To grow tomatoes in open ground, it is important to choose the right varieties or hybrids of plants that are resistant to adverse factors (diseases, pests, possible frosts, drought and excessive humidity). And of course, as practice shows, it will not be possible to grow a good crop of tomatoes in open ground if you do not follow the basic agrotechnical techniques for cultivating vegetable crops.

All vegetables are very healthy foods for humans. But among them, tomatoes occupy a special, priority place. In human understanding, tomatoes and tomatoes are the same thing. Thanks to the powerful antioxidant lycopene contained in tomatoes, this vegetable can reduce the risk of prostate and digestive tract cancer. Lycopene in tomatoes is formed during heat treatment, and it is most released when oil is added to tomatoes. And raw tomatoes are no less healthy; they contain a lot of vitamin C.

You will learn how to properly grow tomatoes in open ground and what conditions must be observed by reading this article.

Secrets of growing tomatoes in open ground: temperature and humidity

When growing tomatoes in the ground, do not forget that this crop requires heat. Their shoots appear a week after sowing. The best temperature for the growth and development of tomatoes is 20-25 °C. At temperatures close to 30 °C, their growth slows down, and at higher temperatures it stops altogether. It must be remembered that at temperatures below 10 °C their growth stops, and flowering occurs at a temperature of 15 °C. Tomatoes are drought-resistant plants; they require soil moisture, but cannot tolerate excess moisture. Optimum humidity is considered to be soil moisture 70% of the full moisture capacity and 90% at the time of fruit set. If the soil pH is greater than 6.5, then microelements are poorly absorbed and the plants become chlorotic.

Another secret to getting a good harvest when growing tomatoes in open ground is moderate air humidity. If this figure is above 55%, then a number of fungal diseases are possible, which subsequently reduces the quality and keeping quality of the fruit. Air drought during the growing season causes shedding of buds, flowers, ovaries and fruits.

The growing season for tomatoes is long. Only 2 weeks after sowing, the first true leaf appears on the plants and 2 months after the growth of 7-9 leaves, the first flower cluster is formed. Accordingly, in order to grow tomatoes in open ground as quickly as possible, it is best to plant ready-made seedlings in the garden. If your summer cottage is located in the southern region, then you can use the seedless method of cultivating these vegetable plants.

To better imagine what conditions need to be created for growing tomatoes in the ground, watch this video:

How to properly grow tomatoes in open ground: preparing beds

It is not always possible to grow tomatoes in the ground according to our grandmothers’ recipes. Times, conditions, ecology have changed, new diseases have appeared and been added. Take up the literature, read carefully the recommendations on how to properly grow tomatoes in open ground, study your zone and the predecessors for this crop. Varieties should be chosen mainly zoned.

Start by preparing the soil, which must be dug up in the fall and left for the winter without breaking up the lumps.

Predecessors can be all crops except nightshades (tomatoes, eggplants, etc.), but it is better to plant after garlic, early cabbage, etc. And we return the tomatoes to their original place no earlier than after 2-3 years.

Prepare beds for tomatoes 2 weeks before planting seedlings, dig to a depth of 25-30 cm, level with a rake, spray with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture on dry soil. If it is not possible to spray, then pour a warm solution (up to 50 °C) of potassium permanganate.

To grow a good crop in open ground, before planting in trenches or holes, add well-rotted compost or manure at the rate of 2 kg per hole, then on the day of planting - 50 g of superphosphate and 20-30 g of potassium sulfate, and potassium sulfate can be replaced with 2 cups of wood ash. Fertilizers are applied to holes or trenches one at a time and mixed thoroughly.

This video of growing tomatoes in open ground shows how the beds are prepared:

Agricultural technology for growing tomatoes in open ground: planting dates

Correctly chosen planting dates also contribute to the optimal phytosanitary condition of vegetable crops.

Depending on the place of cultivation (protected or open ground), the characteristics of the variety or hybrid, from mid-February to the end of March, cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin, zucchini and zucchini are sown as seedlings.

The sowing time is determined based on the fact that for planting in closed ground, 60-day seedlings of tomatoes are used, cabbage - 40-45 days, peppers and eggplants - 55-60 days, zucchini and pumpkin - 20 days, cucumbers - 30 days.

In accordance with correct agricultural technology, tomatoes are planted in open ground after stable warm weather has established, when the threat of return frosts has passed, at the age of 45-60 days, cabbage - in the phase of 4-6 true leaves.

Seedlings must be planted after the return frosts have passed, which happens quite often before the second decade of May.

To grow tomato plants in open ground as strong as possible, plant them at different times: if the weather is cloudy, then in the morning, if hot, in the evening.

At the time of planting, the seedlings should be fresh and not wilted. Remember that wilting causes the first flowers to fall off and the early harvest to be lost.

Let us remind you that the best age for seedlings is:

• low-growing varieties - 45-60 days;
• tall - more than 60 days, and it should already have the first flower cluster.

The grown tomato varieties are divided according to their growth strength into low-growing, low-growing and tall-growing, and the planting scheme, or simply put, the nutritional area will be different for each group:

• for low-growing standard varieties - 30 x 50 cm;
• medium height - 40 x 50-60 cm;
• tall (like De Barao and others) - 50 x 60-70 cm.

