Tomatoes at home all year round. Technology for growing tomatoes on a windowsill. Instructions from A to Z. Preparation activities

How often to water tomato seedlings on the windowsill, important question, which worries gardeners. Watering is important stage in plant care. It is through water that the bushes receive all their nutrients.

Many people want to have a fresh harvest of vegetables for the table, even in winter. Others do not have the opportunity to grow a plant in the garden themselves, even in summer. Therefore, the question may arise about how to grow tomatoes on a windowsill.

To grow tomatoes in an apartment, you need to invest patience, diligence and perseverance. In this case, on the windowsill all year round You will be pleased with a high-quality fresh harvest. If you want to collect fruits in winter and spring period, it is better to plant in November. To continue harvesting in summer period Seeds are planted in the spring (it is better to sow at the end of March).

Growing tomatoes at home starts with correct selection varieties. It is better to choose low-growing and standard (having a strong stem and compactly located branches) types of tomatoes for growing on a windowsill.

They take up little space, they do not need large containers, they can produce a rich harvest, there is no need to install a support and artificially pollinate.

Seeds also need special care. Only large seeds are selected from the pack, which are then necessarily disinfected. This will prevent the formation of a fungal infection in the future. You can keep the seeds for 5 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

A solution of potassium permanganate only prevents the development of diseases, but does not in any way affect the quality of growth. To stimulate growth, it is recommended to use special preparations.

An important point on how to grow tomatoes at home is preparing the soil. It's better to buy soil in a store. It is not recommended to take ordinary soil from the garden, since there is almost always a source of infection there. You can prepare the soil yourself. Good mix obtained from tree soil, humus, compost and sand.

Suitable varieties

To grow tomatoes in winter, you need to choose suitable varieties and know how to properly care for them. It is best to choose varieties with early dates maturation, self-pollinating, resistant to various diseases(a closed loggia or balcony is characterized by humid air and the frequent development of fungal diseases).

You should also choose tomatoes for the windowsill, which do not have too pronounced root system to fit in a pot or flowerpot.

When choosing a variety, it is not necessary to take into account weather. But the length of daylight hours matters, since plants especially need lighting. For example, in Ukraine the weather allows for growing tomatoes, not only at home. Vegetable growers have been planting varieties such as “Ballerina” and “Pink Honey” for many years.

What varieties of tomatoes are most suitable for the balcony? The following are very popular for breeding: the best varieties: “Room surprise”, “Balcony bonsai”, “Balcony miracle”, “Butterfly”, “Angelica”. The technology for growing domestic cultivated plants has similar stages.

Also popular are tomato varieties such as “Malyutka”, “ White filling", "Greenfinch", "Little Red Riding Hood", "Thumbelina". IN home environment indoor tomatoes of these varieties do not exceed 45 cm in height and fit a lot of fruits on a branch.

You can try growing high grades tomato. Among tall species, the Cherry variety is common. The small size of the fruit will please you in any season.

Tall and medium-sized tomatoes on the windowsill in an apartment need pinching and bush formation. It is better to leave two or one stem.

Secrets for further care

There are many nuances to how to grow tomatoes at home. In a prepared container with moist soil, seeds are sown in shallow holes (no deeper than 1 cm) at a distance of 1.5 cm. For convenience, you can take a stick with a mark and make holes in which the seeds are sown. Then sprinkle with earth. After all the seeds have been planted, water the soil through a strainer and cover with glass or polyethylene film.

An important rule on how to grow tomato seedlings is choosing its location. Always located near the windowsill heating devices that dry out the soil. Therefore, this place is not suitable for germinating seeds. You need to water the soil using a watering can as it dries.

After a week, the first shoots should be observed. Begin to ventilate the container with the sprouts, and the soil should be constantly moist. Watering is carried out early in the morning with settled water. You can empty the container from the bag when 90% of the sown seeds have sprouted.

Tomato seedlings on the windowsill must be constantly turned with different sides to the window. This helps the stems grow even and strong. If tomatoes grow on one side, they bend, stretch and develop poorly.

