How to prepare the ground for planting tomatoes in open ground?

The soil for planting tomatoes must first be prepared in the fall. Only in this case the earth will be saturated with minerals by spring. Tomato is a whimsical vegetable that needs to be given maximum attention during the entire growth period. It is not easy to grow it. Seed germination lasts for several years. Proper preparation is the key to a good harvest.

Choosing a place on the garden plot

It is advisable to carry out a crop rotation of vegetable crops and alternate them when placing.Without such a procedure, the soil for tomato seedlings will accumulate a large number of diseases. Tomatoes take root well in places where onions, carrots, zucchini or cabbage used to grow. Planting seeds should not be carried out in the area of the site where there were potatoes or eggplants, and in the old place tomatoes can take root only after 3 years.

After harvesting the crop that grew in front of the tomatoes, the soil is husked and semi-steam cultivated. Then the fall is plowed and harrowed in two tracks in the spring.

Tomatoes will not grow well under the following conditions:

excess organic fertilizers in the soil layer;
tightness and distance less than 45 cm between the bushes;
excessively wet or dry soil for tomatoes in a greenhouse and in an open area;
too shady place to plant.

Preparing land for seedlings

You need to select and prepare soil for tomatoes in the fall, and the best place to store the material will be a box that needs to be placed on the street. Thanks to the winter frost, all bacteria in the soil for tomatoes in the greenhouse will die, so it will be completely sterile and ready for planting.

Which land is best for planting? The mixture is prepared from earth, humus and compost, which are mixed in a 1: 1 ratio. Additionally, you can add ash, superphosphate and potassium sulfate. Such a composition is selected based on the need to supplement the soil for tomatoes with useful trace elements.

The soil should be loose enough, warm up perfectly, be saturated with nutrients.

The moisture level of the earth is also important., and the optimal acidity will allow the seedlings to develop normally, because tomatoes will not grow on acidic soil.

The main work associated with preparing the soil for tomatoes is carried out closer to autumn, at the very end of summer. Autumn soil should not be wet, so you need to dig it up in dry weather. It is recommended to cultivate the soil for tomatoes to a depth of no more than 20 cm so that later you can apply fertilizers.

Before the very planting of tomato seedlings, the soil is dug up several times. This work is being carried out in the spring. In the same period, you need to add mineral fertilizers and humus. A little later, similar components are added to the wells. Properly dug up soil with fertilizers will help the vegetable crop grow quickly and develop a powerful root system.

It is not so easy to plant tomato seedlings correctly, so this procedure should be approached responsibly. Plants are best planted in spring (May) or early June, when the threat of night frosts has passed and the average daily temperature does not drop below 15 ° C. In this case, planting is carried out both in open ground and in a greenhouse. Immediately get rid of pests in the open ground or greenhouse will help the treatment with a solution of copper sulfate a week before planting. Only then can you dig up the ground and add organic fertilizers to the open ground.

Tomato seedlings are suitable for planting after they reach 20 cm in length and begin to develop a strong root system. Seedlings without land should be planted in cloudy weather or in the evening after sunset, otherwise tender shoots will not take root well. As the seedlings from tomato seeds grow from the moment of sowing to the appearance of 2-3 leaves, you need to feed the plants with superphosphate or a mixture of ash. If you create conditions that love tomatoes, you can hope for a rich harvest. Fertility can be increased by adding peat and manure mixed with loamy soil to the open ground.

Planting tomatoes in the ground (video)

Soil preparation

A tomato in a greenhouse requires careful maintenance and periodic fertilizing of the soil with fertilizers in the spring. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with such a concept as basic soil preparation. These are sequential actions that are carried out on an open plot of land, regardless of the region of residence of the gardener.

The first mandatory procedure is liming. Lime is added in spring and autumn, because it immediately helps to saturate the open area with calcium and magnesium.

Soil preparation for tomatoes in the greenhouse and on the ground includes the addition of organic matter. It is imperative to fertilize the site with compost and give the finished mixture time to infuse, and not immediately plant a vegetable crop. Old tomato plants cannot be added directly to the compost heap, as they can become a source of bacteria.

In addition, gardeners practice various methods of covering the planting area. Mulch and cloth will help supply the soil with organic matter, significantly suppressing the growth of weeds after planting tomatoes. You can use an old tomato newspaper in the greenhouse, it will retain moisture and gradually decompose.

Preparing the soil with bone meal and fungicide additives is optional, but is practiced by some gardeners. Useful components become biologically available to plants within 2 weeks after sowing. It is best to let the soil sit for several weeks and absorb all the additives. Regular loosening and weeding of the soil while watering should be a must.

