Tomatoes are, without exaggeration, the favorite vegetable of all gardeners and summer residents. Seeds early varieties They begin to prepare for planting in mid-February. More late varieties sown a month earlier.To grow healthy plant and get good harvest For juicy tomatoes, you need not only to plant the seeds on time. You need to know how to water tomato seedlings so that they grow strong and healthy and can delight you with tasty and sweet fruits. The power of the root system depends only on the care and proper watering of seedlings. This is important when transplanting seedlings into the ground. At untimely watering they may die. To do this, let’s look at how to water tomato seedlings, how to strengthen and feed the seedlings.
How to water tomatoes at different times of the year
At home
At home, seedlings take up space on the windowsill. After sowing, cover the pots with seeds with glass or film to maintain a sufficient level of moisture. To prevent small sprouts from dying and stretching, we determine how often to water the tomato seedlings on the windowsill while they are young.
Tomato sprouts are watered at certain times. If available in the room heating devices which dry out the air, it is necessary to additionally humidify the air in the room. Watering seedlings on a windowsill is very different from watering adult bushes that grow on open ground or greenhouse. Excess water when watering is just as bad for plants as lack of moisture.
Advice: “There should be drainage and holes at the bottom of the container in which the seedlings grow. Through them excess water will flow out and will not stagnate in the pot.”
Lack of drainage will lead to excess moisture and cessation of air circulation. Due to lack of oxygen, the root system will develop root rot, and the seedlings will die.
In the greenhouse
In two months, the seedlings on the windowsill grow up to 30 cm. Then they are transplanted into the greenhouse. Planting of seedlings begins in mid-May in prepared moist soil. For such work, it is advisable to choose a cloudy day.
After transplanting, the tomatoes are not watered for two weeks. There must be a certain atmosphere in the greenhouse, which must be constantly maintained. Any deviations will lead to the death of young plants. Tips for watering seedlings:
- in order not to increase the level of humidity in the greenhouse itself, watering is carried out in the morning;
- to eliminate the greenhouse effect in the greenhouse, ventilate the room immediately after watering;
- to slow down the evaporation of water, cover the ground with small straw, dry grass or sawdust;
- Before harvesting, stop watering so that the fruits grow more elastic.
In the open ground
Before planting in open ground, seedlings must be watered abundantly. This is done to preserve the root system of tomatoes. Then a two-week pause... During the first irrigations, water is directed to the root of the plant. Only then can tomato seedlings be watered over the entire surface of the soil that the plant occupies, since root system very developed and quickly takes over large area land. The following watering of planted seedlings is carried out as follows:
- Until the seedlings bloom - once a week. Water consumption is about 6 liters per 1 m².
- During flowering, water once every three days. Water consumption is increased by 1 m² to 15 liters.
- When the fruits appear, the volume of water is reduced to 5 liters.
What water is best to use for irrigation
For irrigation, use settled tap water at room temperature.
It is poured into a small container in advance and allowed to sit for a day. Then carefully pour into jars, leaving the resulting sediment in the container.
Advice: "Instead tap water For watering, you can use melted water or rain. It must be at a certain temperature, not lower than 20 degrees, otherwise the plant will get sick.”
Timing of the first watering
The first watering of the seeds is carried out on the second day. When the pots are on a northern windowsill, moisture from the surface of the earth evaporates slowly and therefore the soil should be moistened when it is dry. On sunny side moisture evaporates faster. In this case, in order not to dry out the soil and destroy fragile seedlings, it is required frequent watering. There are different suitable folk remedies, which can be used to strengthen the root system. They are used to ensure that seedlings grow strong and have plump trunks.
Watering seedlings
Water the sprouted seeds using a spray bottle. In the first week, one moistening is performed. If the room is hot, water every three days.
In order not to damage or break the young shoots, you need to water with a spoon, starting from the edges, and at the same time try not to drip on the leaves.
Contact with water may cause burns on the leaves. If you have a large volume of seedlings, you can irrigate them using a small watering can with a volume of one and a half liters. Gardeners still have different opinions, at what time of day is it better to water the seedlings: early morning or evening? It all depends on the working hours of the summer residents themselves. The main thing is not to destroy the seedlings. In this case, it is necessary to take into account:
- whether the weather is cloudy or sunny;
- in what place are the boxes with seedlings placed: on the sunny side or in the shade.
One to two weeks after germination, the grown seedlings are transplanted into another container. Two days before transplanting, watering is stopped so that the soil dries out and becomes crumbly.