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill is not complete without picking. As soon as the first leaves develop, the bushes are transplanted into separate plastic cups, dive (pinch off the long ends of the root) and apply the first fertilizing with microelements. Only those that have grown larger and stronger should be transplanted into separate containers, while the rest can be left to grow in a common container.

It is necessary to make holes at the bottom of plastic cups through which excess liquid will escape and fungal diseases will not develop.

Picking is necessary to make a small root system branchy. When picking, it is important not to damage the small roots of the seedling and replant it along with the soil that the roots have covered. From this moment on, fertilizing is applied every 12 days.

To grow indoor tomatoes, all subsequent days they need to be properly watered and loosen the soil. You need to water at the root, with little pressure, otherwise the roots will be exposed. Water should not get on the leaves and stems. In sunny weather, watering should be done in the evening.

After picking, you can immediately transplant the seedling into a permanent one. big pot or use cups for a while. IN latest version It is necessary to replant into large containers when the roots of the plant envelop the entire soil in the glass. Ideal option A bucket of about 10 liters is suitable; for the Cherry variety, a pot with a capacity of 3 liters is also suitable.

After potted plants adapt and take root, you can fertilize (approximately 12 days after transshipment).

Further courtship

There are other rules for growing tomatoes on a window. After the tomatoes are in their permanent place, they need additional care.

To grow tomatoes on your windowsill in winter, you need care and special conditions. Small bushes are afraid of drafts and watering cold water. The water temperature intended for irrigation should be approximately 22 degrees. Do not overdo it with water; constantly wet soil becomes a source for the development of diseases.

You need to pour water near the bush, and after moistening, be sure to loosen the soil to reduce evaporation. Loosening should be done carefully, without damaging the roots. Hilling can also be carried out at the same time, as this helps strengthen and develop the root system.

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill is not complete without regular fertilization. The following recipe is popular. A little superphosphate, potassium sulfate and urea are added to a liter of water. You can use mullein or chicken droppings.

After the seedlings have been grown, additional feeding must be carried out during the period of rapid color, formation of ovaries and during fruiting.

If tall and medium-sized varieties were selected for growing tomatoes on a windowsill from seeds, then additional stems (stepchildren) will form on the bushes. It is necessary to carry out pinching to improve the nutrition of the fruit.

As the plant develops at home in a pot, dry leaves are removed, especially those located close to the root. Dried leaves prevent moisture from reaching the roots.

The appearance of tomatoes

From the moment the ovaries appear, it is required further care behind cultivated plants. Homemade tomato bushes do not require artificial pollination. But to improve the process of formation of ovaries, it is recommended to slightly shake the stem every 4 days during the flowering period. This way pollen from the top flowers will fall onto the bottom row.

Some experienced gardeners They use another method that allows the fruits to take shape faster on the windowsill in winter. For this purpose, the bush is taken at the base and carefully pulled up. During this procedure, small roots are cut off, which take away nutrients. Then it is recommended to water the plant and hill it up.

It is useful to feed tomatoes on the windowsill during the formation of ovaries by foliar feeding. You can dilute 1 g of boric acid in a liter of water.

If the bushes are tall, then it is necessary to fix the branches at a support, otherwise they may break under the weight of the tomatoes.

You should not leave tomatoes on the bushes until they are fully ripe. They are collected unripe.

Facing problems

Not everyone can grow tomatoes without problems at home. Very often, especially novice gardeners, are faced with the problem of plants withering and leaves turning yellow. There are several explanations for why tomato seedlings wither:

• increased indoor humidity or overwatering soil;
• presence of drafts in the room;
• a large number of fertilizers, especially those containing nitrogen;
• cold air or cold water for watering;
• lack of space for plant development;
• lack of lighting or prolonged exposure of the plant to the sun;
• diseases and insect pests;
• lack of useful components in the soil.

Therefore, homemade tomatoes are not placed near opening windows, the gap between the bushes should be at least 2 cm, and fertilizers are applied no more than once a week. Be sure to monitor humidity and room temperature.

When bushes turn yellow and dry out, the reason may lie in disease. If the consequences of improper plant care can be quickly eliminated, for example, place the seedlings in another place, replant or remove wet soil, then it becomes more difficult to save the crop from diseases.

