Tomatoes for home growing. Main reasons for failure

Tomatoes are a vegetable that any housewife’s kitchen cannot do without. While you can always buy a tomato at the market or in a store, a fragrant vegetable grown in your own garden will always be better! I think that it makes no sense to list all those dishes that include tomatoes - they will always be used in the kitchen :)

And, I hope, you have already sowed, and in this article we will plunge into growing tomato seedlings from seeds at home, so that you can eat tomatoes from your garden all summer and autumn.

Tomatoes - enough capricious plant, requiring attention and care at any age. However, you shouldn’t be afraid to grow tomatoes, especially when you have detailed instructions at hand. To grow strong and strong fruit-bearing plants, you need to create certain conditions:

• large number lighting - if natural lighting is not enough, you need to use lamp lighting;
• enough high humidity– how to support it, read the detailed care instructions below;
• warm - during the day the optimal temperature for tomato seedlings is +18-25°C, at night +12-15°C.

When to plant tomatoes from seeds for seedlings according to the lunar calendar 2018

It is important to correctly determine the timing so as not to overexpose the seedlings on the windowsill, as this may lead to a decrease in yield.

It will take 5-10 days after sowing for seeds to germinate, plus 45-60 days for further care for seedlings. Total average term It will take approximately 55-65 days before planting seedlings in open ground.

In the table lunar calendar 2018 indicates the following dates favorable for tomatoes:

• February - 18-20, 25-28 for planting seeds
• March - 1, 17-20, 24-28

For individual regions, it is necessary to take into account their own characteristics to determine the timing of sowing tomato seeds for seedlings, since the temperature regime is different by region:

• in the southern regions of Russia and Ukraine - seeds for seedlings can be planted from February 20 to March 15, planting on open area– from April 15 to May 20;
• in the central regions of Russia and the Moscow region - from March 15 to April 1, we sow seeds, from May 10 to the first days of June we plant them in open ground;
• in the northern regions, such as Siberia and the Urals, from April 1 to April 15, respectively, we plant seeds, and from May 25 to May 15, we plant seedlings in the garden.

Important! You need to know when frost usually ends in your area. From this date, count back 55-65 days and get the answer to the question of when to plant tomato seeds for seedlings.

Step-by-step instructions for growing tomato seedlings at home

Well, after the issue has been resolved with the date of planting the seeds for seedlings, you can begin the process itself. I will try to describe and show in specific steps how to properly grow healthy and fruitful tomato seedlings.

1. Preparing seeds for planting as seedlings

First, let's decide on the variety. To do this, you need to understand for what purpose you need tomatoes - for salads, for pickles, juice or for other needs. The choice of variety will largely depend on this.

We also take into account ripening time, yield, and endurance. You can see all this data on the seed package and choose the best variety for you.

When purchasing, pay attention to the integrity of the packaging and expiration date. Take as new as possible; fresh seeds germinate best from a year to three years (it’s better not to skimp on this).

Before planting seeds, be sure to check them for germination. Rejection can be done with salted water in a ratio of 10 g of salt per 200 g of water, soak in the solution for 5-10 minutes and remove those that float, and take those that drown for seedlings.

After culling, disinfect the seeds. Even the highest quality seeds can be contaminated with pathogens, so it’s better to play it safe, and it’s easy to do - choose one of the proposed solutions:

• 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 100 ml of water), dip the seeds in it for 10 minutes. How to prepare the solution, watch the video:

• 0.5% soda solution (0.5 g per 100 ml of water), keep the seeds in it for 24 hours.
• Fitosporin solution. It is sold in liquid and powder form, follow the procedure according to the instructions, you can keep the seeds in it for up to 2 hours

Then the seeds need to be germinated by wrapping them in gauze or a cotton cloth moistened with water. room temperature. Then place in a jar or other container and cover with film.

Ventilate periodically up to 4 times a day and wait for sprouts. Germination will take 4-5 days.

2. Prepare the soil and containers for planting seeds

The soil also needs to be disinfected, both homemade and purchased in stores. I repeat - tomatoes are very picky about caring for seedlings, so you need to play it safe.

I will list the most effective ways to disinfect soil for seedlings:

• frying in the oven or on a broiler - place the soil in an oven preheated to 180-200°C for 10-15 minutes;
• disinfection with boiling water in a container with holes - place it in the container and treat it with boiling water several times;
• treatment with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

Disinfection of the soil should be carried out in advance in order to have time to keep it moistened at above-zero temperatures for 10 days so that the soil can “come to life” after disinfection.

