other pests. Biostat-1 and Biostat-2 are obtained from coriander essential oil. They have the smell of bergamot, lemon and violets and destroy up to 96% of pests (aphids, ticks, scale insects, pseudo-scale insects, thrips and a number of other harmful arthropods) and attract natural entomoacariphages with their smell.
Good results are obtained by using a mixture of mushroom preparations Boverin and Verticillin (1: 1). The optimum temperature in the greenhouse for the successful operation of the drug is 27-29 ° C, above 30 ° C it is ineffective.
Harvesting tomatoes
The picking of tomato fruits begins when they become blanche (at the stage of biological maturity), without expecting their reddening. Sick, damaged, ugly fruit should be removed as soon as possible. The fruits remaining on the plant begin to develop faster. At biological maturity, the seeds in tomatoes are fully formed, covered with a dense shell, the growth of fruits is complete and a gradual change in color from green to typical for this type of tomato begins. The fruits harvested at this stage are most suitable for long-term storage, and the seeds obtained from them have a high germination capacity. The removed blange fruits are placed in a warm place, where they quickly reach and turn red.
Before freezing, remove all the tomatoes remaining on the Plant - red, blanche and green.
Storing the tomato crop
It happens that green tomatoes, apparently completely healthy, can be infected and begin to rot during storage, infecting others lying nearby. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to warm up green tomatoes in hot water (50-60 ° C) for 15-20 minutes before storing them. The heated tomatoes are gently wiped and placed for storage with the stalks up. For the longest possible storage of tomatoes, healthy green fruits are placed in 2-3 rows in a dry, cold room (the temperature is desirable +2 ... 3 ° C). Under these conditions, tomatoes can be stored until December-January.
Replenishing
Indeterminate varieties of tomatoes growing in the greenhouse can be grown in September, before the onset of severe frosts. Then the remaining fruits must be removed for ripening and storage.
The ripening process takes place in the harvested green fruits of tomatoes. There is no increase in the weight of the fruits, on the contrary, the weight of the fruits decreases somewhat during ripening, but those complex chemical changes that began in the fetus on the mother plant continue. In particular, the accumulation of vitamins and sugars occurs, the content of acids decreases, the color changes, etc.
5-6 days before consumption, the fruits are brought into a warm room (+14 ... 16 ° C), where they ripen. For fast ripening, a temperature of +20 ... 25 ° С is needed, and for slow ripening +10 ... 15 ° С. Ripening is accelerated in the presence of ripe (red) fruits, so they are specially added to those previously harvested. Tomatoes of hybrids containing the delayed ripening gene (poggene) last especially long.
Autumn-winter growing of tomatoes
For the autumn-winter cultivation of tomatoes in rooms and greenhouses, seeds of varieties are sown in July that tolerate low lighting and sudden changes in temperature.
Before sowing, the seeds are disinfected by dipping them for 15 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (cherry color), then washed with water and treated in a solution of mineral fertilizers with microelements for 12 hours.
Sowing is carried out in boxes with nutrient soil (layer thickness 10 cm) or better in separate pots. The boxes are pre-disinfected with a solution of bleach (100 g per 1 liter of water), in them tomatoes are sown in rows, the distance between rows is 4 cm, and in a row is 1-2 cm. The seeds are sprinkled with a layer of soil mixture 1.5 cm thick.
Before the onset of frost, individual plants can be transplanted into pots and continue to grow on the windowsill in the fall with additional lighting.
In low light conditions (November-March), the lower leaves are gradually removed, preventing the penetration of light and air. You can even remove the last 2-5, weakest buds in the inflorescence, which promotes better growth of the remaining ovaries.
In winter greenhouses, four methods of growing tomatoes are used: winter-spring, autumn-winter, extended, and in the southern regions - transitional.
Winter-spring culture and extended
For winter-spring culture, early and mid-early highly productive varieties and hybrids are used.
