Dedicated to tomato lovers!

Tomatoes: tips for growing

Every tomato lover dreams of growing the perfect tomato: hard, juicy, sweet, aromatic. The trick to growing great tasting tomatoes is to choose the right variety, start growing the plants right, and try to solve problems before they arise. This is not an easy task. Let's sort it out in order. First, see what conditions are most favorable for growing this vegetable.

Growing conditions.

The tomato is a very thermophilic plant. Its growing temperature is + 20-25 degrees. At low temperatures it stops growth, at high temperatures (above +30) it becomes sterile.

Prefers loamy and sandy loam soils. Weakly acidic or neutral medium, pH from 6.0 to 6.8.

Loves watering. At least 2-3 times a week or as soon as the soil becomes dry. Humidity is not less than 50-60%. At low humidity, pollen does not germinate, at higher humidity it sticks together and does not spill out.

Light-loving plant, prefers direct rather than diffused light. Day length minimum 6 hours maximum 14-16.
For intensive growth and fruiting, you need a lot of nutrients.

The best neighbors of tomato: cucumber, onion, garlic, carrot, parsley, salad. Do not plant them next to cabbage, dill, potatoes, eggplants.

Growing.

Tomatoes are usually grown using seedlings, although in southern latitudes it is possible with seeds, directly into the ground.

Tomato seeds are sown for growing seedlings in late winter, early spring. As containers, you can use either purchased or simply saved boxes for juices, milk, sour cream, etc. The soil must contain nitrogen and phosphorus for the formation of leaves, stems and roots. Cover the sown seeds with about 1 cm of soil. And place in a well-lit place.

2 weeks after germination, when the first true leaves appear, thin out the tomatoes to get strong seedlings.
After 6-8 weeks, seedlings can be planted either in open ground or in greenhouses and greenhouses. Before planting, the seedlings must be hardened. During the week, leave them on the balcony during the day, and bring them home at night. So before planting, make sure that the threat of frost has passed and the soil for replanting is warm.

Bushes need to be planted at a distance of 50-80 cm from each other so that adult plants do not interfere with each other. Water the hole, add fertilizer, and only then plant the plant.
Tear off the leaves of the seedlings, leave 2-3. This will stimulate root formation. Cover the soil around with mulch, a layer of about 10 cm. Mulch is needed to retain moisture and control weeds.

Then leave our tomatoes alone for 10-14 days. During this time, the seedlings will take root and acclimatize. After this time, water and sprinkle the tomatoes.

In tomato beds, we set pegs on the northern side of the bush. We will tie our plants to them when they have 4-5 leaves. We carry out the garter several times, as the plant grows. We need to ensure that the leaves, stems and fruits of tomatoes do not lie on the ground.

Taking care of mature plants.

Stepson's.

Removing the lateral shoots of the plant so that the tomatoes do not waste their energy on building up the vegetative mass we do not need. If this is not done, then the fruits will either not be at all, or they will be small and ripen for a long time. It is better to remove it in the morning.

Watering.

Water not often, but abundantly, 2-3 times a week. It is better to water it early in the morning under the root of the plant.
If you live in a warm climate and you have a hot summer, then to help tomatoes during the day, put stones next to the plant, they will cool and retain water. The soil will not dry out as quickly.

Top dressing.

The first feeding, as I wrote above, is done when planting in the ground. Fertilizers must contain nitrogen and phosphorus.
The next top dressing is two weeks after planting. You also need nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium and trace elements are also added. During the period of active growth, we introduce the same elements. Phosphorus and nitrogen are necessary for the formation of a green part of plants and a powerful root system.

When the plants bloom and fruits begin to set, we add potassium and phosphorus, nitrogen-containing ones are not needed, since we need good flowers and fruits, not leaves.
During the fruiting period, you can make a complex top dressing containing boron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, iodine. We apply all dressings every 2-3 weeks. Do not apply fertilizer to dry soil, as you can burn the roots. First, wet the soil well.

Spraying.

In addition to root dressings, you can additionally spray the leaves and stems of the plant every week with a weakly concentrated solution of boric acid, copper sulfate, potassium permanganate, etc. This spraying will strengthen the leaves and ovaries. Saturates the plant with minerals. It will help to cope with pathogenic microorganisms.
The processing solution must be warm. Better to try it on one plant and see how it feels. It is better to spray in the evening, as well as to apply any fertilizers.

Pollination.

Tomato is a self-pollinated plant, but bees can be attracted to your plantation for greater efficiency. To do this, plant flowers along with tomatoes that attract these insects, for example, mustard, basil.

I hope my advice will help you. Good luck growing your ideal tomatoes!