3. Sowing tomato seeds for seedlings

Pour the prepared soil into the treated container, level it and moisten it with settled water at room temperature. We make grooves about 1 cm deep, keeping a distance of 3-4 cm between rows. If planting in cups, make a 1 cm deepening.

Carefully place the sprouted seeds into the grooves with tweezers, keeping a distance of 2 cm between the tomato seeds. It is enough to place one seed in individual containers.

Carefully fill the holes or furrows with soil and cover the containers with film or a piece of glass.

Place in a warm place and wait for germination. The first sprouts will appear in about 3-5 days.

Important! The air temperature for growing tomato seedlings must be at least +25 degrees.

4. Consistent care of tomato seedlings

When caring for tomato seedlings, you need to maintain humidity, temperature, fresh air, and sufficient lighting at the proper level.

Lighting tomato seedlings

To fully grow tomato seedlings, you need to maintain a lighting regime of 16 hours a day. In February-March daylight hours The days are shorter, so you need to organize additional lighting, and it is better to place the seedlings on the southern windowsill, since it is the lightest.

Humidity and watering of seedlings

At first, tomato seedlings need very high humidity, so do not rush to immediately remove the film or glass. Ventilate a little every day so that the seedlings get used to fresh air, and after 1.5-2 weeks it will be possible to fully open.

You need to water carefully at the root, preferably with a pipette or thin watering can. At first, watering will not be necessary, since the seedlings will be covered with film; you just need to make sure that the soil does not dry out, checking it with a toothpick when airing.

When you remove the film completely, it is important to monitor the soil moisture, as the sprouts will get stronger and will drink more moisture. Check and water better in the morning so that all the moisture does not disappear during the day. If you see that the sprouts are a little sluggish, water immediately.

Ventilation of home seedlings

Even if there is a calm, sunny day in March, the temperature on the balcony or under the canopy on the south side of the house can reach 15-20°C! If such a day coincides with the emergence of seedlings, you need to take the seedlings out to bask in the sun, since on the first day after germination the sprouts have innate protection from ultraviolet rays sun and this will give them additional heat resistance for the entire period of life.

If you did not have time to expose the seedlings to the sun on the first day, then you can no longer do this after 1-2 days - the innate hardening has disappeared. In this case, you will have to gradually accustom the sprouts to the sun. The first day – 5 minutes is enough. Then, every day you can increase the duration of your walks by another 5 minutes.

Feeding tomato sprouts

The first fertilizing will need to be done 2-3 weeks after the appearance of the first shoots, the guideline will be the appearance of three full-fledged leaves. At this point, the sprouts are no longer enough nutrients. For feeding, it is best to use natural organic fertilizers made from manure or grass. You can also purchase special fertilizers for seedlings. We dilute the fertilizer with water and feed it at the root with watering.

5. Picking seedlings

After the first true leaves appear on the tomato seedlings, provided that the seeds were sown too thickly, it is necessary to carry out picking - transplanting the seedlings into separate containers: cups, seedling pots. Despite the fact that tomatoes tolerate transplantation quite well, this procedure must be done carefully.

You can learn how to properly pick seedlings by watching the video:

6. Preparation for planting seedlings in a permanent place

The appearance of the first clusters of flowers will be a signal that after 10-15 days the seedlings need to be planted in open ground (or in a greenhouse). It is better not to delay replanting in order to get the maximum yield from your seedlings.

If suddenly, for some force majeure reason, you need to keep the seedlings on the windowsill for longer than 45-60 days, you need to provide about a liter of soil for 1 plant, or if you transplant it into large capacity If it doesn’t work, you can tear off the first flower cluster, this will save you about a week of time.

It is important that tomatoes in small containers do not have time to bloom, as this will slow down their development and the expected harvest will not be obtained, but you don’t want that!

Good tomato seedlings should have thick stems before planting, large leaves, powerful root system and developed buds.

7. Planting tomato seedlings in open ground

Planting tomato seedlings in open ground is best done in calm, cloudy weather, as this makes it easier for the seedlings to take root in a permanent location. To keep the soil around the root stronger during replanting, you need to stop watering a couple of days before planting. Make a hole of a suitable size in the ground, place your tomato seedling in it, water it and cover it with soil.

Video instructions for growing tomato seedlings

Check out our guide to growing tomatoes from seeds.

I tried to explain everything clearly, if you have any questions, write them in the comments, I’ll try to answer.

Have a great harvest!

Tomatoes in winter, grown and ripened in your own garden, even on the windowsill, are where the special taste and joy lie. If your balcony is insulated, then tomatoes on the balcony will be no worse than on the windowsill.

Which varieties to choose

Now they sell a lot of different varieties. Which ones should you choose?

