Can determinate tomatoes be grown in a window? Low growing tomato varieties

Without having your own land plot, you can enjoy freshly picked aromatic tomatoes, growing them on a balcony or windowsill. Most often, people want to grow vegetables on the windowsill in winter, when the summer season is far away, but they want to tinker with the soil. But even in the warm season, this is an excellent solution for residents, for example, apartment buildings. Of course, this is not a way to fully feed your family, but it is an opportunity not only to save a little, but also to gain moral satisfaction. Everyone is pleased not only to see the result of their labor, but also to taste it, because vegetables grown with their own hands are always the most aromatic and tasty, and most importantly, healthy and not treated with pesticides.

Growing tomatoes and caring for them in an apartment is not much different from growing them in open ground and caring for indoor plants. But there are also some peculiarities. Breeders bred a large number of varieties of tomatoes specifically for growing indoors. If you want to grow tomatoes on a windowsill, it is better to choose low-growing varieties, for example, Florida Petite (Little Florida) and Oak. Outdoors, plants grow 25 - 35 cm tall. In the room they stretch up to 40 - 50 cm, but at the same time, the plant’s trunk is strong enough and there is no need to tie up the plants.
They are distinguished by their compact bush size and high decorative value. Fruits on them small size, but very tasty. And due to the fact that there are a lot of them on each bush, the harvest is quite decent. Also, such low-growing varieties as “Pinocchio”, “Balcony Miracle”, “Button”, “Bonsai”, “Mikron NK”, etc. have proven themselves well.

If you have a large, well-lit balcony or loggia, then you can try planting large-fruited and tall varieties: “ Bull's heart", "Slivka", "De Barao", "White filling", "Carlson". But in this case, we must take into account that one such bush requires at least 10-15 liters of soil.

Planting tomatoes

In order for seedlings to appear faster, the seeds must be pre-soaked. To do this, you need to place them in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate for 10-15 minutes. Then throw away the seeds that did not sink to the bottom, and take out the rest, wrap them in a wet cloth and wait for them to hatch. If the manufacturer applied to planting material a special protective and nourishing film; no need to soak.

Suitable for planting tomatoes "Universal" soil, which you can buy or make yourself by mixing chernozem, sand and peat in equal proportions. To enrich the earth with minerals, it is better to add sifted charcoal. Before planting, the soil should be doused with boiling water and then allowed to cool. Thus, it will be disinfected, warmed up and well moisturized.

For sowing seeds you can use 200 ml plastic cups. It is advisable to choose transparent cups so that you can control the watering. You should not make holes for water at the bottom, since with a small volume the soil will not have time to absorb sufficient quantity water. The glass must be filled with earth, leaving about a finger's worth of free space at the top. Make a hole 2 cm deep, plant 2 grains, fill the hole with soil. After this, the glasses should be covered with plastic wrap to prevent moisture evaporation and placed in a dark place with a temperature of 24-26°C. 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 upper layer the soil does not dry out to avoid the development of fungal diseases.

!!! The greatest danger to tomatoes is fungal diseases, the appearance and spread of which is facilitated by dampness. The development of the disease is prevented by sunlight and free access fresh air. A good remedy To combat plant diseases is spraying with Bordeaux mixture. To prepare it, you need to dissolve 10 g in 0.9 liters of water. copper sulfate in a glass container, and dilute 20 g of slaked lime in 0.1 liters of water. Pour the milk of lime in a thin stream into the vitriol solution, stirring continuously. Ready mix stored for no more than 24 hours.

When two or three “real” leaves appear, transplant the tomatoes into larger pots. For dwarf tomatoes, a container with a volume of 4-5 liters will be enough, but the more space, the better. Place expanded clay or pieces of polystyrene at the bottom of the pot, add a 2-3 cm layer of sand and a little soil. Lightly water the seedlings, and then carefully remove them from the glass along with a lump of earth. Place the seedling in a pot and fill the free space with soil. If more than one sprout has grown, it is better to leave one of the healthiest ones and pinch off the rest with your hands at the root. Add 2-3 cm of soil on top and water. Thus, there should be 5-7 cm free in the pot to the top edge. This will make it possible to add soil to the pot as the plant grows, thereby replacing hilling.