Plant unovergrown, strong, stocky seedlings into the hole vertically at the same depth as they were in the box or greenhouse; water, .

We recommend planting overgrown seedlings obliquely, covering only the lightly laid stem with soil. Only after a week, when the seedlings have taken root, can the groove be finally filled in, where additional roots will form on the stem. If you immediately deeply bury the stem into the soil, the lower, well-developed roots may die off, and new ones will form on the stem within two weeks. Thus, we delay the entry of tomatoes into the fruiting phase.

According to the technology for growing tomatoes in open ground, immediately after planting, at a distance of no more than 10 cm from the plant, you need to place pegs of appropriate sizes to tie the stems of each group of varieties. And for tall tomatoes, a trellis is pulled at a height of 1.5 m from wire, and then a twine 30% longer is lowered to each plant, i.e. about 2 m, and the plant is tied up using the twisting method for 1.5 months, which results in a total difficulty 4-6 garters.

When there is a threat of frost, seedlings are covered with films such as Lutrasil or Spandbond, Agrospan, Grintex.

Watch the video “Growing tomatoes in open ground”, which shows how to plant seedlings in the garden:

Features of growing tomato seedlings in open ground

Seedlings can be grown on a windowsill in 1-2 small peat or flower pots. But how to grow a good harvest of tomatoes if there is nowhere to plant seedlings? You can always find a way out!

Experienced vegetable growers suggest using the following method. On your site, find a place that is well lit and protected from cold winds, where the soil, dug up in the fall and leveled, sprinkle on top a layer of up to 6-10 cm of sawdust, well rotted or fresh, but processed in advance (for 3 buckets of sawdust, 200 g of ammonium nitrate , diluted in 10 liters of water and stored in this condition for at least 2 weeks, or pour the same sawdust with Extrasol at the rate of 100 ml per 10 liters of water). After 2 weeks, add Kemira Combi fertilizer there at a rate of 6-10 g per 1 square meter. m and lay a 10-centimeter layer of soil for seedlings on top of the sawdust, water with Extrasol solution, cover with a frame covered with plastic film. Within a week, your mini-greenhouse will warm up due to the combustion of sawdust and Extrasol, and you can pick seedlings. The peculiarity of this method of growing tomatoes in open ground is that in this case the seedlings are not afraid of frost (-2...-4 ° C), and they begin to develop intensively. Seedlings are well hardened due to temperature changes (day and night), and the root system is not disturbed during sampling. When sunny and warm days arrive, the seedlings need to be shaded. Seedlings are superior in quality to potted ones and begin to bear fruit faster. In addition, in the same way, seedlings of cucumbers and cauliflower can be grown at a later date for autumn rotation.

How to grow a good crop of tomatoes in open ground: proper watering

Care when growing tomatoes in open ground must be careful; we must not forget that this crop loves dry air and moist soil; it is impossible to loosen the rows after each watering, but mulching is very desirable.

Tomatoes should be watered at the root, directing the stream to the middle of the row. Do not wash away the soil with water and expose the roots.

Splashes of water should not fall on leaves and fruits. It is better to water tomatoes in the first half of the day, but you should not let them wilt. The water temperature in warm and hot weather should be moderately warm, but not lower than 20-25 °C. For proper watering in cold weather, the water must be heated to 25-30 °C.

As long as the soil is well moistened, tomatoes when grown in open ground are not afraid of overheating; the rate of water evaporation by the leaves increases, and they cool. Therefore, tomatoes can grow and bear fruit well even at temperatures of 32-35 °C. If there is not enough moisture or watering is uneven, that is, from time to time, then the rate of water evaporation by the leaves drops, and the tomatoes overheat already at a temperature of 30 ° C. In this case, the tomato pollen turns out to be sterile, and the plants shed buds and flowers.

Growing tomatoes in open ground using drip irrigation allows you to solve several problems at once:

• timely supply of water to the root zone;
• supply of complete mineral fertilizer in strictly verified standards;
• reducing the spread of fungal plant diseases;
• improving the quality and quantity of the harvest, increasing the keeping quality and transportability of fruits.

The most common mistakes in caring for tomatoes when growing in open ground are the following:

• Dry soil and high temperatures lead to shedding of flowers and small ovaries.
• Dry soil does not allow plants to fully absorb nutrients and causes a deficiency of boron and other microelements.
• During the period of fruit filling under conditions of overfeeding with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, dry soil causes blossom end rot of tomatoes.
• Irregular watering leads to cracking of the fruit.
• Late watering (towards the end of the day) increases humidity, and flowers are poorly pollinated. The leaves become moisturized at night, and if your tomatoes are covered with film, then cold drops of condensation contribute to the development of fungal diseases.

To grow a tomato crop in the soil as abundant as possible, do not water the plants with cold water, especially in hot weather: this leads to shock, severe stress on the roots, promotes the spread of bacterial diseases, depresses the plants, and prevents them from absorbing essential trace elements and phosphorus. As a result, fruiting is delayed and reduced.

To reduce the influence of all negative conditions, to accelerate fruiting, preserve the crop, etc., it is strongly recommended to use Novosil for each newly flowering cluster (at the rate of 3 ml per 10 liters of water) or Rostok, as well as El-1 and Extrasol (10 ml/10 l of water).

