How to grow tomatoes outdoors. Soil preparation for planting tomatoes. Some varieties of tomatoes

A few years ago, I made a choice for myself how to grow tomatoes in my summer cottage. Since then, despite the harsh climate in Altai, I refused to use greenhouses and place these vegetables only in open ground.
Since I mostly harvest tomato seeds myself, I don’t use hybrids. My main varieties now are Russian Bogatyr, Altai Masterpiece, King London, Northern Beauty, Fat Jack, Snezhana, Sevryuga. I only test 2-3 new varieties every year, and if the variety is suitable - I leave it to myself for constant use.

I choose a place for tomatoes in the fall so that the predecessors are carrots or onions, and I also strictly monitor that they would not have been in this place before 3-4 years. I leave it like this until spring.
I sow seedlings in early April, because my apartment and loggia are very sunny, and tomatoes grow very actively and quickly, and if you sow them earlier, they simply outgrow. I use my garden soil with the addition of a quarter of peat. 1-1.5 cm.
I plant seedlings in the ground on May 15-20. I immediately install metal arcs on the beds, and I fix non-woven covering material on them. It protects young tomatoes well from the sun, wind, and frost. If the frost is very strong, I additionally cover the beds from above and polyethylene. These chores continue until June 15, and then the tomatoes grow constantly openly.
All summer I weed the beds, regularly water them 2-3 times a week, constantly loosen them. Twice a season in June and July I do top dressing with a solution of bird droppings 1 to 15 at the rate of one bucket of 10-12 bushes. This gives a very good effect, the bushes grow very strong, powerful, bloom well and give a lot of ovaries.
I tie tall, indeterminate varieties (some reach 2.5 m) to pegs and form them into two stems, removing all stepchildren. I don’t tie determinant tomatoes at all, but I fill their beds with pine needles and they grow lying down. fruits due to the needles are clean and do not deteriorate at all.
In September, I untie the bushes of late varieties from pegs and lay them out along the beds, and again put arches and covering material to protect them from autumn frosts. Thus, fruiting is extended until mid-October. I do the same for lying varieties (Northern Beauty, Pepper, etc.) .
Your tomatoes for the new year
Some of them can keep a good quality of fruits until the new year. Maybe in December they are not as beautiful in appearance as in summer, but they are of good taste and 100 percent ecological!
How to grow delicious tomatoes

Petr Muranov from the Penza region shared his experience on how to grow delicious tomatoes.

“I grow tomatoes in an unheated shed greenhouse 6 m long and 2.5 m wide. Its northern side is deaf, whitewashed from the inside. The front and side walls are sheathed with non-woven material, the roof is covered with polyethylene film. There are vents on the sides for ventilation. I make beds for growing delicious tomatoes high - 0.8 m, 1 m wide.

I plant determinant tomato varieties Golden Heart and Gnome (30 roots in total). These are productive tomatoes, which, moreover, are practically not affected by late blight. For a change, I also grow 10 plants of varieties Carrot, Truffle and some others.

I plant tomato seedlings sown in March in a greenhouse in mid-May, deepening the plants by two-thirds. How to grow delicious tomatoes next? Here a lot depends on top dressing.

A week later, and then every three weeks I water the seedlings under the root (1 liter each), alternating infusions for feeding - mullein (1:10), biostimulant Ovary (according to instructions), ash (a glass), double superphosphate (half a matchbox) and nitroammophoska (1 matchbox).

To prevent viral diseases, I give tomatoes a solution of potassium permanganate (0.5 g) and boric acid (35 g).

There is another secret on how to grow sweet tomatoes. For the sugar content of fruits, there is a proven composition of top dressing -1 tbsp. a spoonful of table salt and 1 glass of ash.

If it rains for a long time, then I use Fitosporin, and in the heat, when the tomatoes are poorly pollinated and their flowers crumble, I water with a solution of boric acid (1 teaspoon).

I prepare all infusions and solutions based on 10 liters of water.

With such care, a crop of 40 tomato roots is enough to provide yourself with fresh vegetables and make preparations for the winter.
http://blogs.mail.ru/mail/valentina-bondareva/tag/%ef%ee%ec%e8%e4%ee%f0%fb

All about tomatoes.
from Lydia Ishimtseva.
I have been growing vegetables for 30 years. During this time, I came to the conclusion that work on earth is creativity, however, hard. But in order to create, you need to know about the factors that affect the development of plants in order to get a good harvest under any weather conditions. My hobby is tomatoes. For many years of growing this crop, I came to the conclusion that not only heat, light, air, nutrition are decisive factors.
The correct choice of variety is a very important event when growing tomatoes in the open field, and even in a greenhouse. For the northern regions, cold-resistant early ripening varieties are of the greatest value. Many gardeners make a gross mistake by growing varieties unadapted to local conditions, or rather, they sow what they can get their hands on, more often southern varieties, hence all the failures, and failures and disappointments.
In a previously published article on tomato varieties, I wrote that my rule is never to offer seeds of varieties that I have not grown and have not tasted. So this year there were about 50 "new varieties". I selected 28. Many varieties were sent by amateur gardeners from the Tyumen region, Novosibirsk, Altai Territory.
Thank you, my dears, for the seeds for your care. All your varieties really deserve attention.
The old reliable varieties that I have been growing for many years, about which I received good reviews from amateur gardeners, did not disappoint either. Tomatoes "Novikov's giant", "Astrakhan", "potato raspberry", "King of London", "pink honey", "South Ural", "hospitable", "Gina", "Budenovka", "early 83" - large-fruited, fruitful, did not disappoint this year.
"King of the Early" - one of the best large-fruited varieties for open ground, fruits of a light raspberry color, weighing 400 g, tasty. Of the new varieties, or rather those that I planted for the first time, I was struck by the "grandmother's secret" with fleshy sweet fruits up to 800 g - and a lot.
"Pink Elephant" - large, fleshy, sugary on a break. "Scarlet Candles" - delicious, good in salting.
In the article, O. Simone read about Chinese tomatoes. Seedlings buy 30 rubles. for a bush
I sowed the donated seeds. Didn't see anything out of the ordinary either. And somehow I didn’t notice them, and when they began to ripen, a wonderful transformation turned out. The bushes were completely covered with strong beautiful tasty tomatoes - 200 grams each. They are stored for a very long time. Well, since they started talking about storing tomatoes, I bought wonderful “tankin truffles” tomatoes. Stored in a cool place until January, "Japanese truffle" - orange, not inferior in terms, stored well, although less.
In my practice, I prefer low-growing varieties for open ground. I have wonderful varieties - “favorite holiday” (fruits of huge size, deep pink color, height 80 cm), variety “altaechka” - it is all strewn with red-crimson fruits from 150 to 300 gr.
“A royal gift” - an amateur gardener O. Simone wrote about this variety. Fruits of pink color, large up to 400 gr. This is truly a "royal gift".
"Deadly Force" - a new high-yielding variety, undersized with large fruits. "Lord Keeper" - a gift to gardeners, pepper-shaped. Very fruitful. "Pudovik" - undersized with large fruits. I would also like to say about such early ripening early varieties donated to me - "harnas", "likurich", "rozina", "Siberian trump" - very early.
"Siberian Troika" - a high-yielding variety, undersized, pepper-shaped fruits, very large, red, hanging in clusters.
"Honey Spas" - you can shoot with basins, a sort of sunny amber hearts. Thanks to everyone who sent seeds.
I really want to say that of the undersized large varieties, the best is still the “Mongolian dwarf”. But now I have a “clown”, imagine a mother hen with chickens under it. This is how this kind of “klusha” looks like: “chickens”-tomatoes do not peek out from under the leaves, but you push them apart, and there are even, round, tasty “chickens”, there are so many of them.
A very good variety from the same series of undersized "little red riding hood", "Yamal".
I would like to say especially about the variety "father". There were three seeds. This is a wonderful variety, there are many fruits, they hang in clusters. It seems to me that I collected them all summer, and they all grew and grew.
Dear gardeners! Pay attention to varieties. Varieties must be adapted to the conditions of a certain zone: cold-resistant and early ripening to the north. "Siberian precocious", "jewel", "Alaska", "northerner", "Siberian troika", "Siberian trump card", "little red riding hood", "Mongolian dwarf".
Heat-drought-resistant in the south, resistant to a complex of diseases, with good taste.
Varieties of any purpose should first of all be characterized by high and stable yields. These seeds I want to offer you.
Seeds 15 pieces - 10 rubles.
The minimum order amount is 50 rubles.
A letter from you with an attached receipt (or a copy of it) on the transfer of money, a clean envelope with a stamp of 30 rubles. with your address. My address: 456531, Chelyabinsk region, Sosnovsky district, pos. Sargazy, st. Sirenevaya, 13, apt. 2, Ishimtseva Lidia Iosifovna.
Phones:
8-351-44-99-3-36, 8-919-115-79-04.
Lydia ISHIMTSEVA
Sargazy

Why don't we talk about the formation of tomatoes in the greenhouse:? After all, oddly enough, many novice gardeners do not even suspect that tomatoes also need to be formed somehow. They think, planted - and it grows for itself.

