How are tomatoes grown in a polycarbonate greenhouse?

Many gardeners know about the method of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, as it allows you to get fresh fruits almost all year round. However, along with many advantages, this process has a number of subtleties and nuances that depend on the type of greenhouse and climate characteristics. Below we will look at the basic rules and conditions that allow you to grow a good harvest of tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse.

How to grow tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse

The best varieties of tomatoes for greenhouses made of polycarbonate

The best option for polycarbonate greenhouses is the so-called indeterminate varieties, that is, those that are prone to unlimited growth.

The best varieties

The fact is that tomatoes with limited growth must be planted in the ground in the first half of May (otherwise they simply will not have time to give a full harvest), and at this time there is a high probability of a strong drop in temperature and frost. Another feature of indeterminate varieties is that they begin to bear fruit early, so the tomatoes have time to ripen before the end of summer. In addition, hybrids (Alexia F1, Ivanhoe F1, De Barao, etc.) are well suited for growing in polycarbonate greenhouses, since they are more resistant to diseases.

Indeterminate Tomatoes

Determinant and indeterminate tomatoes

De Barao red	Tall bushes with oval-shaped fruits, not very large (weight 60-70 g), red.	The variety is not susceptible to late blight disease, the fruits reach ripeness about 120 days after germination. From one bush, you can get about 4 kg of fruits that tolerate transportation and storage well.
Alexia F1	Fruits are round, slightly flattened, bright red in color with dense pulp, weight - 180-210 g.	It is characterized by resistance to most diseases characteristic of the culture, suitable for year-round cultivation.
Ivanhoe F1	Forms tall, powerful bushes with shiny bright red fruits (average weight - 200 g), which have a sweetish taste.	A high-yielding variety of medium ripeness that is resistant to diseases and sunburn. Fruits of universal application, with good transportability and keeping quality.
Pink Lady F1	Plants are tall, vigorous with large (230-280 g) pink fruits. The pulp has a satisfactory density and good taste.	The variety is distinguished by its high productivity, disease resistance, and is especially recommended for growing indoors.
Demiros F1	Powerful bushes with large rounded pink fruits weighing 200-220 g.	New hybrid variety with early ripening (102-105 days). The fruits retain their commercial qualities for a long time and tolerate transportation well.

You can also opt for the tomatoes Kashtanka, Eskimo, Almaz Yakutia, Stone Flower - these are early-maturing varieties that, with proper care, can give an excellent harvest.

Tomato Stone Flower

Instructions for growing tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse

The main difficulties of the process are that in polycarbonate greenhouses there is often high humidity, temperature drops occur, and overheating of plants during the day is possible. This leads to too rapid growth of tomatoes, which can cause them to get sick and be attacked by pests, therefore, when growing a crop, it is very important to strictly follow the step-by-step instructions.

Tomatoes in a greenhouse - photo

Stage one. Greenhouse preparation

Preparation for growing tomatoes should begin a few weeks before planting plants (around the beginning of March), although in the case of polycarbonate greenhouses, large-scale events will have to be carried out. It is enough to check the ventilation and wipe the walls with a wet cloth.

Greenhouse preparation

Greenhouse preparation. Spring cleaning

The structure should be located in an open, illuminated place, as even the slightest shading can lead to a decrease in yield. It is important that there are hatches for ventilation on the end sides and on the roof of the structure - tomatoes will need a lot of fresh air, especially during the flowering period.

Polycarbonate greenhouse

Stage two. Soil preparation

High-quality soil containing the necessary substances and trace elements is one of the main conditions for the normal growth and fruiting of tomatoes.

The soil in the greenhouse requires preparation

Soil preparation is carried out in such a way that everything is ready about a week before the transplanting of shoots, and is performed as follows.

Step 1	Remove the top layer of soil about 10 cm thick, as it often contains bacteria, fungal spores and insect eggs.
Step 2	Dilute a tablespoon of copper sulfate in 10 liters of water and spill the soil well for disinfection.
Step 3	Add the necessary components to the soil, depending on its composition and type: · For loam or clay soils - peat, compost and sawdust (bucket per square meter); · For peat plots - sawdust, compost, sod land per bucket per square meter, coarse sand - 0.5 buckets; · Black soil - a bucket of compost and sand per square meter.
Step 4	Apply mineral fertilizers - for one square meter, take a teaspoon of saltpeter and 3 tablespoons of superphosphate.
Step 5	Dig up the earth well and form beds. Recommended dimensions: width - 90 cm, height - no more than 40 cm, and the intervals between the beds - no less than 60 cm.

Soil for tomato seedlings

Stage three. Seed preparation

The seed should be selected of high quality, without damage or signs of disease. It is necessary to prepare and plant seeds in late February and early March, since the soil in polycarbonate greenhouses warms up quickly enough, so that the transplant can be started earlier than in the case of film structures.

Step 1	Place the seeds, wrapped in a cloth, in a solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per glass of water) for 20 minutes, then rinse well.
Step 2	Prepare a nutrient solution from a teaspoon of nitrophosphate and a liter of water, put seeds in it, put in a warm place and stand for 12 hours.
Step 3	After that, the seed, without washing, put in a container with plain water and place on the middle shelf of the refrigerator for 48 hours. During this time, it is important to monitor the constant moisture content of the seeds.