Proper watering when growing tomatoes in open ground is demonstrated in this video:

Secrets of caring for tomatoes when growing in open ground: planting plants

Another secret to growing tomatoes in open ground is the formation of plants using pinching. The bushes are planted so that they have time to form 5-7 fruit clusters. Tall tomatoes, cultivated in a greenhouse or in a garden bed, are formed into one or two stems on a trellis.

On the main stem, the side shoots (stepchildren) that form in the axils of each leaf are removed, leaving 5-6 fruit clusters on the main shoot. A pinch is made over the last flower brush, leaving 2-3 leaves above it.

The double-stem form is used not only for tall, but also for medium-sized tomatoes. In this case, one stepson is left growing under the first flowering brush. In this case, four fruit clusters are left on the main stem and the top is pinched, and three fruit clusters are left on the stepson and the top is also pinched.

A hybrid such as Olya F1 is pinched after the second cluster, which somewhat extends the fruiting period, and formed into one stem.

Low and medium-growing tomatoes can be formed into 3 stems, with 3 fruit clusters left on the main stem and the top pinched off. The two lower stepsons are saved, then 2 fruit clusters are left on them, and after the 2nd cluster they are pinched, leaving 2-3 leaves above them. On a formed bush, in addition to 5-7 fruit clusters, there should be at least 30 leaves at the beginning of fruiting.

Remember that pinched and pinched plants have large, even fruits, they ripen faster and are less susceptible to fungal diseases.

How pinching is carried out when growing tomatoes in the ground is shown in this video:

Every gardener has his own idea about how to properly grow tomatoes. However, the tomato, despite all its unpretentiousness, still needs close attention, because our climate is not entirely suitable (both heat and cold are destructive for tomatoes). Plus, many fungal and viral diseases lie in wait for our plantings. But don’t be upset: armed with knowledge, it’s easy to overcome the main obstacles on the path to a rich harvest.

When growing a tomato, it is very responsive to simple agricultural techniques, and with minimal cultivation costs it generously produces a harvest.

Gardeners have adapted to growing tomatoes by simply planting seeds in the ground, under film shelters, greenhouses, greenhouses, and tunnels. And there are even special varieties for planting in pots on windowsills.

Tomato bushes have a highly branched, developed root system. If there are enough nutrients and life-giving moisture in the ground, additional roots will form in any part of the stem. Therefore, tomatoes are propagated not only by the usual seeds; stepsons (shoots of stems) are often used. The time from the pipping of the first shoots to the formation of flowers is approximately 65 days, from the appearance of the first flowers to the ripening of the fruits another 50 - 70 days.

Types of tomatoes and proper cultivation, taking into account the type of bush

The soil structure for tomato bushes is necessarily loose, filled with moisture and oxygen, and always in a cultivated state.

According to the type of bushes, tomatoes are usually divided into determinate (having low and medium growth) and indeterminate (having high growth):

• In low-growing species, the bushes are not large (65-185 cm). They no longer grow when 3-5 clusters appear on the main or side stem. The formation of stepsons occurs at the bottom of the stem.
• In tall greenhouse species, the growth of bushes is not limited. If a flower cluster is tied on the main stem, then the stepson of the leaf closest to the cluster will continue to grow, turning into the main stem.

In indeterminate varieties, the bushes grow tall, more than 2 meters, and the flowering and fruit formation period is much longer. A flower raceme is tied on the main stem; the highest stepson at the apical raceme will continue to grow as the main stem. This can occur until the end of the growing season, and will end with the first autumn frosts.
Since the tomato comes from a southern country, for successful cultivation it is correct to provide a comfortable temperature for its development, this is 23-26 degrees. At 10 degrees, the plant’s pollen does not ripen, the flower does not develop into the ovary and falls off.

The bushes do not like excessive humidity, but they need abundant watering, since water is consumed for ripening and filling the fruits. Also, when bushes grow, they need a lot of light, otherwise photosynthesis does not occur, the plant is delayed in development, the stems are strongly extended towards the light source, the leaves are pale.

Therefore, when growing tomatoes when daylight hours are short, they need lighting. Proper care of crops, monitoring the condition of the soil, fertilizing with organic matter or complex mineral fertilizers have almost unlimited possibilities for growing tomatoes on any soil, except for saline soils and very acidified soils.

Sowing and growing tomato seedlings

Naturally, growing tomato seedlings is only possible indoors, in specially prepared greenhouses, in beds under a film cover. Planting of seeds begins around the beginning of March. It will take approximately 63-75 days to grow seedlings. Sowing is carried out in seedling boxes filled with specially prepared soil, peat pots, paper or film bags; liter containers from milk cartons are also suitable for this. You can plant two or three seeds in such containers.

To grow mid-season and late varieties, seeds are planted from the first days of April. Seedlings germinate within 2 months. If the seeds are planted in nurseries, greenhouses or cover beds, then the seeds are simply planted in the ground. The distance is at least 6 x 6 cm. If you use pots to germinate seedlings, then the seeds are placed in them. However, when germinating seeds, amateurs and professionals prefer to sow in seed boxes, and after the first leaves appear, the seedlings are planted in the ground.