But, since you have taken up growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, it would be more rational to follow all the rules of cultivation. Firstly, it is better to grow indeterminate varieties and hybrids in greenhouses. These are tomatoes that grow almost endlessly until the very frost. And it would not be bad at all if they only grew upwards. But tomato plants have such an interesting feature, they like to grow additional stems, shoots, called stepchildren. Stepchildren can grow from each leaf sinus. It is not uncommon for two stepchildren to grow from one sinus. And if the tomatoes are properly overfed, then you can see a lot of amazing things - stepchildren can form on flower brushes and even directly on the leaves. If you don’t fight this, but just walk and water, then in mid-July it will be difficult for you to walk through the greenhouse, and in August it’s simply unrealistic.

It would seem, and it’s good - how many tomatoes will grow in such a forest - a novice gardener will think. But no, unfortunately it will not grow - both food and our short summer will not be enough. Plus, diseases will also be overcome, they will be a real resort in such shade and dampness. So all the energy of the plant, instead of being directed to the formation of a crop that really has time to grow in our conditions, will drive a bunch of green tops and a lot of flowers that few people eat. You're not going to feed the Colorado potato beetle.

Actually for this reason, tomatoes in the greenhouse must be formed.

Growing tomatoes in one stem. The simplest formation of a bush.

Indeterminate varieties and hybrids of tomatoes are usually formed into one stem. This means that all stepchildren are removed. And you will have only one main trunk, on which 5-6 tomato brushes should have time to grow by August. In general, this is the simplest type of formation, therefore it is perfect for beginner tomato growers.

Indeterminate tomato varieties yield crops gradually throughout the summer. The first flower brush is usually formed over 10 - 11 leaves, and the next ones - after 3 leaves.

Look at what is written on the bag with your seeds. Usually the seed producer will indicate if the plant is forming into a single stem. But sometimes they don’t write this, they simply indicate that the variety is indeterminate.

Stepchildren usually begin their growth no earlier than the first flower brush appears. Right under it, the first, thickest stepson begins to grow. Sometimes it is rational to leave one flower brush on this first stepson and pinch it. At the same time, two more sheets must be left above the brush, and only then pinched. This is necessary for the full circulation of the juice.

As the plant grows, at least once a week, carefully break out all stepsons. In the month of August, depending on your climatic zone, it is recommended to pinch the top of the tomato plant and remove all flowers and all fruits smaller than a hazelnut. In the Moscow region, it is rational to carry out such actions from August 10 to 20. Of course, a warm September can also happen. In such a case, you can leave yourself a couple of tomato bushes without pinching the tops and without removing the small ovary there.

Don't forget to remove the bottom leaves as well. In our climate, it is necessary to remove leaves in such a way that all leaves are removed under the brush with green tomatoes that have already reached their size, but not yet ripened. Start from the end of May - the beginning of June, remove 1-3 bottom sheets per week. A maximum of three leaves can be removed at a time, otherwise the plant will experience severe stress, which is fraught with growth retardation, and in some cases yield loss. The leaves break out to the side, not down. If you break down, then a large piece of skin can be removed from the trunk.

Pasynkovanie and breaking out of leaves is best done in sunny, warm weather in the morning, then by the evening the wound will have time to dry and the infection will not penetrate.
Note to the picture.
Option A. - we simply remove all stepchildren, leaving 5 - 7 brushes. We will get uniform ripening of the crop throughout the season.
Option B. provides for leaving one brush on the first stepson, followed by pinching the stepson. Thus, you can get the main part of the crop a little earlier (the second brush and the brush on the stepson will ripen almost simultaneously).

Tomato - bursting at the seams !!!
This year, don’t ask anyone - everyone complains that their tomatoes burst, right on the bush. There are fewer bursting fruits in the open field, but they still exist. And in greenhouses there is some kind of epidemic.

Actually, there is nothing surprising in this ... Summer turned out to be not just hot, but very hot ... Many are surprised - what does the heat have to do with it? Yes, it was the heat that was the main culprit of cracking tomatoes this year.

So the question of the day - why do tomatoes burst and crack? And why in greenhouses this happens more often than in the open air.

Even without spreading the thought along the tree, it is very simple to explain this phenomenon. In hot weather, in the daytime, plants are sorely lacking in moisture. Even if you have drip irrigation in your greenhouse, which is rare in amateur tomato growing, at an air temperature overboard of + 40, the roots of the plant often simply do not have time to provide the plant with the right amount of moisture. Moreover, for tomatoes a comfortable temperature. as you know, it’s not 40-50 degrees at all, as in a greenhouse, but 20-25 ... One thing pleases that in the depths of the earth and in such heat there will always be a layer of earth with a temperature comfortable for the roots.

Therefore, in ordinary greenhouses, where watering is carried out often once a week, plants suffer from a lack of moisture during the day. At the same time, the size of the fruit slightly decreases, it shrinks ... And at night, the plant eagerly begins to absorb moisture - the vapor from the air condenses, precipitates on the leaves with the smallest particles and is immediately absorbed through the leaves and stems. The fruits are saturated with water, stretched (often literally to fractions of a millimeter), and this stretching of the fruit is quite enough for the skin on the tomato to burst.

The most effective way to deal with cracking tomatoes in such hot weather is drip irrigation. Well, or at least water the tomatoes often - every day, or every other day .. At the same time, do not forget that the high humidity in the greenhouse and hot weather contribute to the spread of some fungal diseases of the tomato. Therefore, it is worth watering at the root, for example, in plastic bottles specially stuck into the ground with a cut off bottom ...

The common practice of watering tomatoes infrequently and abundantly always results in bursting fruit. especially in this heat and during the fruiting period. But at the same time reduces the risk of spreading fungal diseases.

Unfortunately, it is the most delicious tomatoes - large-fruited, thin-skinned, sweet - that most often burst first. Pink-fruited tomatoes are usually the champions in the number of bursting fruits.

We will speed up the harvest of tomatoes.

Frankly, I am not a supporter of the early planting of tomatoes for seedlings, especially in apartment conditions - the seedlings outgrow, wither and look reproachfully from the window at their tormentor. And the harvest does not give a large .. This was written in more detail in other topics.

But if you approach the issue from the other side. What are the main factors preventing us from getting an early harvest? This is a lack of space on the windowsill for large bushes - after all, seedlings need to be grown for 60-70 days instead of the optimal 40-50. We are also hindered by the lack of light for good seedling growth in February, the insufficient amount of soil for the development of the plant during long-term cultivation on the window, and, finally, insufficient warming of the soil in the place of permanent residence - in the garden or in the greenhouse. If all these factors are eliminated / overcome, then tomatoes can be sown in February.

It would seem, especially for beginner tomato growers, that there is not much difference between a 45-day and a 65-day seedling. Ha.. You should have seen these 65-day mugs.

Let's say we don't need to immediately plant a full tomato greenhouse in February, but we want to start harvesting our tomatoes from several bushes in June. Let it be 3 or there are 5 bushes. Well, later the tomatoes planted at the optimal time will also catch up. Taking into account that the average period from germination to fruiting in early varieties is about 100 days, in order to get the first tomatoes in June, they must be sown at the very end of February-beginning of March.

For such cultivation, which is somewhat not optimal for tomatoes, hybrids are more suitable. Although they are usually not as tasty, they are usually more resistant to adverse growing conditions and diseases. After all, the less sun, the more likely the development of diseases in our tomatoes.

So, choose your favorite hybrid. If you take super-early varieties, you can get reddening tomatoes already on the window ... In general, there is nothing wrong with this, just the harvest will be less.

We sow our tomatoes as you prefer, you can in box cups with subsequent picking, or you can immediately into larger cups, for growing without picking.

A prerequisite for such seedlings is the presence of good lighting. Because in February - early March, they will be sorely lacking the sun, even on the southern windows.

By the time your seedlings have grown 4-5 true leaves, they should be sitting in a pot of at least one liter. With prolonged cultivation on the window, it is important not to let the roots outgrow and stray into a swirling lump - they begin to rot and the plant degrades, the yield is significantly reduced.

Usually, after the 9-10th true leaf, the first flower brush appears in tomatoes. This significant event usually takes place on the 45-60th day from germination. It's time to transfer the plants to a container of at least three liters. This is what usually becomes the limiting factor - where can you place a lot of three-liter pots on the window in the apartment ... And why - let them grow in a box, the whole herd will have hundreds of heads.

No, well, of course, one can argue that my grandmother always grew 80 bushes in a box on one northern window and she had a wonderful harvest ... It, of course, is quite possible, but I did not succeed, alas. Moreover, seedlings under the age of 45 days can be grown in liter containers. For seedlings older than 45-50 days - serve a pot of two liters at least. Three is better, but unrealistic in urban environments.

The land in the greenhouse warms up enough for planting tomatoes, usually not earlier than the beginning of May, and often only by mid-May. Therefore, it is very desirable in March-April to prepare the soil in the greenhouse for planting tomatoes and cover it with a black film - under the film, the heating of the soil will be much more intense. Thus, in the presence of weather, already in late April or early May, our bushes from large pots will move to the greenhouse. Moreover, the bush should have either already set fruits or at least flowers. And there is a danger in this - in case of an unsuccessful transplant, the plant will easily drop the entire brush. Therefore, handle the bush carefully, without damaging the roots. And look at the weather forecast so that it is warm for at least three days after the transplant.