Immediately after preparation, you need to move on to the next stage - planting seeds to obtain seedlings.

Stage four. Growing seedlings

It is convenient to grow tomatoes in individual containers

Seedlings in pots

To grow tomato seedlings, you will need low (5-7 cm) containers and soil mixture. You can use a special commercial mixture, but experienced gardeners are advised to take the land directly from the greenhouse, so that after transplanting, it will be easier for young plants to adapt. For correct sowing of the seed, the following sequence of actions should be performed.

Step 1	Pour the soil into a container, moisten and tamp a little.	Earth boxes
Step 2	Make grooves in the soil no more than 1.5 cm deep at a distance of 7 cm from each other.	In the photo there is a box with soil and grooves Sown seeds
Step 3	Place the containers in a warm, well-lit place. The optimum temperature is 20-25 ⁰С.	Seedlings of tomatoes

In the first 20 days, shoots grow very slowly, after which growth increases and reaches a peak by the fortieth day. During this period, seedlings need properly organized care, otherwise they will stretch out and become weak.

1. During the first month after the emergence of seedlings, they need to be watered three times under the root: the first - immediately after they appear above the soil surface, then - with an interval of two weeks. The water temperature is not lower than 20⁰С.
2. The appropriate temperature regime is very important: in the daytime - 18-20⁰С, and at night - 15-16⁰С.
3. In order for the shoots to grow evenly and simultaneously, they need to be turned daily so that the previously shaded side is under the rays of the sun.

Growing tomato seedlings at home

Seedlings on the windowsill

Stage five. Sapling picking

It is recommended to pick the seedlings twice so that the shoots do not stretch out, but at the same time gain strength. The first procedure is performed after 2-3 leaves appear on the sprouts, and the second - after 25 days.

Tomato seedlings before and after picking

Step 1

Fill containers no more than 8x8 cm in size with soil (you need to take the same mixture that was used for growing seedlings) and spill it with a warm solution of potassium permanganate (dissolve 0.5 g in 10 liters of water).

Step 2

Carefully remove the seedlings from the container using a small spatula. At each of them, pinch the long tip of the main root.

How to pick tomato seedlings

Step 3

Shoots should be planted to a depth of no more than 6 cm, paying special attention to the location of the root system: if it bends, the hole needs to be deepened a little.

Dive tomatoes one at a time into individual pots

Tomato seedlings: dive

Step 4

Water the transplanted plants with warm, settled water.

Step 5

The second pick is carried out 25 days later in pots 4-7 cm larger in the same way as described above.

Caring for plants at this stage is as follows.

1. The first three days after the procedure, the daytime temperature should not fall below 20-22⁰С, the nighttime temperature - 16-18⁰С. After that, it can be reduced by 2-3 degrees.
2. Watering is carried out about once a week so that the shoots do not stretch out and rot.

   How to water tomatoes

3. Top dressing is carried out according to the following scheme. The first - with a solution of nitrophoska (a tablespoon per bucket of water) two weeks after the first pick, pour about half a glass into each container. The second - 14 days after the second transplant: a tablespoon of superphosphate and potassium sulfate is taken into a bucket of water, pour a glass of solution into each container.

   Top dressing of seedlings

4. In May, in the room where the seedlings are located, you need to constantly open the window to harden the shoots.

Note: some gardeners dive plants only once, and there are those who do without a dive at all, planting shoots immediately in a greenhouse. It is better to make the choice based on your own experience, climate characteristics and a particular variety.

Lighting for tomato seedlings

It is recommended to transplant plants into greenhouse conditions at the age of 50 days, and the shoots should be 25-30 cm in height, have 8-12 strong leaves and 1-2 inflorescences.

Stage six. Transplanting shoots to the greenhouse

Seedlings before planting in the ground

Transplanting tomato seedlings into a polycarbonate greenhouse can be carried out in the second half of May or early June, but it is recommended to first measure the temperature of the soil at a depth of twenty centimeters - it should be at least 13⁰С. The optimal arrangement of the bushes is chosen depending on the variety - they can be planted in a checkerboard pattern, in one or two rows. Plants that have one stem are recommended to be planted with an interval of 25 cm, and tall (more than 1.5 m) bushes - with an interval of 60 cm.

Seedlings with a clod of earth

The soil around the stem is compacted

On the beds, you need to dig holes about 25 cm deep, pour into each of them a liter of a weak solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per bucket of water). From plants, pinch off 3-4 lower leaves, place them in the holes and cover them with earth, without deepening them too much into the ground. After 10-12 days, after the bushes take root well, the earth can be filled up no higher than the level of the lower leaves.

Planted seedlings

Stage seven. Greenhouse tomato care

1. The optimum temperature inside the greenhouse is 20-22⁰С, and during flowering it is two degrees higher.
2. It is recommended to water the bushes for the first time only two weeks after transplanting to the greenhouse, after which watering is carried out about once a week with settled water under the root, not too abundantly.