The cause of disease is most often poor-quality soil (even if it was purchased in a store). If the plants dry out, wither, or appear brown spots on the stem, then most likely we're talking about O fungal disease– fusarium. You can save diseased plants by replanting them in another soil, but before doing this, the container should be disinfected.

If you water the plants in your apartment incorrectly in winter, there is a high probability of a disease such as “Black Leg” appearing. Tomato leaves darken, fall off, and the roots begin to rot. It is better to get rid of such a bush immediately so as not to infect other plants.

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, tomatoes can be grown on a windowsill at any time of the year. There are many varieties that can produce good yields in room conditions. Growing them is no more difficult than ordinary tomatoes in the garden; moreover, they are not afraid of either drought or Colorado beetle. To enjoy fresh tomatoes in the winter cold, you need to study all the nuances of such cultivation, but the most important thing is to choose the right variety.

Indoor conditions differ significantly from conditions in the garden, so not every variety of tomato can grow and bear fruit normally indoors. Varieties intended for growing on a windowsill have the following characteristics:

• short stature. Due to limited space, only low-growing and dwarf tomatoes are able to produce a crop. Tall tomatoes not only require a lot of space, but also a large number of nutrients, and in flower pot there is too little soil for this;
• standardness. Not everyone knows how to form a bush correctly, but this is important condition for tomato yield. Standard varieties have a strong central stem and a dense crown; it does not need to be pinched or tied up;
• resistance to lack of lighting and disease. Houseplants They receive less light, especially in winter, and therefore really need additional lighting. But there are varieties of tomatoes that bear fruit normally in conditions short day, and they only need backlighting on cloudy days. Their genetic feature is short internodes, thanks to which the stems do not stretch. Of the diseases that tomato plants are most threatened by, blackleg (during the period of growing seedlings) and leaf mold. The most resistant to them are hybrids, which make up 90% of total number potted tomatoes.

In addition to these features, indoor tomatoes are distinguished by the highest taste qualities, and are rightfully considered champions among tomatoes in terms of the content of vitamins and sugars in the pulp. But not all of them can boast of yield, because some varieties are more decorative and form very small, cherry-sized fruits. Of course, they are also edible, but there are too few of them, and therefore they are most often used to decorate dishes.

If you need tomatoes for daily use, choose productive varieties with larger fruits. Typically, the mass indoor tomatoes varies between 15-130 g, depending on the variety. The best of them form low bushes completely covered with fruits. On average, one bush can produce up to 2 kg of tasty, marketable tomatoes per season.

Potted tomatoes have one more feature - they are perennials. If you do not throw away the bush after collecting the last fruits, then after a while new leaves will appear on the stem. Typically, such tomatoes grow and bear fruit within 5 years, although the most abundant harvests are produced in the first 2 years.

The best varieties of indoor tomatoes

The range of indoor tomatoes is smaller than regular ones, but still impressive. Varieties differ in the shape, size and color of the fruit, height and shape of the bush, ripening time and other parameters. Every year their list is replenished with new varieties and hybrids from leading breeding companies. Below are the most popular tomatoes for growing on a windowsill.

Ampel varieties

In addition to standard varieties, lovers indoor growing Of tomatoes, ampelous tomatoes are also in demand. They can be planted in hanging planters either in tall pots, from which the shoots will hang beautifully on the windowsill. Caring for them is a little more difficult than conventional varieties, and the yield is lower, but all this is compensated by the excellent taste of the tomatoes and the high decorativeness of the bush. The choice of hanging varieties is still small, and seeds can be purchased only from a few domestic agricultural companies.

Agricultural technology for growing indoor tomatoes

Like regular varieties, indoor tomatoes are best grown from seedlings. And at this stage there are no differences, except that the timing of sowing the seeds is different. Average, potted tomatoes They begin to bear fruit 90-100 days after germination, and if you want to get the first tomatoes by a certain date, take this factor into account. For example, to harvest the first harvest in January, sow seeds for seedlings at the end of September.

Before sowing, the seeds are disinfected by soaking for 15-30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then left in a damp cloth for a couple of days to hatch.