In general, these are all the simple conditions for obtaining your first tomatoes in the month of June. And if someone has deposits of five-liter pots and free window sills at home, then he can even plant the entire greenhouse with early tomatoes.

Only five commandments - when planting tomatoes.

Five simple rules, but perhaps some beginner tomato growers will find them useful.

First, and perhaps most important in our climate, do not plant tomato seedlings in unheated soil. This has already been covered in a previous article.

Second. Do not unnecessarily deepen the tomatoes too deep when planting. Probably in warmer regions (Ukraine, for example, or the Krasnodar Territory), you can afford to plant deep. But in central Russia and in the North-West, we will lose a precious extra week - the time when the buried seedlings will actively give new roots, and the tops will stop growing for this time.

Third. Be sure to check the weather forecast before planting. We all know that weather forecasters cannot be trusted. And yet, predictions sometimes come true. Therefore, if in the coming days a cold snap is predicted below +8 +10 degrees during the day and below +3 + 5 at night, think - maybe you can marinate our seedlings on the windowsill a little more.

Fourth. Do not fill planting holes with urea, chicken manure, fresh manure, etc. fertilizers containing a lot of nitrogen. Yes, nitrogen is necessary for the growth of any plant, and if there is no nitrogen at all, then we will not see tomatoes. But if you swell when planting fresh manure or something like that, then again, instead of tomatoes, we get a bunch of beautiful green tops.

Fifth. Cut off cotyledon leaves, any leaves that are below or at ground level, and any yellow or diseased leaves. Diseased leaves, which often form at the bottom of the plant when growing seedlings at home, are a gateway for infection. It is best to tear off the leaves in the morning, so that the places of separation have time to dry before the evening.

Planting seeds. To germinate or not to germinate?

Having decided on the sowing dates, it's time to get down to business!

To germinate or not to germinate? Soak or sow with dry seeds?

Without further ado, let's say this - if you have a lot of free time, or you just like the process .. or it is very critical to speed up the emergence of seedlings for a couple of days - you can do soaking and germinating seeds. However, if the seeds are not expired and you want to spend your free time on something else, then soaking and germinating tomato seeds is not necessary at all.

On the other hand, if you have an interesting variety that is long overdue and you really want to get plants from it, then soaking the seeds can help a lot.

What to soak the seeds in? Here the flight of popular imagination is inexhaustible. They are soaked in aloe juice, and in a solution of trace elements, in melt water and in the now popular solutions of humic fertilizers, zircon, epine, and so on.

Seeds are soaked in a small amount of water for 10-20 hours. If you leave them for a longer time, the seeds will suffocate.

After soaking, the seeds should either be sown directly into the soil mixture, or left until pecking in a shallow dish, for example, on gauze in a saucer with water (cover with a layer of gauze on top so that they do not dry out.) You just want to ask - do you need it?

Much more practical seeds after soaking, or if the quality (or quantity) of seeds is sufficient - immediately sow in the ground.

Regarding the composition of the soil. Tomatoes do not belong to plants that are demanding on the composition of the soil; nevertheless, it is unreasonable to grow seedlings in bare peat. There are a lot of soil mixes for growing nightshades in stores, for some reason I like German ones ...

Many people use soil from their own garden without problems, but this option should not be considered as recommended, since few people control the presence of pathogens of bacterial, viral and fungal diseases in their soil. These pests can especially quickly destroy a fragile seedling, especially after picking, when the root system is damaged.

The popular boiling and roasting of the soil kills not only harmful microflora, but also beneficial ones, therefore boiling the soil is also not a positive action, as many mistakenly believe.
You can object to me that in the purchased mixture there may be even more of these most evil and unkind microorganisms, but this is already a matter of the conscientiousness of the manufacturers. Rumor has it that many are selling soil previously used in industrial greenhouses (creepy business).

In general, let's hope that you and I got normal soil, and bears with phytophthora will not climb out of it. It's time to plant seeds in it!

There are two options - growing seedlings with picks or without picks.

When growing seedlings with subsequent picking, the seeds are sown in available boxes, boxes and other containers, leaving a distance of a couple of centimeters between plants. When the first true leaf appears in the sprouts, the plants are distributed into individual pots. At the same time, the main tap root is often specially pinched, after which a fibrous root system develops in the tomato.

If you do not want to dive seedlings, then you can plant the seeds immediately in individual small pots, and then transfer them to large containers without damaging the root system. However, there is evidence that if the main tap root has reached the bottom, and there is nowhere for it to grow further, and it bends up along the wall of the pot, then such a plant lags far behind in development and does not bring a full harvest.

Deepen the seeds by 1-1.5 centimeters. If you deepen it less than a centimeter, we risk getting seedlings with an unshed seed coat. Freeing such plants from the seed coat can be problematic, and often they die.

As an option - at the very appearance of such a sprout with an unshed shell from the ground - you can cover it from above with another 1.5-2 centimeters of soil. This usually helps.

Seed sprouts appear, depending on the quality of the seeds and temperature, in terms of four to fifteen, and even in some rare cases, thirty days. Seeds usually germinate in about one week.

The optimum temperature for seed germination is 25 degrees. At temperatures below 18 degrees, germination is greatly delayed. at temperatures below 14-15 degrees, the seeds practically do not germinate.

Plants sprouted in our apartment conditions often tend to stretch due to lack of light and elevated temperature. Therefore, it is very important to create conditions that prevent stretching in the early days.

First, place the seedlings on the brightest window, preferably using additional lighting. The need for round-the-clock illumination of seedlings in the first two or three days seems doubtful to me, to put it mildly, it is unnatural. They will stop stretching, but they will also get stress.

Further stages of seedling care are rare watering and top dressing. It is very important, especially in low light conditions (i.e. on our ordinary windows), not to flood the seedlings with water. The earth should not be damp all the time, especially if it is cool on the window at night, then in such moist and damp soil, young tomatoes are very quickly affected by a variety of fungal diseases that can kill all seedlings.

Caring for tomato seedlings.
So the first loops of germinating tomatoes appeared from the ground. How to grow healthy, thick and beautiful plants from them?
First of all, let's transfer them to the brightest window, and make sure that this window does not have cracks from which a cold draft blows! Especially at night. It often happens that the earth in a container with tomatoes cools to unacceptable temperatures at night.
This is especially dangerous if the ground is too wet. Do not flood the sprouted seedlings!
Usually the first watering is required a week after germination. Do not forget that if the earth is dry on top, then below it may still be quite wet.

It happens that during the day the sun shines brightly, and the plants wilt slightly. A not very experienced tomato grower immediately hurries to correct the situation and pours more water for the tomatoes ... But after a few hours the sun goes down, and the tomatoes remain in the wet, cold ground.
And half the trouble, if tomorrow there will be sun again ... But if cloudy weather happens tomorrow, and even the day after tomorrow ... then the tomato will get sick very easily.

The first real leaves, two at once, appear after 4-5 days, if there is enough heat and light. Seedlings of this age can already dive if you sow the seeds in a common pot, and not in individual ones. In general, tomatoes tolerate picking and transplanting almost painlessly at any age, if you do not injure too much of the roots. And they are seated at such a young age precisely because the roots of neighboring plants have not yet begun to intertwine.

The farther the conditions are from optimal, the longer the development lasts and the easier the tomatoes get sick. The optimal conditions are not flooded, slightly moist soil, the temperature is around 20-25 degrees during the day (the lighter - the higher the optimum temperature), and 18 degrees at night. And of course the world. Lots of light. If these "simple" conditions are observed, the tomato does not get sick and grows rapidly.

Two weeks after germination, the tomatoes have a fourth true leaf. If you did everything right, then this is a squat, stocky oak tree with strong, fragrant, green leaves.

In good conditions, after a month, the flowers appear on the tomatoes visible to the naked eye. Another 10-15 days - and it's time to move them to the greenhouse! Delaying this matter is categorically not recommended - it is fraught with a decrease in yield. If for some reason you need to keep tomatoes outside for more than 45-50 days, provide them with at least 1 liter of soil per plant. Once again I emphasize - this is a minimum, not an optimal amount.
The problem is that if you keep tomatoes in a relatively small container at the age of 30-40 days, then once in the greenhouse they have time to “accelerate” and grow into full-fledged plants. But if they are kept on the window in a small capacity for literally another 10 days and let the tomatoes bloom, then the development of the plant switches not to vegetative, but not generative growth (ensuring fruit growth), and it is already difficult to achieve normal yields from such undergrowth.
Partially, removing the first flower brush can help.

Let's count together - in good conditions, a new brush is tied once a week. The development from the appearance of a bud to a full-fledged tomato takes about 60 days. In film greenhouses, tomatoes grow, on average, until mid-September. September 15 minus 60 days = July 15. That is, the brush that appeared in mid-July will be the one that will have time to please us with the fruits. Subsequent brushes will probably not have time to keep up, and in principle, starting from the end of July - the beginning of August, unflowered brushes are removed ....
This plant is 15 days old
That is, leaving the plant on the window for one reason or another, we slow down its growth, reduce the potential yield, and pinch off one brush ... All this usually happens when tomatoes are planted early - in February or early March for greenhouses. For open ground, tomatoes can generally be planted in the first half of April, but the varieties must be very early.

