Caring for tomatoes outdoors
Tomatoes are perhaps the most popular vegetables in our gardens. Summer residents have been growing them for a long time and in general they know agricultural technology: how to water, how to fertilize, how to form. But they do not always follow it exactly. Meanwhile, the norms, terms and proper care of tomatoes in the open field often play an important role

Watering tomatoes

It would seem, what difficulties can there be? You take a hose … And immediately a mistake: tomatoes do not like such watering. There are 4 rules that must be followed.

What to water. Rain water. It is soft, nutrients dissolve better in it, and it is easier for plants to get their soil. And the plumbing, and even more so the well, is tough. If you water it, it will be more difficult for a tomato to get food for itself. So do not be lazy and do not be stingy – put a barrel on the site.

When to water. When there is no heat. In the morning (until 9.00) or in the evening (from 17.00 to 20.00). During the day, in hot weather, it is impossible to water: a large difference in air and water temperatures can cause physiological shock in plants. A paradox arises: you water, and the tomatoes wither before your eyes.

How to water. Strictly under the root (1). Water on the leaves increases the risk of Phytophthora. She, of course, will appear in any case, but on wet leaves it is faster.

How often to water. If watered frequently and little by little, the plants will develop a shallow root system and will constantly suffer from a lack of moisture, because the topsoil dries out the fastest.

Therefore, it is necessary to water rarely, but as it should. In several steps. Let the water soak in and return to the same place again – this way the moisture will penetrate deep into, and not spill over.

Until fruiting, tomatoes are watered once a week, 1 liters per plant. And then they need more moisture – they consume more water during the period of mass formation of fruits and their filling (5). The amount of watering depends on the variety.

Low growing tomatoes. They are watered until the first fruits begin to turn red. The norm is the same – once a week 1 liters per bush. Then watering is stopped. If you continue to water the plants, the tomatoes will crack.

The crop of undersized tomatoes ripens together, so do not be afraid that the plants will die without watering – the fruits will have time to ripen.

Tall varieties. They have flowers, ovaries, and already ripening fruits on the same plant at the same time, so they need to be watered even when the crop is ripe. But the amount of water must be reduced – up to 3 liters per plant.

After watering, mulch the beds – with hay, straw or rotted sawdust (fresh ones cannot be used, they take nitrogen from plants) with a layer of 4 – 5 cm. This simple technique will allow you to retain moisture in the soil longer. In addition, light mulch reflects light, and tomatoes get more sun – they get it not only from above, but also from below. Mulch also keeps the soil from overheating. As a result, the fruits ripen a week earlier, and the yield increases by 25 – 30%.

Top dressing of tomatoes

In summer, to care for tomatoes in the open field, you need only 2 main fertilizing with nitrogen and potassium – during the period of fruit formation, plants consume the most of these elements (3):

  • when the fruits are actively gaining weight – 1 matchbox of ammonium nitrate and potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water, consumption – 3 liters per bush;
  • 20 – 30 days after the first – the same fertilizers in the same doses.

An infusion of ash will help to improve the quality and taste of the fruit: 2 cups are poured into 10 liters of warm water and kept for 5 hours. And then they water the plants under the root. And so all summer, every 10 – 12 days.

Formation of tomatoes

Tomatoes grow very strongly, give a lot of side shoots. But the more greenery, the less harvest. Therefore, plants must be formed. There are many ways, they depend on the variety and on where the tomatoes grow – in a greenhouse or open field. But you don’t have to worry about exploring various options, there is one universal one: form tomatoes into one stem with 6 flower tassels – you can’t go wrong.

How to remove stepchildren. This must be done constantly, preventing them from growing longer than 5 cm. The larger the shoot, the thicker it is, which means that the wound after pruning will be larger. And this is the gateway to infection.

You can’t break out the stepchildren completely – after that, new ones will climb out of this sinus. Side shoots need to be cut off. So that a stump of 1 – 2 cm remains (4).

Should I cut off the bottom leaves? Some summer residents believe that this is extra work, but there is no use from it. But it’s not. There is no use from the lower leaves: they do not catch the light, because they are obscured by the upper part of the bush. But they actively evaporate moisture. In addition, during the rains, they fall on the ground, in which phytophthora spores live. It is from the lower leaves that the disease begins.

It is necessary to cut off the leaves when the fruits begin to turn white. They do this gradually – first 1 – 2 leaves, after a few days a couple more, and so on, until all the leaves below the first fruit brush are removed. Why can’t they be cut off all at once? Because there is a sharp imbalance: the roots continue to extract water in the same quantities as before, and there are fewer leaves that can evaporate it. As a result, water is redirected to the fruits, and they crack.

Hilling tomatoes

We are used to hilling potatoes, but tomatoes also need this technique – this is how they form additional roots. And the more roots, the easier it is for the plant to feed itself. This means that the yield will be higher.

During the summer, 2 hillings are carried out:

  • when the rudiments of roots appeared on the stems near the ground;
  • when the stalk below turned a little blue.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about caring for tomatoes with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.

Can I use drip irrigation to grow tomatoes?

You can – this is the best option. First, water is saved. Secondly, the soil does not erode and the earth does not fall on the leaves. In addition, such watering does not require your presence – it saves time.

Is it necessary to feed tomatoes?

If the soil is fertile, rich in organic matter, for example, black soil, tomatoes can be grown without additional dressings. But fertility still needs to be maintained – once every 1 years, bring in fresh manure in the fall, and mulch the beds with hay in the summer.

 

Feeding is needed on poor soils – without them there will be no good harvest.

Is it possible not to stepson tomatoes?

In the old days, in the villages, tomatoes were not stepsoned or tied up – they were grown in spreading, like cucumbers. But with this method, the yields are always very low, and the fruits themselves are of poor quality – they are more often affected by late blight and vertex rot. So you have to stepchild.

Sources of

  1. Gavrish S.F. Tomatoes // M.: NIIOZG, publishing house “Scriptorium 2000”, 2003 – 184 p.
  2. A group of authors, ed. Polyanskoy A.M. and Chulkova E.I. Tips for gardeners // Minsk, Harvest, 1970 – 208 p.
  3. Shuvaev Yu.N. Soil nutrition of vegetable plants // M.: Eksmo, 2008 – 224 p.
  4. Pantielev Ya.Kh. ABC vegetable grower // M .: Kolos, 1992 – 383 p.

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