   Watering

3. The soil should be loosened regularly, and the room should be well ventilated, since tomatoes do not tolerate moisture stagnation, and I can simply rot.
4. You can tie up and form the bushes two weeks after transplanting them into the greenhouse. The formation of plants is carried out in the morning, and it is recommended to leave 7-8 brushes with flowers on the bushes, and remove the side shoots. In the future, this procedure should be carried out regularly, otherwise the yield of foliage will be greater than the yield of fruits.

   Formation of tomato bushes

   Garter

5. It is necessary to feed tomatoes growing in a polycarbonate greenhouse 3-4 times (the first - about 20 days after transplanting) with nitrophosphate, organic fertilizers and superphosphate in turn.
6. Despite the fact that tomatoes are considered a self-pollinating crop, artificial pollination significantly increases the yield of plants. To do this, on sunny days, you need to gently shake the flowers or transfer pollen with a brush, then water the plants, and after two hours ventilate the greenhouse.

Subject to all the rules and proper care of the plants, growing tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse quickly pays for all the efforts spent, and gives a rich harvest of fruits with excellent taste.

Greenhouse tomato care

Video - Tomatoes: growing in a polycarbonate greenhouse

Growing tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse is a very popular activity not only for large agricultural companies, but also for individuals living in the CIS countries. Today we will talk in detail about how to plant tomatoes in polycarbonate greenhouses, what is needed for this, and why it is needed at all.

General rules for growing

Before delving into the topic of growing tomatoes in greenhouse conditions in detail, you should take a look at the general rules, which are indicated in the following paragraphs:

1. The foundation of the greenhouse must be strong enough to withstand the heavy wind and the weight of the snow.
2. Seedlings are grown in separate greenhouses or at home.
3. The design of the greenhouse must necessarily allow the vertical garter of tomatoes.
4. You should have plenty of free time, as it will take regular chipping of excess buds as well as unnecessary foliage on your tomato bushes.
5. Take care of the sources of organic fertilizers in advance, which will require a fairly large amount.
6. If you plan to have more than 10 long tomato beds in your greenhouse, it is more convenient to place drip irrigation in it.
7. There must be enough free space in the greenhouse for maneuvering with buckets of water (a lot of water will be required)

Main steps

The process of growing tomatoes in greenhouse conditions consists of the following main stages:

1. Greenhouse preparation;
2. Selecting the right seeds;
3. Greenhouse soil preparation;
4. Growing seedlings;
5. Planting seedlings;
6. Post-seedling care and harvesting.

How to choose and prepare tomato seeds correctly?

There are special varieties of tomato that are focused on growing in greenhouse conditions.

Such varieties have a combination of the following qualities:

1. High productivity.
2. High or low ripening rate.
3. Gastronomic quality.
4. Resistance to diseases and adverse environmental factors.
5. Dimensions of the fruits themselves.
6. Suitability of the variety for long-term storage, without loss of taste and aesthetic qualities.

Depending on which of the above qualities appeals to you, choose the appropriate tomato variety.

So, if high yields are important to you, seeds of the following varieties are suitable for growing:

• De Barao;
• Banana Legs;
• "Auria";
• "Honey Drop";
• "Pink Raisins".

If a fast ripening rate is important to you, pay attention to the seeds of the following varieties:

• Typhoon, Druzhok, Ilyich, Poisk, Verlioka, Semko-98. These varieties are early maturing;
• Hurricane, Samara. These varieties are early maturing;
• "Junior", "Amber", "Joy of Summer", "Bear in the North". These varieties are super early maturing.

If the most pronounced taste is important to you, pay attention to the seeds of the following varieties:

1. Cherry. The variety has a high taste both fresh and excellent for drying and preservation.
2. "Caspar-F1". The variety fits perfectly into diet salads, and is great for pickling or pickling.
3. "Friend", "Sultan", "Rosemary". The varieties have a juicy and tender flesh, a thin skin and a slightly sweet taste, which makes them an excellent option for fresh consumption.
4. "Malachite Box". One of the most delicious varieties of green tomatoes.
5. "Bull's Heart", "Truffle". One of the most delicious varieties of red tomatoes.
6. "Yellow Long", "Honey King". One of the most delicious varieties of yellow tomatoes.
7. Marisol Violet, Black Cherry. One of the most delicious varieties of black tomatoes.
8. "Dimensionless", "Pink Flamingo". One of the most delicious varieties of pink tomatoes.

If you are looking for disease-resistant and weather-resistant tomatoes, take a look at the following varieties:

1. "Verlioka", "Olya", "Ural" and varieties "De Barao", "Admiralteisky". Varieties that tolerate a lack of sunlight well.
2. Barberry F1, Lyubanya, Orange Giant, Banana Legs, Pink Raisins, Orange Icicle, Carrot, Zinulya, Siberian Giant. High temperature and drought tolerant varieties.
3. "Roma", "Erema", "Eupator", "Intuition", "Blagovest". And varieties: "Budenovka", "Chio-chio-san". The varieties are the most resistant to fungal invasions.

If you are looking for varieties with the largest fruits possible, the following seeds are suitable for growing:

• Siberian Giant;
• The Pink Giant;
• De Barao.

