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Gardeners of the Moscow region, for the most part, annually try to grow tasty and healthy tomatoes on their plots. Someone succeeds in this successfully, while someone regularly fails in the struggle for the harvest. There can be many reasons for this, but, as a rule, the failures of farmers are associated with the violation of some important rules for the cultivation of tomatoes, because the delicate and painstaking process of growing must take into account not only the characteristics of the culture, but also the climate of the region. In the suburbs, real spring warmth comes quite late, and autumn does not take long to wait. The relatively short summer period makes the gardener more attentive to the choice of tomato varieties and growing conditions for vegetables.
Greenhouse or open garden: pros and cons
The Moscow region cannot be called a gardener’s paradise, especially when it comes to growing such a heat-loving crop as a tomato. Unfortunately, tomatoes that arrived in domestic spaces from distant South America do not grow at temperatures below +100C. Under such conditions, the cultivation of tomatoes in the open field in the Moscow region is possible only by the end of May, when night temperatures overcome the established figure. The greenhouse allows you to speed up the process of growing tomatoes, since favorable conditions are established in it 2-3 weeks earlier. At the same time, there is no unequivocal opinion among farmers about where to grow tomatoes, since each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages:
- The greenhouse allows you to plant tomato seedlings earlier and get a crop of vegetables. In greenhouse conditions, plants do not experience sharp jumps in night and day temperatures; short-term spring and autumn frosts are not terrible for them. However, greenhouse conditions are favorable not only for growing tomatoes, but also for the development of harmful microflora, fungi and bacteria that cause tomato diseases, causing damage to plantings and crops. The greenhouse during the daytime heats up very much, and the temperature can only be lowered with the help of ventilation. If it is installed in a country house, remote from the place of permanent residence of the owners, then it is not possible to regularly open and close doors and windows, which means that the tomatoes in the greenhouse will most likely simply burn out.
- Open ground “sets” for the farmer strict terms for growing tomatoes, since spring frosts and autumn colds can destroy tomatoes in the beds. Rainy weather in the Moscow region in summer and the early arrival of autumn provokes the development of phytophthora, which damages plants and fruits. At the same time, open ground solves the issue of pollination of tomatoes, does not require financial costs for the purchase of materials, and partially solves the issue of watering tomatoes. You can eliminate the likelihood of spring freezing of tomatoes in unprotected conditions with the help of temporary shelter on arcs. Open ground is the only right solution for growing tomatoes in the garden without regular supervision of the owners.
Such contradictions are the basis for the discussions of farmers. At the same time, each gardener of the Moscow region decides for himself under what conditions to grow tomatoes. Having chosen the appropriate cultivation option, you need to choose the best variety that is zoned for the area and can give the farmer a lot of tasty tomatoes when grown in given conditions.
How to choose a variety of tomatoes for the Moscow region
It is necessary to choose a variety of tomatoes, starting from the chosen growing conditions, the desired yield, and the precocity of the fruit:
- In a heated greenhouse in the Moscow region, you can get an early harvest of vegetables in early May. To do this, you need to choose an ultra-early variety, the type of bush of which will be standard or determinant. A good example of such varieties are “Boni-M”, “Lyana”, “Pink Leader”.
- In the greenhouse conditions of the Moscow region, you can get a record yield of tomatoes by choosing an indeterminate variety. Such tomatoes will grow and bear fruit until late autumn, giving up to 50 kg / m2 vegetables throughout the season. It should be borne in mind that it is not possible to get a crop of fresh vegetables from indeterminate tomatoes early. The ripening period of their fruits is long. Good indeterminate tomatoes are “President”, “Tolstoy f1”, “Mikado Pink”.
- For open ground near Moscow, you should choose medium and undersized tomatoes with a short fruit ripening period. This will facilitate the care of adult plants and will allow you to harvest in full before the onset of autumn cold weather. In this case, the choice of the consumer can be offered varieties “Yablonka Rossii”, “Dar Zavolzhya”, “Fighter”.
By choosing the right tomato variety for the Moscow region, you can achieve your goal, whether it is high yields or early vegetables. However, when choosing a variety, it would be useful to pay attention to the resistance of tomatoes to diseases, in the case of growing vegetables in a greenhouse, and adverse weather conditions, if it is planned to harvest on open land. The choice of taste characteristics, shape and size of tomatoes depends largely on the purpose of vegetables and consumer preferences.
Is it possible to do without seedlings
It is generally accepted that the cultivation of tomatoes in the Moscow region is possible only in seedlings. However, many people forget that it is possible to grow tomatoes by sowing seeds in the ground in the presence of a greenhouse. To do this, it is necessary to maintain the temperature above +150C. Germinated and treated with antiseptic tomato seeds are sown 2-3 pcs in each well. After the plants gain strength, one of the weakest seedlings is removed. It is worth noting that this method of cultivation is applicable for early ripening varieties, the seeds of which I sow in the ground at the end of April. In the presence of a heated greenhouse, tomato seeds can be sown much earlier.
