Tomatoes - a perennial plant, but in the conditions of our country is grown as an annual. To obtain a plentiful harvest of tomatoes in the open field, it is important not to make a mistake with the choice of variety and create optimal conditions for the crop. We learn what agricultural practices are used in the cultivation of these juicy and bright fruits in the open ground.
The choice of quality seedlings
You can buy ready-made seedlings on the market or grow it yourself. In any case, for planting, it is necessary to choose only those seedlings that have a well-formed root system and a sturdy stem that has reached a height of 20 cm.
It is important that 8-9 full-fledged leaves are formed on each shoot. If they have a saturated and uniform green color, this is a sure sign of a healthy state of a seedling. The spotting or pallor of the green indicates that the conditions for growing seedlings have been violated or it is affected by some kind of disease.
If seedlings will be grown independently, it is necessary to observe the correct temperature regime for each stage of development and the timing of sowing.
Soil preparation for tomatoes
Tomatoes are among the photophilous plants, but they are poorly tolerated by direct sunlight. An ideal place for them is a bed, shaded by a nearby greenhouse or fruit tree. It is advisable that there are no drafts in this area.
It is recommended to plant seedlings in the place where cucumbers, onions or carrots grew last year. If potatoes were previously planted on the site, there is a risk of infection with different types of diseases such as late blight. It is very important to properly prepare the soil.
Before planting, you need to enrich the soil with fertilizers and bring acidity back to normal. If this is not done, even with timely top dressing, the tomatoes will wither and hurt. In specialized stores, you can purchase a special test that will help you independently determine the pH of the soil. For tomatoes, the ideal range is from 6 to 7.
To reduce the acidity of the soil, it is recommended to use lime - per 1 sq. Km. m is taken 500 g. To increase the acidity in the same proportions, sulfur is taken.
It is not recommended to plant tomatoes for two years in a row on the same site, but not everyone has the opportunity to change the location. In this case, soil restoration can be carried out in the fall:
- In the autumn, the soil is dug up, all plant residues are removed.
- Fertilizers are applied to the depth of the shovel bayonet - superphosphate, potassium salt or compost, humus, peat, bird droppings.
- Rye or white mustard is sown on the beds, can be replaced with other siderates.
- To activate the beneficial microflora, it is recommended to spill humic solution on the soil.
It is not recommended to dig unripe compost into the soil, as this can attract worms and wireworm larvae that can harm the roots of young seedlings.
You should not add manure to the soil, because tomatoes are very fond of it, and as a result, all the strength will go to building up only green mass. The tops of the plant will begin to twist in a ring, but the yield will be small. If there were frosts, it is recommended to cover the soil with any black material around mid-May.
Form beds for seedlings need about a week before the intended planting. The depth of the holes should be at least 20 cm. For several weeks, it is recommended to pour the soil with a solution of copper sulfate. The solution is prepared in the following proportions - 1 tbsp is taken per 10 liters of water. l This simple procedure will help disinfect the soil.
Planting seedlings in open ground
For planting in open ground, you can use only well-seasoned seedlings, otherwise most of the seedlings will be lost. A sharp change in weather conditions leads to a delay in the growth of seedlings. Depending on the climate of the region, the planting dates of young plants are also adjusted. It is important to remember that tomato seedlings are not able to tolerate too low temperatures at night or frosts.
The best time for planting seedlings in open ground is May. If a decrease in temperature occurs, it is worth using agrofabric or special constructions with a film to protect young plants.
After the site with the soil is completely prepared for planting (the soil has been dug up and leveled), you can proceed directly to the planting of seedlings. This is best done in the early morning until the sun is hot. Wells for seedlings are dug, between which a small distance is made, depending on the selected plant variety.
If the tomato bushes are tall, the best option is to make a distance of about 60 cm, for a small crop - about 40 cm. If the tomatoes are planted in several rows, it is recommended to place the plants in a checkerboard pattern, which will make it possible to save space. Between the rows, a distance is left, which also depends on the variety - from 40 to 70 cm.
After not very deep holes are formed, it is imperative to sanitize the soil. For this purpose, potassium permanganate dissolves in water, the resulting composition should have a light pink hue. Wells are abundantly watered with a solution, after which you can perform additional watering of the soil with clean water. It is important that the soil is well moistened before planting. After planting, seedlings are not recommended to be watered for several days.