If you want the smallest fruits possible, the following seeds are good for you:

• "Cherry";
• "Grape";
• "Balcony Miracle";
• "Sweet Tooth".

The most mature tomatoes for growing include the following varieties:

• F1 Salahaddin;
• F1 Ivanovets;
• Volgogradets;
• "F1 Krasnobay".

Having decided on the variety, you should prepare the seeds for further planting, for which follow the following points:

1. Remove any overly small and damaged seeds, leaving only large and intact seeds.
2. A month and a half before planting the seeds, wrap them in a dry cloth, and warm them up by putting them on a battery or a warm place, the temperature of which reaches 40-50 degrees, for a period of 3-4 days.
3. Before planting, disinfect the seeds by placing them in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes.
4. Before planting, soak the seeds for a day in one of the solutions of Virtan-Micro, Epin, Immunocytophyte.

How to prepare a greenhouse?

If you want to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse environment, you will need to properly prepare your greenhouse.

The preparation of the greenhouse should take place according to the following scheme:

1. Inspect the greenhouse for damage, especially if the polycarbonate cover has survived the winter.
2. Prepare the places for the beds in advance.
3. Stretch the wire along the entire length of the greenhouse, at a height of about 2 meters. The wire should run at the same level as the center of each bed.
4. Disinfect the greenhouse with hydrated lime. Take 3 kg of slaked lime, mix it with 10 liters of water, and add 500 grams of copper sulfate there. Process the frame of the greenhouse and its inner walls with the resulting liquid.
5. Tomatoes require frequent ventilation, which means you should check or install vents in the greenhouse, preferably on the ceiling.
6. Check the operation of the irrigation system (if any), as well as the heating systems (if you plan to grow tomatoes in winter).

Soil preparation

To grow tomatoes, you need to prepare the soil. Soil preparation can be carried out in different ways, a complete list of which would require writing a separate book.

For this reason, we will describe the most optimal way to prepare tomato soil in a greenhouse, which consists of the following points:

1. In the greenhouse, remove 40 centimeters of old soil over the entire tomato growing area.
2. At the very bottom, you should put a 3-5 centimeter layer of old branches, as thick as a raspberry shoot.
3. The second layer is made of sawdust, the layer of which should reach 5 cm. If possible, a thin layer of weeds can be put on top of the sawdust, but not the tops of garden plants.
4. If tomatoes are planned to be grown in winter, the third layer should consist of 10 cm thick manure. If tomatoes are planned to be grown only in autumn or spring, the manure is replaced by a layer of peat of the same thickness.
5. After the manipulations done, we fill it all with the previously acquired soil.

The soil itself for the greenhouse is prepared based on the following ingredients:

• garden land;
• vegetable humus a year ago;
• compost regardless of type and age;
• sod land;
• sand;
• peat.

Sod and garden land in the total mass should occupy 60% of the soil for a tomato. Compost, sand, peat and humus should account for 10% for each component.

The soil prepared in this way should be laid in the greenhouse in late summer or early autumn, after which it should be infused at least until spring. Immediately after laying the soil, treat it with a phytosporin solution, abundantly watering its surface with this solution from a watering can. This is necessary to control the destruction of possible fungal spores.

We recommend buying ready-made soil for growing greenhouse tomatoes from garden stores, as this will save you a lot of time and effort.

How to grow seedlings?

If you want healthy tomatoes, you need to learn how to properly grow and care for your seedlings.

To do this, you should initially prepare a container for future seedlings, which should be one of the following types:

1. Wooden boxes with a side height of 7 cm, the bottom of which must be shipped with foil.
2. Plastic containers 28 cm wide and 32 cm long.
3. For the subsequent picking of seedlings, you will need liter plastic bottles, from which the neck should be cut off, or get plastic cups, the depth of which should be at least 15 cm.

Having decided on the container, we proceed to the direct planting of future seedlings, relying on the following points:

1. Take the prepared container and pour a 5 cm layer of soil into it.
2. Tamp the sprinkled soil evenly.
3. Take a ruler and make some kind of grooves, the depth of which should be half a centimeter. The grooves should be marked along the entire length of the container area, with a distance of 3 cm from each other.
4. Prepared tomato seeds are placed in each of the grooves, at a distance of 3 cm from each other.
5. After planting the seeds, the grooves are carefully covered with a 1 cm layer of soil, lightly tamped, and moistened with a sprayer.
6. The container is closed with a plastic bag, and placed in a warm place until the first shoots appear. The temperature of the place where the seeds will germinate should not fall below 25 degrees. Otherwise, the seeds will germinate much longer. Monitor the moisture level under the film, and spray the soil in a timely manner, without letting it dry out.

After the first shoots appear, move on to the next growing steps, such as:

1. Remove the film and place the container on a windowsill, the temperature on which should not drop below 20 degrees during the day, and 14 degrees at night.
2. Organize the seedlings with additional lighting, for which fluorescent lamps or special phytolamps for seedlings with a pink glow are ideal. It is advisable to keep the backlight on for at least 16 hours a day.
3. Spray the seedlings in a timely manner to keep the soil moist. It should be sprayed, not watered.
4. Feed the seedlings every 10 days using chicken manure or cow dung. Chicken manure is bred at the rate of 100 grams per 10 liters of water, and cow dung at the rate of 300 grams per 10 liters of water. For one container of the size indicated above, no more than 500 ml of this kind of fertilizer should be spent.
5. If you feel the need, in the intervals between feeding, you can water the seedlings with fresh water, the temperature of which should not be lower than 20 degrees.