Watering after picking
With proper care of the seedlings, two leaves appear already on the 7-10th day. It is at this time that it is time to pick tomatoes. Three days before picking, thoroughly moisten the containers with seedlings. We transplant the seedlings into boxes and place them in pallets. We water the plants for 3-5 days. When the plant has five leaves, water it once every three days, gradually increasing the dosage. Using a watering can without a top nozzle, carefully pour water into the pan. This is done so that the roots of the seedlings take root well in the new place. They will strive for water and thus grow quickly.
It is better to plant sprouts in plastic, transparent, cut-off bottles and glasses. The roots will be visible through them, and it will be easier to determine when the next watering is needed. IN peat pots the walls become wet, the moisture slowly evaporates, and the roots of the plant can grow through the walls. Can only be seen upper layer earth, dry or wet soil.
It is important to prevent the soil from drying out and flooding, otherwise this will lead to the death of the sprouts. To do this, the containers must have holes through which excess water will flow out.
Important nuances
The process of growing and caring for tomato seedlings is simple, but there are points you need to know: The temperature of the water used for irrigation should not exceed certain standards. For sprouts at home - 20°C. For seedlings growing in a greenhouse - 24-25°C. Thaw and rainwater. It is advisable to stock up on such water in advance in winter. Before you have time to do this, use settled tap water. After the next watering, it is advisable to ventilate the greenhouse.
For better growth Water the seedlings abundantly, but rarely. With weak watering, the soil will be wet only on top, and the bottom will dry out. As a result, the roots of the plant will die. In order for the entire root system of the plant to receive moisture and the seedlings to grow faster, it is necessary to loosen the soil before watering.
Determining whether watering is sufficient
Young seedlings must be moistened on time. Lack of moisture is dangerous, as young shoots have short roots. Lack of moisture quickly leads to drying of the root system. The roots of adult plants grow well and can obtain their own moisture at depth.
We determine the sufficiency of watering using a wire with a curved end. Let's lower it into a box with soil all the way to the tray, twist it a little and pull it out. If she gets her hands dirty, then water is enough. In this way we will determine the moisture content of the lower layer. The lack of moisture in the container can be determined using a newspaper. Let's put it on a pallet and put a box on top. If the newspaper is dry, it means there is not enough moisture. At sufficient watering liquid will pass through drainage holes and wet the newspaper.
Tomato seedlings tolerate drought better than excess water.
Watering frequency
Some gardeners believe that tomatoes love water. This does not mean that they can be filled. From excessive watering, the seedlings will die without being pleased with their harvest. If you correctly calculate the amount and frequency of watering seedlings, you can avoid drying and rotting of tomatoes. The first watering is carried out when sowing seeds. The second - two days after the first shoots. Further watering - as the soil dries out. You can understand when a plant needs regular watering by the following signs:
- leaves begin to curl;
- the top layer of soil is dry;
- containers with seedlings became light.
How to water tomatoes correctly depends on the type of tomato, age and height of the plant. Large bushes are more drought resistant. With their powerful root system, they can freely extract moisture from the soil.
They are watered approximately once a week. And young seedlings with short and weak roots will simply dry out without water. Many people think that in order to get strong and healthy seedlings, must have great experience and certain skills. No need to be scared. By following the recommendations outlined in this article, you can get healthy seedlings with a strong root system. These tomatoes will delight you with their tasty and sweet fruits. Compliance only necessary rules on planting and processing seeds for planting, including hardening, proper watering, feeding seedlings will ensure a high-quality harvest.
Support material
In order not to change supports every year, choose them from durable materials. They must withstand the weight of the fruit and not break.
Wood. Rot-resistant acacia and chestnut will serve you well for a long time. Lightweight and durable, it has many branches from the main twig. This will help keep the rope from slipping when tying it up.
Bamboo. Lightweight and durable, it is ideal for creating support structures. But it is too smooth and the ropes can slide off it.
Metal. It is very convenient to use steel reinforcement. It is durable and the garters on it do not slip. The disadvantage is that they become covered with rust and do not look aesthetically pleasing.
Types of supports
Straight rods or stakes 1.5-2 m long. Suitable for tomatoes formed into one trunk. It is convenient to tie the stem with a rope to a support as the plant grows approximately every 30 cm. You need to tie it to the support with a soft rope and not tightly, so as not to damage the stem. The rods need to be deep enough into the ground so that they do not fall under the weight of the fruit. Rope garters in a greenhouse. It is necessary to tie the rope to the crossbar of the greenhouse roof and to the base of the tomato trunk so that it is not taut. As the plant grows, wrap its stem around this rope. The rope will need to be tightened, so do not make double knots, tie it in a bow. This type of support can also be used in open ground installing a crossbar over a row of planted tomatoes, to which you tie the stems with ropes.