Planting tomato seedlings in open ground (video)

Previously, tomatoes were always grown in a greenhouse that was simply opened. This season I want to try to plant seedlings in the garden beds. Tell me how to prepare the soil for tomatoes in the open field?

Growing tomatoes outdoors requires special attention. Indeed, in this case, nutrient soil for plants cannot be bought in a store, because it is unrealistic to fill the entire area with it, and there is no point in that either. Experienced gardeners have long known how to properly prepare the soil for tomatoes in the open field so that the plants receive the necessary nutrients and delight them with a bountiful harvest.

Preparing a site for tomato beds includes the following activities:

choice of location;
tillage (digging, plowing);
fertilization;
breakdown of beds.

Choosing a place for tomatoes

A well-lit place on the site should be allocated under the tomato beds. It is better that the predecessors were onions, carrots or cucumbers. But if other representatives of the nightshade family grew on this place, you can use such a plot for tomatoes only after 3 years have passed since they were planted.

It was noticed that tomatoes feel great next to strawberries - the yield of both crops increases significantly, and the fruits and berries themselves grow larger.

Tillage

The land on the site is recommended to be processed two times:

in the fall - after harvesting, plow the area to destroy weeds;
in the spring - dig up with a shovel or pitchfork before cultivating the beds, and fence.

Fertilization

In the process of preparing the soil for planting tomatoes, fertilizers must also be applied in two steps:

In the autumn. During deep plowing, poor soil should be fertilized with organic matter (5 kg of humus per 1 sq. M.). Also, mineral fertilizers can be scattered over the site (50 g of superphosphate or 25 g of potassium salt per 1 sq.m.).
In the spring. Before planting tomato seedlings, add bird droppings (1 kg per 1 sq. M.), Wood ash (the same amount) and ammonium sulfate (25 g per 1 sq. M.) To the plot.

It is not recommended to fertilize the soil under the tomatoes with fresh manure, since the plants in this case will increase the green mass at the expense of the formation of ovaries.

If there is soil with high acidity on the site, it is necessary to additionally add lime at the rate of 500 to 800 g per 1 sq. m. area.

Breaking the beds

At the end of May, in the prepared area, it is necessary to make beds for tomato seedlings. To do this, form small trenches, directing them from north to south. The distance between the beds should be at least 1 m, and between rows - about 70 cm.

For each bed, make sides up to 5 cm in height. For convenience, some gardeners divide the beds into sections with a width of 50 cm, using the same sides. In each section, you will need to plant 2 tomato bushes. This planting pattern prevents water from spreading when watering seedlings.

After the preparatory work is completed, you can start planting tomato seedlings in open ground.

Spring preparation of the beds - video

Tomato is a finicky plant, reacts to temperature and light, does not like gusts of wind and excessive watering. For these reasons, in garden plots for tomatoes, the best places are usually chosen. Harvesting a good crop in open land while following simple rules is not such an overwhelming task for a gardener. Definitely, planting tomatoes in open ground is characterized by its own characteristics, the understanding of which will help to grow a rich harvest.

Planting tomatoes in open ground

In order to understand when to plant tomatoes in open ground, it is necessary to provide good external conditions for seedlings among the first tasks. It is worth paying attention to soil preparation, calculating the appropriate time for planting tomatoes in the ground, optimally forming the beds and planting scheme, and ensuring good follow-up care for the bushes. Carry out pinching, garter, feeding in time, timely identify pests or symptoms of diseases - tomatoes respond well to proper care.

Soil preparation for tomatoes

To get a decent harvest, even before the time when you plant tomatoes in open ground, you should choose the best place for tomato bushes. The culture loves indirect sunlight and usually does well in lighted but sheltered beds. The best pre-tomato plants are onions, carrots, and cucumbers. If you plant seedlings next to strawberries, both crops will respond well. The yield of both plants will noticeably increase, and ripe fruits will grow more voluminous. The beds where eggplants, peppers, potatoes were previously planted should not be given to tomatoes, since there is a high probability of finding pathogens of various diseases in these areas.

Soil quality is different not only in every region, but even in the fields of the same locality. Tomato crops are quite whimsical to the soil, which is why, before planting tomatoes in open ground, it is best to find out the condition of the soil in future beds for tomato seedlings, if possible. In the garden department there are tests for the acidity of the soil on sale. The lower the indicator, the higher the acidity level is considered. Soil with a 7.0 number is considered neutral. Tomatoes will grow well with an acidity range of 6 to 7. If the figure is lower, it is worth adding lime to the soil, if higher, sulfur.

