What kind of tomato can be grown on a windowsill?

Who among us does not dream of fresh vegetables that can be eaten not only in season? Why go to the supermarket in winter for imported tomatoes that don't even smell like them when you can grow natural tomatoes on the windowsill ?! By moving indoor flowers and freeing up space for several pots, fragrant and tasty tomatoes are easy to get even at home. How to do it correctly, in order to pamper your loved ones with vitamins all year round, will be prompted by a small selection of practical tips and recommendations, which we propose to familiarize yourself with today.

Seed sowing time

The timing of when to start sowing tomato seeds for window sill cultivation does not have such restrictions as in the case of obtaining seedlings for open ground. It all depends on the period for which fruiting is planned: whether it will be year-round "exploitation", or whether the crop will ripen in the winter.

In order to have fresh vegetables throughout the year, regardless of the weather, seeds can be planted in 4 passes: autumn sowing in October and November will provide a winter harvest, and planting in February and March will guarantee fruit in the summer.

Preparation of planting material

Potted tomatoes are grown in the same way as garden crops - through seedlings. You can use your own seeds, collected with your own hands from homemade tomatoes, or you can buy them in the store. However, regardless of origin, all seeds must first be prepared for sowing. For this:

1. Sort out hollow seeds by soaking everything in salted water (those that float are not suitable for seedlings).
2. Disinfect by leaving for half an hour in a solution of potassium permanganate.

To accelerate the germination of seeds, they can be put in a cloth bag, well moistened and left on a platter for several days so that the seeds swell.

Soil selection

Particular attention should be paid to the substrate for growing tomatoes on the windowsill. It should be loose, nutritious and neutral in acidity. The easiest way is to contact the same store where the seeds were bought and purchase ready-made special soil mixtures for tomato seedlings. This will be especially important during winter sowing, besides, store land already contains all the necessary nutrients, and there is no need to add additional components.

If there is a desire and opportunity, you can prepare the soil for growing a tomato on a windowsill yourself by choosing one of the proposed mixture options, namely:

• 1 share of sand and 2 shares of garden land;
• humus, peat and sod land in equal shares;
• 1 share of vermiculite, as well as 4 shares of sod land and compost.

The soil from the garden or vegetable garden must be disinfected before use by pouring it with boiling water or igniting it in the oven.

Sowing seeds and creating conditions for seedlings

For growing tomato seedlings, you can use both a common container and individual cassettes, cups or peat tablets. In the first case, fill a shallow container with nutritious soil and moisten it well. Seeds should be laid out at some distance from each other (1-2 cm), deepening by no more than 2 cm, otherwise they will germinate for a long time. Then sprinkle with a thin layer of soil and tamp lightly.

Seeds should germinate in a greenhouse, that is, the container must be covered with a lid or film and placed on a bright window. Periodically ventilate the greenhouse or make several small holes in the film to avoid the accumulation of condensate. Optimal temperature conditions for seedlings at this stage of growth are from 22 to 24 degrees Celsius during the day and below 20 degrees at night.

Caring for seedlings of indoor tomatoes consists in the following activities:

• airing;
• removing the cover after seed germination;
• regular watering;
• thinning out too dense crops;
• additional lighting with special lamps on cloudy days and shading from direct rays on sunny days (the length of daylight hours should be at least 13 hours);
• feeding with a weak solution of the mineral complex after the formation of 2 leaves (about 20 days after sowing).

Strong grown seedlings can be dived into pots, having previously laid a drainage layer on the bottom. The choice of containers depends on the specific variety:

• for dwarf tomatoes, a volume of 2 liters is enough;
• for medium-sized plants, 4-liter flowerpots are suitable;
• for ampelous varieties of tomatoes, pots with a volume of 5 liters are needed.

Further care for potted tomatoes

In order for the tomatoes on the windowsill to develop well and set fruits, they need to provide good lighting by placing the pots on the southern windowsills. Every two days, the flowerpots must be turned so that the bushes do not grow one-sided, and if the sun is not enough, they must be illuminated.

It is also important to observe the watering regime, moistening the soil twice a week. The soil must not completely dry out, otherwise the ovary and fruits will crumble, but waterlogging also threatens with putrefactive diseases. After transplanting to a permanent place, you can start feeding the bushes after 20 days - during this time they adapt. It is enough to apply 3 times complex mineral fertilizers within a month, otherwise there is a risk that tomatoes will go into the growth of deciduous mass, which will entail a decrease in yield and crushing of fruits.

It is necessary to apply fertilizers on wet soil, preferably the next day after watering.

Dwarf tomato varieties do not need pinching and garter, but in higher species, a support should be installed and a bush should be formed into one or two stems, and stepchildren should be plucked out.