To grow tomatoes on a windowsill, it is best to choose seeds of low varieties. Their fruits, most often, are not very large or small. This is exactly what we need as they do not require much land for planting.

These varieties are Winter, Cherry, Yamal, Mini, Japanese Dwarf, Bullfinch, Snowdrop, Chinese Indoor, Balcony Charm, Polar Early and many other varieties.

To grow tomatoes on a balcony, if it is insulated, you can select taller and larger-fruited varieties. And care and everything else is no different from growing them on a windowsill.

What conditions are required for growing?

Indoor tomatoes grow well if you follow necessary conditions. They don't like being overwatered. You need to water them very carefully, otherwise they may get sick." black leg"or rot and die.

Tomatoes come from warm regions, they are native “Americans”, so they are heat-loving and need long sunny days. To provide this to them, it is necessary to keep the seedlings on the windows on the south side of the house, but this is not possible on the north side.

• On short winter days, seedlings need to artificially increase daylight hours by turning on additional lighting. These could be fluorescent lamps, energy saving lamps or ordinary, fairly bright lighting. Length daylight hours must be at least 12 hours.

• The temperature in the room can be reduced to 15-16°C at night, but during the day it should be at least 25-26°C. If the room is very hot, it is necessary to ventilate regularly; tomatoes are not afraid of drafts.

• Adding too much organic fertilizer will cause strong growth green mass, but few fruits will set, they will be small.

Step-by-step instructions for growing tomatoes

To grow indoor tomatoes, first we grow seedlings by purchasing seeds of the desired variety.

1. We start by germinating these seeds. Seeds must be treated to prevent late blight. We do this by soaking the seeds in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes.
2. Preparing the land for sowing. For this we need peat pots or plastic cups, not less than 200 ml. We fill them with the purchased special soil mixture or we make (if you have your own plot) the mixture yourself: 5 parts soil + 5 hours humus + 2 hours sand, you can add a little peat. For a 10 liter bucket of mixture add 1 matchbox urea + 1 box of potassium sulfate, a small handful of wood ash. Mix all this well and scatter into the prepared container.
3. Sow the treated seeds. Wet the prepared soil a small amount water and place 2-3 seeds in shallow, up to 1 cm, dimples and cover with earth. To prevent the soil from drying out, cover the containers with seeds with glass or film until the sprouts sprout. Place in a warm, but not hot, place. Next we just have to wait for the shoots. If necessary, sometimes you need to moisten the soil a little to make it easier for the seeds to sprout.
4. After the shoots appear, remove the film, move the pots to the window, and make sure that the sprouts have light and warmth. We regularly water the tomatoes on the windowsill, but little by little, carefully ensuring that there is no water in the ground. excess moisture.
5. After two true leaves appear, we make a pick, i.e. We plant the strongest sprouts in a separate bowl, where they will grow further. This dish should be significantly larger in size, its volume should correspond to approximately a 7-10 liter bucket.
6. Once every 10 days we feed the seedlings with ready-made mineral and organic fertilizers. How to breed and feed is usually written on the packaging. Do not forget to loosen the soil around the trunk, but very carefully, trying not to damage the roots.
7. As necessary, we tie the tomatoes to pegs, which we stick into the ground next to the trunk.
8. Stepsonning. During the period of plant growth, additional stems appear in the axils of the leaves - these are stepsons. They need to be removed, as they will take away nutrition from the fruit. You can leave 1 first stepson to form the second trunk of the plant.
9. When the fruits have already set, we leave 4-5 clusters on the trunk, the rest are removed along with the top of the stem and other inflorescences so that they do not interfere with the growth and ripening of the set fruits. Do not forget to remove dried leaves, including the lowest ones, which interfere with watering at the root. Tomatoes are self-pollinating plants, but they are also recommended to help pollinate. All you need to do is shake it slightly flowering plant or move a soft brush over the flowers. We do this very carefully. Tomatoes can become diseased without proper care. If the soil is excessively moistened, they are at risk fungal diseases, such as: mold on the leaves, rot on the stem or late blight - black spots on the leaves.
10. To prevent late blight, tomatoes (plants) are treated with an infusion of garlic and potassium permanganate, consisting of ½ tbsp. garlic + 1/2 gram of potassium permanganate, diluted in three liters of water. You can periodically spray with a solution of phytosporin.
11. Fruits that have become full and beginning to turn pink should be removed and placed to ripen on a window or in cardboard box. They will no longer take nutrients from the still growing tomatoes.

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill is not a very difficult task, but to get a good result, you need to put effort into it, like any other task. Plants must be grown with love and diligence, then they will be large and tasty.