For winter-spring and extended crops, sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out on December 10-15 (with electric lighting). Planted in a greenhouse at the age of 50-60 days in early February-March. Grown by planting in greenhouse soil, tied to a trellis, form in 1-2 stems, leaving 5-6 or 7-8 inflorescences, and in tall varieties, 12-14 inflorescences.
Autumn-winter tomato culture
For extended autumn-winter and transitional crops, varieties are used that are resistant to brown spot and viral diseases. At this time, there is low illumination, high air humidity, therefore, varieties resistant to diseases are required.
The yield of tomatoes will immediately increase if you follow the recommendations of experienced gardeners. Greetings to all friends of Pro100ogorod! 
You can grow a rich harvest of tomatoes if the garden is not a heavy duty for you, but a real pleasure. The conversation will focus on tomatoes, the most popular vegetable crops. Historically, tomatoes are southern plants.
Mexico is considered the birthplace of "apples of love". It was from there that the strange red fruits called "tomatl" were brought to Europe. The Spaniards named the new fruit, Pommeaux de Ore, "the golden apple," and the ardent French began to call it Pommaud de Moret, the "apple of love." Therefore, both tomatoes and tomatoes are completely scientific names and have the right to the same existence.
How to grow a rich crop of tomatoes
The simplest method of influencing seeds is warming up. To do this, they need to be kept at a temperature of 35 degrees for 2-3 months. We spread planting material on cardboard, which we lay out on the battery.
Disinfection of seeds before planting is necessary. Put them in a thermos with water of at least 50 degrees for 20 minutes. This will protect against various pathogens and increase the yield by 20%.
Then we dress the seed. This should be done in a 10-15% solution of hydrogen peroxide or a weak pink potassium permanganate for at least half an hour.
After carrying out the above procedures, the risk of plant diseases is reduced by 2-3 times.
Formation of tomatoes by pinching
Method 1. For undersized tomatoes. We unfold the bunches of tomatoes on the sunny side or do it with a wooden support if the brush is heavy.
Method 2. At a height of 12 cm from the ground, a longitudinal cut of the stem is made - 2 cm. This prevents the movement of moisture and nutrients into the upper part of the plant and promotes rapid reddening of the fruit.
Method 3. Tearing the roots. This technique is used in order to reduce plant nutrition and accelerate ripening. But here the number of fruits is dwindling. About growing
About diseases of tomatoes
The most common tomato disease is, of course, late blight. It appears on both plant stems and fruits.
Late blight disease in tomatoes causes the flu, which affects potatoes. Its spores are often carried by the wind onto tomatoes from potato beds. Therefore, it is not advised to plant potatoes and tomatoes nearby. And also plant tomato seedlings on the site where potatoes grew last year.
The disease affects green leaves and green fruits, on which brown spots of various sizes appear. Fruits and leaves affected by late blight must be removed so that the disease does not spread to other plants.
The development of late blight is facilitated by sharp temperature fluctuations or thickened plantings.
To increase the yield of tomatoes and avoid diseases, greenhouses with tomatoes need to be ventilated. The air must be constantly dry. Disease prevention begins long before planting seeds. They are disinfected with solutions of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate. A solution of vitriol should also be sprayed on seedlings 5-6 days before planting in the ground.
Prevention of late blight
Three to four times a season, tomatoes must be treated with Bordeaux liquid: for 10 liters of water 100 gr. copper sulfate, 100 gr. lime. We mix everything in a bucket and spray the plants.
Tomatoes can also be processed with garlic infusion 50 gr. crush to a soft mass in 10 liters of water and insist. You can use onions, bird cherry, poplar.
A good spraying agent for copper oxychloride: for 10 liters of water 40 gr. copper oxychloride. You can use a copper-soap emulsion: 20 gr. copper sulfate, 200 gr. soap for 10 liters of water.
Such drugs work effectively as:
- "Ditan" - 12 gr. for 10 liters of water;
- "Ditan kupromix" - 30 gr. for 10 water:
- "Polycarbacin" or "Polychom" - 40 gr. for 10 liters of water;
- "Oxyhom" - 20 gr. for 10 liters of water;
- "Azofos" - 20 ml per 10 liters of water.