To ensure successful seed germination, they need to undergo pre-sowing treatment. Seeds are checked for hollowness by placing them in a five percent solution of table salt, vigorously stirring for 8 - 12 minutes, heavy, full seeds will settle to the bottom, dummies will float. Next, the selected seeds require a disinfection procedure. To do this, they are immersed for several minutes in water heated to 45 - 55 degrees, followed by cooling of the air temperature.

To germinate, tomato seeds are placed in a moistened gauze bag, which is filled with seeds to 1/2 volume. The bag should be moistened for about 2 days. We plant the seeds to a depth of 2 cm, after which, carefully, through a strainer, water with warm water. After this procedure, the boxes are covered with film and put away in a shaded place. The room temperature is maintained at 23 - 26 degrees. If the temperature is maintained at a constant temperature, the seeds will sprout in 14 days.

Having seen the first leaves of the sprouts, the boxes must be opened. To harden the plants, gradually reduce the room temperature to 15 degrees over the course of a week. Then increase it again to 25 degrees.
When growing seedlings, it is important to maintain average soil moisture by watering up to two times a week. It is best to fertilize for the first time 9-11 days after planting.

The fertilizing is prepared as follows: 9 grams of ammonium nitrate, 13 grams of potassium chloride, 45 - 55 grams of superphosphate are dissolved in a bucket of water. If a second feeding is necessary, it is carried out after 2 weeks with double the concentration of the same fertilizers.

For those who are against chemical compounds on the site, you can prepare organic fertilizer for feeding. Usually a solution is prepared from slurry by diluting it in water: horse manure - 5 parts, cow manure - 10 parts, chicken manure - 5 parts. You can add 25-30 grams of superphosphate or a couple of handfuls of ash to this mixture.

When 2 weeks arrive before the planned planting, tomato seedlings need to be hardened off. To do this, the ambient temperature is reduced to 15 degrees. After five to seven days before planting, the temperature is brought to the level of temperature at night. Seedlings are covered only when there is a danger of frost. Excellent, ready-made seedlings - up to 27 cm, a trunk 6 mm thick, have several true leaves and one or two flower ovaries.

Planting tomatoes in open ground

The place where you are going to grow tomatoes should be chosen as far as possible from the potato plantings.
The method of growing tomatoes without seedlings using seeds is called seedless. To do this, the seeds are planted directly on the ground where they will develop.

This method is acceptable only in warm southern regions. It is carried out when the land warms up to 15 degrees. To plant seeds, planting in ridges (row method) is used. The rows are made at a distance of 63 -73 cm, the grains are buried to a depth of a couple of centimeters.

The frequency of plant sprouts will be formed further by weeding poorly developed sprouts. The first thinning is carried out when 2 to 3 true leaves are formed at the entrances; the plants need to be thinned by 22-25 cm. Repeated thinning - when 5-6 leaves are formed on the stems, the distance between them is 40 - 50 centimeters. In favorable climatic conditions, summer-autumn cultivation of tomatoes is possible, which can be used after harvesting ripened varieties.

How to grow tomatoes with a good harvest

Growing tomatoes should be done away from the plantings of everyone’s favorite potatoes. We observe crop rotation and make sure to grow tomatoes after “non-nightshade” crops. Remember: on plots used for growing nightshades, tomatoes can be planted no earlier than 5 years later. Failure to follow this rule when growing tomatoes can lead to infection with diseases, such as late blight and various rots.

In the fall, the soil is carefully dug up manually or with a walk-behind tractor to a depth of 40 centimeters, and organic and mineral fertilizers are applied. On chernozems, fertilizing with only mineral fertilizers is practiced: 9-12 grams of nitrogen, 9-12 grams of phosphorus, 6-11 grams of potassium, which are applied per square meter. m. plot. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are also applied when cultivating plots in the fall. Before planting in the spring, it is necessary to add nitrogen. If the soil is poor, then during autumn digging, 5.5-6 kg of organic matter is added to it. per sq.m.

If a non-seedling planting method is used on the site, it is important to remember that grass control is of primary importance when growing tomatoes; tomatoes grow much slower than weeds, so cultivated shoots can be crushed by the grown grass.

If you choose the method of growing tomatoes with seedlings, then it is better to use an ordinary planting method, maintaining a distance between rows of up to 70 centimeters. When growing in open ground, it is preferable to use the strip method. This method allows you to choose a distance between rows of 65-85 cm. In this way, you can plant from 3 to 6 tomato seedlings per square meter. m. For tall varieties, the planting area increases by 1.5 - 6 times.

Before planting tomato seedlings in the holes, you need to pour 1 liter of water into them. It is also a good idea to feed the seedlings by pouring a handful of wood ash into the hole. The seedlings are buried vertically in the hole, a little deeper than in the nursery. When planting in pots, you need to plant deeper to cover the long trunk to the first leaf.

Stretched or weakened stems can be planted at an angle, without covering only the tops, fruit clusters with several leaves. Before planting, the leaves must be removed from the stem. On these parts the stem forms adventitious roots. It is advisable to tie the stem to supports as it grows.

Further care of seedlings and growing tomatoes includes watering, soil care in the form of loosening and application, bush formation (we do this using pinching and), disease and pest control. Watering is carried out when planting seedlings, as well as during the total time of growing tomatoes, taking into account the weather; optimal watering is morning or evening after sunset. Loosening is carried out at least 3-6 times a season. Loosening may include hilling the stem, which will allow it to form additional roots.