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, tomatoes can be grown on a windowsill at any time of the year. There are many varieties that can produce good harvests in room conditions. Growing them is no more difficult than ordinary tomatoes in the garden; moreover, they are not afraid of either drought or Colorado beetle. To enjoy fresh tomatoes in winter cold, you need to study all the nuances of such cultivation, but the most important thing is to choose the right variety.

Features of indoor tomatoes

Indoor conditions differ significantly from those in the garden, so not every variety of tomato can grow and bear fruit normally indoors. Varieties intended for growing on a windowsill have the following characteristics:

• short stature. Due to limited space, only low-growing and dwarf tomatoes are able to produce a crop. Tall tomatoes require not only a lot of space, but also a large amount of nutrients, and there is too little soil in a flower pot for this;
• standardness. Not everyone knows how to form a bush correctly, but this is an important condition for tomato yield. Standard varieties have a strong central stem and a dense crown; it does not need to be pinched or tied up;
• resistance to lack of lighting and disease. Indoor plants receive less light, especially in winter, and therefore really need additional lighting. But there are varieties of tomatoes that bear fruit normally in conditions short day, and they only need backlighting on cloudy days. Their genetic feature is short internodes, thanks to which the stems do not stretch. Of the diseases that tomato plants are most threatened by, blackleg (during the period of growing seedlings) and leaf mold. Hybrids, which make up 90% of the total number of potted tomatoes, are most resistant to them.

In addition to these features, indoor tomatoes have the highest taste qualities, and are rightfully considered champions among tomatoes in terms of the content of vitamins and sugars in their pulp. But not all of them can boast of yield, because some varieties are more decorative and form very small, cherry-sized fruits. Of course, they are also edible, but there are too few of them, and therefore they are most often used to decorate dishes.

If you need tomatoes for daily use, choose productive varieties with larger fruits. As a rule, the weight of indoor tomatoes varies between 15-130 g, depending on the variety. The best of them form low bushes completely covered with fruits. On average, one bush can produce up to 2 kg of tasty, presentation tomatoes.

Potted tomatoes have one more feature - they are perennials. If you do not throw away the bush after collecting the last fruits, then after a while new leaves will appear on the stem. Typically, such tomatoes grow and bear fruit within 5 years, although the most abundant harvests are produced in the first 2 years.

The best varieties of indoor tomatoes

The range of indoor tomatoes is smaller than regular ones, but still impressive. Varieties differ in the shape, size and color of the fruit, height and shape of the bush, ripening time and other parameters. Every year their list is replenished with new varieties and hybrids from leading breeding companies. Below are the most popular tomatoes for growing on a windowsill.

Ampel varieties

In addition to standard varieties, lovers indoor growing Of tomatoes, ampelous tomatoes are also in demand. They can be planted in hanging planters or in tall pots, from which the shoots will hang beautifully on the windowsill. Caring for them is a little more difficult than conventional varieties, and the yield is lower, but all this is compensated by the excellent taste of the tomatoes and the high decorativeness of the bush. The choice of hanging varieties is still small, and seeds can be purchased only from a few domestic agricultural companies.

Agricultural technology for growing indoor tomatoes

Like regular varieties, indoor tomatoes are best grown from seedlings. And at this stage there are no differences, except that the timing of sowing the seeds is different. On average, potted tomatoes begin to bear fruit 90-100 days after germination, and if you want to get your first tomatoes by a certain date, take this factor into account. For example, to harvest the first harvest in January, sow seeds for seedlings at the end of September.

Before sowing, the seeds are disinfected by soaking for 15-30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then left in a damp cloth for a couple of days to hatch.

Sow in a common container with ordinary soil or purchased substrate to a depth of no more than 1 cm. The distance between the seeds should be within 2-3 cm so that the seedlings are not thickened.

The seedlings are transplanted into separate containers as soon as the seedlings have formed 2-3 true leaves. The size of the pots is selected depending on the variety of tomatoes: for dwarf tomatoes, a volume of 1.5-2 liters is sufficient, for ordinary indoor ones 3-4 liters, for hanging ones - at least 5 liters. All pots must be with drainage holes. It is very important to properly prepare the soil, because the development and fruiting of the bush depends on its composition.

The best option is the following composition:

• 5 parts garden soil;
• 2 parts sand;
• 5 parts rotted compost;
• 1 part peat.

To a bucket of such a mixture you need to add matchbox urea and potassium sulfate, a handful of sifted wood ash. Mix all this thoroughly. Now you can start planting seedlings.

Step 1. A drainage layer of fine gravel, pieces of bark, expanded clay or other material is poured onto the bottom of the pots. Fill the containers to the top with soil and make a small depression in the center.