Compost is ideal for preparing land for planting. It also acts as a good bait for earthworms, which are known to loosen the soil well and provide a breeding ground for beneficial bacteria. Experienced gardeners know how to plant tomatoes correctly, and they begin to prepare the soil in the fall, immediately after thoroughly cleaning the site from previous plants and their debris. It is better not to use manure, since tomatoes, after fertilizing with manure, begin to actively grow leaves to the detriment of the fruits. If the soil does not warm up well, it is usually covered with black film or dark plastic.

The time of planting tomatoes in the beds

The most common period when you can plant tomatoes in open ground is undoubtedly May. Usually hardened tomato seedlings are transplanted into open beds this month. Some gardeners try to plant the bushes a little earlier during the warm spring, hoping for an early harvest. However, do not rush, tomatoes planted in mid-April can take root for a long time, get sick and even die, since the soil is still not warmed up enough.

In the first decades of May, the first planting of seedlings gradually begins, which has already grown a little stronger in the air and the sun. The hours when planting tomatoes in open ground are best chosen in the afternoon or evening. At this moment, the sun is no longer shining so brightly, or it is worth choosing cloudy weather for transplanting to the beds. Thus, the entire process of planting young plants may not take place in one go.

As soon as the spring frost ends, you can safely start planting.

Formation and arrangement of beds

Gardeners have long formed the opinion that the tomato planting scheme affects the future number of fruits. The most common arrangement of the beds: traditional and double rows. According to the traditional method, rows of beds about a meter wide or slightly more in the direction from north to south are formed on the prepared soil about 5 days before planting. This rule helps to ensure uniformity of illumination of the sprouts. A distance of 70 centimeters is usually made between the beds, regardless of the tomato variety.

The placement of young bushes is in two rows. As for the space, at what distance to plant tomatoes, for low varieties, the gap is made about 30 centimeters, for medium and tall ones - 45 cm.When forming double ridges, tomato bushes are arranged in a checkerboard sequence on a strip of soil about half a meter wide, leaving wide paths between themselves beds. Wide paths are comfortable, it is convenient to pull hoses along them, to process bushes, with such a planting, each sprout receives more light.

Landing method according to Mitlider

It should be noted that planting tomatoes in trenches along the Meatlider is quite reliable and practical. Using this technology, it is necessary to form and dig trenches so as not to go beyond the boundaries and not to affect other areas of the soil. It is not necessary to loosen the land, weeds will grow quite rarely. You can plant tomatoes in narrow trenches made in boxes with sand and sawdust. The Meatlider method is usually used on difficult, barren land. A small piece of land is suitable for this method. The length of the trenches can be of any length.

If the garden is located on a lowland, then for this method it is worth raising the ground level by 20 centimeters using bulk soil or subsoil flooring. It is necessary to form a clear horizontal soil level.

Understanding how to properly plant tomatoes in open ground according to Meatlider will help to harvest tomatoes that taste different from fruits from ordinary beds.

Proper feeding, regular watering, and photosynthesis help the tomatoes to purify themselves. After harvesting, all waste is best left between the trenches.

Open ground planting technique

Before planting tomatoes in open ground, the soil in containers with seedlings is well watered. This contributes to the easy removal of the bushes from the seedlings, and also prevents the possibility of damage to the roots of the shoots. Pits for planting and subsequent cultivation of tomatoes in open soil should be about 10-15 centimeters deep. Usually they are watered at the rate of a bucket of water for 8-10 holes, then fertilizers are applied along with humus.

Gardeners know how to properly plant tomatoes in open ground, so the sprout is usually carefully removed from the container with two fingers, removing all leaves except 2-3 on top. The stem, together with the root soil, is placed vertically in the hole and covered with earth and compost. In this case, the sprout must remain open. Only the roots are included in the soil. After planting, the land is often treated with mulch. After transplanting to the ground, the tomatoes do not touch for 8-10 days, during this period the plants get used to the new place and take root.

There is no need to water the bushes yet. However, one should not forget about possible frosts. Therefore, it is worth choosing the right time when to plant tomatoes in the ground, in order to avoid the death of immature sprouts. To protect against a cold snap, immediately after placing in the soil, the bushes can be covered with a transparent film material. The film is usually kept until the tenths of June, when the threat of cold will disappear. After 10 days, the sprouts are watered for the first time, after two weeks they are spud.

Rules and nuances of caring for tomatoes in an open area

The carried out planting of a tomato in open ground is supported by the subsequent care of the plants. One of the mandatory procedures is pinching or removing excess shoots. When pinching, the side shoots should not be pulled out with force, but gently broken out by pulling to the side. If the stepsons have become powerful enough, they should be cut off with a razor or a sharp knife. First of all, shoots are removed under the brushes so that the bush does not throw off the ovary. It is also better to get rid of extra brushes with flowers where the fruit could not be tied.