For the first time, fertilizing when growing tomatoes is needed a couple of weeks after planting the tomatoes. If tomatoes are planted using seedless technology, then if there are 5-6 leaves per square meter on the stem, 11 grams of ammonium nitrate and 17 grams of superphosphate are added.

The second feeding is carried out with the formation of the first fruits, using 6-11 grams of ammonium nitrate and 17-20 grams of potassium sulfate. The addition of 0.5% superphosphate has worked well.

By removing the lower leaves, you can prevent the development of diseases and relieve excess stress on the bush

Once every 7 days when growing tomatoes is enough to perform pinching and remove new shoots. ( About the formation of a bush in detail). You should not plant early ripening varieties that have limited growth. If there are many flowers in the inflorescence, then if you want to get larger tomatoes, you can thin out the flowers.

In August, you can use pinching of the growing points of tomatoes, since the fruits in the new clusters will no longer have time to grow and ripen. Careful pinching will limit the growth of the stem, and the nutrients will be used to ripen the already growing fruits.

Harvesting occurs after 4-5 days, and at peak ripening after 2 days. For consumption, take completely ripe fruits.

To increase the yield time, you can use a method in which brown tomatoes of milky ripeness are harvested.

During ripening, when placing tomatoes for storage, it is necessary to take into account that ripened tomatoes emit gas - ethylene, which significantly accelerates the ripening of nearby hearths. In addition, crops of different maturity should be stored at different temperatures - more mature 3-5 degrees, brown 5-7 degrees, green and milky 10-13 degrees.

Obtaining seeds for sowing

The most practical way to grow healthy tomatoes is to use your own seeds. To get seeds, we take the best tomatoes from the first or second mother clusters, but not overripe ones. The selected fruits must be washed, dried and cut.

Select seeds from the halves and place in a glass bowl. Or take the pulp formed when squeezing tomato juice with a juicer. Seeds for future cultivation are washed several times with water, draining off the floating mass, and dried in the shade, distributed in an even layer on paper. After thoroughly drying, they must be scattered into bags and stored in the room, not forgetting to sign what variety the seeds came from.

The variety of tomato varieties allows you to choose exactly those varieties that are suitable for the climatic zone of your region. Many hybrids have also been bred that grow in any conditions - greenhouses and hotbeds, in open ground and on window sills in apartments.

After reading this article, you will learn what varieties you can plant in your garden and how to get a good harvest by following the rules of care.

Description of the plant

Tomato (Solánum lycopérsicum) is a member of the nightshade family. From the point of view of botanists, it is a berry, but at the end of the 19th century the US Supreme Court recognized it as a vegetable. Since then it has been called that all over the world.

Tomato is one of the most popular crops due to its valuable nutritional and dietary qualities, a wide variety of varieties, and high responsiveness to the growing techniques used.

This is a herbaceous plant with a branched taproot system.. Quite long (up to 1 meter). If the stem comes into contact with moist soil, then another root begins to grow in this place. Therefore, the propagation of tomatoes is different. They can be grown from seeds or suckers. The stems can be either erect or lodging. And the height ranges from 30 cm to more than two meters. Tomato is a self-pollinating representative of the flora. Flowers do not grow one by one, but are collected in a brush. The fruits are different in shape and color. Yes, and by weight too. So the Cherry variety has small berries - up to 30 grams. But the Giant’s mass is up to 2 kg.

Classified according to criteria characteristic of this family:

In open ground you can grow varieties of different ripening periods. Then the products can be obtained continuously.

Also, tomato bushes can be:

Landing

To grow the desired crop, it is not enough to throw the seeds into the ground and forget them until harvest. Of course, this is a rather unpretentious plant and the fruits will appear, but this is not at all what the vegetable grower is counting on. Therefore, there are certain rules for growing tomatoes in open ground:

• site selection, predecessor analysis;
• proper soil treatment for this crop;
• preparing seeds and seedlings for planting;
• plant care (watering, fertilizing, pinching, pinching, pest and disease control).

In addition, the crop must not only be grown, but also be able to process it and preserve it.

Soil selection

Tomatoes grow in any soil. But the whole question is what kind of harvest do you want to harvest?. If it is good, then the soil should be slightly acidic, that is, pH from 6.0 to 6.9. Weeds that appear on the site in the spring (horsetail, horse sorrel) warn about the acidity of the substrate. If you stir the soil in water, you can determine the approximate acidity with litmus paper, which you can buy or borrow from your local school chemistry teacher.

There are also special kits for analysis in stores. To carry out the procedure, soil is taken from different places in the garden bed and mixed with the solution from the kit. When it settles, compare the color of the liquid with the attached color scale.

Different types of soils

It often happens that the site is located on clay and sandy soils. It's no problem. Even such structures can be improved every year with compost, spreading at least 5 cm high over the entire area of ​​the bed. For normal growth and development of plants, areas that are well lit by the sun are chosen.

It is advisable to avoid planting in shaded areas in every possible way. It will not be possible to collect a good harvest from the bushes.