After completing all the above points, grow the seedlings until they are picked.

Seedling picking

The picking of plants must be carried out so that in the future they can be easily transplanted into the garden without the risk of injuring the root system. Moreover, without a pick, the root system of the seedlings can get confused with each other, and then their transplant can be fatal for them.

The picking of seedlings after cultivation should be carried out in accordance with the following points:

1. The pick is carried out about a month after the first shoots appear.
2. A pick is carried out only when the seedlings have 6 leaves.
3. Before picking, the seedlings are watered abundantly.
4. In cups or plastic bottles, soil should be poured to the brim, and tamped.
5. After tamping the soil, take a stick and press a hole in the soil with it, 2-3 cm deep.
6. Drop a pinch of superphosphate at the bottom of the hole.
7. Take a fork, and gently pry the seedling bush under its root system, and then remove it from the container. The first two leaves of the sprout must be plucked.
8. Shake off excess soil from the root system of the sprout, and plant it in a glass or bottle.
9. Fill in the hole, tamp lightly and pour 30 milliliters of sodium humate solution on the sprout.
10. Hold the transplanted shoots over additional lighting for about a week;
11. Water the seedlings as the soil dries.

Transplanting shoots to the greenhouse

The final stage in growing seedlings is transplanting them into a greenhouse.

The transplant is carried out on the basis of the following points:

1. Seedlings are transplanted into the greenhouse for about 45-50 days of growth.
2. Bushes are placed at a distance of 50 cm from each other.
3. A meter-long peg is driven in near each bush, tying the bush to it, and to the previously stretched wire, which was discussed at the very beginning of the article.
4. The holes in which the bushes will be planted should have a depth of 2-3 cm exceeding the length of the root system of the seedlings.
5. Humus is added to the bottom of the hole, the layer of which should not exceed 1 cm.
6. Before transplanting, the formation of a bush consists in removing almost all of its leaves, with the exception of a few of the topmost ones.
7. After the bush is in the hole, fill it up, tamp it lightly and water it abundantly.
8. Mulch the soil with sawdust or manure.The thickness of the mulch should be about 10 cm.
9. If you wish, you can water the planted seedlings with mineral fertilizers, but in general, this is not necessary.

Follow-up care

Subsequent care of grown tomatoes is carried out as follows:

1. Water the seedlings on the 12th day after planting (except for the first watering immediately after planting in the ground, so that the earth settles).
2. Before flowering, one bush consumes about 4 liters of water, and during flowering, about 12 liters.
3. Watering is carried out every 5-6 days.
4. Spraying is optional.
5. The temperature in the greenhouse should not exceed 25 degrees, and not fall below 16. During the flowering period, the temperature can be raised to 27 degrees.
6. Plant feeding is carried out from the moment the first ovary appears. Feeding is carried out with superphosphate, potassium sulfate, wood ash, or liquid mullein;
7. Light mode should be at least 12 hours.
8. Cut off the leaves touching the ground on the bushes, and also get rid of the stepchildren.

Potential pests and diseases

After growing your tomatoes may be susceptible to the following diseases:

1. Top rot. Treat with a solution of copper oxychloride, at the rate of 30 grams per 10 liters of water.
2. Gray rot. Treat the plant with "Barrier" and "Barrier". Substances are sold in different concentrations, which means they need to be diluted based on the instructions on the package.
3. White spot. Treat the plant with 1% Bordeaux mixture or 0.5% copper oxychloride.
4. Streak. Treat the plant with 1% manganese solution.

As for parasites, they can be completely avoided with proper maintenance and care of the greenhouse. We will discuss more detailed information on treatment, signs and possible diseases in another article.

Today we will talk about growing tomatoes in a greenhouse. Tomato is one of the most delicious and healthy vegetables and is very popular among consumers.

The dream of any summer resident is ripe, huge, juicy, fleshy fruits. Let's take a look at the technology of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse and how to get an excellent harvest.

Consider all the advantages of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse. So, the first plus is that you will harvest the crop earlier, because you can plant tomatoes in the greenhouse already in April.

The second plus is the preferable conditions of the greenhouse in front of the open ground, because neither rain, nor hail, nor the scorching sun will get there, and pests will not be afraid of your plantings.

The third plus is that greenhouse tomatoes are stored longer, and another plus is that there is no need for frequent watering and fertilization.

…

Tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse: planting and care

Today it is not difficult to acquire a greenhouse, shops provide us with a huge selection of greenhouses: polycarbonate, many wooden, metal, different sizes and shapes, etc. Let's figure out which of the proposed greenhouses is best suited for tomatoes.

It is undoubtedly best to grow tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse. Thanks to the honeycomb in the matter, the sun's rays are evenly distributed inside the greenhouse, as a result of which all plants will equally have enough heat.