Step 2. Pre-watered seedlings are carefully removed one at a time and planted in pots, deepening to the cotyledon leaves. Water carefully.

The soil must be saturated with moisture so that water reaches the roots

Step 3. Place the pots on the windowsill (preferably on the south side) and regularly turn them to the light with the other side every 2 days. In the mornings and evenings, as well as in cloudy weather, plants should be illuminated with a phytolamp.

After a week, the plants are fed with half the dose of nitrogen fertilizers necessary for growth. During the flowering period, in order to increase the percentage of pollination, the stems of the plant are shaken very lightly and brushed over the flowers with a feather or a soft brush. After the formation of ovaries, fertilizing is required potassium fertilizer once every two weeks.

In varieties that need to form a bush, the stepsons are removed, the top of the main stem is pinched, and excess inflorescences are cut off to increase the size of the fruit. Tall bushes are tied to supports that are stuck into the ground along the edge of the pot.

If signs of fungal damage appear, all plants are sprayed with phytosporin or another antifungal agent. To prolong fruiting, regularly pick ripe fruits, remove dried leaves, and do not forget about fertilizing and watering. The soil in the pots needs to be loosened periodically, being careful not to catch the roots. With this care, your tomatoes will delight you all winter a bountiful harvest sweet, tasty fruits.

Video - Tomatoes on the windowsill in winter: the best varieties

Video - Tomatoes on the windowsill in winter: the best varieties and procedure for growing tomatoes at home

How to care for tomato seedlings at home? The key to its successful development, guaranteeing a rich harvest, is the creation favorable conditions, consisting of mandatory maintenance of the required level of humidity, optimal temperature external environment and good illumination of seedlings.

Tomato seedlings grown on our own, is characterized not only high quality, but also - unlike those purchased on the market - excellent survival rate in garden beds.

Tomatoes are not one of the most demanding crops, so grow good seedlings even beginner gardeners can do it at home.

Lighting

To obtain seedlings with even and strong stems, it is necessary good lighting. Immediately after the first seedlings appear in the form of tiny hooks, the plastic film is removed from the improvised mini-greenhouse, and the container with the seedlings is transferred to the windowsill of a well-lit window.

In rooms with insufficient lighting, young plants during the first three days need additional round-the-clock illumination using daytime fluorescent lamps. After this, additional illumination is carried out only in the mornings and evenings, bringing the duration of daylight to sixteen hours.

Additional illumination of seedlings placed in a room with an intense light source is stopped from the second week of cultivation. In order for the plants to develop evenly and not be “one-sided”, the boxes with seedlings should be periodically turned to the light, first one side or the other.

Watering

1. Watering tomato seedlings is carried out in morning hours using settled water at room temperature. Ideally, water for irrigation should be soft (for example, melt or rain).
2. Since the roots of newly emerged seedlings are located in the top layer of soil, it should not be allowed to dry out. At the same time, waterlogging of the soil should be avoided in order to avoid damage to the seedlings by “black leg” or rot. That is why, before the first leaf appears on the sprouted seedlings, the soil in the box with seedlings is only sprayed with a spray bottle, doing this no more than once a week.
3. To avoid water getting on the above-ground part of the seedling, you can use a syringe when watering young plants. In the future, you can water the seedlings using a small watering can. Trying not to damage the still immature root system, the stream of water should be directed not under the root of the tomato, but closer to the edges of the container.
4. A couple of days before the picking procedure (by this time, young tomatoes should have 3-4 full leaves), the seedlings are watered for the last time. This pause in watering will allow the soil to remain moist but crumbly by the time of picking.
5. After picking, you cannot water the tomatoes for 4-5 days. You should know that in order to receive healthy seedlings with a well-developed root system, it is necessary to transplant young plants into containers equipped with trays for watering. This is due to the fact that with bottom watering, the roots of pruned seedlings, trying to gain access to moisture, quickly stretch and strengthen.
6. After a five-day pause, watering the seedlings is resumed, setting a regime that provides for one watering per week.

Humidity

The air humidity level in the room in which tomato seedlings are grown must be at least 70%, so at the height of heating season under the window next to the radiator central heating You should put a bucket of water.

To feed the seedlings with additional moisture, you can place open jars of water next to the mini-greenhouse. Some gardeners practice light spraying of seedlings (before the first leaves appear on them) warm water from a spray bottle.

You can hang a wet terry towel on a hot radiator under a windowsill with tomato seedlings: the moisture evaporating in this way will provide the plants with comfortable conditions.

Temperature

If during seed germination the temperature environment should be no lower than 25 degrees, then after germination it must be lowered to 18-19 degrees during the daytime and to 12-15 at night.