Sow in a common container with ordinary soil or purchased substrate to a depth of no more than 1 cm. The distance between the seeds should be within 2-3 cm so that the seedlings are not thickened.

The seedlings are transplanted into separate containers as soon as the seedlings have formed 2-3 true leaves. The size of the pots is selected depending on the variety of tomatoes: for dwarf tomatoes, a volume of 1.5-2 liters is sufficient, for ordinary indoor ones 3-4 liters, for hanging ones - at least 5 liters. All pots must have drainage holes. It is very important to properly prepare the soil, because the development and fruiting of the bush depends on its composition.

The best option is the following composition:

• 5 parts garden soil;
• 2 parts sand;
• 5 parts rotted compost;
• 1 part peat.

To a bucket of such a mixture you need to add matchbox urea and potassium sulfate, a handful of sifted wood ash. Mix all this thoroughly. Now you can start planting seedlings.

Step 1. A drainage layer of fine gravel, pieces of bark, expanded clay or other material is poured onto the bottom of the pots. Fill the containers to the top with soil and make a small depression in the center.

Step 2. Pre-watered seedlings are carefully removed one at a time and planted in pots, buried down to the cotyledon leaves. Water carefully.

Step 3. Place the pots on the windowsill (preferably on the south side) and regularly turn them with the other side towards the light every 2 days. In the mornings and evenings, as well as in cloudy weather, plants should be illuminated with a phytolamp.

After a week, the plants are fed with half the dose of nitrogen fertilizers necessary for growth. During the flowering period, in order to increase the percentage of pollination, the stems of the plant are shaken very lightly and brushed over the flowers with a feather or a soft brush. After the formation of ovaries, fertilizing with potassium fertilizer is required once every two weeks.

In varieties that need to form a bush, the stepsons are removed, the top of the main stem is pinched, and excess inflorescences are cut off to increase the size of the fruit. Tall bushes are tied to supports that are stuck into the ground along the edge of the pot.

If signs of fungal damage appear, all plants are sprayed with phytosporin or another antifungal agent. To prolong fruiting, regularly pick ripe fruits, remove dried leaves, and do not forget about fertilizing and watering. The soil in the pots needs to be loosened periodically, being careful not to catch the roots. With this care, your tomatoes will delight you all winter a bountiful harvest sweet, tasty fruits.

Video - Tomatoes on the windowsill in winter: the best varieties

Video - Tomatoes on the windowsill in winter: the best varieties and procedure for growing tomatoes at home

With the onset of winter, all activities personal plots and dachas freeze, and those who like to work in the garden beds have to wait for spring. But this will not stop a true amateur. After all, there are a lot garden crops, which can be successfully grown at home, on a windowsill or insulated balcony. And the matter is not limited to simple cultivation"on the pen" or other. Traditional inhabitants summer beds cucumbers and tofmats can be grown indoors with no less success. The main thing is to create suitable conditions and follow not at all complicated rules.

Necessary conditions for growing tomatoes on a windowsill

Location and lighting

One of the main conditions is good lighting. Best place for growing tomatoes in winter - window sills facing south. Eastern and western windows are less suitable, and northern windows are not suitable at all.
But even with the most optimal placement of light, there may not be enough light. Daylight hours are short in winter, and tomatoes require a minimum of 12 hours of daylight. You can extend it by illuminating with phytolamps or ordinary fluorescent lamps.

Humidity and watering

In winter, the air in the rooms is too dry, and this is not conducive to growing tomatoes. Optimal humidity air should be between 60-65%. It's not difficult to achieve. How - .
Tomatoes on the windowsill should be watered regularly, but without over-moistening the soil. Subject to temperature conditions and normal air humidity, it turns out - once every 2-3 days.

Temperature

The optimal temperature for growing tomatoes at home is considered to be +24-26 degrees during the day, and drop to +16 at night. But these are average values. Deviations are also allowed. With more high temperatures cultivation, you should regularly ventilate the room.