Watering

Water the tomatoes depending on the return and time of year it should be different. In the first month of life of tomatoes, the soil should be moistened frequently, every day or every other day, but in moderation. Then the plants can be watered more abundantly and less frequently. When the tomatoes begin to bloom and the ovary appears, do not allow the soil to dry out. Doesn't like tomato high humidity. It is advisable to water the plants a couple of times a week, thoroughly moistening the soil. For irrigation, it is better to use water at a temperature of 20-25°C. There is no need to wash away the soil under the bush - just keep it moist. It is best to water the plants in the evening. If it so happens that you need to water during the day, then it is better to do it through the pan. You should not water tomatoes on a sunny day. Water should not fall on the leaves or trunk of the plant, since water droplets, like small lenses, focus Sun rays and plants may get burned. On particularly hot summer days or if the air at home is very dry, spraying can help. During this period, adhere to the rule “it is better to overfill than underfill.” And here winter period and on cloudy days, on the contrary, “it’s better to underfill than overfill.”

Lighting

Tomatoes are very demanding on lighting. In order not to use artificial lighting, it is better to plant seeds in late March - early April, and place the plants in the south or southeast. For uniform lighting, once every two days you can turn the tomatoes with the other side towards the window.

On cloudy short winter days, it is simply impossible to grow lush bushes in an apartment without additional lighting. It is no secret that light is the main component of the process of photosynthesis, which is important for a plant, without which normal growth and development of the plant does not occur.

You can organize additional lighting using fluorescent lamps white and daylight. Such lamps give something similar to sunlight illumination and do not emit heat. Therefore, they can be placed quite close to the plants. Also, in specialized stores you can purchase phytolamps adapted specifically for indoor growing vegetables

Top dressing tomato

For better fruiting, it is recommended to carry out fertilizing plants organic fertilizers . You should not use chemicals, as there is a high risk of going too far with the dosage and getting fruits full of nitrates, since if manure, ash and other organic fertilizers are provided by nature itself and the plants will take exactly so much nutrients, as much as they need, then chemical fertilizers are absorbed by the plant uncontrollably. And if you overfeed, then best case scenario the plant will die, and in the worst case (for you), the plants will become lush and beautiful, but their fruits can be poisoned. Therefore, it is better to use only organic fertilizers for fruit-bearing plants.

You can feed tomatoes with well-rotted manure diluted in water. You can prepare it in advance at the dacha, let it rot, and store it for the winter, and put it on the balcony to rot. When manure is overcooked, it smells quite strongly. If you need to fertilize, but there is no balcony where the manure in any container could rot, then you can feed it with horse manure. When it overheats, it practically does not smell. They can also be fed unrotted. Feeding with water infused with manure should be done once a week or two. You can alternate it with fertilizing with ash.

Fertilizing with manure stimulates plant growth and flower formation. But plants may not be able to cope with the abundance of color, and the flowers will fall off without forming ovaries ( when 2-3 bunches of tomatoes have set, remove the remaining flower stalks and shoots to reduce the load on the plant). In this case, the solution to the situation will be ash. It promotes the formation of ovaries, as well as the growth and ripening of fruits. Ash can simply be sprinkled on the ground around the plant or diluted in water and fed with this solution.

To feed with manure, it is enough to dilute two tablespoons of manure (heaped) in a liter of water. To feed with ash, one teaspoon of ash should be diluted in a liter of water.

Stepsoning

Further care of plants certainly includes such items as pinching and bush formation. So-called stepsons grow from the axils of the leaves. Their growth requires quite a lot of nutrients necessary for flowering and fruit formation. In order for there to be more fruit, the stepsons must be removed so that the yield does not suffer. It is best to do this when the stepson has grown 1 - 3 cm long, breaking it off with your hands rather than cutting it off to avoid infection of the plants.

When forming a bush, only one stepson is left - under the first inflorescence of the raceme, thus forming a plant with two stems. If necessary, we tie the stems to pegs. In addition to stepsons, it is advisable to remove yellowed and damaged leaves.

Tying up

All varieties of tomatoes, with the exception of low-growing ones, require staking. Otherwise, the plant may not support its own weight and its trunk may break. If tomatoes grow on the balcony, then you need to think in a timely manner where the plants will be tied up.

Medium-sized varieties can be tied to a peg. When planting tomatoes in a large pot, a peg 50 - 60 cm long (from ground level) is also dug in along with the plant. When the plant reaches the right size, it can be tied to this peg without any problems.
If you do not prepare in advance and do not dig a peg, then later, when the plant is already large, it can damage the roots.
You can tie it with an old nylon stocking or a strip of flannel cloth. Just do this carefully; the node should not be placed on the plant.