Same plant, 25 days
As for top dressing, it strongly depends on the initial soil and the general appearance of the seedlings. Usually the first feeding is done 2-3 weeks after germination and in the future - every week. Again, I use German specialized fertilizers for tomatoes based on guano, as well as humic fertilizers and simply complex fertilizers with microelements.

33 days. We'll be moving into the greenhouse soon.

Seedling lighting.

The most important thing that the tomato seedlings on our windowsills lack is light. They usually have an excess of water and heat, as well as nutrients. But with the light there is an ambush, especially in the February blooms.
In order to at least slightly compensate for the lack of light for the tomatoes, a simple design should be used - a fluorescent lamp with a reflector. Who has a lot of money for a lamp and electricity, can also highlight with metal halide lamps. But we will not consider this option here, due to the fact that it is rather an exception. Although the backlight itself is very, very good.

So fluorescent lamps. For those infrequent gardeners who organize the illumination of tomato seedlings, as a rule, the first lamp that comes to hand is used in the lamp, often these are lamps of the 830-840 spectrum. They are the cheapest (of those that can be considered as backlight lamps. There are also 700x lamps and even in some places they say they sell more lamps of 600x spectra, there is generally a problem with the spectrum and light output) and they give some kind of illumination to plants, but there is and more suitable lamps.
Many advanced growers are familiar with the Fluora lamp from Osram, which shines with a rather unpleasant pink-purple light. However, plants do not agree with me, and in principle they like this lamp, but it has one more drawback - low light output (luminous flux). Those. with its high price and low light output - also not the best solution
Do not flatter yourself by hanging one light bulb over three rows of seedlings - there will be no sense in such illumination.

Whenever possible, choose white light bulbs that have the highest light output.

According to the example of Alexander below in the comments, who chose 3 fluorescent lamps of 840 spectrum and received acceptable illumination, you can combine them for yourself based on your tastes and means.

The 965 spectrum lamps are very good - they have a high light output and a good light spectrum. And the color with which they shine is pleasing to the eye.

The LifeGlo lamp from Hagen has an increased light output, in 2010 I used it to illuminate tomato seedlings. The tomatoes rejoiced. But again, the price of such a lamp is quite high.

Lamps should be placed at a height of 20-25 cm above the top of the plants. They should shine on a cloudy day - 10 hours, on a sunny day - in the morning and in the evening, so that as a result of the same 10 hours, the illumination of plants is as possible as possible.

The service life of a conventional fluorescent lamp is short - it loses up to 50% of its power in half a year of constant use. It is not easy to notice this loss of light with the naked eye.

Be sure to use a reflector (reflector), with its help the luminous flux increases up to 50% or more.

And by the way, if seedlings grow on a windowsill behind white curtains, they get free light reflected from the curtains, and if you organize a foil reflector instead of curtains, then there will be even more light ... (A perfectly white surface reflects all incident rays. physics textbook)
And do not think that these are all trifles - the light reflected from a white or mirror surface is quite significant. How many percent there will be, I have not measured it yet, but on occasion I will find my old light meter

The distance between tomato bushes grown in one trunk in a greenhouse can be about 60 centimeters.

In the following articles, we will consider the formation of semi-determinant varieties in two stems and other, more complex variants of formation.

Growing tomatoes outdoors can be difficult for beginner gardeners, as the plant is quite demanding to care for. It is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the culture in preparation for planting, watering and feeding tomatoes, as well as provide them with protection from pests and diseases.

For the reader's reference

Tomato (lat. Solanum lycopersicum) belongs to the Solanaceae family. The fruits of the plant are berries, but the culture belongs to the vegetable, so the tomato is equally correctly called both a berry and a vegetable. The birthplace of culture is South America.

When to plant tomatoes outdoors

The culture does not tolerate frost, so it is necessary to plant seedlings in open soil at a stable average daily temperature. Do not rush: bushes planted early will get sick and lag behind in development.

• In the southern regions of Russia, it is possible to start the procedure for planting seedlings of early ripening varieties at the end of April;
• In the Urals and Moscow region - in the first half of May (landing time can be shifted by 10-15 days with nighttime air temperature drops below 15 degrees Celsius);
• Mid-ripening tomatoes are planted later: in the South - in early May, in central Russia - in early June.

The most favorable days for planting tomatoes according to the lunar calendar are May 1-3, 9-10 and May 19-20. It is recommended to carry out the procedure in the afternoon, it is better - in cloudy, but not rainy weather.

Features of choosing a place and preparing soil for tomatoes

When choosing a garden plot for planting tomato seedlings, it is recommended to give preference to well-lit southern slopes that are protected from the wind. Since the culture does not like waterlogging, you should choose elevated places with light loamy soil of low acidity.

Crop rotation rules for tomatoes

Crop rotation allows the land to rest and restore the trace elements consumed by the plant. Therefore, the place of planting tomatoes should be changed annually. It is important to consider which plants grew earlier.

Tomatoes grow much better, growing and caring for them in open ground in the beds where they grew: legumes, greens and root crops. Crops such as potatoes, peppers or eggplants are undesirable. They can cause contamination of the land with late blight, which will pass to seedlings.

Soil preparation for tomatoes in several stages

Soil disinfection can be carried out in the fall. For the procedure, a solution of copper sulfate is used: 1 tablespoon of copper per 10 liters of water. Consumption is 1 liter per square meter of beds.

In spring, the soil is fertilized with organic matter and mineral salts: they are applied per square meter of soil in equal proportions, 1 bucket each: peat, humus and sawdust. Add 2 tablespoons of phosphate and a couple of glasses of ash.

The soil is dug up well, watered with a warm solution of bleach for disinfection (2 liters per square meter). The preparation of the ridges must be carried out in advance: 5-7 days before transplanting tomatoes into open soil.

Tomato planting and care in the open field

The quantity and quality of the crop often depends on more than proper care. It is necessary to properly prepare the seeds before sowing and take care of the growing seedlings, and after planting in the soil, ensure good watering and top dressing.

A set of pre-sowing measures

Tomato care begins with pre-sowing seed preparation. You can follow all the described procedures, or those that you consider necessary.

culling

The seeds are placed in a saline solution (1 teaspoon per 0.2 l of water), mixed thoroughly and left to stand for 10 minutes. For planting, choose full-weight seeds that have settled to the bottom of the container, they are washed with water and dried.

warming up

Seeds are placed in cloth bags and heated on a battery for several days before the sowing procedure.

Disinfection or dressing

Necessary for disinfection of planting material. Seeds are soaked for 20 minutes in a 1% iodine solution.

Seed nutrition

Soak for a day in ready-made nutrient solutions (Epin or potassium humate). You can use potato juice.

soaking

The grains in a gauze bag are placed in warm water for 10-12 hours. Every 3-4 hours it is necessary to change the liquid, and let the grains breathe.

Germination

Planting material is placed on a moistened cloth or paper towel. It is important to ensure that the material does not dry out and periodically add liquid until the seeds swell and begin to hatch;

hardening

To ensure friendly seedlings, the seeds are placed in the refrigerator for the night, and during the day they are kept at a temperature of 20 degrees. Celsius, the procedure is repeated three times.

Planting tomatoes in open ground

Grown seedlings should be prepared before transplanting. It is necessary to carry out hardening in the air and accustom the sprouts to sunlight, otherwise the fragile sprouts may die from a sudden change in conditions. Ventilate for 2-3 days, then take the seedlings to fresh air for a week, gradually increasing the time.

You can plant tomatoes in open ground when the height of the bushes reaches 20-25 cm, and the stem has 7-9 large leaves.

Before transplanting, tomato seedlings are well moistened. The procedure is carried out as follows: the beds are marked in advance: for high varieties of tomatoes, the distance between the bushes should be up to 60 cm, and the same between the rows, and for undersized ones: 40 and 50 cm, respectively. The holes are made 25-30 cm deep, filled with water and allowed to be completely absorbed.

The finished seedlings are taken out of the containers and planted together with a wet earthen clod. If the bush is very long, the lower pair of leaves is cut off on it and the stem is buried in the hole, but so that it does not bend or break.

The roots are covered with earth, a little rotted manure is added and sprinkled again. Then they tamp with their hands and water: 1-2 liters for each bush.

Immediately after planting, the beds should be covered with foil for 6-8 days. During this time, the plants will get stronger and take root, watering is not recommended yet. After, the shelter can be removed and the landing moistened.

Caring for tomatoes in the open field

Tomato bushes must be regularly weeded, hilled and loosened the soil. A peg is placed near each plant in advance. For the highest varieties, the height of the support should be at least 80 cm. It is recommended to use a synthetic thread that does not cause rotting of plants.

Watering tomatoes in open ground

Tomatoes do not like excess moisture; stagnant water can cause the development of fungal diseases. Until the ovary appears, it is recommended to only slightly moisten the soil, avoiding drying out.

Watering tomatoes in open ground when ovaries appear is carried out every 7-8 days, 1 liter per plant is enough. During the period of growth and ripening of fruits, the frequency of watering is increased to 5-6 days, the amount of water is increased to 2 liters per bush. It is necessary to pour water under the root, avoiding contact with the leaves, as this can cause vertex rot. Drip irrigation is recommended.