Tomatoes on the windowsill - planting and growing

Preparing for landing

• On initial stage, these works remind. For planting, you can use either small containers or seedling cassettes.
• The soil for planting should be loose, permeable to air and moisture. For the first stage, growing seedlings, you can use the usual universal mixture. In the future, use more nutritious soil. You can prepare it yourself by mixing it in equal parts leaf soil, humus, peat and sand. Instead of leaf soil You can use turf. But if it is heavy, then increase the proportion of peat.
• Attention should be paid to seed preparation. First of all, they should be sorted. To do this, they are soaked in a glass of lightly salted water. After a while, some of them will emerge. Such seeds are discarded; those remaining at the bottom of the glass are considered suitable for planting. Before planting, it is recommended to disinfect them by soaking them for 20-30 minutes in a pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Sowing seeds and growing seedlings

First of all, you should decide on the variety of tomatoes that you plan to grow on the windowsill. There are a number of varieties that are specifically recommended for indoor growing. But also among regular tomatoes you can choose the ones that suit you. You should not choose ones with very large fruits. In limited space, achieve good results it will be difficult for them. We advise beginners to choose special varieties.

The time when the seeds are sown for winter growing tomatoes does not matter; you choose it yourself. You can sow them immediately with the onset of autumn, or in the middle of winter. To obtain a continuous harvest, seeds can be sown in October and then again in mid-winter. That is, there is no time limit.

Sowing is done in individual containers, cassettes or seedling boxes. Seeds should not be deeply buried in the ground, otherwise the germination period will increase. The maximum planting depth is 2 centimeters. After sowing, moisten the soil. To do this, it is better to use a spray bottle so that the seeds along with the water do not go deeper into the ground.
The container with seeds is covered with film, glass or a transparent cap, and placed in a bright and warm place.

During the entire period of germination of seeds and growing seedlings, you should monitor the humidity of the soil and air, ventilate them regularly by removing the cap. Provide lighting.

When a pair of true leaves appear on the seedlings, feed them with a weak solution of mineral fertilizer.

When the seedlings have grown well and become stronger, you can begin transplanting into permanent pots.

Growing tomatoes in pots

The size of the pot should be selected based on the variety being grown. Accordingly, the larger the specimen being grown, the larger the pot will be needed. The largest varieties are planted in 5-liter pots, the average size is 3-4 liters, and the smallest, dwarf varieties are planted in 2-liter pots.
As already mentioned, for successful cultivation requires sufficient lighting, regular watering without waterlogging and normal humidity air.

Advice. To prevent the bush from looking one-sided, periodically rotate the pot relative to the light source. But this can only be done before flowering and fruit set. In the future, there is a high probability that due to such rotations the bush may drop its flowers and fruits.

When the tomatoes on the windowsill are sufficiently adapted, this is about three weeks after planting in permanent pots, you can start feeding them. Suitable for feeding mineral fertilizers every ten days. You should not get too carried away with organic and nitrogen fertilizers. Otherwise, you will end up with large bushes with a lot of leaves and a minimum of fruit.

For tall varieties Proper support should be provided. Also, tall and medium-sized varieties of tomatoes grown on a windowsill should be pinched.

It should be borne in mind that tomatoes grown on a windowsill are not pollinated by insects, for lack of them. Therefore, we need to help them with this. Tomato varieties intended specifically for indoor growing are usually self-pollinating, but additional help will not hurt, and for ordinary varieties it is required. You can use a labor-intensive method - transfer pollen from flower to flower with a brush, but you can also simply shake the bush so that the pollen gets where it is needed.

If you want to get larger fruits, then the clusters should be thinned out, leaving only 5-6 of them on the stem, and the top of the stem should be pinched.

Harvesting should also be done a little differently than in the garden. You should not wait until the fruits are fully ripened. They ripen unevenly, so those that begin to turn pink must be removed and placed for ripening. This will free up the plant's strength for further development.

Diseases and prevention

Same as for tomatoes open ground, the main danger for indoor tomatoes is late blight. Its main cause is excessive watering. If the plant is sick, then it is very difficult to save it. Therefore, mandatory preventive measures. First of all, do not over-moisten the soil and ventilate the room. Also spray with any antifungal drug.

How to grow tomatoes on a windowsill - video

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Growing tomatoes on a windowsill in winter is quite possible. The main thing is to create the necessary light and temperature regime, as well as choosing the right varieties.