Pollination

Tomatoes do not require artificial pollination, but for better tying, you can lightly tap the stem several times a week, shaking the flower brushes. After the main part of the fruits has formed, the top of the plant, like the flowering racemes, should be removed, as they will not allow the already formed fruits to fully develop.

With poor ventilation, high temperature ambient air, insufficient soil moisture and poor lighting, plant leaves do not curl, but stretch upward, flowers and fruits fall off. It is necessary to frequently ventilate the room and water the plants, carefully monitor temperature conditions. With excessive watering and fertilizing, on the contrary, a powerful dark green bush with weak flower clusters is formed. In this case, the plant is fed less frequently, the soil is not watered for about a week, and the flowers are pollinated by hand using cotton swabs.

Lemons grown in an apartment look very beautiful (and tasty).

Basic recommendations for successfully growing tomatoes on a windowsill or balcony

- It is better to give preference to small-fruited but high-yielding hybrids and varieties of tomatoes. In a small area, it is difficult for a plant to grow large fruits; there will be few of them or they will take a long time to ripen. Small fruits ripen gradually, which will ensure fresh vegetables every day.

- Important role plays right choice seeds. For growing in a city apartment, the most suitable are self-pollinating, early-ripening, low-growing or bush hybrids. These days, for home grown Special varieties have also been bred (in this case, the packets of seeds will indicate “suitable for growing in an apartment”).

- So that a beautiful, juicy, fruit-bearing bush grows from a seed, the plant must be provided with a suitable temperature and required amount Sveta. Beds with vegetables should be placed on south or south-east windows. On short winter days, additional illumination with fluorescent lamps is mandatory.

- Do not allow the soil to dry out. In hot weather, the plant can shed flowers and ovaries. If you don’t have time to monitor soil moisture, you can install an “irrigation system.” To do this you need to dig into the ground plastic bottle, having previously made several holes in it. Which side to dig in depends on the size of the pot. The main thing is that there is a funnel on the surface for pouring water. This way, the roots will constantly receive moisture, and the soil on top will not be covered with a crust.

- Feed the plants once a month is enough. During flowering, the branches need to be swayed a little to improve pollination. For these purposes, you can use a universal fertilizer for indoor flowers or specialized growth concentrates. But it is very important not to overuse fertilizers; the saying “you can’t spoil porridge with oil” is inappropriate here. The norm specified in the instructions for the fertilizer cannot be exceeded. It’s even better to divide it into two times (it’s better to feed more often). To avoid burning the roots, the plant must first be watered. clean water, and only then - with a fertilizer solution.

- Pots with seedlings and adult bushes must be turned 180 degrees once a day. This is necessary so that the bushes are level, since plants tend to bend towards the light. And, at the same time, it is necessary to protect plants from the scorching rays of the sun. Leaf burns and yield can be significantly reduced, and appearance the plants will be ruined. To do this, you can “tint” the glass with white paper - and the room will not be so hot, and the plants will become more comfortable.

- You should not pick tomatoes that are not ripe. When they ripen on the bush, they become fragrant and juicy. This is exactly what we lack in purchased fruits

- Do not force plants to compete. By planting two bushes in one pot, you may not only not increase the yield, but even lose it altogether. If there is nowhere to replant the extra plants, it is better to throw them away altogether, and then the remaining ones will delight you with a generous harvest.

P.S. It is no secret that many insects, including mosquitoes and ants, cannot stand the specific smell of tomato tops. Several pots of plants tomatoes on the windowsill will become a reliable barrier against mosquitoes in the hot season.

In winter, when a blizzard and cold knock on the window, fresh tomatoes on the windowsill they seem something exotic, unattainable, and this only makes them more attractive. How realistic is it to grow them in a harsh season? If you know the small nuances of “agricultural technology in pots”, it is no more difficult than regular tomatoes on the beds. When there is an insulated balcony, growing tomatoes can be organized on it.

Varieties that will “get along” in the house

All “tomato work” is tightly linked to the availability of free space. If there is enough space on the balcony, you can choose almost any variety for planting - tall, low, branchy or not very branchy. When all year round You only have free space on the windowsill at your disposal; cherry varieties or miniature bushes specially bred for “home breeding” that quickly “give off” the harvest are suitable for growing. Among them there may be both red and yellow varieties tomatoes. High-quality composition does not depend on external color.