Trellis made of twigs. Place the stakes in a row and firmly tie the crossbars between them at different heights. The result is a lattice of twigs, to which you can tie not only one stem, but also heavy branches and bushes formed into 2-3 stems.
"Hut" made of twigs. For those planted in two rows, install a support for each plant at an angle to the adjacent row. Tie the tops of these supports. For more greater strength this design, install a horizontal crossbar along the top of these supports.
“Cage” for tomatoes made of wire mesh. Allows tomatoes to grow inside a round net without being tied up. The diameter of the “cell” can be adjusted as the tomato develops. It can be covered with covering material when it gets colder. The support method is very developed in the USA. A very convenient, but expensive method. For each plant you need to purchase at least 1.5-2 m. mesh 1.5m wide. The mesh must be secured to the ground with small pegs and tied in height with wires.
When growing tomatoes, gardeners often face the problem of tying them up.
Find out what are the main ways to secure tomatoes on supports.
Tomato garter is one of the important components of caring for these crops. First of all, bushes of tall tomatoes, which bend to the ground under the weight of the fruit, need a garter. Low-growing varieties of tomatoes are tied up if necessary.
Why tie up tomatoes?
- When the fruits ripen, plants of tall varieties may not withstand their weight and break.
- Fruits that lie on the ground are more susceptible to attack by pests.
- Tomatoes on tied plants get more sunlight and are better ventilated.
We invite you to get acquainted with the 5 most common ways to garter tomatoes.
1. Wire frame
There are many options for frames for gartering tomatoes - in the form of a prism or a cone. The structure can be made of wood or metal. Such frames can be purchased at the store or made independently. But please note that this method of tying tomatoes can be quite expensive if you grow a large number of tomatoes.
2. Pegs
This is a very simple way to garter tomatoes, for which you only need pegs and twine (or yarn). For one bush, one support will be enough. It is recommended to take pegs that exceed the height of the tomatoes by at least 20-25 cm. This will allow you to tie new tomato shoots higher and higher as the plants grow.
3. Horizontal trellis
Tying tomatoes to a horizontal trellis allows you to tie up the plants as they grow. To organize it, you also need to dig stakes into the ground. But there are also differences from the previous method: the twine is stretched between them. In this case, the tomato stems are “passed” between several strands of twine.
4. Vertical trellis
This method of gartering tomatoes is indicated if the vegetables are grown in a greenhouse. Its principle is that the plants are tied to the ceiling of the greenhouse, and as the bushes grow, they are “pulled up,” which helps protect the tomatoes from injury. Moreover, this convenient way garter tomatoes, if there is not too much space on the site.
5. Mesh, wire fences
For creating required design You will need two-meter nets, which should be stretched between the rows of tomatoes. The stems are tied to the net with twine, which ensures they reliable fastening. The convenience of the design is that as they grow, the tomato bushes can be untied from one level of the grid and tied to a higher one. In addition, there is no need to drive stakes for each individual bush - several plants can be tied to one net at once.
Garter of tomatoes – important procedure, which should not be forgotten when growing tall and some low-growing varieties. True, not all gardeners agree that tomatoes should definitely be tied up. What do you think about this?
The stem of tomatoes is strong and durable, but no matter how strong the stems of tomatoes may be, gardeners, nevertheless, advise be sure to tie tomatoes in open ground. Methods of modern garters require practically all varieties tomatoes, especially tall ones, reaching a height of up to 2 m.
Low-growing varieties practically do not require garter, but according to gardeners, their percentage of fertility is reduced in comparison with tall varieties that produce high yield. Every farmer tries to make the most efficient use of every available square meter land of your plot. Therefore, with the same level care, labor costs, landing area sizes experienced gardeners strive to use high grades tomatoes, reasonably considering them as more rational and profitable compared to their low-growing counterparts.
Why do you need a garter?
Since in modern private gardening, as we have already mentioned, they mainly use tall varieties tomatoes, sooner or later the question arises about the need to garter them. Gartering tomatoes is not some kind of folk tradition. This is a real production necessity. For all its banality, this event is one of the mandatory procedures that allow you to increase the size of the future harvest.
Benefits of tying tomatoes
Thanks to the garter you can achieve the following results:
Considering all the listed positive aspects of tying up tomatoes, experienced gardeners always remember this event. You should start building a device for garters in advance, after about two to three weeks after planting the seedlings in open soil. Over the entire growing season, you will need to strengthen the stem 3, maximum 6 times, tying it to pre-installed supports. The number of supports will depend on the growth height of the variety chosen by gardeners for cultivation.