To achieve a nighttime drop in temperature, it is enough to open the window or balcony slightly, while avoiding drafts. In very windy weather, in order not to overcool the plants, it is better to avoid opening the windows at night.

Top dressing

The first feeding is done 14 days after germination (at this moment the plants have one or two true leaves). To enhance the growth of seedlings, it is watered with a solution of Agricola Forward fertilizer prepared from 1 teaspoon of the drug and 1000 ml of water.

In the future, fertilizers must be applied every week or at least three times a month. To apply the second fertilizing, carried out after picking the seedlings, use a solution prepared from superphosphate (35 g), urea (4 g) and sulfate (12 g) dissolved in 10 liters of water.

The best fertilizer for tomato seedlings is a solution of chicken manure or fermented mullein. No less valuable organic fertilizer for feeding tomatoes is wood ash, water infusion onion peel or crushed eggshell. If you couldn’t get chicken manure or mullein, humic fertilizers that stimulate the growth of young plants will be a completely complete replacement.

Any fertilizers must be applied to the root zone of tomatoes only after watering (either in the morning or in the evening), making sure to dissolve them in water. At home, it is most convenient to apply fertilizing using a pipette or syringe, not forgetting to lightly loosen the soil afterwards.

In order to understand what substances tomatoes need at the moment, just pay attention to the color of their leaves and stems:

1. The presence of a strong purple stem and elastic dark green leaves is evidence that the plants receive the full range of substances they need.
2. The yellowing of all leaves is a consequence of an excess of nitrogen.
3. Falling and yellowing lower leaves tomato seedlings indicate the need for urgent application of nitrogen fertilizers.
4. Tomato leaves acquire a rich purple with acute phosphorus deficiency.
5. Tomato seedlings exposed to intense light require fertilizing rich in iron.

Picking

Tomato seedlings require mandatory picking, which is carried out in two stages:

1. The first picking requires seedlings aged 7-12 days with 3-4 original leaves. Before transplanting them into small (volume no more than 200 ml) individual pots or plastic cups, it is recommended to pinch their taproot one-third of the way. After this manipulation, plant growth slows down for about a week, but root system, on the contrary, strengthens and begins to develop intensively. A seedling with a pinched root is placed in a pot filled with the same soil that was used when sowing the seeds. After planting the plant, the soil is slightly compacted and moistened with a very weak (5 g per 10 liters of water) solution of potassium permanganate. During the first picking, it is necessary not only to plant the seedlings, but also to get rid of weak and diseased plants.
2. After two to three weeks, the tomato seedlings need to be replanted one more time in order to provide the plants with the necessary living space and prevent them from stretching out. The capacity of individual pots must be at least 1000 ml. Stretched tomatoes should be planted deeper. Freshly picked seedlings are grown for three to four days at more high temperature environment. At this time, boxes with tomatoes can be placed a little closer to the heat source. After this time, they return to the previous temperature conditions, regular loosening and watering.
3. In the absence of individual pots, seedlings can be planted into fairly wide and high (not lower than 15 cm) boxes. The distance between young plants planted in boxes should be from 5 to 7 cm, and between rows - from 7 to 9 cm.

If peat tablets were used to grow tomato seedlings, the procedure of picking seedlings becomes unnecessary.

This saves the gardener from additional hassle, and the plant from possible injury to the root system. Seedlings grown in peat tablet, are not separated from it, but simply moved to a larger container, half filled with nutrient substrate. As the plants grow, you just need to add soil to a new pot.

Hardening

Before planting in open ground, tomato seedlings must be hardened off. On initial stage During hardening, tomatoes are kept in a room with an open window (except on very frosty and windy days). When the air outside warms up to 10-12 degrees, the boxes with tomato seedlings must be taken out to the balcony and kept there for at least two to three hours.

It is safest to harden off plants in cloudy weather. If the day turns out to be too sunny, the young plants will have to be covered with paper, since exposure to hot sunlight can cause the leaves to burn.

Seven days after the start of hardening, you can keep the seedlings on the balcony for the whole day. If the night frosts have already subsided, the seedlings can be left on the balcony all night, after covering them with film or non-woven covering material.

In case of unfavorable weather conditions The seedlings must be brought into the room. The stems of seasoned tomatoes take on a rich bluish-purple color. During the hardening period, plants need abundant watering. Lack of moisture can cause seedlings to wilt.

What mistakes should you avoid?

When growing tomato seedlings you should not:

1. Over-moisten or over-dry the soil in boxes with tomatoes.
2. Keep plants in too cold or too warm a room.
3. Leave leaves on the stems that show signs of fungal or viral infection: they must be torn off.
4. Plant seeds too early: the plants that emerge will have very fragile and thin stems.
5. Delay feeding and treating yellowed plants.
6. Place plants in a poorly lit area.