Cherry varieties: Bonsai, Balcony Miracle, Baby, Balcony Charm, Golden Bunch, Chinese Room, Room Surprise, Rowan Beads, Bullfinch, Japanese Dwarf and others.

Regular tomatoes that are suitable for a winter windowsill: White filling, Bull's heart, Leopold, Siberian early ripening, Florida Petit, Yamal.

Tomato varieties for balcony cultivation can be taken slightly taller in height and with more large fruits, otherwise caring for them will be the same as caring for vegetables on the windowsill.

It is important to check the expiration dates, which are always indicated on factory packages of seeds. Often, inexperienced vegetable growers cannot understand why their indoor tomatoes do not sprout in winter. It is quite possible that this is the result of an overdue implementation period.

Miracle on the balcony

The “Balcony Miracle” tomato has gained special love among gardeners at home. This is a compact determinate variety, up to 50 cm high, ultra-early ripening ( maximum term ripening 90 days), the weight of each bright red tomato is up to 65 g, round in shape. The usual yield is up to 2 kg per bush. If the plant is “allocated” large area– the harvest in winter can be higher.

Before germination, the seeds are grown in greenhouse conditions, then the temperature is reduced to 15 degrees for a week, then raised again. When the sprouts rise to 15 cm, they are dived into the b O larger containers. “Balcony Miracle” tomatoes love light (although they ripen in conditions of its deficiency) and do not require tying up or removing shoots.

Positive effect when winter growing will give: help in pollination, good watering, fertilizers, careful loosening of the soil, bush formation.

Feeding options:

Special drugs.
Liter solution: 5 g of superphosphate, mixed with potassium sulfate and urea - 1 g each.

The most productive fertilizing is in winter during the period of flowering and fruit formation.

Growing a “Balcony Miracle” at home will allow you to collect excellent tomatoes from your windowsill in winter for salads, preparations, and even freezing.

Main growing conditions

Growing tomatoes on a balcony or windowsill requires compliance with a number of necessary conditions:

The best location is near the southern windows. Almost impossible - in the northern ones.
Disinfected, not clay soil. Not less than 5 liters per bush.
Along the bottom - drainage with expanded clay or sand.
Air humidity up to 65%.
Daylight hours for seedlings are at least 12 hours even in winter, preferably 13-16.
If necessary, add additional lighting with lamps installed no closer than 30 cm from the seedlings.
Water the tomatoes on the balcony or windowsill carefully, with warm water, without over-watering, but also without over-drying. On average once every 3 days.
Air temperature indicators: during the day 25-26 degrees, at night up to 15-16. If it’s hotter, ventilate; tomatoes are not afraid of drafts.
Do not grow on a balcony without insulation before April.
Loosen the soil and top up as necessary.
It is possible to spray leaves and tie up branches.
Do not turn pots with bushes to prevent tomatoes from falling off the branches.
It is advisable to install containers on slatted stands.

You should not frequently fertilize tomatoes with nitrogenous and organic fertilizers in winter. Otherwise, powerful, coarse bushes will grow with a minimum of small fruits.

Instructions for winter growing tomatoes on a windowsill

Before you “start” the winter process of growing tomatoes at home, you need to stock up on everything necessary materials. You should have at hand:

Seeds famous manufacturers with a “fresh” expiration date.
Seeding cups.
Containers for planting after picking - “cut-off” bottles, pots.
Lamps for additional lighting.

Main stages of work

Preparing containers and tools . “Fry” at high temperature (in the oven) or treat with a preparation against fungi and bacteria. In case of using new peat pots Before planting, soak them in a solution of mineral and organic fertilizers and dry them.
Land preparation. Tomatoes on a windowsill, as well as when grown outdoors, prefer “breathing”, clean soil. Ordinary soil can be doused with hot potassium permanganate, steamed in a water bath, or seriously frozen. Examples of mixtures for self-cooking: equal parts of earth, humus, peat and sand; for two parts of the land, 4 “measures” of humus and peat, 1 - sand. Pour well with a mixture of urea and potassium sulfate, diluting with 10 liters of water by volume matchbox. Add a handful of ash there. The looseness of the soil is increased with peat or sawdust.
Germination of seeds. To prevent late blight, soak them in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour, dry and treat with a growth stimulator. To germinate, soak the seeds with warm water and leave them on a damp cloth in a warm place.
Sowing rules varieties for balconies and window sill. Sprouted tomato seeds are planted in lightly watered soil in small holes (up to 1 cm), 1 piece at a time. Dry ones are buried in 2 or 3 copies at a distance of 2 cm. Cover with film or glass on top and transfer to a warm place, but without the “African heat”. To obtain a tomato harvest on the windowsill in winter and in early spring sowing is carried out in October and late November. Continuity of tomato harvesting can be ensured by the following sowings in mid-February and late March.
"Moving" to a permanent place. When shoots appear, the covering material is removed and the pots are moved closer to the window. Next, it is important to ensure that the sprouts have enough light and warmth in winter.