Moreover, such a greenhouse will look great in your garden, it does not need to be dismantled, you will receive a guarantee upon purchase. For tomatoes, it will be an additional plus if you equip the greenhouse with a drip irrigation system, this will save your plants from a common disease - late blight, save water and your energy.

Take care of ventilation ! Open the greenhouse every time after watering, do not forget

tie up tomatoes

, and remember that the greenhouse should be in a sunny location.

Tomatoes in a greenhouse - photo:

Variety selection

How to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse? First you need to buy seeds for greenhouses. When choosing varieties of tomatoes for indoor ground, you need to determine the purpose of the crop in advance, since the properties of vegetables grown for salads are different for sale and preservation.All varieties are divided into determinant and indeterminate.

The first ones are low (suitable for small greenhouses). The second ones grow as long as the weather conditions permit, which they tolerate better than determinant ones. Consider the best of both types of hybrids:

1. "Openwork", "Bourgeois" (large, ultra-resistant to weather conditions), "Doll Masha", "Spring of the North" (pink, large and sweet).
2. Octopus (leading variety), Major (sweet salad variety), Russian Happiness (growing rapidly).

How to grow tomatoes Cherry in the greenhouse, you can find out here.

Surely you are interested in the question: what is the yield of tomatoes in a greenhouse? Let's take a look at this question. Many gardeners prefer the greenhouse.

Tomatoes

- a thermophilic culture, therefore, in closed soil they feel more comfortable, as a result of which they bear fruit well. So feel free to plant vegetables in the greenhouse!

And also get acquainted with useful information about which neighborhood of vegetables in the greenhouse is acceptable.

After discussing all the pressing issues, let's get down to business. Below you will see recommendations for growing tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse.

And in the table below, you can clearly compare the yield indicators of different varieties of tomatoes grown in a greenhouse and without it:

Planting and leaving

1. Growing tomatoes in polycarbonate greenhouses starts with seed preparation... Do not forget to treat the seeds with Fitosporin solution. If the seeds in the package are brightly colored, then they are already processed. No flushing required!
2. Preparing the soil for sowing... The main mistake of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse for beginners and inexperienced summer residents is planting seeds in ordinary soil, because all stages depend on its quality - from growth to ripening. The soil should be rich in minerals and organic matter.
3. The next step is to sow seeds for seedlings.... We sow them in boxes about 5-8 cm high. Pour the soil into the container, tamp it a little, make grooves about 1-1.5 cm each and water it, after which you can sow the seeds. We fill the seeds with soil and put them in a lighted place. The temperature should be room temperature.
4. We dive seedlings... About 7 days after the seedlings have sprouted, you need to produce transplant... The fact is that the roots have already grown stronger and they feel cramped in the box. Carefully inspect all the seedlings: they should have at least 2 leaves by the time of the dive. We carefully take out each plant along with a lump of soil on the root and transplant it into a more spacious container, do not forget about watering the tomatoes in the greenhouse.
5. Cooking a greenhouse for tomatoes... A very important stage, you need to properly prepare the greenhouse for planting, so that in the future the plants do not get sick. The best time to plant tomato seedlings for a greenhouse is the beginning of May, at this time at night the temperature is rather low for our seedlings, so it is better to play it safe and cover the greenhouse with a double film. Don't forget to ventilate on all sides!
6. Preparing plants for planting... The successful growth of tomatoes in closed soil directly depends on the date and month of planting. If the spring is warm, then we plant tomatoes: in heated greenhouses around April 30; without heating, but with double cover - May 12; unheated greenhouses - May 25. If spring does not please us with its weather, then a little later.

Temperature in the tomato greenhouse: air + 25 ° С, soil + 15 ° С. The tomato planting scheme depends on the variety, the size of the greenhouse and the way the plant is formed. It is better to arrange the rows in the direction from north to south, this will allow for natural lighting. Try to leave about 60 cm (6 inches) of space between the beds.

Tomatoes in a greenhouse - photo:

Landing patterns

How to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse correctly? Landing schemes:

• we plant medium-sized varieties in a checkerboard pattern;
• determinant tomatoes can be planted more often (but not less than 30 cm);
• we also plant high varieties in a checkerboard pattern, but we increase the distance.

It is unacceptable to plant tomatoes in the same place for the second year! This will negatively affect the yield of your tomatoes in the greenhouse.

Transplanting

So, we plant tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse. The optimal age for disembarkation is considered to be about a month and a half.... If some plants are noticeably elongated, we advise you to remove the lower leaves and plant a little deeper than the rest. Better to do planting in the evening of a warm day.

The first thing we do is water the tomatoes abundantly before planting, then we dig out small holes (10-15 cm.), Put a handful of humus in each one and pour it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Transplant tomato bushes in the greenhouse along with their earthen clod down to the lower leaves. For convenience, you can fill the recess with water and place the plant in the mud. Compact the soil a little and cover with soil.

After that, you need to let the seedlings get used to the new conditions, do not disturb for 5-6 days, during this time the plants will more or less get used to it. After about a week, we loosen the soil. Do not forget to install garters on each bush before planting., if done after planting, you can easily damage the roots!