Soil preparation

Preparing the soil for planting tomatoes consists of three stages:

1. Basic(autumn digging).
2. Pre-sowing(spring harrowing).
3. Interrow(plant care).

The earlier the soil is prepared in the fall, the larger the tomato harvest you can get.

As soon as the garden is harvested, all plant residues are taken to the compost heap. Then fertilizers (humus, compost, chicken droppings and others) are evenly distributed over the garden bed. Dig the soil as deep as possible, but do not break the clods. In the spring, the beds are harrowed. It is necessary to dig a second time only if clay or loamy soils have become swollen after spring. After each watering, the soil must be loosened and this must not be stopped until the tomatoes are harvested.

After harvesting the tomato, all soil is placed in a compost heap.

In order to reduce moisture evaporation, crust formation, and optimize temperature fluctuations at night and during the day, mulching is used during the growing season of plants. Mulch not only inhibits the growth of weeds, but also reduces the need for frequent loosening of the soil. The technique is simple. As soon as the plants are planted, peat, humus, sawdust and other materials are poured into the row spacing in a 5 cm layer. Later they will also serve as fertilizer. Therefore, fertilizing is not needed. If you only have paper or film at hand, you can also use them by placing them in the rows and sprinkling them with soil.

After what plants can you plant?

The yield and quality of grown products directly depends on their predecessors. That is, plants that were grown in the beds in the previous year. For tomatoes, good predecessors are: cucumber, onion, and legumes. Acceptable - cabbage.

Preparing the soil before planting crops

Vegetables from the same family should not be placed side by side, much less grown in the same area, for more than 2-4 years.

Landing

Tomatoes are grown in open ground from seeds and seedlings. You can collect the seeds yourself, or you can purchase them in specialized stores. It is better not to buy them from random people and try to use seed material of zoned varieties of Russian or Dutch selection. It is important to know in greenhouses. In the southern regions, where the frost-free period lasts 180 days, tomatoes can be planted without seedlings, sowing seeds in holes.

Read about the secrets of growing tomatoes in open ground.

No more than one tomato bush should be grown in one hole.

Semyan

Tomato seeds cannot be purchased as reserves. Their germination capacity is lost every year.

Before sowing, seed material should be properly prepared. To do this they:

• calibrate, separating full-weight ones;
• disinfected. The simplest action is in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate;
• coated. Enriched with nutrients. You can soak mullein in an aqueous solution (1:10). Such seeds germinate more quickly, and plant yields become higher.

They need to be dried a little before planting. To grow without seedlings, make holes and fill them with humus. If there has been no rain for a long time, then water before planting. You need to sow 5-6 seeds. When three true leaves appear on the plants, the weaker shoots are discarded.

Seeds must be germinated before planting

With the seedless type of planting, a powerful root is formed. Such plants produce high yields and are less susceptible to diseases. Depending on the variety, the sowing scheme may be different. Usually it is 45x45 cm.

Seedlings

In a heated greenhouse, seedlings of the required condition can be grown in 7–8 weeks. They begin to sow the seeds in February, having previously calculated the time of planting the seedlings in a permanent place (approximately two months). More precise dates for sowing seeds of a particular variety can be seen on the packaging. Now there are special containers for growing seedlings, but you can use trays. Or boxes filled with earth. Spread the seeds thinly and sprinkle with sifted compost. Picking is carried out after the appearance of the first true leaf.

Tomato seedlings are grown in special peat pots

In order to grow strong seedlings, you need to water them moderately and maintain the desired temperature in the room.

It is better to start planting when color appears on the first brush . The height of such a plant should be about 25 cm. The planting pattern differs slightly depending on the variety: row spacing is up to 50 cm, and the distance between plants is from 30 cm. This is acceptable for early varieties.

Care

A good harvest can only be obtained when at least a little effort is made. Tomato is an unpretentious plant and will reward the vegetable grower with a good and tasty harvest. Therefore, tomatoes need to be watered, fed, tied up, and the tops pinched if it is a standard variety. And of course, fight pests and diseases.

To get a good tomato harvest, you need to regularly water it, feed it, tie it up and pinch the top.

Watering

Tomato responds well to watering, but at the same time does not like overly moist soil. It is better to do it along grooves (10–15 cm), rather than by sprinkling. Water consumption is from 400 to 500 liters per ten square meters. Watering regime – 7 days. The tomato uses water very sparingly.

Read about watering onions in open ground.

As the tomato grows, it needs regular watering.

Much less water consumption with drip irrigation.

Top dressing

The seedlings are fed the first time after two weeks, the second time at the beginning of fruiting, and the third time 14–16 days after the second.

In this case, the rate of application of fertilizers dissolved in 10 liters of water should be as follows:

Potassium salt is used only for the first feeding. The second and third do without it.

Treatment

There are few varieties that are resistant to diseases. Therefore, there is no way to do without insecticides and fungicides.

Tomato plantings must be regularly treated:

Treatment with chemicals is stopped twenty days before harvest.

Garter

When growing any variety of tomatoes in open ground or a greenhouse, it is still better to garter the tomato

Cleaning and storage

Tomatoes are harvested as they ripen. If frost is approaching, then you can collect all the brown and milky ones from the area. Their ripening times are slightly different. Brown ones turn red in 7 days, while milky ones will need up to 12 days. The shelf life of tomatoes is also different:

• dairy products can be stored for up to a month at a temperature of about 10 degrees;
• brown tomatoes have the same period, but the air temperature should be lower - up to six degrees.