Raise containers with tomatoes from time to time to see if excess moisture has accumulated in the pan. It needs to be removed. Water with water at room temperature.

Carrying out a dive. During the period of appearance of 2 permanent leaves. After the “procedure”, the strongest sprouts receive a more capacious “container” for growth - 7-10 liters. The roots of the seedlings are buried 3 cm and watered. Growing tomatoes on the balcony will take place in such large containers. More large varieties immediately tied to pegs. Leave any tomatoes in the winter after transplanting for about a week so that the bushes take root quietly. When it’s still cool outside, it’s better to bring tomatoes from the balcony into the room at night. With the onset of warmth, all plantings “move” to the balcony.
Winter feeding of tomatoes on the windowsill. Seedlings are “supplied” once every 10 days with organic matter and ready-made mineral fertilizers. Proceed according to the instructions on the package, do not forget to carefully loosen the soil around the trunk. With the appearance of 2 true leaves, fertilize the seedlings in winter with a solution of microelements. The most important rules work: for young plants, the dose, reduced by 2 times compared to the instructions, is carried out on moist soil, preferably without touching the leaves.
Pinching and pruning. The stems that begin to grow from the axils of the leaves are called stepsons. They are removed so that nutrition is not taken away from the ripening fruits. To form 2-3 stems in low-growing varieties, you can leave the appropriate number of stepsons. The rest are removed manually, preferably in the morning, while there is no strong sun. short and standard varieties You don’t have to plant the stepson, but you don’t have to thicken the bush either. Sick and yellowed leaves are cut off. After the clusters have formed, you can also cut off the lower leaves.

You cannot remove all the leaves. In this case, the synthesis of organic materials will be disrupted.

Bush formation. After setting the fruit, 4-5 clusters are left on each trunk. All others are removed along with the top of the stem and inflorescences. When the formation of the fruit itself begins, the tops are pinched and the flowering tassels are removed.
Help with pollination. Tomatoes of “balcony” varieties are also self-pollinating, but help in winter will not hurt them. It is enough to lightly shake the flower tassels and tap on the stem. To prevent the ovary from falling off, it is permissible to spray the bush with a solution boric acid– 1 g per 5 liters of water and add a little potassium permanganate.
Prevention of diseases. Without proper care tomatoes can get sick in winter even when grown on a windowsill. If you “flood” them, mold, rot or late blight are guaranteed. For its prevention, a mixture of the following composition is well suited: add half a glass of garlic and a little potassium permanganate (half a gram) to a three-liter container of water. You can use spraying with Fitosporin. The appearance of whiteflies, even when grown in a window in winter, is facilitated by soil acidification. Adding crumbs of chalk, ash, dolomite flour or slaked lime. There are also special deoxidizing drugs.

By responsibly caring for the bushes and taking all preventive measures, you can be sure that the tomatoes will ripen in the right quantity.

Harvesting

To grow a full-fledged harvest on the windowsill, it is important to collect the fruits on time. In winter, remove saturated tomatoes that have begun to turn slightly pink. They are placed for ripening on a window or in a dark box. The process will go through to the end, and all those released useful material the bush will be “abandoned” to grow the fruits remaining on the branches.

Knowing how to grow tomatoes at home on a windowsill or balcony, you can pamper your loved ones with “delicious plantings” not only in summer, but also in winter. This will especially please children, who will examine each plant with the greatest curiosity and will certainly taste the small tasty “tomatoes”.

Tomatoes on a windowsill in winter Lately are grown more and more often. This method of obtaining vitamin vegetable products is different high level efficiency and low costs of both money and time.