Care

Caring for tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse. The main components of proper care are: watering, garter, airing and mulching. For the first time, plants need to be watered in a greenhouse only on the tenth day with water, at about room temperature, then we continue watering every 4 days. Water more often during flowering. It is necessary to tie up after 12 days.

Do not be afraid to ventilate, tomatoes are not afraid of drafts, so 2 hours after watering, open all the vents and doors of the greenhouse! On a sunny day, the temperature in the greenhouse should not exceed 26 degrees, and on a cool day it should not drop below 20.

Stepping and feeding

Grassing tomatoes. If the length of your tomatoes has already reached 15-20 cm, then it's time to pinch. To do this, carefully cut off the lateral processes, we carry out this procedure once a week.

Top dressing:

If your plants have a deteriorating appearance, they may be missing something. Fertilizers for tomatoes in a greenhouse are needed if:

• leaves turn pale and weaken, bad inflorescences - there is not enough nitrogen;
• leaves turn blue and crumble, slow growth - there is not enough phosphorus;
• leaves turn yellow - there is not enough calcium.

Pink tomatoes, when ripening, are characterized by a white skin color, while red tomatoes can be harvested in yellow when the flesh is red under their skin. If a constant temperature regime is observed in the greenhouse, then you will definitely harvest a wonderful harvest.

Major diseases

There are the following diseases of tomatoes in the greenhouse:

1. Late blight - a fungal disease, from which plants in open soil often suffer, but sometimes it reaches greenhouse ones. Symptoms are white bloom on the leaves and brown spots on the fruit. The reason is often an excess of moisture and temperature drops. As a fight against late blight, the remedy helps well "Barrier"... They need to process the plants a couple of weeks after planting, then after another 2 weeks with a remedy "Barrier".
2. Cracked fruit... The main cause of the disease is a change in the volume of moisture in the soil. Equip your greenhouse with a drip irrigation system, or water your plants at regular intervals.
3. Fruits develop gray rot... The plant may just dry out. Be sure to remove all diseased tomatoes. And for prevention, it is better to use seeds treated with potassium permanganate or take those that are already 3 years old.
4. Root rot. Symptoms: decay of the root collar and wilting of leaves. Keep in mind that this disease often appears in cucumbers; it is not advisable to plant tomatoes after them. First aid - disinfection earth with copper sulfate.

Diseases of tomatoes in a greenhouse - photos and their treatment:

Many gardeners are interested in the question: "Why don't the tomatoes in the greenhouse turn red?" There may be several reasons.

The first reason is non-compliance with the temperature regime in the greenhouse. At the beginning, the tomato brightens, then gradually turns orange, after which it acquires its natural color.

But all this takes place when the ripening conditions are not violated. The second reason is the excess of sunlight. The third reason is the opposite of the second. And this is, you guessed it, a lack of light. If the soil contains an excess of nitrogen fertilizer or lack of potassium, tomatoes will ripen much more slowly.

Here are a few reasons why fruits do not please you with their bright color and ripeness at the time.

This is the article devoted to the question "How to grow tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse?" ends. I sincerely wish all summer residents and gardeners a rich harvest. I hope this article helped you understand all the features of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse all year round.

Useful video

We grow tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse - planting and care:

Another video about tomatoes in a greenhouse: growing and care:

Tomatoes are a demanding culture and it takes a lot of effort to provide them with decent conditions. Every gardener knows that the key to a large and healthy harvest is proper tomato care in your polycarbonate greenhouse. Following the recommendations will help everyone to achieve their cherished goal. We also recommend that you watch the video at the end of this article "How to prevent tomato diseases in the greenhouse"

Caring for tomatoes is primarily about creating conditions suitable for growth, flowering and fruiting. The greenhouse climate is suitable not only for tomatoes, but also for viruses, pathogenic bacteria and parasites.

Tall tomatoes in a greenhouse

Some tips for proper tomato care

For growing tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse, every step is important. From germinating seeds to harvesting. In order to choose the right care, use the advice of experienced gardeners.

Healthy seeds

First of all, your future harvest depends on the quality of the seeds.

Use healthy seeds for growing. If you do not know the history of the seeds obtained, process them. Subsequently, this will simplify the care of the seedlings and prevent a lot of diseases. Processing can be carried out in several stages:

• warming up the seeds;
• chemical treatment;
• soaking in water;
• hardening of seeds.

To obtain disinfected and high-quality seeds, they must be warmed up at a temperature of 50-60 ° C for at least 3 hours.

Important! Do not raise the temperature, fried seeds will never sprout.

Next, the seed must be treated with manganese (1 g per 250 ml of water). Soak in clean water and harden in a refrigerator for 1-2 days at a temperature of 2 ° C.

Seedling

Do not feed seedlings before transplanting to a polycarbonate greenhouse. Caring for young tomatoes consists in maintaining the temperature and airing. Watering is carried out 4-5 times during the entire growth period.

Seedling tomato

Move only mature seedlings to the greenhouse. You can plant tomatoes that have reached 20-30 cm, in the presence of 9-10 full sheets.