The most main problem when growing tomato seedlings in conditions own home consists of slowing down or stopping its growth. First, it is imperative to establish the cause that provoked this undesirable phenomenon.

Poor seedling growth may be due to:

1. Poor soil quality.
2. Lack or excess of fertilizers.
3. Dry or waterlogged soil.
4. Seedling disease.
5. Incorrectly performed picking.

Having established the reason poor growth seedlings, it must be eliminated immediately. You can also resort to the help of growth stimulants. Most often, gardeners use a solution of sodium humate. Watering seedlings is carried out at the rate of 200 ml per plant.

Growing indoor plants is for lovers of green pets. If we grow plants at home, mostly intended for the soul, then we can try to grow plants for food. This turns out to be not so difficult. For example, tomatoes on the windowsill are no longer exotic.

Tomatoes grow well not only in the garden or summer cottage. You can also create a “bed” on the balcony. Growing tomatoes and caring for them in an apartment is not much different from growing them in open ground and caring for indoor plants.

Features of growing tomatoes in an apartment

Even a novice amateur can grow tomatoes at home indoor vegetables. But there are also some peculiarities. You should adhere to only a few basic rules:

First of all, it should be noted that the tomato is a very light-loving plant and tolerates direct sunlight well. For its cultivation, windows facing south are suitable, and in case of insufficient natural lighting, additional artificial lighting is required in the form of fluorescent lamps.

If you decide to grow tomatoes on a windowsill, it is better to opt for dwarf, low-growing varieties. For growing tomatoes on the balcony, where large volumes of soil can be provided, taller and large-fruited varieties. For home garden choose also early ripening varieties. Recommended" White filling" and "Siberian early ripening", low-growing tomato variety "Leopold", small-fruited tomatoes and "Cherry" tomatoes. Suitable for "apartment" tomatoes dwarf varieties: Ruby, Oak, Bonsai, George Bush, Canada News, Japanese indoor, Balcony miracle, Florida Petit (Little Florida), Pinocchio, Pierrette 225. Perfect for a window sill low-growing varieties tomatoes: "Ox Ear", "Pink Angel", "Renet" (very early varieties), "Yamal", etc. Their fruits, however, are not so large, but the pleasure is no less. Outdoors, plants grow 25 - 35 centimeters tall. In the room they stretch up to 40 - 50 centimeters, but at the same time, the plant’s trunk is strong enough, and there is no need to tie up the plants.

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill in winter and summer

Outside the window there is severe frost, and on the windowsill - fresh tomatoes? It is possible with a little effort and love.

Let's focus our attention on dwarf tomatoes. Why on them?
Dwarf tomatoes are not afraid of direct sunlight, tolerate shade well, are not afraid of drafts, and are unpretentious in care. And most importantly, tomatoes produce fruits weighing up to 50 grams. For a crop grown on a windowsill, these are good indicators!

You can sow indoor tomatoes in 2 terms. If you want to New Year's table to have your own red tomatoes - sow the seeds in August-September. Then fruiting will be from December to January.
The tomatoes will begin to turn red in March if you sow the second batch in December.

To grow tomatoes on a windowsill you will need:

Choose containers for growing (it is better to have a cylindrical shape than a square one or choose the most illuminated window sill (preferably southern), organize additional lighting (preferably with a source of short-wave red-blue light) - if there is a lack of light, the buds will fall off;
plant the seeds in covered trays plastic film, until the shoots appear, you need to keep the trays in a dark and warm (25-30 degrees) place, then the film is removed, after the appearance of two “real” leaves, the plants are picked and planted in a permanent place;
after planting in a permanent place, the seedlings are cared for in the same way as in open ground - watering, pinching, fertilizing, disease control;
If you wish and have sufficient skills, tomatoes can be grown hydroponically at home.

Any housewife will come up with many ways to decorate various dishes with glorious little ones. Or you can put a whole bush with ripe fruits on the table in a beautiful pot - both a snack and a decoration!
Small sweet tomatoes are good both fresh and canned. By the way, they do not crack when canned.

Growing tomatoes on the balcony

Start germinating seeds no later than March or April.