You can also store red tomatoes for a whole month. But they must have thick skin, without any blemishes. And the desired temperature is about one degree Celsius.

Read about storing fresh cucumbers at home at the link.

Tomatoes will not keep well in a tightly sealed plastic bag.

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conclusions

In the southern regions of the country and in the temperate zone, you can grow tomatoes in open ground. And the yields are higher than in greenhouses, and the vegetable grower puts in less effort. Tomatoes can be grown either by seedlings or without seedlings. .

Plant care consists of preparing the soil and seeds for planting. Watering, fertilizing, tying, pinching the tops of tall varieties, as well as timely control of pests and diseases will allow you to reap a good harvest from open beds.

South America is considered the birthplace of tomatoes, where today you can find various types of this crop in nature. Due to its nutritional and taste qualities, variety of varieties and good yield, tomato is popular everywhere. It is most often grown in greenhouses, but in open ground you can get a fairly bountiful harvest. The main thing is to choose the right variety and provide the crop with the most optimal conditions for vegetation and fruiting.

Choosing a planting site, soil quality

It is advisable to prepare the soil for growing tomatoes in the fall: humus should be added to the soil, which will saturate the substrate with substances useful for the crop. Tomatoes grow very poorly in acidic soils, so at high pH levels it is advisable to deoxidize the soil using chalk or ordinary charcoal. If it is not possible to determine the acidity of the soil, know that sorrel or horsetail grows well in acidic soils.

In addition to humus, in the fall you should fertilize the soil with potassium and phosphorus types of mineral fertilizers. Potassium nitrate, which contains nitrogen, is especially useful for tomatoes.

It is advisable to choose those types of fertilizers that remain in the soil for a long time.

If you plan to fertilize the soil with ammonium nitrate, then it is best to apply it to the ground in the spring, since its ions very quickly dissolve in the substrate and are washed out of it.

It is advisable to choose the location for tomatoes wisely. Tomatoes need long daylight hours and do well in direct sunlight. Because of this feature, you need to choose a place to plant the crop not in the shade, but in open, well-lit areas. You should also avoid lowlands where water accumulates in the soil after precipitation. This can lead to a number of diseases.

You cannot plant tomatoes in areas where nightshade crops and corn previously grew. It is also not recommended to plant tomatoes in the same place for several years in a row. The most useful predecessors of tomatoes are root vegetables, radishes, cabbage, lettuce, and legumes.

Transplantation process

Most often, tomatoes are planted as seedlings. Germinating seeds in open ground is associated with a number of problems, even in regions with a very mild climate: low germination, uneven germination of seedlings, inability to create optimal humidity and temperature, and so on. Therefore, the most popular method is seedlings that were sown in boxes at the end of February or beginning of March.

It is important to know! Seedlings that are planned to be planted in open ground must be well hardened. Otherwise, you may lose some of the shoots or, due to sudden changes in conditions, the growth of seedlings will be delayed.

The timing of transplanting young plants depends on the climatic region, since the seedlings will not withstand frost or too low night temperatures. The optimal time is the whole of May. When the air temperature drops, you can always protect the seedlings with special structures with film or agro-fabric.

After the area with the soil for planting the crop is completely ready, it is dug up, leveled, and you can begin planting the seedlings. It is best to do this early in the morning, when the sun is not yet too hot. The area for tomatoes should be divided into sectors and the places where holes for seedlings will be dug should be marked. The distance between the holes depends on the type of crop; if the tomato bushes are tall, then it is recommended to leave about 70 cm, if not too large, then 40-50 cm. If you plan to plant several rows of tomatoes, then it is best to place the plants in a checkerboard pattern, this will help save money square. The distance between rows should also depend on the variety (from 70 to 40 cm).

After digging holes that are not too deep, the soil should be disinfected. For these purposes, potassium permanganate is diluted in a bucket of water; the solution should be light pink. The holes are thoroughly watered with a disinfectant solution. After this procedure, you can additionally water the depressions so that the soil is very well moistened, since after planting the seedlings cannot be watered for several days.

Methods of planting seedlings

The vertical method is a classic method of planting. The seedling is removed from the container and placed in the hole, after which the roots of the plant are sprinkled with substrate and slightly compacted. This method is suitable for those young plants whose length at the time of planting does not exceed 40 cm.

The horizontal planting method is used for seedlings that have become too tall during cultivation. When planting, the seedling is tilted, the roots and part of the stem are covered with earth. It is believed that this method allows the development of an additional root system on the stems and thereby improves plant nutrition during the growing season.

After planting seedlings in the ground, it is not recommended to water them for the first 8-10 days. An exception can be made only if the weather is too hot and sunny. It is best to water the seedlings in the evening with settled water, which is heated by the sun's rays.

If weather conditions leave much to be desired, watering the seedlings after transplantation is prohibited. Watering will have a negative impact on the plants, they can become infected with late blight and you can forget about the harvest. This rule applies not only to young plants, but also to adult plants during the growing season and fruiting.