At the first signs of a disease, plants should be sprayed with a 10% salt solution. A protective film forms on the fruit, which prevents the spread of the disease.
About the formidable pest of tomatoes
The main insect that harms tomatoes is the whitefly, or rather, its larva, which sucks the sap from the plants. The leaves are curled. How to get rid of it? Take a bright yellow cardboard paper and glue the edges. Place it under the bush and shake it. Whitefly will not be able to stay on tomato leaves and, flying onto yellow cardboard, will stick to it.
It is imperative to fight weeds, especially when they bloom. Many pests such as scoop, whitefly, and other insects love to feast on their nectar. Subsequently, they will bring tangible damage to our tomatoes.
- If fruits affected by late blight have appeared on the bushes, remove the still healthy tomatoes. Let them ripen separately.
- You can fight late blight using folk methods: dissolve a half-liter packet of kefir 2.5% in a 10 liter bucket.
- Take nettles on a bucket of water, as much as you find in the garden, insist, give acidity and spray each bush with a broom.
Young plantings are watered with water at room temperature. In a drought, once every 3-4 days. And in the wet - once a week. What you need to know.
Pour water under the root and do not let it get on the leaves. After each watering, the area must be loosened and mulched.
Before flowering tomatoes, you need 2 liters per bush for watering. And after flowering, no more than a liter.
At the same time, each plant must be spud at least twice a season.
The soil around the bushes is mulched with peat, needles, sawdust with humus. This supplies the soil with mineral fertilizers and retains moisture. The aisles of the tomatoes are loosened.
Under normal cultivation, the harvest of early tomato varieties begins in the second half of July. And later in early August. How with? You can also remove yellowing fruits, since they may not remain on the bush for full ripening. The removed fruits are transferred to a greenhouse or house. Best temperature for ripening +20 degrees. Their taste is worse, but the content of vitamin C and sugars is the same. At the end of August, when the temperature at night drops to 8 degrees, all both ripe and green fruits are removed. You can pull up bushes with roots and tomatoes and hang them in a room with a temperature of at least 12 degrees. So, they ripen faster.
Every spring, avid summer residents are overcome by a lot of trouble. How to grow good harvest tomatoes, cucumbers and other greens? How to protect from pests? What do you need to know in order to surely please a family with the fruits of their own labors?
Today let's talk about everyone's favorite good harvest of tomatoes, what you need to know for this, what are the subtleties in this matter?
Cooking seeds
The key to a good harvest is quality seeds. Unfortunately, they may look healthy outwardly, but the sowing result will upset poor germination or seedling diseases. Why does this happen? There are several reasons: the seeds are too old, infected with a virus, bacteria or fungus, improperly prepared before sowing. How to grow a good crop of tomatoes with these? Almost nothing.
Buy seeds from reputable growers. Before they are sold, they are usually treated with special anti-fungal agents, which is indicated on the packaging. Of course, such seeds are more expensive, but if you do not want to spend too much, you can disinfect before planting and yourself.
Doubt about the expiration date? In order not to guess whether they will ascend, arrange a preliminary check for the "source material" in 2-3 weeks. Place a few seeds in a linen bag in warm water for a period of about a day. Then place in the same damp cloth in a warm place for 3 or 4 days. Then plant the seeds in the prepared soil and watch the shoots.
Seed treatment
How to grow a good tomato crop if the starting material isn't quite satisfying? Before processing the seeds, carefully inspect them, remove hollow, too small or large. The seed can be disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate (1%). How to cook it? Very simple: throw a gram of potassium permanganate in a liter of water. Wrap the seeds in a piece of gauze and place for twenty minutes in the resulting solution (just do not overexpose), then rinse and dry.
Before sowing, you can additionally treat the seeds with microelements, a mixture of which is purchased in the store, ordinary ash is also suitable (a teaspoon of wood ash, dissolved in a glass of water, is insisted for a day). The seeds are kept in solution for about five hours.