1 way
To sow seeds we use 200 ml plastic cups. It is advisable to choose transparent cups so that you can control the watering, which is important. You should not make holes for water at the bottom of the cups, because if the volume is small, the soil will not have time to absorb a sufficient amount of water.
Fill the cups with soil, pour boiling water over them and let cool. Using a pencil, make holes in the soil and place the seeds in them. If the seeds are dry, put 2-3 seeds in one glass (leave the strongest sprouts after germination), and if they are germinated, you can distribute one in each glass.
Next, put the cups in a warm place (about 25°C) and cover them with film to prevent moisture evaporation. On the third or fourth day, as soon as the first shoots appear, we transfer the crops to a cool windowsill with artificial lighting so that the seedlings do not stretch out too much, and do not water until top layer the soil does not dry out to avoid the development of fungal diseases.

Method 2

Treat the selected tomato seeds with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, wrap in a damp cloth, place on a saucer, and the saucer in plastic bag. Keep the seeds warm, near the radiator or in the kitchen, close to the stove. Make sure the cloth is damp at all times.
A few days will pass and the seeds will produce white roots. Now you will need flower pots or just tin cans, for example, from condensed milk. Make five or six holes in the bottoms of the jars and add earth, then to a depth of about 3-5 mm. Place one sprouted seed and carefully pour lukewarm water over it. Only one seed is placed in each pot.
Cover the jars with glass or a plywood board and place them in a warm place again. Water with lukewarm water without over-wetting the soil. Tomatoes prefer direct watering, at the root. For this, use plastic bottles, they are placed upside down in the soil and thus moistened. When the shoots appear in a day or two, the plants can be opened and moved closer to the light, to the windowsill, not forgetting to water them with water at room temperature.
After about a week, water the seedlings with a solution of mineral fertilizer, and after a few days with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

The first stage of work is completed. Now you just need to watch how the plants develop and water them. In April, feed the tomatoes twice with a solution of mineral fertilizer and once with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
At the end of April or early May, transplant the plants from the jars into buckets. First, punch two or three holes in the bottom of the bucket to drain excess moisture and provide oxygen access to the roots. Fill the bucket three-quarters full with universal soil for fruits and berries. indoor plants. Carefully, together with the earthen ball, transplant the seedlings into a bucket, deepening the roots by about two and a half to three centimeters, and water thoroughly. Plant one plant in each bucket and tie it to a stake.
Now let the seedling take root well, without exposing it to the sun for five days. Then, if the weather is not rainy, you can take the buckets out to the balcony, but on cold days and nights it is better to put them indoors. When warm weather sets in, leave the plants on the balcony overnight. Small pegs must be replaced with large ones and the plants must be tied to them with a cloth or clothesline. And when the tomato takes root well and begins to grow, add soil every ten days until the bucket is filled to the brim.
The second stage of work has been completed. All that remains is to water the plants well and feed them mineral fertilizer once a week.

Shoots will grow and produce side shoots— stepsons - shoots developing in the axils of the leaves. Medium-sized tomato varieties form two stems. To do this, leave a stepson under the first inflorescence of the flower cluster and, as usual, tie it to an additional stake or trellis. For low-growing tomatoes, 2-3 stems are formed, for which, in addition to the first stepson, a second stepson is also left. They form a second crown with flowers, in no way inferior to the main one. Stepchildren that appear at the top of the plant, after the 8-9th leaf, are good. Ideally, low growing plant must have a stem and two stepsons different levels. In addition to the stepsons, diseased and yellowed leaves are also removed, as well as leaves covering the fruits of the lower clusters of the plant when these clusters are fully formed. The remaining leaves should not be cut off, as they are needed for the synthesis of organic materials.
It is recommended to leave four bunches of ovaries on each stem, then pinch off the tops.

Tomatoes are self-pollinating plants, so there is no need to resort to artificial pollination. However, you can increase the efficiency of their fertilization by hand pollination. To do this, it is recommended that during flowering, gently shake the flower brushes and lightly tap the stem so that the pollen from the upper flowers falls onto the flowers located below. or open the balcony for air flow.

When most of the fruits are formed, the top and flowering clusters of the plant are removed so that they do not interfere with the fully formed fruits from developing fully.
To speed up the formation and development of fruits, a technique called “root tearing” is also used. The plant is taken by the lower part of the stem and carefully pulled up, as if trying to pull it out of the soil in order to tear off the small roots. Then the plant is watered and hilled. After this, accelerated growth, formation and ripening of fruits occurs.

When the fruits are already ripening, tie the branches to a stick, otherwise they may break off. And by the beginning of July you will already be harvesting - 50-70 tomatoes from each plant (in 12 bunches)!
It is advisable not to wait for the fruits to turn red on the bush, but to pick them when they are brown. Such fruits ripen well in indoor conditions, and other fruits grow better on bushes.

You need to believe in yourself and pay a little attention to your green pets so that they thank you not only with beauty, but also with delicious, juicy fruits.