It is recommended to add a couple of pinches of wood ash per 1 bucket to the water during irrigation (with automated drip irrigation, you can sprinkle the beds) a couple of pinches of wood ash per 1 bucket, such top dressing of tomatoes in the open field will strengthen the immunity of plants and accelerate their growth.

Water should be taken from a well or well, and tap water should be defended. It is best to water in the afternoon. The water must be warm, as cold water will only harm the plants.

Top dressing of tomatoes in the open field

The procedure is carried out every 2 weeks. For fertilizer use 15 g of ammonium nitrate, 50 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium per 10 liters of liquid. For one bush use 1 liter of solution. It is important when fertilizing that the amount of nitrogen does not exceed phosphorus and potassium.

Top dressing for tomatoes in the open field according to folk recipes will help to abandon the use of chemicals and pesticides. The most popular among gardeners:

• Nettle infusion on water will saturate the soil with microelements such as potassium, calcium and manganese.
• A solution of wood ash will help protect the tomatoes from pests such as slugs and snails, while saturating the soil with potassium and phosphorus.
• An infusion of nettle yeast or other green fertilizer will greatly increase the release of methane and nitrogen, which are beneficial to plants.

How to tie up tomatoes, care and pinching

Caring for tomatoes in the open field is not only about watering and feeding. Immediately after removing the film shelter from the garden, it is necessary to put a peg near each tomato bush.

It is placed on the north side at a distance of 10 cm from the stem and driven into the ground by 30-40 cm. The aerial part of the support is usually 1 m. The bush begins to be tied during the period of its active growth. It is unnecessary to tightly tie the stem to the support, the twine should simply support the plant in an upright position. As you grow, the garter is raised higher.

In order for the fruits to be larger and they ripen faster, it is necessary to form bushes. Most often, one main stem is left on the plant, and the extra shoots are removed. The stepping procedure must be carried out regularly.

Young sprouts coming from the base of already growing brushes must be removed, as well as all leaves below the first branches. They are simply pinched off with two fingers.

Outdoor tomato care video

Prevention from diseases and pests of tomatoes

Growing tomatoes outdoors makes them particularly vulnerable to common diseases and pests. Compliance with preventive measures will partially avoid problems.

• Observe crop rotation, try not to plant tomatoes next to potatoes;
• Dig the soil well before planting and disinfect;
• Plants affected by diseases or pests must be removed to protect healthy bushes;
• When watering, make sure that drops do not fall on the leaves;
• Refrain from watering during a period of severe temperature drop;
• Give preference to new varieties and hybrids that are resistant to common diseases;
• Use folk remedies to repel pests that damage plants and carry diseases (an infusion of garlic or onions).

Choosing a variety and growing tomatoes in the open field video

Outcome

Growing tomatoes, planting and care in the open field will seem simple and a pleasure if you provide the culture with everything you need and follow agricultural practices. And as a result, you will get an excellent harvest.

Do not be afraid to experiment and try new varieties bred by breeders, grow tomatoes that will be much easier to care for due to their resistance to diseases and temperature extremes.

Planting tomatoes in open ground is the only option for gardeners who do not have greenhouses and greenhouses. In warm climates, tomatoes feel good without additional shelters; in cooler areas of planting, it is worth covering with a film. In open ground, tomatoes are grown in seedlings, this allows you to shorten the growing season and get a faster harvest.

Planting tomato seedlings in open ground

Growing tomatoes outdoors has certain advantages:

• tomatoes grow stronger, have high immunity;
• tomatoes do not tolerate excessive humidity, open space guarantees a more favorable atmosphere;
• keeping outdoors eliminates many dangerous nightshade diseases.

Among the disadvantages of open ground:

• some valuable varieties of tomatoes can only be grown in a greenhouse; they die in open beds;
• it is more difficult to regulate soil moisture and temperature;
• tomatoes in open ground grow more slowly;
• the latest ovaries do not have time to develop before frost;
• the yield of tomato in open beds is lower than in protected ground;
• the fruits on the bushes do not reach the state of physiological ripeness, they have to be plucked green.

What varieties to choose

For growing in beds, specially bred, most productive varieties and hybrids are suitable. They must be resistant to weather changes: sudden frosts, drought, heat. Usually early and mid-early tomatoes are planted in open ground, later varieties do not have time to ripen before frost. Among the varieties and hybrids, you can find a variety of options, they differ in the color and shape of the fruit, pulp density, size. nuances of taste.

For open beds, low determinant bushes that do not need pinching and shaping are more suitable. Indeterminate plants planted in unprotected soil grow more compact, do not branch or stretch. Tomatoes in the open field need to be fastened, and not only stems, but also branches with heavy fruits need to be tied up.

The following varieties of tomatoes are suitable for open ground:

1. Black Prince. A very productive variety of Russian selection, red-brown tomatoes, large, with a rich sweet taste. Bushes are resistant to late blight, scab and other dangerous diseases.
2. Korneevsky Red and Korneevsky Pink. Large-fruited varieties with a pleasant sweet taste. Resistant to diseases, require mandatory tying and the formation of a bush.
3. Altaic. There are options with red, pink, honey-yellow fruits. All of them are cold-resistant, easy to care for. The bushes are compact, neat, the yield is very high.
4. Bells of Russia. A promising variety of Russian selection, resistant to short-term frost and drought. The fruits are pink, medium-sized, beautiful elongated shape. Tomatoes are good for canning.
5. Bullfinch. The bushes are compact, standard type, very unpretentious. The yield is good, the tomatoes are juicy, tasty, suitable for canning or salads.
6. Martha. High-yielding mid-season hybrid of Russian selection. It is drought-resistant, rarely affected by pests, bears fruit until frost, has excellent keeping quality.

Most varieties suitable for open ground are bred by Russian breeders. They are perfectly adapted to regions with a temperate or warm climate; in cooler areas, it is recommended to cover the plants with a film in the early days. The most productive varieties and hybrids need especially careful care and abundant feeding.

To avoid unpleasant surprises, you need to choose seeds whose bags clearly indicate that they are suitable for open ground. At the same time, it is worth considering that it is not necessary to sow the seeds directly on the beds, it is preferable to grow seedlings at home, moving it to the greenhouse when all the seedlings develop and get stronger.

How to grow strong seedlings for open beds

Growing tomatoes in the open field means earlier sowing seeds for seedlings. Usually sowing begins in late February or early March. Seeds should not be too old, the best yield is shown by seed 2-3 years old. Before planting, the seeds are disinfected in an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide, and then placed in a liquid growth stimulator for 12 hours. Seedlings intended for open beds should be especially strong; preparatory manipulations should not be neglected.

Soil preparation begins 10-14 days before sowing. Tomatoes prefer light, nutritious soil based on sand or black soil. It is advisable to use the soil in which the grown tomatoes will be planted. Before planting, it is carefully loosened, the remains of plants and other foreign inclusions are selected. For disinfection, the soil can be shed with an aqueous solution of copper sulfate or potassium permanganate. This treatment kills harmful microorganisms and insect larvae, tomatoes get sick less. Land for seedlings can be calcined in the oven or frozen. After processing, it is mixed with an equal amount of humus, it is possible to add a small portion of sand.

The yield of tomatoes depends on the nutritional value of the soil. Humus, wood (preferably birch) ash must be added to it. It is possible to add fertilizers (for example, superphosphate or potassium sulfate). Urea should not be applied, it stimulates the abundant growth of tops to the detriment of fruiting.

Seeds are sown in deep containers with pallets or individual containers. Planting in small pots allows you to do without picking, which slows down the growth of seedlings and injures the root system. Tomatoes develop well with plastic or paper cups, peat pots, structures that are self-folded from film.

Seedlings are easy to care for. Immediately after sowing, the containers are covered with a film and placed in heat. For successful germination, the seeds are deepened by 1.5-2 cm. After germination, the seedlings are placed in bright light. It must be protected from drafts and direct sunlight. You need to water the seedlings with warm soft water: settled, melted or rain. So that the soil does not erode, it is convenient to use a spoon or a spray bottle. If necessary, you can pour a little more earth into the cups.

After unfolding two true leaves, tomatoes planted in a common container dive into separate pots. If the seeds were sown in individual containers, picking is excluded. Transplanted seedlings are fed with a complete water solution. The second feeding is carried out before moving the seedlings to the beds. Such preparation makes seedlings strong and strong, perfectly stimulates their immunity.

2 weeks before transplanting, seedlings begin to harden. They are taken out to the balcony or veranda, first for an hour, then for two. Gradually, the walks are lengthened, in good weather, tomatoes spend the whole day outside. Hardening prepares tomatoes for life in the open field, the plants do not stretch, grow stronger, the greens become bright.

Planting undersized tomatoes in open ground (video)

Transplanting into the ground: sequence of actions

For successful cultivation of tomatoes, it is important to choose the right site. Tomatoes love bright but diffused light; in dense shade, their growth stops. It is important that water does not stagnate in the soil, this can lead to unpleasant consequences: black leg, root, top or gray rot. On the beds for growing tomatoes, green manure can be sown in advance, enriching the soil with nutrients. In their role is lupine, legumes, mustard or alfalfa. Do not plant tomatoes in areas that were previously occupied by eggplant, potatoes or other representatives of the nightshade family.