To accelerate germination, you can soak them before sowing. The seeds swell in about 18 hours. For this the best option- put them on a damp cloth or foam rubber, place a damp cloth on top. Re-wet it if necessary.
We grow seedlings
What's the easiest way to grow a good tomato crop? There are two ways. After swelling, the seeds are either planted directly into the soil or germinated. In the latter case, seedlings will appear much faster. You can buy ready-made seedlings, but it's not difficult to grow them yourself.
Growing should be started in a timely manner, taking into account the tomato variety and climate in your area. The future harvest largely depends on this. The further south you live, the earlier you can start the planting procedure.
At first, tomato seeds are sown in special containers or boxes, then they dive - they are seated in individual pots. This prevents the sprouts from pulling out unnecessarily and improves their root system.
Care features
It is best to use plastic containers - they are easy to wash, transport and disinfect.
Wondering how to grow a good tomato crop? Get ready for scrupulous adherence to some of the rules of care.
Different varieties should be planted in separate containers. Each of them should have opaque walls, a drainage hole and a leak-proof sump. The soil should be taken loose and fertile; you can purchase an already prepared mixture in the store. The substrate is leveled in containers, lightly crushed and moistened abundantly.
You can plant both dry and germinated seeds. They should be laid out on top of the ground (you can first draw grooves) in rows every two centimeters. Between the "stripes" of seeds, it is better to maintain a distance of three to four centimeters. For convenience, you can take tweezers.
On top, thinly sprinkle the seeds with a substrate, compact or slightly press into the ground with a pencil and sprinkle with earth. We moisten the soil by spraying.
Other subtleties
We place the boxes in a warm place (not lower than 22 ° С); it is better to mark the names of the varieties on the labels. Avoid hot batteries - the soil will overheat and dry out and the seeds will die. You can cover the sowing with polyethylene film - create a mini-greenhouse. Then the moisture will not evaporate. But the seedlings need to be aired from time to time.
To prevent the seedlings from growing crookedly, we regularly rotate the box relative to the light. Before seed germination, the soil must be warm - not lower than 25 ° C. Expect shoots in a week or a day earlier. If the room is cold, this period increases.
Shoots have appeared - we move the box to a cool and well-lit place. We keep it there for about a week. Then we return to heat again until the first pair of leaves appears.
Until the tomatoes are practically not watered, so as not to overgrow. The soil is protected from drying out by moistening with a sprayer.
We dive seedlings
Do you need a mandatory pick? Previously, such doubts did not arise. But now many gardeners do without it. The main thing is to decide on this issue in advance: the technology of both planting and care depends on it. But still, consider the process of picking: how and when to do it.
Seedlings dive when they acquire the first pair of leaves. Fill suitable containers (such as paper or plastic cups) with soil. In advance, a couple of days, water the seedlings. Remove the sprouts from the ground with a dive peg (you can take a toothpick). While doing this, gently hold each plant by the ground near the root. You can pinch this very root by a third, but this is not necessary.
Secrets of a pick
Transplant each seedling into its own container, straighten it with a toothpick and press the roots to the ground, fill the hole, water abundantly and send it to a cool, damp place. Return to the windowsill again when each seedling takes root. If necessary, the pick can be repeated - as you grow, change the cups to more voluminous ones.
During cultivation, seedlings are usually fed 2 or 3 times with a ready-made nutrient mixture or homemade fertilizer. Shortly before planting the plants in the ground, you need to start hardening - open the window or take out every day for a couple of hours on the balcony. On warm days, you can leave it on the loggia all day, covering it with a film at night. By the way, some enthusiasts manage to achieve good results without a garden plot. How to grow a good harvest and is it possible in principle? We answer: this is quite real, there would be a desire. There are many techniques on how to grow a good harvest of tomatoes on a loggia or balcony. But in this article we are still considering the "garden" option, so let's get back to our seedlings.
We plant in the ground
We proceed to this stage when the plants acquire developed leaves in the amount of 8-11 pieces and a pair of formed inflorescences. At the time of planting, the growth of the seedlings should be approximately 30 cm (plus or minus 5 cm).