The seedless method of growing tomatoes is advantageous because it does not require potted tomatoes on the windowsills. At the same time, tomatoes do not need to be dived and planted, which means that there is no chance of damaging the roots during transplantation, tomatoes will not experience stress and slow down their growth when conditions change. An example of seedless cultivation of tomatoes can be seen in the video:
For lack of the opportunity to grow tomatoes by sowing seeds into the ground, many gardeners traditionally grow seedlings on their windows in the spring. To do this, acquire or prepare a nutrient substrate and containers with a drained bottom. The soil for tomatoes should be light, its composition should be balanced, which is why peat, sand and wood ash must be added to garden soil, which can be replaced with superphosphate and potassium nitrate. It is preferable to plant tomato seeds immediately in isolated containers, otherwise, at the age of 2-3 weeks after germination, tomatoes will need to dive. If the growing containers are made on a peat basis, then the roots of the tomatoes will not need to be removed when planting, which means that the tomatoes will receive a minimum of stress.
Care for seedlings of tomatoes and tomatoes sown with seed in the ground is the same. Plants need watering and fertilizing. Water the tomatoes rarely, as the soil dries. Top dressing for the entire period of growing seedlings should be carried out at least 3 times. Tomatoes are planted at the age of 40-45 days. Seedlings should be planted in open ground in the last days of May or early June, depending on weather conditions.
Caring for tomatoes
It is necessary to plant tomatoes in a greenhouse and on open ground on beds, the soil of which contains a complex of nutrients, including organic matter and minerals. The substrate is prepared in advance by adding rotted manure (5-7 kg / m2), superphosphate (40-60 g/m2) and potassium nitrate (30-40 g/m2). The ridges are made on loose soil dug to a depth of 25-30 cm. The width of the ridges should be approximately 1,5 m. This will allow you to plant tomatoes in 2 rows, the distance between which will be at least 60 cm. You can plant tomatoes in a checkerboard pattern or in parallel, at a distance of at least 30 cm from each other.
Tomatoes should be watered regularly 1 time in 2-3 days in large quantities. Excessive regular watering can lead to rotting of the root system of tomatoes. You can saturate the roots of tomatoes with oxygen and prevent the development of fungal diseases by loosening the earth to a depth of 5-6 cm.
You need to feed adult tomatoes 1 time in 2 weeks, using various mineral and organic fertilizers. At the initial stage of growing tomatoes, it is preferable to introduce substances with a high nitrogen content; after the appearance of ovaries, tomatoes need potassium and phosphorus. An approximate feeding schedule can be seen in the table below. The composition of dressings and their regularity for tomatoes in the open field and in the greenhouse is similar.
Growing tomatoes in open ground or in a greenhouse can be carried out using complex preparations that, in addition to nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, contain additional trace elements. One of these complex preparations is Novalon. This fertilizer can be found in various formulations that match the specific stage of tomato cultivation.
The formation of bushes is in many ways the basis for obtaining a good harvest of tomatoes. By removing stepchildren and greens from the bushes, you can direct the nutrients and energy of the plant directly to the fruits, accelerating their ripening, improving filling and taste.
The formation of tomatoes consists of pinching, pinching and removing the lower leaves. Bushes are formed depending on their type. Examples of the formation of tomatoes in one, two and three stems are shown in the photo:
High levels of humidity and temperature in the greenhouse, the lack of normal air circulation often provoke the development of fungal, bacterial and viral diseases. You can prevent infection of tomatoes with the help of preventive treatments with drugs from the category of fungicides or folk remedies. Among folk remedies, an aqueous solution of whey (1: 1) shows high efficiency. You can learn more about protecting tomatoes from diseases from the video:
Growing tomatoes in the open ground of the Moscow region can also be faced with some diseases, more often this late blight, which can be dealt with by the methods described above. The development of late blight is promoted by high humidity and sharp fluctuations in temperature, therefore, when observing such conditions, it is necessary to take care of the preventive protection of tomatoes.
It is worth noting that infection of tomatoes occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungus enter the damaged areas of the plant’s skin. Carriers of pathogens can be insects, wind, drops of water. In general, protection of tomatoes can be ensured by following some growing rules:
- you can only water tomatoes at the root;
- form tomatoes only in the morning of a sunny day, so that the wounds on the skin dry out by evening;
- it is necessary to feed tomatoes regularly in compliance with the dosages of various substances;
- you can additionally maintain the immunity of tomatoes with the help of special biological products (“Baikal”, “Epin”).
Tomatoes can be harmed not only by microbes and bacteria that are not visible to the eye, but also by pests that eat the leaves, fruits and roots of tomatoes. In the Moscow region, this problem is also common: aphids can show off on tomato foliage, scoop larvae on fruits, and tomato roots can become appetizing food for cockchafer larvae. You can fight them by setting various traps or spraying with special preparations. At the same time, there is another very simple and effective way to control pests: combined planting. So, next to the tomatoes, you can plant beautiful marigolds, which will drive away most harmful insects with their smell.
Unfortunately, the Moscow region cannot boast of the most favorable climate for growing tomatoes. However, competent and diligent farmers cope with this difficult task, even in open areas of land. With a rational choice of a variety of tomatoes and compliance with all the rules of cultivation, even a rainy summer will not prevent the gardener from getting a good harvest of vegetables. Thus, we can conclude that the main secret of growing tomatoes lies in the knowledge of the farmer.