Planting tomatoes in open ground begins when the soil is completely warm. Its temperature should not fall below 15 degrees, night frosts are undesirable. Usually the soil reaches this temperature towards the end of May. It is possible to speed up the warming up of the soil by pre-covering the beds for tomatoes with two layers of dense plastic film. It not only contributes to the rapid heating of the soil, but also prevents the reproduction of weeds.

A week before planting, the soil must be carefully loosened, clearing it of plant debris. Then add humus or peat to the soil, dig to the depth of a bayonet shovel and cover again with a film. Under polyethylene, the soil will retain the desired level of moisture, the tomatoes will start growing faster after transplantation. Planting tomatoes in the ground is carried out in warm, but not too hot weather, it is advisable to carry it out in the morning. After planting, the film from the beds must be removed, the soil should be dug again.

Tomatoes ready for planting should be firm and not overgrown. It is desirable to have at least one flower brush and 6-7 strong leaves. It is important to ensure that the seedlings do not get sick and are not affected by pests. Detected aphids or thrips must be removed before transplantation by treating the seedlings with soapy water or insecticides.

The landing is carried out according to the scheme, which depends on the height and spreading of the bushes. Between especially tall plants there is a space of at least 60 cm, more compact bushes can be planted after 40-45 cm. Planting rules also depend on the characteristics of the variety. You can plant tomatoes in open ground using a trench method, leaving a row spacing of about 70 cm.

Some varieties prefer planting in holes. The distance between them should not be less than 40 cm; superphosphate or birch ash is laid out in advance in the holes. You can understand how to plant seedlings from detailed master classes by experienced gardeners. Beginners need to proceed carefully, relying on intuition and common sense.

Seedlings should be inspected before planting. In overgrown tomatoes, 2-3 lower leaves are removed, this allows you to slightly deepen the seedlings, preventing it from stretching. The seedlings are moved into the hole along with the earthy clod, overgrown roots can be carefully pinched. The roots should not bend, they must be placed freely. Tomatoes in peat pots are placed in the hole along with the container, the peat walls must first be cut so as not to limit the growth of the roots.

Tomatoes after planting should be poured with warm water. The hole is covered with earth, the surface is compacted by hand. From above, the soil is sprinkled with a thin layer of peat. After peat mulching, it is not necessary to water the plantings, otherwise a crust will form on the soil, preventing normal air exchange. Particularly heat-loving varieties can be covered with a film for 1-2 days.

Immediately after planting, the tomato stalks rise and are tied to pegs dug in advance near each hole. If the stakes are dug in later, they can damage the roots. Another option for fastening is tying to the trellis. This option is especially good for tall people. You need to tie up the tomatoes with soft shreds or special adhesive tape, convenient plastic clips are also suitable. Do not use wire or fishing line, hard material can cut tender tomato stems.

You can understand how to plant tomatoes correctly after watching a thematic training video.

These mini-movies are ideal for beginner gardeners, they announce the sequence of actions in detail, allowing you to avoid most common mistakes. Usually in the video they tell how to plant tomatoes correctly, explain the intricacies of preparing open ground, the technology of growing tomatoes by variety, the features of watering and top dressing. Video lessons provide answers to all the typical questions of beginner gardeners.

Planting seedlings of tomatoes (video)

Rules for the care of tomatoes in the beds

Caring for tomatoes in open ground is no different from growing tomatoes in protected ground. The technology for growing tomatoes is almost the same. The only exception is that tomatoes do not need airing. When it gets colder, the plantings can be covered with a film, but this technique is only necessary in areas of risky farming or when planting very capricious varieties.

Growing tomatoes in open ground, you need to be prepared for weather changes. Care in the open field includes proper watering, top dressing, timely removal of weeds. To save yourself from the need to constantly destroy weeds, the soil under the tomatoes can be mulched with peat, sawdust, sunflower seed husks.

depends on the variety. Before planting tomatoes, it is important to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of a particular variety, detailed descriptions are on each bag of seeds. You can watch themed videos about caring for a particular variety. Experienced gardeners willingly publish the secrets of agricultural technology in specialized magazines, post them in their own blocks, and give recommendations at specialized fairs.

Tomatoes in open ground need timely, but not excessive watering. It is important to monitor precipitation, natural moisture is usually not enough. Only warm water is used for irrigation, cold water causes shock in plants, bushes can drop ovaries. After transplanting the tomatoes into the ground, after 10 days they are watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate to prevent rot, viruses and late blight.

The yield of tomatoes depends on the nutritional value of the soil. The first feeding is carried out 2 weeks after planting in the ground. It is better to use a complete complex fertilizer with a high content of phosphorus and potassium. Superphosphate or potassium sulfate is suitable, preferably in the form of an aqueous solution. After fertilizing, the tomatoes should be watered abundantly, washing off the nutrient solution from the stems and leaves. This will help to avoid burns and accelerate the absorption of the fertilizer into the soil.

Industrial insecticides help against insect pests. They perfectly destroy thrips, spider mites, whiteflies. From aphids, washing the stems and leaves with warm soapy water saves. Naked slugs are harvested by hand; spraying plantings with a solution of ammonia will help prevent their appearance.

In open ground, tomatoes get sick much less often. During epidemics of late blight, the bushes are sprayed with copper-containing preparations, they can be bought ready-made or made independently by mixing warm soapy water with a small amount of copper sulfate.

Transplant problems

Understanding how to properly plant tomatoes in open ground is easy. But even a perfectly performed transplant does not guarantee instant survival. Plants can wither and turn yellow, they slow down growth or stop flowering. You should not be upset, the adaptation of seedlings can be accelerated.

It is important to ensure that the plants receive enough sunlight. Seedlings grown in individual pots take root faster and immediately begin to grow. Very frail seedlings can be fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers that increase the growth of green mass.

For better survival, young tomatoes are recommended to be sprayed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or a special non-toxic phyto-drug. The ideal option is Phytosporin, which enhances the defenses of plants and stimulates their growth. Learn how to grow healthy and strong tomatoes will help the advice of experienced gardeners and agricultural specialists.

Opinion of gardeners

Usually, gardeners are unanimous in their reviews on this method of growing tomatoes. Their reviews agree that growing tomatoes in the open field requires a lot of attention and careful selection of varieties. Many amateurs recommend planting some of the bushes in a greenhouse, while others are placed in open beds. This approach will help extend the fruiting period, in case of adverse weather conditions there is no risk of being left without a crop.

Much depends on climatic conditions. In warm regions, even varieties intended for growing under a film are planted in the ground, but in areas with cold and short summers it is better not to risk it. Breeders offer a sufficient number of productive varieties suitable for open ground. At the same time, gardeners note that the fruits do not always fully correspond to the image in the photo, you should prepare for this in advance.

In open ground conditions, plants are more difficult to protect from pests: aphids, naked slugs, thrips, Colorado beetles. But tomatoes are less likely to suffer from late blight and viral diseases, in general they are stronger and more resilient. The place of cultivation does not affect the size and weight of the fruit, the correct and timely pinching of the bushes is much more important. Confirmation of the words of amateur gardeners can be found in numerous video presentations and photos showing an excellent harvest.

Planting tomatoes in open ground (video)

When choosing how to plant tomatoes so that the harvest is maximum, you should not limit yourself to thinking about greenhouse designs. Tomatoes grow well and ripen in open ground. It is not necessary to wait until they turn red on the bush. Fruits can be plucked in a state of technical ripeness, they will successfully ripen at room temperature. Experienced gardeners will be happy to share ideas on how to grow tomatoes, their advice should not be ignored.

Estimate

Growing tomatoes outdoors is not difficult. Tomatoes can be found in every garden bed, and if the climate is more or less warm, then a decent harvest can be harvested. Features of care may vary, it all depends on the planted variety, weather conditions, soil quality and other factors.

Planting tomatoes in open ground should take place in a place where warm light from the sun freely enters. Many varieties do not like through winds and begin to slow down development.

How to grow tomatoes so that there are no problems? It should be taken into account which crop was planted in the summer cottage. It is not recommended to plant tomatoes where corn, peppers, potatoes, eggplants used to grow. They are exposed to the same infectious diseases. The land on which carrots, legumes, spinach, and onions used to grow contributes to the good development of tomatoes.

Growing tomatoes in open ground begins with the autumn digging of the selected area to a depth of 28 cm.

It is useful to mix the dug up soil with humus, bird droppings, wood ash or compost. From mineral fertilizers, you can choose potassium salt or superphosphate.

In the spring (May is considered the best time), you can dig up the ground again. As a nutrient top dressing, you can use a mixture of wood ash, bird droppings and ammonium sulfate. Before transplanting tomatoes into the ground, furrows are made at intervals of about 65 cm.

When you can plant tomatoes in open ground depends on the weather. If the cold has not yet receded, then it is better to move the dates, otherwise the crop will be lost. They also take into account the method of growing tomatoes in open ground and the boundaries of their ripening.