Many gardeners are of the opinion that a plant is like a tomato: planting and care in the open field should be accompanied by extremely competent actions, since tomatoes are one of the most demanding plants. The main components that are more necessary for tomato plants are phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen. Creating fertilizers on their own with the addition of various components, gardeners have long been using many traditional types of dressings that have been proven in practice.

Sowing seeds in open ground

The planned planting of tomato seeds directly into the ground has its own subtleties. As you know, tomatoes are susceptible to the same diseases and pests as peppers, potatoes and eggplants, therefore, when sowing seeds, it is better to avoid places where these crops previously grew, because carriers of diseases in the soil can remain active for several years. The most favorable predecessors of tomatoes are legumes, pumpkins, cabbage, and zucchini.

Preparing seeds for planting

One of the main things in how to properly plant tomatoes in open ground directly with seeds is the preparation of the land. In the spring, after the soil dries up, the soil should be well loosened and leveled to retain moisture and get rid of weeds.For sowing, it is better to choose a section of the garden that is protected from the wind. Sowing is usually done in mid-April. The seeds are evenly distributed in the pits with a diameter of 40 centimeters. Each hole is watered with potassium permanganate water.

Quite often, before sowing tomatoes in open ground, summer residents fear that during frost or cold snap, seedlings may die, and the beds will have to be sown. To minimize this, experienced gardeners often sow germinated seeds along with dry ones. From dry grains, sprouts will germinate later, but they will be able to avoid cold weather. Many gardeners believe that bushes grown from seeds are stronger, less susceptible to diseases than tomatoes planted with seedlings.

Thinning tomato shoots

When 2-3 leaves appear on the sprouts that appear, the shoots should be thinned out. The optimal distance between the bushes should be 5-10 centimeters. Before sowing tomatoes in open ground, gardeners know that not all hatched sprouts should be left, but only the strongest ones. The second thinning is done after 4-5 leaves have grown, again leaving only strong bushes at a distance of 15 centimeters. After the final thinning, the gap between the shoots is about 40 cm.

It is worth saying that planting a tomato in the ground is stressful for young seedlings. For this reason, some sprouts begin to wither. Most often these are the bushes that lacked sunlight. And this is not unusual. After about two weeks, the weakened sprouts will heal with proper care. Caring for tomatoes in open beds requires constant weed-free soil maintenance. Tomatoes are poured rather slowly, which means that a little moisture is needed. But, if the ground is too dry, green fruits can rot.

Planting tomatoes in open ground is the only way for those who do not have greenhouses on the site. If the climate is temperate or warm, then the tomatoes will feel good outdoors, when the climate is cool, then it is better to cover the tomatoes with foil.

Tomato seedlings are planted in the ground. Thus, the time for ripening and obtaining fruits is shortened. In this article, we will take a closer look at how to plant tomatoes correctly.

Time to plant a tomato

The planting time of seedlings of ground tomatoes depends on the variety of this vegetable. There are early, mid-season and late varieties of tomatoes.

Early tomato varieties bear the first fruits in 105 days, Not earlier. Thus, you can eat a light salad of tomatoes or canning them in early summer. And there are also super-early varieties of tomatoes. Their fruits can be harvested after 85 days from the moment the first stems of the seedlings appear.

When buying such varieties of tomatoes, you need to carefully read the information on the package... As a rule, early tomatoes emerge a week after sowing, at least five days. This period is not added to the total period indicated on the package.

Tomatoes are planted after 45-50 days after the appearance of the first stalks of seedlings. There is no exact date, since the temperature in each region is different. It is necessary to be guided by the weather outside the window. Warm and dry weather should be a week before planting tomatoes.

At night the temperature should not fall below 10 degrees with a plus sign. Otherwise, the seedlings will be frosty. It is necessary to plant seedlings approximately:

In the southern regions - from April 15 to May 1.
In the middle regions - from May 1 to May 15.

The beginning of fruiting of a mid-season tomato variety - 110-115 days... They need more time to develop in the open field. As a rule, tomatoes of this variety are very large, which is why they need more nutrients and sunshine.

It is necessary to plant mid-season tomatoes in 55-60 days after sprouting seedlings. Drop off time:

for the southern regions - from May 1 to May 15;
for the middle lane - not earlier than June 1.