Tomato varieties for growing at home

It is best if these are varieties of short tomatoes with medium-sized fruits. Cherry tomatoes are most often grown at home. Ampel and standard varieties show themselves well as indoor tomatoes.

If we take the reviews of those who like to grow tomatoes at home, the most favorite variety is Geranium Kiss and. They also grow Ogonyok, Snowdrop, Garden Pearl, Siberian Dwarf, Little Prince, etc.

Tomato lighting

When growing tomatoes on a windowsill in winter, the optimal daylight hours are 12 hours, and the best option- 14 hours. At this time of year, this can only be achieved by installing additional lighting above the plants.

The most economical and convenient option— illumination of tomatoes with LED or fluorescent lamps. How to adapt them - everyone decides individually, the main thing is that it is convenient.

Indoor tomatoes: growing

Start growing as usual, simply sowing the seeds in a small container rather than in boxes. Since you don’t need a lot of seedlings. After all, each plant will subsequently need a capacity of about 10 liters, but such “pots” need to be placed somewhere. So calculate in advance how many plants you will fit on the windowsill.

You can take ready-made soil, or you can prepare it yourself. To do this, mix one part each of humus, turf soil and peat, add a liter of sand and a tablespoon of superphosphate and ash to a bucket of this mixture.

Whether or not to soak the seeds is a personal matter; the appearance of seedlings varies by only 1-2 days.

When the plants have 2 true leaves, transplant them into separate cups. As the tomatoes grow, transplant them into a larger container to develop a good root system. If the cup is small for the plant, it begins to grow in height, forming a frail, thin stem, but when transplanted, the root grows massively and the stem turns out to be short and thick, which is what we need at home.

Remember that you won’t get a harvest in a small pot; be prepared to clutter your windowsills large containers with the ground. You can, of course, wrap them in some kind of fabric to make it look more aesthetically pleasing.

But outside, tomatoes on the windowsill in winter look very tempting. It’s snowing, blizzarding, cold outside, and here there are little red tomatoes hanging - beautiful...

Tomatoes should be watered very sparingly, no more than twice a week.

When stepsons begin to grow from the axils of the leaves, they need to be broken out, since when growing at home, we do not need extra shoots.

Periodically check the soil temperature by inserting a thermometer into the soil. Must not be big difference with air temperature. If the windowsill is cold, place foam or some other material under the container with tomatoes.

If the soil under the plants is fertile, then it is enough to feed the tomatoes during the flowering period and after the formation of ovaries with a complex fertilizer for tomatoes.

Those who do not have a garden, but have a love for farming, grow tomatoes on the windowsill all year round. In the summer, of course, this is much easier to do, because you don’t need to bother with temperature and lighting, and tomatoes grow faster in real sun.

There is nothing more pleasant than moving from winter to summer.

Create Summer mood And you can diversify the menu in the cold season by growing delicious ones on the windowsill.

Popular varieties of tomatoes for growing on a windowsill

When choosing a variety suitable for growing on a windowsill, one is guided by two important indicators:

Bush dimensions. It is necessary to take into account the area that will be allocated to indoor tomatoes; growing this crop will be problematic if the tomatoes have little space and sun.

• Room surprise;
• Bonsai;
• Balcony miracle;
• Japanese dwarf;
• Thumbelina;
• Leopold;
• Baby;
• Pygmy;
• Little Red Riding Hood;
• Minibel;
• Bonsai micro.

You can experiment with: growing several varieties in pots will allow you to choose optimal method samples

Did you know? Seed producers indicate on the packaging that the variety is suitable for growing on a windowsill, well-insulated loggia or balcony.

How to create growing conditions

When growing homemade tomatoes on a windowsill, it is important to provide the plant with enough space for the crown and roots. A pot with a volume of 2 liters is enough; for larger varieties you need a pot or container with a volume of 5-6 liters.

If you have chosen balcony tomatoes, for growing them, the pot size can be even larger, 8-10 liters.

As they develop, some will require support for their stems.