Benefits of growing tomatoes at home

In a home greenhouse

In indoor mini-greenhouses you can grow not only seedlings for planting in open ground. Such miniature design is quite suitable for cultivating dwarf tomato bushes and allows you to get good harvest small fragrant fruits all year round.

Factory greenhouses are made from of stainless steel, and also have a plexiglass coating and a tray-shaped base. Closed indoor mini-greenhouses equipped with automatically controlled lighting, temperature and humidity are called growboxes. In such “mini-greenhouses” tomatoes develop very well, and they have enough light, heat and moisture in full.

How to sow tomato seeds (video)

Growing tomatoes and caring for them in an ordinary city apartment is not much different from cultivating them in open ground and caring for indoor plants. However, this method gives great opportunity replace low-use store-bought vegetables with environmentally friendly and very tasty products grown with your own hands and with minimal costs funds and time.

Many people have long practiced growing herbs on the windowsill. This does not cause much trouble and provides the whole family with the necessary vitamins even in winter. City dwellers in Germany, France, and other European countries grow cucumbers and tomatoes on their windowsills. Such seedlings perform not only an aesthetic function, but also provide people far from agriculture with a small supply of independently grown vegetables. Their experience shows that growing tomatoes on a windowsill in winter is possible. In this article we will look at how to grow tomatoes on a windowsill.

The best tomato varieties for growing on a windowsill

If you choose the best varieties tomato for growing on a windowsill, then first place should be given to low-growing and standard tomatoes. They do not take up much space on the balcony, are distinguished by rich fruiting, and do not require tying up or artificial pollination. It is advisable to focus on dwarf tomatoes.

For those who have not yet decided which tomatoes are best to grow in an apartment on a windowsill, we can recommend varieties such as:

"Leopold",
"White filling",
"Little Red Riding Hood",
"Pink Angel"
"Oak",
"Ruby"
"Balcony Miracle"

When grown indoors, they do not reach a height of more than 50 cm and hold a large number of fruits well. If you choose among tall varieties, then cherry tomatoes on the windowsill will delight you with tasty and sweet tomatoes all year round. They differ beneficial properties, do not require much attention and are best suited for indoor keeping.

Growing tomatoes on the windowsill is not only saving money family budget, but also an interesting, exciting activity for the whole family.

Sowing tomato seeds for seedlings in an apartment

Before sowing the seeds, they should be treated.

To do this, it is enough to immerse them in a solution of any growth stimulator for ten hours. If any seeds float to the surface, throw them away. But in purchased seeds this phenomenon is very rare. Well, soaking in a stimulator will help reduce the germination time of seeds and also increase their germination.
We catch the seeds, place them between layers of damp cloth, and after three to five days the seeds will develop small roots.
It's time to plant the seeds in the ground. Let's prepare the soil for seeds in the same way as when growing seedlings for open ground. Ready-made soil for seedlings can be purchased at the store. We lower the seeds in rows to a depth of about 1 centimeter with a distance of 3 centimeters between the seeds. Cover the box with seedlings transparent film and put it in a warm place.
After a few days, sprouts appear. Now it's time to place the sprouts on the windowsill so that they are well lit. If possible, choose window sills on the south or southeast side.
But in autumn there are quite a lot of cloudy days. And so that our tomatoes have enough light, it is advisable to hang a fluorescent lamp above them, at a distance of 25-30 centimeters. Such lamps provide a lot of light and practically no heat. It is advisable to feed our seedlings with liquid fertilizer once every few weeks, preparing it according to the instructions.
When the third leaf of the seedling sprouts, we pick it up, planting it in small pots. It is not advisable to plant seedlings immediately in a large pot because in this case the roots will develop worse. In a month, we will plant the seedlings in large pots with a volume of three to five liters.

Features of caring for homemade tomatoes

Watering. There is no need to water tomatoes often. But make sure that the soil in the pot does not dry out. It is better to water twice a week properly, completely moistening the entire earthen ball, than to water a little every day - the soil inside may remain dry. If the air at home is very dry, spraying will help.
Spraying. Tomatoes do not really like water on their leaves in cold weather, but in an apartment in dry air you can spray them with water. Just don’t do this during the flowering period.
Additional lighting. With such early boarding plants need additional lighting. The days are still short, there is little light.