Late-ripening tomato varieties begin to bear fruit after 116–120 days after germination. There are also very late varieties that begin to bear fruit after 121 days. Such varieties are transferred to the ground after 70 days after the emergence of sprouts.

Late-ripening tomato varieties are suitable for cultivation in the southern regions, where there are more warm days than cold ones.

> Preparing the soil for planting tomatoes

Many rules have been derived that help protect tomatoes from disease and loss of yield. These same rules must be adhered to even at the stage of preparing the soil for planting tomatoes. It can be cooked in the fall or spring. Features of autumn soil preparation:

Preparation must be done before frost.
Assess the vegetation in the garden. If cabbage, legumes, cucumbers, parsley, carrots grew there, then tomatoes can be planted in this place. You should not plant seedlings in the ground where potatoes, peppers, eggplants used to grow. In the place where the potatoes grew, tomatoes can be planted 2-3 years after harvesting the potatoes.
Check the acidity of the soil. For planting tomatoes, a soil with neutral acidity is recommended - pH 6.5–7. And also tomatoes can be planted in low-acid soil. Does not need to be planted in acidic or alkaline soil. Tomatoes grow poorly in such soil and can develop pathogenic bacteria.
The soil is oxidized after tomatoes have already grown on it. It is not recommended to plant tomatoes in such soil again. Better to wait three years. But, if tomatoes are planted in such soil, then it is necessary to neutralize the acidity. To do this, lime must be added to the soil.
Watch for an increase in soil alkalinity. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to introduce lime under the previous culture. To increase acidity, fertilizers with ammonia can be used, except for potassium and calcium nitrate.

After the site has been selected for planting, it must dig to a depth of 22 to 25 cm... The soil does not need to be leveled. If organic fertilizers were not applied to the soil, then they must be applied at this stage.

As a rule, it is used for fertilization humus or compost... Fertilizers are applied to a depth of 25 cm. For fertilization, it is not necessary to mix humus with ash or ammonium sulfate. This will lead to a loss of nitrogen.

Features of spring soil preparation:

The soil for planting is prepared in a week.
Digs up the site, level the soil, remove all lumps.
Fertilizers are applied for digging. Nitrogen fertilizers must not be applied.
Before planting, make holes 15 cm deep. The distance between the holes will depend on the variety of tomato.

Planting tomatoes in open ground - schemes

Tomatoes are planted in open ground according to schemes that directly depend on the variety, height, irrigation system and weeding of seedlings. There are several schemes for planting tomatoes, but in any case, there should be enough space between the bushes for air and sunlight.

Schemes for planting tomatoes in open ground:

Square-nested. The scheme is suitable for planting high varieties. For them, a special place is occupied by the possibility of processing between the beds. Only in this case will they remain weed-free and loose. The square-nesting scheme involves planting seedlings in the corners of the square in such a way that the number of seedlings in the rows decreases. With this planting, it is convenient to care for tomatoes.
Ribbon-nesting. This variant of the scheme allows you to plant more seedlings in one area. For planting, it is necessary to divide the area into irrigated furrows every 140 cm, the bushes themselves are planted on both sides of the furrow.

After the soil is prepared, it is necessary make holes according to one of the schemes and pour them with warm water. To plant the tomato at the correct depth, you need to pay attention to the height of the bush. You only need to deepen the soil bag.

Before removing the seedlings from the pot, need to water well... So, it will pull out faster and you will not damage the root system of the seedlings.

> Planting a tomato in the soil

To plant seedlings in open ground, it must be pulled out of the pot along with the resulting lump. Then we lower it into the hole, which is previously covered with earth.

You can also sprinkle a small amount of compost around the bush. So, the plant will receive nutrients and will be able to take root faster.

Fertilizer is sprinkled with earth and tamped around the bush. Then you need to water each seedling bush. One bush 1-2 liters of water should go away... After disembarking, you must put a peg next to the bush. The height of the peg will depend on the height of the tomato variety.

If these are low-growing tomatoes, then the peg should be 50 cm high, for medium-sized bushes, it is necessary to prepare pegs 80 cm high. The most effective way to tie tomatoes is garter to wire or arc 1 meter high.

So, we figured out the issue of planting tomatoes in open ground. They told when to plant tomato seedlings in the garden. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the variety of tomatoes and the region of planting.

In addition, it is necessary to prepare the very soil for planting seedlings. And only after that you can plant seedlings in the garden. Before boarding, you must pour the holes with warm water.

And also it is necessary to water the seedlings in pots abundantly so that they can be pulled out more easily. It is necessary in advance prepare the pegs and after planting seedlings, they need to be stuck near each bush. After planting, the bushes need to be watered again.

Date of publication:Landing in open ground