Planting tomatoes in open ground: step by step instructions
The process of planting tomato seedlings in open ground is very simple, it is enough to adhere to the following recommendations:
- Landing is carried out only after the frost has passed, and the plus temperature will last for a week. It can be the beginning of May or June.
- The area should be sunny and well ventilated, but without drafts. A great choice would be the southeastern, southwestern, or southern portion of the site.
- After the first flower brush appears on seedlings, it can be planted in open ground. At least 6 fully formed leaflets should appear on the seedlings.
- Planting seedlings of tomatoes is recommended at the age of 50-60 days, but this indicator may vary depending on the type of plant selected.
- Pre-prepared wells are watered - not more than a liter of water per well.
- You need to wait until the water is completely absorbed into the soil.
- If, at the time of transplanting, the seedlings stretched too much, a few lower leaves are cut off.
- After the pruning procedure, the seedlings are transplanted into the soil with deepening, subordinate roots located on the lower part of the stem provide tomatoes with additional nutrition. Strongly elongated seedlings are placed obliquely, they must be buried to half the stem.
- Standard seedlings are placed in a hole in an upright position and deepened down to the cotyledon leaves.
- The holes are watered again, and a small layer of dry earth is poured on top.
It is not recommended to plant seedlings where plants grow that can harm it, for example, fennel, zucchini or potatoes. The growth of tomatoes is positively affected by the neighborhood with onions, basil, bird cherry and celery.
Seedling Care
Proper and timely care of seedlings helps to achieve good fruiting. To develop a strong root system and provide the plant with the necessary amount of oxygen, it is recommended to loosen the beds every 2-3 weeks - the tool is immersed in the soil to a depth of at least 8-10 cm. If the soil is sufficiently dense, this procedure should be carried out more often.
Loosening is often combined with weeding, because weeds are capable of provoking a real invasion of pests. Grass retains moisture in the soil, which creates excellent conditions for the development of various diseases. Heavily thickened beds are poorly ventilated.
Watering and feeding
Watering should be carried out directly under the root of the plant, do not water the greens. If you choose from existing irrigation systems, it is best to opt for spot irrigation. The use of sprinkling can lead to shedding of inflorescences, the blanching of the fruits is provoked.
After planting, do not water the seedlings too often. It will be enough to perform water procedures several times a week. It is necessary to ensure that the soil does not dry out.
When watering tomatoes, consider the following tips:
- Excessive watering is harmful.
- Use water at room temperature for watering.
- When watering, try not to get on the trunk and leaves of plants, otherwise this can lead to burns.
- You need to water tomatoes in the evening, the exception is only on hot sunny days.
- Before hilling, during the flowering of the first and second brushes, it is necessary to water the plant.
For the entire growing season, tomatoes are recommended to be fertilized 4-5 times. Feeding is carried out according to the following scheme:
- The first time is feeding 15 days after transplanting into open ground seedlings. For this, nutritious infusions of bird droppings or mullein, in which a little wood ash is added, can be used. At this time, the bushes begin to pick up buds, so applying fertilizer will have a positive effect on the formation of fruit ovaries.
- Second feeding held 10 days after the second brush on the bushes blossoms. An organic infusion is used with the addition of complex mineral fertilizers in the following proportions - 1 tbsp is taken per bucket. If the tomatoes are tall, 1.5-2 liters of infusion are applied, under the undersized - no more than 1 liter.
- Third feeding should be carried out during the ripening of the first tomatoes. The same nutritional composition is used, but in this case its volume changes - 500 ml of solution is poured under each bush.
- Last feeding performed 15 days after the third. The ideal option would be to use industrial fertilizer Agricola-3, into which superphosphate is introduced - for each square meter. m 4 l of solution.
Read more about fertilizing tomato seedlings here.
Stepson
The formation of side shoots or stepsons must be carried out with the growth of tomato bushes. They simply do not have time to ripen, while drawing out a large amount of nutrients. Therefore, they must be removed in the early stages of the development of the bushes.
