In home and allotment gardens,among vegetables grown under cover, tomatoes rank firstThis is due to the fact that the tomato is a plant with high heat and light requirements, andgrowing tomatoes in a greenhousehas many benefits. See when it is best to plant tomatoes andhow to plant tomatoes in a greenhouseso that all seedlings are established, grow he althily and bear fruit abundantly!
Tomatoes planted in the greenhouse
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Preparation of a place for planting tomatoes in the greenhouse
The tomato is a plant with high thermal requirementsand moderate requirements as to substrate and soil moisture. In the ground, it can be cultivated only in the frost-free period, i.e. from mid-May to the end of September.Greenhouse crops allow us to extend this period significantly , depending on whether we have a heated greenhouse or not, and on sufficient lighting in the greenhouse.
Before we plant tomatoes in the greenhouse , we need to properly prepare the place for growing them. The soil for tomato cultivation should be rich in nutrients, fertile, well-maintained and slightly acidic 5.5-6.5.The soil for planting tomatoes in the greenhouse should be enrichedwith 3-4 kg of manure or compost per 1m² of the crop. Mix the fertilizer with the soil to a depth of 30-40 cm.
It's also a good idea towhen preparing the tomato planting positionto cover the surface of the beds with a thin layer of garden bark or straw chaff.Straw mulch reflects light and therefore creates better conditions for photosynthesis, especiallyat the beginning of tomato cultivation in a greenhouse
When to plant tomatoes in the greenhouse?
The deadline for planting tomatoes in the greenhouselargely depends on whether the greenhouse is heated or not.
In an unheated greenhouse, tomatoes can be planted from April , which is about a month earlier than in the ground. Thanks to this, their fruit will ripen earlier and the growing season will be significantly longer, which affects the collection of a greater yield. While the cultivation of tomatoes in the ground ends around September, in a greenhouse they can mature until October.
Planting tomatoes in a greenhouse
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Tomatoes in a heated greenhousecan be grown twice a year, ie in spring and autumn. In the spring periodthe earliest planting date for tomatoespermanently is the beginning of February (if we have the opportunity to light the seedlings during its production in December and January) or March (if we produce seedlings earlier without lighting).And the most appropriate date forto plant tomatoes in a greenhouse in autumnis the period from July 10 to 25. Plants from later plantings usually develop too few clusters and bear fruit poorly.
How to plant tomatoes in a greenhouse?
Tomatoes are planted in the greenhouse 2 rows40-60 cm apart, with 70-90 cm stripes between them. The distance of the plants in the rows should be 35-50 cm. Such planting greatly facilitates the cultivation work, plant protection and fruit harvesting, and also allows greater air movement in the greenhouse, preventing excessive humidity.
In free-standing east-west greenhousesthe rows of tomatoes should run from north to southto ensure even illumination and shorten the distance between the ends of the rows and the communication corridor.
The soil before planting tomatoes in the greenhousemust be leveled. After the rows have been marked, and then the plant spacing in the rows, pits are started.The most practical way to do this is to use a special digger that is stuck into the ground where the plant is planted.Tomatoes are planted as deep as they grew in pots , and then sprinkled with water not exceeding 1 liter per plant.
How to tie tomatoes?
After planting the tomato seedlings in the greenhousewe should tie the plants with a string of wire stretched along the row of plants. For this purpose, it is best to use galvanized steel wire with a diameter of 4 mm. The wire stretched over the row of tomatoes should be attached upwards to the greenhouse structure at intervals of no more than 4-5m.
The principle of tying tomatoesis simple, because one end of the string is tied to a wire 190-210 cm above the soil surface, while the other end is twisted in a spiral around the stem, starting from the top of the tomato, and loosely tied at a distance of about 10cm from the root collar.As the plant grows, twist the stem clockwise around the string.
During the growth of tomatoesit is worth using ecological spraying on tomatoes with preparations of nettles, comfrey or horsetail, which will support the growth and development of tomatoes, as well as reduce the susceptibility to fungal diseases. Nettle manure is also the most valued natural fertilizer for tomatoes, which is also worth using in greenhouse cultivation of these vegetables.
MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