Greenhouse conditions

Adhere to the temperature regime: during the day 25-28 ° С, and at night not lower than 15 ° С. Soil temperature is also important. It should not fall below 17-18 ° C. Humidity of air and soil in the greenhouse is not higher than 65%. Timely airing is also important. In good weather, it is allowed to open a greenhouse: this will get rid of dampness and prevent a lot of diseases.

Violation of the microclimate of the greenhouse causes disease and death of plants

Perform root watering of tomatoes. So there will be no high humidity in the greenhouse. It is best to use a drip irrigation system.

Bush formation

A timely garter will make it easier to care for tomatoes in the greenhouse.Tied tomatoes are better ventilated and less prone to diseases such as white or gray rot.

Grasshopping tomato bush

Carry out the formation of a tomato bush, do not let them grow. With correct pinching, the yield of the crop increases. Remove all unnecessary stepsons, preventing them from developing. This will prevent them from pulling important nutrients from the plant.

Diseases of tomatoes and how to deal with them

It is impossible to grow tomatoes without making a single mistake in the care. In a polycarbonate greenhouse, tomatoes get sick no less often than in any other. There are many bacteria that infect tomatoes, they cause a variety of diseases. Some of them are incurable, while others can still be fought.

Stem necrosis

A disease caused by a virus. It appears on a developed plant during the formation of the first fruit clusters. Tomato stems are affected. Erosion of tissue is observed on the infected bush. The plant slowly dies: it does not receive nutrients in the proper volume, leaf lethargy is observed, the fruits do not have time to ripen. It is difficult to fight such a disease. Most often, infected tomatoes are pulled up and destroyed by burning. After them, the earth is treated with a solution of Fitolavin-300 (0.2%).

Tomato stem necrosis

Late blight

The most common disease of all nightshades. Fungal disease. It develops with high humidity and poor ventilation of the greenhouse. It can also be caused by sudden changes in air temperature. It is manifested by blackening of the leaves, and then the fruit. Disease can be prevented by spraying tomatoes with milk whey, it does not allow the development of the fungus.

Fungal disease late blight

Attention! To prevent an increase in humidity in a polycarbonate greenhouse, use drip irrigation of plants.

Top rot

This disease affects only tomato fruits. It occurs when the greenhouse is waterlogged or lacks moisture, it can also develop with an excess of nitrogen. It appears as round brown spots. As the disease progresses, the spots darken and increase in size, the fruits rot, and fluid can be seen in the affected areas.

Top rot on tomato fruits

To combat top rot, it is necessary to regularly and carefully examine ripening tomatoes for signs of disease. If a fetus has been seen affected by this disease, it must be urgently removed. Disease can be prevented by adding calcium to the soil (crushed eggshell or ash) at the stage of planting seedlings in a polycarbonate greenhouse.

Septoriasis

Also known as tomato leaf blight. Caused by a fungus. It is manifested by the presence of small light spots on the sheet. Leaves are affected first, then stems. With the development of the disease, the leaves dry up and fall off. To fight septoria will help drugs containing copper - Cineb, copper oxychloride. The leaves, when the first symptoms are detected, are removed, and the plant is immediately processed.

Septoria tomato bushes

Root rot

The disease develops with mechanical damage to the root system of the plant. Most often this happens when planting seedlings in a polycarbonate greenhouse or when loosening the soil. The infected tomato stops receiving nutrients from the root and dies. To avoid this kind of injury, it is necessary to carefully and accurately transplant the plant, apply top dressing on time and huddle the crop to form additional roots.

Root rot

Fruit cracking

It is a disease caused not by a virus or infection, but by the physiology of tomatoes. The reason is the abundant watering of the plant after a long drought. The culture does not have time to properly distribute all the moisture received and directs all of it to the ovary. There is a rupture of the skin and cells of the fetus.

Prevention and control measures for the disease:

• timely moderate watering;
• spraying with lime solution.

Cracking tomato fruit

Advice. For growing in a greenhouse, it is better to choose hybrid varieties of tomatoes, they are less susceptible to viral diseases. Such crops are bred with increased immunity in order to simplify their care.

How to get an early harvest

You can get an early harvest of tomatoes only in a greenhouse. For this, seeds are germinated earlier than usual, not in February - March, but in January. Typically, the growing season for tomatoes is 120-150 days, depending on the plant variety. But proper care will help speed up the ripening process by 2-3 weeks. Fertility of the soil, adherence to the temperature regime, watering with clean water at room temperature, prevention of diseases - all this accelerates the growth rate of the plant.

Growing tomato seedlings in a greenhouse

The main factor is choosing the right tomato variety. There are many species, the fruiting of which begins already on the 80th day:

• Mandarin is an indeterminate variety of tomatoes, fruits appear on the 90th day;
• Early ripening greenhouse hybrid F1 - determinant variety, fruiting on the 80th day;
• Present F1 - medium-sized tomato variety, bears fruit on the 90th day;
• Meal is a tall variety bred only for greenhouses, fruiting on the 85th day.

Pick the right tomato variety and care for it properly. They will surely thank you with a healthy and abundant harvest.

How to prevent tomato diseases in a greenhouse: video

How to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse: photo