Suitable species variety

To learn how to grow tomatoes in open ground, you need to choose a variety and familiarize yourself with the features of caring for it. There is a wide variety of varieties of the studied vegetable crop. What types of tomatoes are best planted, the vegetable grower decides. All of them differ in the size and shades of fruits, stem height, taste, ability to withstand bad weather or diseases.

What varieties of tomatoes are suitable for open beds? When breeding, take into account the height of the bush. There are determinant (varieties with limited growth) and indeterminate (growth and development continues throughout the growing season) tomatoes.

The stems of undersized (determinant) species rarely reach 110 cm in height. Most often, their height is 60-70 cm. They do not require the removal of side branches, they do not need to be tied up. Typically, these varieties have a short ripening time, so the plant rarely catches the spread of diseases.

Planting tall tomatoes (indeterminate) can amaze with its growth, which sometimes exceeds 2 meters. The plant requires the formation of two or three stems, be sure to tie them up, do not forget to remove the side shoots in time.

Growing tall tomatoes begins in May. When to sow tomatoes for seedlings? It is better to start sown large tomatoes two months before transplanting the grown seedlings, the time falls around the end of February. The timing of planting seeds may be shifted to the beginning of March.

Which tomatoes are best planted in open ground can also determine the boundaries of ripening. Mature varieties can be enjoyed after 90 days (early varieties), 110 days (mid-ripening varieties) or 120 days (late-ripening varieties). The most popular tomatoes for open ground.

Ground tomatoes Riddle are characterized by early ripening of fruits. The stem is strong. In height, the bushes grow up to 45 cm. The variety endures diseases and a shaded planting site.

Among undersized tomatoes, the Sanka variety is popular. The fruits begin to ripen early. The height of the bush is only 50 cm. It has a high yield, resistance to disease and cold.

Pear has medium ripening boundaries. It stretches up to 45 cm. The weight of the fruit can reach 200 g, so you need to tie up the stem.

Varieties with the formation of large fruits can please with the highest yield. Their weight can reach 700 g. Among large-fruited tomatoes, such good tomatoes as Bull's Heart, Grandee, Orange King, Honey Spas, Buyan, De Barao are widely known.

home seedling

There are two options for planting tomatoes in open ground. Planting in a permanent place can be done by seedlings or seeds. But it is best to plant tomatoes in open ground seedlings. At home, seedlings are grown and, with the onset of heat, they are transplanted to open beds.

Growing seedlings begins with the correct selection of seeds. Choose only large and dense seeds. Planting a tomato is not complete without pre-treatment of seeds. A large number of fungi and bacteria live on the shell of the grains, therefore it is recommended to lower them for 30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

After disinfection, tomato seeds for seedlings are soaked in nutrient solutions. You can use sodium humate, Epin or natural aloe juice. These solutions stimulate the development of the plant.

It is better to plant tomatoes in the ground when the seeds have passed the hardening stage. Seeds are alternately placed either in a warm or in a cold place. Thanks to this, the planted plants will develop tolerance to temperature fluctuations.

Many experienced vegetable growers begin to germinate tomato seeds before planting seedlings. The seeds are spread on a wet cloth, then covered with another layer of cloth and left until the first sprouts hatch.

You can grow seedlings in a wooden or plastic box. Holes are made in a prepared container with soil at a distance of 2.5 cm. The sown seeds are covered with a film until most of the seedlings appear.

When to plant tomatoes in the ground for seedlings? It is better to start sowing tomatoes in early March, but this is if the cottage is equipped with a film construction. When to sow tomatoes, if it is not supposed to establish a shelter? It is better to sow seeds in the last days of March.

Bush transplant

When to plant tomato seedlings in open ground depends on the type and climate chosen. Often tomatoes planting and care in the open field starts in May, on the 20th. If the soil is not warm enough, then it can be moved to the beginning of June. Planting tomato seedlings in open ground should occur when the weather is cloudy, without bright sunlight. If there is no such day according to the forecast, then it is better to wait for the evening.

How to plant tomatoes in open ground? It is recommended to plant low types of tomatoes with an interval of 37 cm. When planting medium-sized and tall tomatoes, an interval of about 42 cm must be observed. The depth of the hole should be 12 cm.

Planting a tomato in the ground can occur in a square-nested variant. Recesses are made in the form of a square, the sides of which are approximately 65 cm. 2-3 seedlings are planted in one hole. If the planting of tomato seedlings in open ground will be carried out by a similar method, then in the future it will be convenient to loosen the aisles. A vegetable in full size will receive nutrition and light.

How to plant tomatoes in open ground? To facilitate the process of removing seedlings from a box or cups, as well as to preserve the roots, you need to thoroughly moisten the soil of the seedlings. Planting a tomato outdoors often consists of the following steps:

• planting tomato seedlings in open ground is accompanied by the introduction of any mineral fertilizers mixed with humus into each recess;
• to plant a vegetable in the ground with seedlings, you need to turn the cup with the seedling upside down and gently pull the stem;
• it is necessary to plant seedlings of tomatoes in the hole together with an earthen clod, which is sprinkled with compost;
• only roots and an earthen lump are sprinkled with earth, the stem remains open, several lower leaves can be removed;
• after filling the compost with a layer of earth, the space around the bush is slightly compacted.

Growing tomatoes and care in the open field for the initial 10-14 days involves protection from the hot sun and frost. During this time, the planted bushes adapt to new conditions and take root, they are vulnerable to adverse factors. But it is impossible to determine exactly when it is better to plant seedlings, so shading is required on hot days, and sprouts should be covered with a film on cold nights.

How to grow a good tomato crop, you need to know the rules of watering. After 7-10 days, you can water the beds for the first time. Subsequently, you need to water regularly, but do not overdo it. If there is a lot of moisture, then the risk of developing a fungal infection, top and root rot will increase.

During watering, avoid droplets of water on the leaves and flowers. It is necessary to water only with settled water in the morning or evening hours.

To grow tomatoes in open ground should be with three dressings for the entire growing season. Tomatoes are especially in need of trace elements during flowering and fruiting. If large-fruited varieties are grown, then a larger number of fertilizer applications is required.

You can use ready-made universal top dressing or cook it yourself. The main components are bird droppings, mullein, wood ash, herbal infusions from nettle or dandelion. Non-standard ingredients can be used, for example, potato tops, banana peels, egg shells, whey.

By following the scheme for planting tomatoes in open ground, you can avoid many mistakes, make courtship easy and reap a large crop.

Tomatoes are self-pollinating plants. The secrets of growing tomatoes are also in the fact that sometimes outside help may be needed in this matter. To lure insect pollinators, you can water the bushes with a special sweet solution, which is made from sugar, water or jam. You can plant plants with a sweet smell between vegetables, such as basil, mustard.

On the part of the agronomist, help may be to shake the stem a little twice a day during the formation of flowers.

seedless way

How to grow tomatoes in open ground if seeds are planted right away? If it was chosen to plant tomatoes in open ground with seeds, you need to choose those that could take root in natural conditions. For planting tomatoes in open ground with seeds, early-ripening varieties are better suited. Tomato varieties for open ground, tested by agronomists by time, take root well with seeds.

1. Volgograd tomatoes boast good disease resistance and resistance to temperature fluctuations. The fruits begin to ripen at the same time. The average weight of tomatoes is 110 g.
2. It is better to plant seeds of the Iceberg variety in open ground. It continues to develop even in cool weather. The stem is strong and small, only 60 cm. Sweet tomatoes can weigh 200 g.
3. Beta Lux is an early maturing, high yielding species. The height of the bush is about 47 cm. The fruits ripen on brushes of 5 pieces weighing about 50 g. The plant is resistant to cold and major diseases.
4. From seeds in open ground, the Dubok variety gives a good result. It will allow you to harvest already 85 days after sowing the seeds. The height of the stem is about 50 cm. It is resistant to many diseases, unpretentious to the composition of the soil, tolerates cold. The fruits begin to ripen together and weigh about 70 g.

When to plant tomatoes in open ground, if it is planned to grow without seedlings? Sowing seeds in prepared soil begins when the earth warms up, this is approximately mid-April. Make wide beds and add humus. Arcs are installed along the beds, on which then it will be necessary to stretch the film in case of frost.

When planting tomato seeds in open ground, sufficient space should be left between the rows. It should be 48 cm. The scheme for planting tomatoes involves digging shallow holes (about 5 cm) in the furrows, resembling a checkerboard pattern. Between the recesses, the interval is recommended to be left equal to 28 cm.

How to plant tomatoes correctly? 3 or 4 seeds are sown in each recess.

How to plant tomatoes correctly has its own secrets. Some experienced vegetable growers soak some of the prepared tomato seeds in a nutrient medium. The rest of the seeds should remain dry. Wet seeds germinate better, but provided that it is warm outside. If there are frosts, then they can die, then dry seeds come to the rescue, which are less sensitive to low temperatures.

There is another important point, how to properly plant tomatoes. As soon as the first leaves unfold in the sprouts that have appeared, thinning is carried out. Only strengthened plants should be left at a distance of 9 cm. The second time thinning is done when the fifth leaf unfolds. The distance should now be increased to 14.5 cm.

Young sprouts need to be watered less than tomato seedlings in the room. The root system itself develops in such a way as to provide itself with nutrition and moisture. Water only in long, hot weather.