Methods for gartering tomatoes in open ground
Thanks to the fact that gardening is last years is developing especially actively, and also in connection with the breeding of new fruit crops and creation of new modern materials, today several methods of tying tomatoes have appeared and taken root in gardening. growing them in open soil. That's why frequently asked question“how to tie up tomatoes in open ground” today, one might say, has been completely resolved.
Each of the methods listed below has proven its effectiveness in practice. You can safely choose the method that is more convenient for you and best suits your needs. land plot. It will not be surprising if, after familiarizing yourself with all the methods listed below, it occurs to you to invent a garter method based on existing ones. Take a careful look at each of the options, which will show you how to properly tie tomatoes in open ground, and choose the most suitable one.
Before moving on to the description of the methods, it should be noted that all the methods we have chosen cannot in any way harm the plants, so you can safely follow the advice and you will not have problems with growing tomatoes.
Method of tying with stakes
One of the most common ways to secure tomatoes in open ground is by tying them to high stakes. The material from which these stakes are made can be completely different: metal, wood, plastic. It doesn't matter, the main thing is that they can be Right and use it on time. The only condition that must be met is to maintain the proportionality of the height of the peg for each tomato bush.
For low-growing and medium-growing varieties of tomatoes, the stakes can be 20-30 centimeters higher than the seedlings, but tall varieties require much longer stakes for gartering, which should reach 2-2.5 m.
Each peg must be fixed in the ground so that it stands securely and firmly. Usually it is deepened by 25-30 cm, departing from the tomato stem by about 10 cm. This precaution is necessary in order to reduce the risk of damage to the root system. The tying of the tomato should be loose. It would be advisable to first secure the rope to the stake, then wrap the stem and then tie it to the stake. Since the vegetable will grow upward, this process must be repeated several times.
Tying on a trellis
If you do not have a tomato plantation, it would be wiser to use another tying method rather than this one.
This method will require a thin beam or strong stakes, the number of which will be much less than in the method described above. The selected posts must be driven in at the beginning and end of the tomato bed, after which a rope or wire should be pulled between them. With this method, tying the stems will need to be done to the thread stretched between the stakes. rope. It makes sense to tie up plants this way if a tall variety of tomatoes was planted.
There are several ways to use this design:
- At a level of about 2 m from the ground, you need to pull a strong wire onto a high stake. In this case, the ropes and garters must also be long enough to reach both the supports and the stem. The tomato vines will wrap around these ropes as they grow.
- Stretch several rows of wire and secure them to stakes. After this, each tomato bush will need to be tied separately several times as it grows to the resulting stretch, or the stems will need to be passed through horizontally stretched strips as they grow, in order to create a kind of braided tomato network.
Whatever method is chosen, it is important to remember that the rope should be pulled loosely enough on the stem so as not to damage it. Let us mention that in a similar way You can also tie up the clusters with fruits themselves, since they very often turn out to be quite heavy.
If the bed seemed very long, it is necessary to strengthen the structures. To do this, it will be enough to drive additional intermediate pegs, and then the entire suspension system no storm will be scary. If you place two beds parallel to each other at a fairly short distance, then the structure will be suitable for gartering tomatoes on both sides at once. That is, you should get a kind of wigwam from tomatoes.
Garter method: cages
If you need to frequently plant tomatoes and care for them, it makes sense to create special cages. Entire structures can be built. They should be built separately near each bush. If everything is done conscientiously, the resulting cells can last up to several years.
In appearance they will resemble improvised cells. The design is created as follows. First, several circles of approximately the same diameter are constructed from dense reinforcing wire, after which they are attached at the same distance from each other to vertical wires. The result should be a cylindrical cage made of wire, which must be installed in the same way and at the same time as the stakes. Subsequently, as the bushes grow, it will only be necessary during tie the stems.
If the problem is that there is no necessary wire, then any frame will do, even one made of wood. The main thing is to fasten the stakes together like a stool (only without a surface for sitting). If you make a similar type of cage of spacious dimensions, then it will be possible to cover 4 tomato bushes at once and tie them to each vertical pin of the completed structure. This method of tying is much more reliable than stakes driven in separately.
This is very interesting way tying tomatoes. You will need to build caps for it. They can be used not only for tomatoes. The essence of this method is that it is necessary to build a high and narrow hut, a kind of pyramid correct form from various available means. Anything can be used: wires, pegs, vines. The resulting cone must be tied like a cage. Caps must be installed at the time of planting seedlings. You can mount several bushes on them. Such pyramids should be placed at a distance so that to avoid confusion of plants. Most often they are placed every 1 m or slightly more, if the size of the area allows.
This section will help avoid various mistakes and misunderstandings for those who have only recently taken up gardening.