Many summer residents know how to grow a good harvest of tomatoes without a greenhouse, and they do well without it. But we will still consider the "greenhouse" option. After all, almost everyone can build the simplest greenhouse for safe and effective growing of tomatoes.
So, if you plan to first plant the plants in the greenhouse, you need to prepare it in advance: cover it with a film, equip the vents and organize the soil. The right time for this is late April or early May. During these months, the air is still cool at night, so wrap your greenhouse with a couple of layers of plastic, two centimeters apart. One layer is subsequently removed.
How to grow a good harvest tomato in a polycarbonate greenhouse
It is undesirable to grow tomatoes together with cucumbers - they require different care. If there is only one greenhouse, it is divided in half with foil. Tomatoes need good ventilation, so you need vents on the sides and top. In addition, they love light, which means that any shading should be avoided.
If the soil in the greenhouse is clayey, peat, humus or sawdust is added to it (in a bucket per square meter). Sand, sawdust or earth with sod is poured onto the peat soil. You can additionally feed the soil with fertilizers.
In the finished greenhouse, beds are marked out and seedlings are planted. There are many schemes for this, it all depends on the height of the plants and their variety. Consideration should also be given to the size of the greenhouse, the presence of supports for the garter, the illumination and the possibility of watering.
What's next?
How to grow a good harvest of tomatoes in a greenhouse, what conditions must be observed first of all? Tomatoes are very demanding on light and do not like too humid environments. When watering them, observe moderation, ventilate your greenhouse more often, otherwise the flowers and ovaries will fall off.
Soon after disembarkation (ten to twelve days later) to the pegs installed nearby or a stretched wire. It is better to take plastic twine for this. It is customary to form one stem in tomatoes, removing unnecessary stepsons. In the greenhouse, tomatoes are pollinated by slightly shaking their brushes, and several root dressings are also carried out.
How to grow a good harvest of tomatoes outdoors
By the time of planting, the air should warm up to at least 12 ° C, and the plants should reach a height of at least 20 cm and "grow" about eight full-fledged leaves. An exception is when the seedlings are overgrown.
We choose a sunny place for disembarkation with protection from the wind (from the south side). Low damp areas with close groundwater are not suitable. The soil requires a slightly acidic or neutral reaction, a good option- loam with fertilizers.
It is better to start the landing on a cloudy day. If it's sunny, wait for the evening, during the night the plants will get stronger and adapt to the daytime heat. The planting scheme is selected based on the height and variety of tomatoes and the existing irrigation system. The seedlings should be planted in such a way that the plants do not interfere with each other. Each fruit should receive maximum sunlight and air.
How exactly to plant
Before placing in the ground, the seedlings are generously watered to make it easier to remove them from the pots and not to damage the roots. The holes are arranged "on a bayonet" in depth. Immediately before planting, they are filled with water until they are absorbed.
Seedlings are carefully buried in the prepared holes: strictly vertically together with an earthen lump. Sprinkle the root with soil and add a little compost. Above - again the soil, which is rammed and watered.
It is best to immediately dig in pegs 50-80 cm high next to each seedling - for a future garter. You can stretch the wire to a height of about a meter. It is better to take synthetic twine for a garter, in order to avoid rotting.
Further care
Immediately after planting, the bed is covered with plastic wrap. When the tomatoes take root, it is removed (subject to warm weather). It is not recommended to water the seedlings until they take root. Usually it is eight to ten days.
Tomatoes are watered at the root, and the leaves must be protected from water, otherwise the plants will get sick. It is undesirable to use the sprinkling method, since this cools the soil and leads to a delay in ripening. The best hours for watering are in the afternoon.
With the beginning of fruit growth, the need for watering in a tomato increases sharply, it must be carried out regularly and more often. A drop in soil moisture is undesirable. Having "watered" each bush, do not forget to loosen the soil around it and destroy the weeds. It is undesirable to allow compaction of the earth.