On cloudy short winter days, it is simply impossible to grow lush bushes in an apartment without additional lighting. It is no secret that light is the main component of the process of photosynthesis, which is important for a plant, without which normal growth and development of the plant does not occur.
You can organize additional lighting using fluorescent lamps of white and daylight. These lamps provide sunlight-like illumination without generating heat. Therefore, they can be placed quite close to the plants. Also, in specialized stores you can purchase phytolamps adapted specifically for indoor growing of vegetables.
Feeding. While plants are growing and gaining strength, they need nitrogen fertilizers. And during the period of formation and ripeness of fruits - potassium.
Pollination. Tomatoes do not require artificial pollination, but for better setting, you can lightly tap the stem several times a week, shaking the flower brushes. After the main part of the fruits has formed, the top of the plant, like the flowering racemes, should be removed, as they will not allow the already formed fruits to fully develop.

With poor ventilation, high ambient temperatures, insufficient soil moisture and poor lighting, plant leaves do not curl, but stretch upward, flowers and fruits fall off. It is necessary to frequently ventilate the room and water the plants, and carefully monitor the temperature. With excessive watering and fertilizing, on the contrary, a powerful dark green bush with weak flower clusters is formed. In this case, the plant is fed less frequently, the soil is not watered for about a week, and the flowers are pollinated by hand using cotton swabs.

Video: Growing tomatoes on the windowsill

Step-by-step instructions for growing tomatoes

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

Sow the treated seeds. We place the tomato seeds in small depressions at a distance of about 2 cm between each seed. They should be placed at a depth of 1-1.5 cm. Lightly moisten the soil before sowing.
Cover the sown seeds with film or glass; such a covering will retain moisture in the soil well. We place the containers in a dark and warm place (+25-30° C) and wait for germination. The soil can sometimes be moistened.
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, making sure there is no excess moisture in the soil.
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 utensil should be, significantly, large sizes, its volume should correspond to approximately 7-10 liter bucket.
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.
As necessary, we tie the tomatoes to pegs, which we stick into the ground next to the trunk.
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.

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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 get sick without proper care. If the soil is excessively moistened, they are at risk of fungal diseases, such as mold on the leaves, rot on the stem or late blight - black spots on the leaves.
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.
Fruits that have saturated and are beginning to turn pink should be removed and placed to ripen on a window or in a cardboard box. They will no longer take nutrients from the still growing tomatoes.

You will need

- tomato seeds;
- plastic transparent cups;
- soil;
- polyethylene film;
- one large pot or several medium ones.

Instructions

Find a place on the loggia where you will place the pots of tomatoes. This should be a well-lit place with direct sunlight on the south side. Provide additional sources and install fluorescent lamps there.

Depending on what you will be planting in, choose seeds. For small ones flower pots buy dwarf tomato seeds. For growing in large volume Tall varieties with large fruits are suitable for soil.

Grow them using transparent plastic cups in which you can control the degree of watering. This is necessary to ensure that the roots of the seedlings do not rot. Pour soil into a glass, tamp it loosely and pour boiling water over it. When the soil has cooled, make a hole in it and place a seed in it. To be on the safe side, you can plant several seeds, three or four. Then you will have the opportunity to leave the strongest shoots.

Place the cups on the top panel of the refrigerator, where the temperature is about 25 degrees, cover them plastic film and after the first shoots appear, transfer to the windowsill. Provide enough light so that the sprouts do not stretch and are strong. Water them only after the top layer of soil has dried, making sure that moisture does not accumulate at the bottom of the cups. For watering, use warm water, pouring it between the soil and the wall of the glass using a bulb or a large syringe without a needle. After a month, transplant the strengthened seedlings into pots.

Periodically perform pinching - removing shoots developing in the axils of the branches. They must not be cut, but broken off. Leave one “stepchild” on each bush, located under the first inflorescence of the brush. You will form a bush into two stems, which, as they grow, must be tied to pegs stuck into the ground.

Growing temperature is slightly above 25 degrees during the day and not lower than 15 degrees. You can regulate the temperature using a draft; tomatoes are not afraid of it. After watering, be sure to ventilate the room after a couple of hours to avoid excess humidity during the flowering of the plant. Water no more than twice a week, but do not flood the soil, it should only be moist. Once every one and a half to two weeks, feed the plant with mineral and organic fertilizers. Spraying the leaves with a nutrient solution gives good results.

There is no need to specially pollinate tomatoes; just lightly tap the stem several times a day, shaking the brushes. When most of the fruits are formed, remove the top of the plant and the remaining flowers so that the fruits fully develop and have enough nutrients.