The selected materials for gartering tomatoes may subsequently be suitable for some other plants, such as, for example, grapes. Remember that this works rule: the material for garter should be selected for one year, then it should be thrown away so as not to transfer possible infections or diseases to new seedlings next year.
From the very day when the famous traveler Columbus brought a sweet vegetable from America, the tomato has gained recognition in all countries of Europe, and later in Asia. The small plant liked the local climate, which resulted in bountiful harvest red juicy fruits.
Why is it necessary to tie up tomatoes?
Nowadays it’s hard to imagine without tomatoes dining tables. Skillful housewives Not only are they served for dinner during the ripening period, but they are also packed into jars whole or in the form of juice for the winter. Despite the fact that the birthplace of this culture is the neighboring continent, it is impossible to imagine many National dishes, just remember adjika or borscht.
Growing homemade tomatoes is very simple, but without proper care The plant will bear fruit sluggishly. Very important point in growing this vegetable in temperate climate considered to be fruit garter.
If this is not done, the harvest will not be very good:
- tomatoes can rot if lying on wet soil after rain or watering;
- slugs and other insects will happily feast on fruits that come into contact with the ground;
- it is necessary to strengthen the plant, otherwise the stem will not support the weight of the ripening tomatoes and will break.
Therefore, before planting tomatoes, you need to familiarize yourself with how to tie tomatoes in a greenhouse.
Greenhouse vegetables are good because they ripen faster compared to tomatoes grown in open ground, and their yield is 2.5 times higher. However, regardless of where the bush grows, in open ground, in polycarbonate or film greenhouse, it needs to be tied up. There are different garter methods, they are suitable for different types growing.
Tying with pegs
This method is one of the most common and, perhaps, the simplest. In order to tie up a tomato, you will need wooden pegs. Their number should correspond to the number of bushes. As for the length, it should be calculated depending on the height of the plant. For example, average height the length of the plant being tied is 50 cm. In addition, it is necessary to drive the peg approximately 20 cm into the ground so that it is not broken by the weight of the bush. You should also remember that the tomato will continue to grow. Therefore, the peg must be at least 90 cm long.
In addition to the stakes, you also need to prepare the ties. It's better to use tape synthetic material, For example, nylon tights, cut into strips. Synthetics are not as susceptible to rotting as natural fabrics, and attracts less insects. It is better not to use ropes and wires; they cut into the stem of the plant, which may disappear as a result.
The peg must be driven in at a distance of 20 cm from the bush and the tomato must be tied with several loops at a height as close as possible to the crown.
This must be done with every plant. Over time, the tomato will stretch out, so you will have to tie it up again with additional tape to the same peg. Thus, the pegs act as a support and the fruits will not lie on the ground. Since tying up growing tomatoes in open ground is easier than in a greenhouse, this method is not as convenient for closed growing methods.
Garter using the trellis method
The trellis method is also known as the linear method. It is intended for those who are interested in how to tie tomatoes without stakes in a greenhouse.
The method is as follows:
- Large, stable stakes are driven into the ground at different ends of the bed, ideal option there will be sections of reinforcement or other profiles with a length of one and a half meters;
- A trellis is installed between them, strong enough to support the weight of the bushes located throughout the garden bed. The plants need to be tied to this trellis;
- To do this, pinch the tops with a rope and lift them up. As the bush grows, it will weave around the rope, so you won’t have to tie up the tomatoes again.
Garter using the lattice method
The method is very similar to the previous one. This great option, for those who want to know how to tie up tomatoes in a polycarbonate or film greenhouse. Here you also need to prepare pieces of reinforcement for support and a coil of wire instead of a trellis. The wire must be pulled between the reinforcement in several rows at different heights. The plane of location of the resulting incomplete lattice must be perpendicular to the ground.
The plant simply lies on the bottom wire and, as it grows, clings to top part, only on the other side. As a result, it turns out that it is kept in vertical position, sandwiched between two wires.
As soon as its growth reaches the next line, the top is shifted in the opposite direction to the third row of wire. And so on, in a checkerboard pattern.
This method is good for strengthening tall varieties, for more low species It is enough to use individual pegs.
For those summer residents who want to know how to tie tall tomatoes in the open ground, it is worth taking a closer look at this method.
Pros of tomato garter
How to tie tomatoes in a polycarbonate or film greenhouse has already been written above, but what practical benefits do these methods provide, besides the fact that the fruits do not spoil when lying directly on the ground?
The benefits include:
- good air ventilation between bushes;
- convenient watering of plants;
- timely stepsoning.
As a result, the plant will bear fruit well, which means there will be no more disappointment at the sight of a green fruit with rot.