We shape and huddle
The question of whether to huddle tomatoes or not is of interest to many gardeners. The debate over how to grow a good harvest of tomatoes in the country never subsides. Some gardeners consider this procedure unnecessary. But hilling has several advantages. It enriches the soil with oxygen, strengthens the root system of plants, and improves their nutrition.
To increase and accelerate ripening, tomatoes are formed - pinned and pinched. After that, only a few clusters of fruits (usually 5-6) remain on the bush. Stepsons (as the lateral shoots are called) are removed from the stem by pinching over the uppermost of the brushes. You can form a bush into one, two or three stems by removing the lower shoots.
These are all the main secrets of how to grow a good tomato harvest "on the street".
How to avoid illness
Plants grown indoors are more susceptible to diseases. This is due to high humidity, temperature drops, condensation on the film. For prevention purposes, the greenhouse should be regularly freed from debris and disinfected, before sowing, disinfect seeds, discard seedlings affected by the disease, monitor possible pests and ventilate the greenhouse in time.
When grown in a garden bed, tomatoes should be provided with good feeding, observe the timing of planting of different varieties, mulch the soil. After harvesting, the greenhouse should be disinfected with a special solution.
If the tomatoes nevertheless become ill with late blight, they are treated (with a solution). In the most severe cases, pesticides will have to be used.
In the midst of the summer period, vegetable growers, as a rule, very anxiously observe the ripening of tomatoes so that the plants do not wither - they are watered correctly, tied up, fertilized and much more. For everyone who wants to grow tomatoes, it is very important that they grow and develop "as needed" from the moment of planting. And every gardener can contribute to this, just by adhering to some tips and tricks to grow a good harvest of tomatoes.
You need to spray the tomato in order to grow your plants "healthy", as well as for a good harvest. It is recommended to do this when the second and third clusters of flowers are blooming. Spray with a solution of boric acid... It is the boron in its composition that contributes to the germination of pollen in the flowers, as well as the set and growth of the fruits of tomatoes. It also has a beneficial effect on the sugar level in the fruits of the plant and stimulates the appearance of new points for the growth of hearths.
Thanks to the miraculous method and the effect of boric acid solution on tomatoes, your yield will increase by twenty percent! Solution recipe: pour a bag (10 grams) of boric acid powder into a bucket (ten liters) of water. This spraying is recommended to be done once or twice. This will be enough.
You need to do a little shake-up of the plants. Tomatoes are plants that are pollinated by themselves or with the help of insects, but they also need to be helped to pollinate. This applies to those plants that are grown in greenhouses, as a rule (that is, indoors). It is more difficult for insects to get into a room than in an open space, and there is no wind there, due to which pollination of flowers on tomatoes would occur. It is recommended to do a completely uncomplicated procedure once or twice a week. You need to shake the flowers of the plant a little. After that, it is best to water the soil or spray the flowers. After two hours, ventilate the room well. 
When growing tomatoes in greenhouse conditions, it is ideal for planting them from the east to the west. This is useful for getting the right sunlight onto the plants, both in the morning and during the day. For plants, this event is called increasing the length of daylight hours, which helps to grow a good tomato harvest. The root system must be strong.
The more powerful the root system of tomatoes, the more fruits it can withstand, and the fruits will be much larger.
Since it is the root system that provides them with nutrition. To strengthen the roots, it is recommended to do hilling and mulching. 
The best time for hilling is the period of root formation and growth, which grow periodically, not constantly. The first time hilling should be done with damp soil. The most appropriate time for the first procedure is when some protrusions (bulges) have appeared at the very bottom of the stem. The second time, the procedure should be done when in the same part the stem becomes bluish, instead of greenish. Be sure to monitor the plant so that the root system grows strong and strong, and then you will get a good tomato harvest.
Mulching is very good for growing tomatoes. With the correct and perfect mulching procedure, you will contribute to an increase in yield by twenty, or even thirty percent from just one tomato bush. For this procedure, you can use a lot of things, at your discretion, the main thing is to apply it correctly. This can be hay, straw, sawdust, fallen leaves, newsprint, grass, wood, and much more. 