Lighting

Tomatoes perfectly accept straight Sun rays. Windows on the south, south-west side of the house are suitable for their placement. At natural light It is recommended to carefully turn the tomatoes before the ovary forms different sides towards the sun so that the bush grows symmetrically. Daylight hours for tomatoes should be at least 12 hours. Growing tomatoes at home in winter requires additional lighting. Illumination lamps are installed at a distance of 30 cm from the plants.

Humidity and temperature

For good development of plants and tomatoes, the temperature during the day should not be lower than 22-26 degrees. At night it can be cooler, 15-16 degrees. In winter, cold air may come from the glass; in this case, it is recommended to move the plants some distance from the windows. Favorable air humidity is 60-65%.

Important! Small drafts are not dangerous for tomatoes, you can safely ventilate the room, the disadvantage fresh air may damage the plants.

Soil composition

There are several recipes self-cooking soil mixture for growing tomatoes on the windowsill.

• Turf soil, in equal proportions with peat and humus.
• – 1 part, and turf land– 4 parts each, you can add a little ash.
• Earth – 2 parts, sand – 1 part each.

It is recommended to first fill the soil from the garden with a solution of potassium permanganate in boiling water to destroy infection and pests.

Ready-made soil mixtures are sold in gardening departments and stores. Their composition is optimally selected for tomatoes and. Information about the composition of the soil and the plants for which it is suitable is indicated on the packaging.

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill

In addition to soil and containers, you need to prepare seed material. There are two options for obtaining: seeds and rooting cuttings. The second method of propagating tomatoes when growing and caring for them on a windowsill allows you to speed up the harvest by saving time on forcing seedlings. The lateral and apical shoots of tomatoes, for example, after, are rooted in a glass of water or directly in the ground. The cuttings should be in a warm place without drafts; you can fertilize them with suitable ones.

Preparation of soil and planting material

Before growing on a windowsill in an apartment, select seeds. Large, whole seeds are suitable for sowing tomatoes. light shades, no stains, darkening. They are soaked for 25-30 minutes in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate to prevent late blight. Then, after treating with a growth stimulator, they are left to swell on a damp cloth in a warm place.

It is convenient to use plastic cups to prepare seedlings. They are filled with soil, which is poured with boiling water for disinfection. After cooling to room temperature, the soil is ready for planting seeds.

Did you know? It is convenient to water the seedlings with a small syringe, plunging its spout between the ground and the wall of the cup.

Sowing and caring for seeds

Sprouted seeds are planted in cups of soil, 1 piece at a time, deepened by about 1 cm. It is not necessary to soak the seeds, then they are deepened into the soil 2 cm, 2-3 pieces at a time. In this case, weak shoots will then need to be removed, leaving one sprout per glass.

Before germination, containers with seeds are covered with film and placed in a warm place. Since it is not recommended to water frequently on the windowsill, you need to wait until the top layer of soil dries. After the first leaves appear, the film can be removed and the seedlings placed in a well-lit place.

How to properly care for tomatoes at home

Tomato seedlings on the 20-21st day. To do this, before planting tomatoes in pots, the seedlings are “hardened off” by slightly lowering the ambient temperature several times. A month after germination, the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place.

Did you know? Modern science has proven the ability of tomatoes to improve mood, thanks to the substance tyramine, which human body is converted into the “happiness hormone” serotonin.

Picking

The picking method is the most popular way of planting seedlings, peppers and a number of other crops. It consists in the fact that when replanting, the central part of the plant root is shortened by about a third, so that the horse system grows wider. At the same time, many varieties of miniature tomatoes do not need picking; they are transplanted using the transshipment method, without disturbing the earthen ball and without touching the root system. Expanded clay drainage is poured into a pot for indoor tomatoes to 10-15% of the depth of the container. Then the container is filled with earth, a hole is made for the roots of the tomato, into which the plants are placed, adding earth on top. The lower leaves should ultimately be 2-3 cm above ground level.

Watering and fertilizing tomatoes

Watering tomatoes on the window in winter warm water once every 3-4 days, as the soil dries out. Tomatoes are fertilized 3 times a month. If you fertilize tomatoes more often, you can get the effect of increasing the green parts, to the detriment of the yield and size of the fruit.