On each plant, 2-3 main shoots are left. By the time ripening begins, there should be no stepsons on the bushes. Side shoots, the length of which are 3-5 cm, are removed. They need to be broken out or nipped at a distance of about 1 cm from the main stem. During the procedure, work carefully so that large wounds do not remain on the plant. It is advisable to perform the stepsoning in the morning.
Tomato Tie
Tall varieties need additional tying. Due to this, plants do not fall to the ground, and harvesting is facilitated. The tying procedure itself is very simple:
- A peg is installed next to each plant that will be tied.
- You can dig strong stakes along the edges of the row, and then pull a cord or twine between them.
- Twine, as well as synthetic thick threads, are considered to be excellent material for garter. The main advantage is that they do not rot.
- You can use metal or wooden stakes.
- Tie plants to a peg or wire need not very tight.
- To strengthen the stems can be used mesh, grille or cap made of twigs.
Pollination
Tomatoes are self-pollinating plants that easily cope with this issue. Great help in the pollination process is provided by insects - bumblebees and bees. To attract them to the site, you can plant fragrant honey plants such as mint, rapeseed, lemon balm, coriander, mustard, basil.
In some cases, artificial pollination is required:
- Each bush is shaken a little.
- You can simply tap on a flowering brush, but not too much.
- This procedure is carried out in the morning.
- After pollination is complete, you need to spray or pour the tomatoes with warm water so that it flows down by flowers.
Diseases and pests of tomatoes, methods of control
There are quite a few pests that can harm tomatoes, the most common of which are:
- Medvedka - an insect that settles in well-fertilized and moist soils. To combat it, strong insecticidal drugs are used, including infusions of vinegar and red pepper.
- Wireworms - These are larvae that are covered with a dense shell that damage the root system of the plant. For prevention, during the autumn preparation of the site, alkalization of acidic soils is performed.
- Gnawing scoops - These caterpillars are considered the most dangerous enemy of vegetable crops. For prevention, it is recommended to conduct deep mechanical tillage and timely weeding. If caterpillars appeared in large numbers on tomatoes, they must be collected and destroyed manually.
Medvedka - pest of tomatoes
Wireworm: these larvae harm the root system
Biting Scoops - Dangerous Caterpillars
Tomatoes can suffer from the Colorado potato beetle, thrips, spider mites, whiteflies and gourds. To combat these types of pests, it is worth using insecticidal drugs.
It is recommended every 5-7 days to carry out preventive spraying of tomatoes with alternate use of onion infusion and Bordeaux liquid. If the plant has been affected by a dangerous infection, serious treatment is required.
Tomatoes are often exposed to diseases such as vertex rot, mosaic, late blight, spotting, anthracnose, phomosis, etc. In this case, it is necessary to treat the plants with special potent fungicides, the affected parts of the plant must be removed.
Given the severe defeat of tomatoes, complete destruction of the planting is required. To minimize the likelihood of a re-development of the infection, before the new season the soil must be treated with disinfectants, for example, it is poured with a solution of copper sulfate, a hot solution of potassium permanganate, a deep digging is performed.
The main mistakes when growing tomatoes
In order to protect the crop from major losses, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the errors that are often made by inexperienced gardeners:
- Violation of the timing of planting seeds or seedlings.
- The use of tomato varieties that are intended for growing in a greenhouse.
- The acquisition of seedlings with inflorescences, as there is a violation of the formation of ovaries.
- Too plentiful and frequent watering leads to decay of the root system.
- Excessive fertilizer.
- Planting seedlings ahead of time in open ground - violation of the temperature regime negatively affects the formation of ovaries.
Harvesting
In the middle of summer, the harvest season begins. Since uneven ripening occurs, the fruits must be harvested every day. You need to collect tomatoes without stalks. You should not wait until the fruits fully ripen, because in room conditions they perfectly reach ripeness.
To speed up the ripening process, you can place the tomatoes in a well-lit and well-ventilated place. To delay ripening, the fruit is recommended to be placed in a cool and dark place.
Let's watch a video on how to grow tomatoes in the open field. What fertilizing should be, and how to understand what elements the plant lacks, how to pinch tomatoes, and how to increase the future crop many times over:
Care and cultivation of tomatoes is not as difficult as it might seem at first. It is enough to adhere to the above tips and do not forget about regular weeding, fertilizer and watering.