It is useful to grow tomatoes on "homemade" tops. In the fall, when the crop is harvested, collect the tops, grind them and place them in the soil. For the next season, this place will be the best for planting tomato seedlings.
Be sure to stepchild the plants so that it does not “bother” itself with the expenditure of energy on unnecessary processes that have already dried up.
When the fruits of the tomato have already appeared on your plants, you need to pick off the leaves. This is done for the same purpose as pinning. It is recommended to do this procedure in the early morning hours, starting at the end of the first summer month. Tear off only one or two leaves that grow from below and until the moment when the first flowering begins.
The scheme of the formation of a tomato bush
It is also worthwhile to feed and feed the plants so that there is a good tomato harvest. When the weather is good and there is no wind, in the evening, spray the green part of the plant once every one and a half or two weeks. There are several ways to prepare a spray agent: urea, nitrate or potassium mono phosphate, calcium nitrate, serum with iodine solution.
At the time when the crop began to ripen, it is no longer necessary to feed the plants.
To grow a good harvest of tomatoes, you need to follow the tips for growing these wonderful fruits.
- Saplings should not be planted very tightly and close to each other - this will slow down their growth and further development, from which the yield will be much worse.
- Provide good lighting for your plants. Especially in winter period time, it is imperative to organize a source of artificial color, especially for seedlings.
- You can safely install a fan right next to the growing seedlings. The air that he will "drive" will ensure a more natural, natural development of plants.
- Before planting seedlings in the ground, warm it up, covering the planting sites with dark plastic.
- When planting seedlings, dig in their shoots into the ground as deep as possible.
- Water your tomatoes regularly for a great harvest.
Video "How to grow a good harvest of tomatoes"
On the record, a famous gardener gives practical advice for growing different varieties of tomatoes.
Summer is in full swing, and summer residents every day with anxiety and hope look at the tomato bushes - whether they are blooming well, how many fruits are being set, are they healthy ... And everyone wants this year's harvest to be certainly better than all previous ones.
Is it possible to contribute to this? Of course! Especially if you know a few tomato secrets. We will share with you the most important ones today.
Secret 1: spraying beneficially
To increase the yield of tomato bushes, it is very good to spray the plants during the flowering of the second and third flower brushes. Boron "helps" germination of pollen, fruit setting and growth. Along with this, it also stimulates the formation of new growth points, and contributes to an increase in sugar in fruits.
Just imagine: using this advice, you can increase the yield of your tomatoes by 20%!
Composition recipe:
Dilute 10 g of boric acid powder in 10 liters of water. It is enough to spray 1-2 times.
Secret 2: a little shake-up
Tomatoes are self-pollinated plants, and in natural conditions they also have additional helpers - wind and insects. But the tomatoes that are grown in greenhouses are less fortunate: natural factors - wind and flying helpers - are absent, and it will not be superfluous to help pollination of the bushes "living under the roof". Moreover, this process is quite simple: it is enough to shake the flower brushes a little once every few days.
Experienced summer residents advise immediately after shaking all the bushes to spray the flowers or water the soil, and after 1.5-2 hours to ventilate the greenhouse.
Secret 3: tricky geography
If you grow tomatoes in a greenhouse, then the ideal option would be to arrange the planting "in latitude" - from east to west. This orientation will provide more uniform sunlight for all bushes; they will be well warmed up by the sun in the morning and minimally shaded by adjacent rows at noon. As a result, an increase in the length of daylight hours and an increase in productivity)Secret 4: strong roots
No one will even argue: the stronger and stronger the root, the more fruits it can provide with nutrition, and the larger these fruits can be. What can we do to "strengthen" the root system of a tomato bush?Secret 5: "own land"
Some experienced summer residents have noticed that tomatoes are very fond of growing ... on their tops! If in the fall all healthy tops are collected, crushed and embedded in the soil, then next spring it will be the best place for young tomato seedlings. And if you take a chance at the roots of the seedlings on the advice of our summer residents, the harvest is already 50% secure))Polygro RUB 14
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