Adult plants should be watered periodically during the growing season, depending on the weather and the appearance of the bushes. When adding moisture to the tomatoes, you should pay attention to ensure that the water only gets to the root area. It is prohibited to water leaves and shoots.

When flowering and fruiting, tomatoes need increased watering, since a lack of moisture can cause the inflorescences to drop, cracking, or the fruit to shrink in size.

Plant care

As tomatoes grow, they need constant care. Hilling is a very important process when growing tomatoes in open ground.

With periodic hilling, additional roots are formed in the plants, which contribute to greater absorption of nutrients from the soil. Hilling is especially important during the fruiting period, when the formation of fruits requires more oxygen and nutrients, and if there is a lack of which, plants drop inflorescences or newly formed tomatoes.

Tomatoes can be mulched. This will preserve moisture near the roots, which is important in dry summers. The only caveat is that the bark of coniferous trees increases the acidity of the soil, since when it gets wet it releases acids into the ground. Therefore, it is best not to use it.

Fertilizer for tomatoes

Fertilizing significantly affects the yield of tomatoes. During the entire period after transplanting plants into open ground, it is recommended to carry out 4 feedings with mixtures that contain different fertilizers.

The first feeding should be carried out 21 days after transplanting the seedlings into open ground. It is recommended to dilute a tablespoon of nitrophoska and ready-made “Ideal” fertilizer into a bucket of water. 0.5 liters of solution is poured under one bush.

The second application of fertilizer is carried out when the second pair of inflorescences appears on the bushes. Plant growers recommend using the ready-made solution “Signor Tomato” or fertilizer with a similar composition.

Fertilizer "Signor Tomato"

The third root application of fertilizers is carried out after the appearance of the third pair of inflorescences. The composition and dose of fertilizers are exactly the same as during the first feeding.

The fourth application of fertilizers is carried out 14 days after the third. 2 teaspoons of superphosphate are diluted per bucket of water and the mixture is applied under the root, the dose is a bucket of water per square meter of soil.

Garter of tomato bushes

Tomato varieties can vary in height, so very often tall bushes need to be tied up. This must be done so that the rather fragile shoots of plants do not break from the wind or from the weight of the fruit during the fruiting period. To secure the shoots, you can use ordinary wooden sticks, soft mesh, or trellises. It all depends on the height of the culture. Bushes up to half a meter in height should not be tied up; for two-meter giants, a trellis is best suited; for one and a half meter shoots, you can use an agricultural mesh made of soft material that will not damage the delicate branches.

It is also worth monitoring the condition of the shoots when the fruits ripen. In high-yielding varieties, sometimes many fruits ripen on one branch, under the weight of which the plant can break. Therefore, it is recommended to take measures to save the crop.

Ways to increase yield

Under favorable conditions, tomato bushes tend to grow very strongly, forming many side shoots. Because of this, productivity decreases due to the fact that the plant spends a lot of nutrients on the growth of unnecessary branches. In case of strong growth, it is recommended to carry out pinching - removing side branches with ovaries.

Pruning is carried out during the growing season of plants. You should leave the main stem and the first stepson - the second well-formed stem. It is recommended to carefully remove the remaining shoots, which allows you to form a tall and strong bush. This procedure is recommended to be done every 10 days. If for some reason there are too many large side shoots, there is no need to break them off, as this may destroy the plant. In this case, it is recommended to stop the growth of the side shoot by pinching off the top.

By removing the tops from the main shoots, you can speed up the formation and ripening of fruits, since the plant will direct all its strength and nutrients not to the growth of the bush, but to fruiting.

Video - How to properly plant tomatoes

Pests and diseases

Late blight is a fairly common disease that affects tomatoes in open ground. It manifests itself as brown spots on the surface of leaves and fruits, a white coating under the leaves, noticeably reduces productivity and leads to the death of plants. Appears with high humidity or sudden temperature changes. An effective remedy for late blight is the “Zaslon” composition, which needs to be used to treat tomatoes several times a season.

Mosaic is a viral infection that affects the green mass of tomatoes, causing the plants to quickly wither and die. Modern hybrids are resistant to mosaic, but when the first symptoms of the disease appear, it is recommended to use a solution of potassium manganese to treat the infection.

Gray rot appears at the end of the season, with changes or drops in temperature. It is manifested by the appearance of brown spots on ripe or green fruits. Tomatoes affected by gray rot cannot be stored and very quickly become watery and tasteless. Fungicides and removal of infected fruits from branches are effective in combating the disease.

Also, tomatoes very often become attractive to various pests, from which special preparations effectively help. The fruits and bushes of the crop can be affected by aphids, whiteflies, mole crickets, and cutworms.

Harvesting

Tomatoes tend to ripen very quickly and unevenly, so during the fruiting period you need to constantly ensure that ripe fruits are removed from the bush on time. Under unfavorable conditions, you can harvest in advance, despite the fact that the tomatoes are still green. If the plant is not infected with any infection, the fruits ripen normally in boxes or on windowsills, which does not affect their taste in any way.

The most adapted tomato varieties for growing in open ground

Video - Growing tomatoes in open ground

Senor Tomato is a positive hero of culinary creations, in contrast to the character of the famous cartoon. To enjoy the taste of a homemade vegetable, it is enough to know the characteristics of the crop variety and a few rules for growing tomatoes.