Numerous reviews of experienced vegetable growers indicate that even when planting tomatoes with seeds, you can harvest a rich and tasty harvest: “We have been sowing for several years immediately on garden beds. There is no need to waste energy on growing seedlings, all parts of the sprout are well lit, the root system goes deep and to the sides, there is no need to dive and stress the plant.”

Following actions

Outdoor tomato care starts from the moment of planting until the very last harvest. When to plant tomatoes in open ground, the answer cannot be unambiguous. In any case, it is recommended to install arcs with a film near the beds, which will protect against strong winds and frost. There are several important points on how to care for outdoor tomatoes that should not be overlooked during care.

The peculiarities of growing tomatoes in open ground include the procedure of loosening, pinching, tying, hilling.

During the cultivation of tomatoes in open ground, in order for the bush to have a healthy and strong stem, and the leaves to be saturated green, hilling is necessary. Thanks to the procedure, the roots are also strengthened.

Care of tomatoes in open ground is recommended to be carried out with the mulching procedure - covering the soil with an additional layer. As a mulch for a tomato in the open field, straw, peat, chopped meadow grass, sawdust are suitable. The layer should be no thinner than 8 cm.

The secrets to growing tomatoes include mulching. Thanks to the procedure, moisture evaporates at a slower rate, heat is retained, weeds are not disturbed, and the spread of infections and pests is reduced.

After planting tomatoes in open ground, so that a dry crust does not appear, you need to loosen the ground between the rows. The best period for loosening is the time after rain and after watering. Thanks to the procedure, useful microelements and oxygen are more quickly distributed throughout the plant.

You need to take care of tomatoes with the help of another procedure. So that the plant does not grow, but gives all its strength to the formation of fruits, it is necessary to carry out pinching. Side branches are removed only from tall varieties of tomatoes.

How to plant high varieties so that the stem does not break, and the plant develops actively? Planting tall varieties needs a tying procedure. But sometimes even short ones may need support. Due to the large number of fruits, the stem may break. Tapestry, nets are used as a support. The procedure allows not only to keep the stem intact, but also provides free access of air and light to all parts of the plant.

Pegs are set near each tomato bush, to which you need to tie the stem. Tying begins to be carried out from the moment of unfolding 4-5 leaves on the stem.

Planting tomatoes in open ground is not difficult even for beginners in vegetable growing. The main thing is to follow the instructions, follow all the rules and step-by-step work related to soil, seedlings and care.

One of the most respected ingredients in vegetable salads, a lover of greenhouses and daily care, "señor tomato" grows well in open beds. You just need to find the right approach to growing it. How to get healthy tomato seedlings, how to plan its planting and, with the help of top dressing, ensure the availability of everything you need in the soil - this article, accompanied by a photo, will tell about everything.

The origin of the plant is the key to its cultivation

It is curious that in the vast Solanaceae family, so generous with poisonous forms like henbane or dope, there are only five truly edible plants. These are potatoes, eggplant, sweet peppers, physalis and tomato. In addition to eggplant, they all come from the South American continent, which fully explains their claims to growing conditions.

In particular, the tomato was exported by the Spaniards from Peru. Forming in this region, plants have evolved to adapt to such climatic conditions as:

• well-warmed, dry mountain air of the subtropical zone;
• the absence of tall plants - competitors for light;
• high soil moisture in mountain valleys.

Tomatoes need adequate moisture to grow.

Similar conditions in the middle lane are easiest to create in a greenhouse with drip irrigation, but if you try, then in the open field the tomatoes are large and juicy.

Which varieties to choose

In the five hundred years that have passed since the appearance of tomatoes in Europe, many varieties have been bred for both greenhouses and open plantations. The latter are more tolerant to lower average daily temperatures, can grow without additional illumination, and complete their life cycle somewhat faster. Among the best varieties, the following can be mentioned:

• Mystery. Low-growing super-early hybrid with strong shoots and abundant leaf mass. Branches vigorously, so do not forget to stepson, and you will get the harvest 2.5 months after sowing the seeds.
• Anastasia. Another super-early hybrid with powerful brushes. The fruits have a characteristic tapering tip.
• Crimson Giant. It has the largest fruits among mid-early varieties - each can reach 500-700 g. Resistant to fungal infections.

Among all varieties, choose the one that suits your region

• Roma. Dutch canning variety with small but even fruits, the number of which reaches up to 20 pieces per brush.
• Mushroom bowl. Mid-season variety that requires pinching and garters. It is interesting in the shape of the fruit: each tomato seems to consist of two dozen narrow slices. Looks unusual in winter pickles.

Attention! Don't try to propagate hybrids from seeds. The offspring are subject to the phenomenon of variety splitting and are sure to disappoint you by not meeting the expected result.

Healthy seedlings are the key to a luxurious harvest

Keeping in mind the Peruvian origin of the plant, we grow seedlings at a temperature of +25 degrees. If you wish to reject unusable seeds, we soak them in salted water: the ones that have surfaced have lost their germination capacity, we throw them away. Disinfected in potassium permanganate (20 min), we sow the seeds in even rows in boxes under the film.

Since our tomatoes will live in the open field, the seeds can be hardened before sowing. To do this, the soaked seeds are kept alternately for half a day in the room, half a day in the refrigerator.

The main concern when getting tomato seedlings is to prevent them from stretching out. The tomato is very photophilous and in cloudy spring conditions it will grow with a long thin stem. We prevent this trouble in two ways:

• we highlight with fluorescent lamps, in the first days of development around the clock;
• we calculate the sowing time in such a way as to plant seedlings no older than 50-60 days.

tomato seedling

At the stage of the first true leaves, we dive seedlings. In order not to subsequently injure the root system again, we plant the seedlings in individual cups, from which it is easy to shake them out, or even in those that decompose in the soil. They can be made from:

• old newspapers;
• substrates for laminate;
• pieces of greenhouse film;
• toilet paper roll.

Advice. Try growing seedlings on coco coir. The root system on it is formed strong and healthy.

We bury the plant along the cotyledons and, in order to prevent the “black leg”, we mulch with humus with the addition of ash. When the daytime temperature outside exceeds 10 degrees, we proceed to hardening young tomatoes. To do this, we expose them daily to the open air, first only in the shade, and later on the sunny side.

How plot conditions and distance between plants affect yield

Outdoor tomatoes need to be grown in such a way that they feel like they are surrounded by sunny Andean valleys. We plant seedlings for a permanent place of residence when the last frosts have passed. At the latitude of Moscow, this is the end of May, to the north - the beginning of June, to the south - mid-May.

Advice. Plan to plant seedlings in cloudy weather or in the evening.

We choose the distance between the bushes, taking into account the fact that each leaf should:

• receive maximum light for the formation of sugars;
• be freely blown with air to avoid fungal infections;
• be available for inspection for mineral starvation or pest damage.

We plant early-ripening tomatoes at a distance of 40 cm between neighboring bushes, late-ripening - 50 cm.

Care with love and competence

It is we who want more and earlier fruits from the tomato, but he is in no hurry and strives to give the maximum green mass. The problem is solved by pinching - removing excess shoots. In open ground, we form tomatoes in 1, less often in 2 stems. In the second case, we leave the stepson, who had the good fortune to appear under the very first flower brush.

In August, we pinch the top of the stem to finally stop its growth for the benefit of fruit ripening, and also gradually cut off the lower leaves.

The tomato is demanding on the presence of moisture around the roots, and in the summer it rapidly evaporates through the soil capillaries. To avoid this, we loosen the soil in the beds, breaking the crust into lumps. Mulching also helps: lay peat, sawdust or straw around the bushes.

Carry out pinching tomatoes

A ripening crop rapidly draws minerals from the soil, so do not forget about the removal of weeds - competitors for food - and top dressing. To process 1 square meter of plantation, we dilute 10 g of superphosphate and ammonium nitrate in a bucket of water and feed it:

• two weeks after planting seedlings;
• after the appearance of the ovaries.

Tomatoes are capable of self-pollination, but for a guaranteed result, it is better to help them: gently shake the bushes or tap on their stems. You can plant honey plants, such as mustard, along the edges of the plot. The bees attracted to them may also visit the tomatoes.

We organize watering competently

The frequency and amount of watering depends on the weather. On average, we water the tomatoes once a week, thoroughly wetting the soil along the aisles or under the root. If possible, avoid getting water on the leaves to prevent burns. During the ripening period, increase the frequency of watering.

The main thing when organizing watering tomatoes is regularity. If you take a long break, and then water "twice", the plants will begin to absorb water greedily, and this will almost certainly lead to cracking of the fruit. It is better to make the first watering with a reduced portion, water the next day as it should.

Drip irrigation of tomatoes

The first ripe, fragrant tomatoes will be ready in mid-August. We remove them as they ripen so that they do not interfere with their brothers pouring. If August is cool, you will have to pick the fruits in brown or even blanche ripeness. Keeping them longer means endangering late blight. But even if there are no signs of the disease, we do not compost the tops, but burn them.

Tomatoes miraculously acclimatized in the forest zone. Create conditions close to their relatives for them, and they will thank you with juicy sweet fruits that will be suitable for salad, vegetable stew, and winter pickled platter.