There are some more tricks that will increase the yield of tomatoes, namely:

• when the bushes are blooming, you need to gently shake the plants several times - this contributes to better pollination and, accordingly, will affect the amount of the crop;
• if a lot of ovary has formed, no more than 6 brushes should be left on each stem, having poured out the rest - this way you can get fewer tomatoes, but they will be larger;
• in varieties that ripen unevenly, it is better to harvest at the half-ripeness stage - then the bush will have more strength for the tomatoes remaining on the branches, and the plucked vegetables will quickly reach if they are laid out next to the pot on the windowsill.

Protecting tomatoes from disease

Another point worth paying attention to is the protection of tomatoes in pots from diseases, because even indoor conditions cannot guarantee their complete absence. One of the main enemies of nightshade is late blight.In order to prevent its manifestation, it is important not to fill the bushes and drain the water from the sump. The fungus also does not tolerate fresh air, so it is necessary to ventilate the room more often. As a preventive measure, you can spray the plants with a home remedy prepared from the following components:

• 3 liters of water;
• 100 g garlic (minced);
• 1 g of dry crystals of potassium permanganate.

Indoor tomato varieties

When choosing a tomato variety for growing on a windowsill, it is worth giving preference to undersized, early ripening and fruitful species due to the limited space. They will not take up much space and at the same time will delight you with tasty fruits in early spring. Some of the most popular varieties are the following tomatoes:

1. Balcony miracle. The height of a dense, even bush is no more than 60 cm. Small, round, bright red and sweet tomatoes ripen 90 days after sowing. The mass of one tomato is not more than 60 g. From one such dwarf, you can take up to 2 kg of fruits.
2. Oak. The variety is not hybrid, early ripening, slightly branched, with a bush height of 40 to 60 cm. Rounded tomatoes weighing up to 100 g ripen at the same time, the pulp is fleshy, with a slight sourness. It requires artificial pollination in indoor cultivation, but it has a high resistance to late blight.
3. Ruby Ed. The variety was created specifically for growing on windowsills, balconies and terraces. The bushes are compact, up to 50 cm in height. Small fruits weighing from 20 to 50 g have a sweet taste and rich red color.
4. White filling. Bushes up to 70 cm in height grow equally well both in the open field and in a pot. The fruits ripen in 85 days, they are large enough (up to 130 g), rounded, red with a slight white tint. The pulp is juicy, with sourness, the skin is dense.
5. Little Red Riding Hood. High-yielding variety up to 70 cm high with thick stems. Red-orange fruits weigh 70 g, the pulp is juicy, sweet and sour.
6. Leopold. An ultra-ripe variety with a height of 70 cm. Fruits are dull red, weighing about 100 g.

And in order to have fresh vegetables not only in spring, but also until the New Year, you can plant taller (up to 1 m in height) hybrid varieties of cherry tomatoes. On the windowsill, they will take up more space and require shaping and garters, but they will bear fruit before the onset of winter.

Some of the new, but already popular hybrids are such cherry varieties: Ira F1, Liza F1, Maxik F1, Likopa F1. Small but very tasty red or yellow tomatoes grow in whole clusters and ripen quickly.

For the summer period, it is better to take cherry pots out to the street or to the balcony, not forgetting to take them into the house with a cold snap.

Growing a tomato on a windowsill is an exciting activity that will not only help you while away the long winter days, but also provide your diet with vitamins. Plant and eat for health!

Video recommendations for growing tomatoes on a windowsill

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, tomatoes can be grown on the windowsill, and at any time of the year. There are many varieties that can produce good yields indoors. Growing them is no more difficult than ordinary tomatoes in the garden, moreover, they are not afraid of either drought or the Colorado potato beetle. To enjoy fresh tomatoes in the winter cold, you need to study all the nuances of such cultivation, but the most important thing is to choose the right variety.

Tomatoes on the windowsill in winter

Features of indoor tomatoes

Indoor conditions differ significantly from those in the garden, so not every variety of tomatoes will be able to grow and bear fruit normally indoors. Varieties for growing on a windowsill have the following characteristics:

• short stature. Due to the limited space, only undersized and dwarf tomatoes are able to form a crop. Tall tomatoes require not only a lot of space, but also a large amount of nutrients, and there is too little soil in the flower pot for this;
• stamina. Not everyone knows how to form a bush correctly, but this is an important condition for the yield of a tomato. Standard varieties have a strong central stem and a dense crown; it does not need to be pinned or tied up;
• resistance to lack of lighting and disease. Indoor plants receive less light, especially in winter, and therefore really need additional lighting. But there are varieties of tomatoes that bear fruit normally in a short day, and they only need backlighting on cloudy days. Their genetic feature is short internodes, due to which the stems do not stretch. Of the diseases, tomatoes are most threatened by black leg (during the period of growing seedlings) and leaf mold. The most resistant to them are hybrids, which make up 90% of the total number of potted tomatoes.

Cherry tomatoes on the windowsill

In addition to these features, indoor tomatoes are distinguished by the highest taste qualities, and are rightfully considered the champions among tomatoes in terms of the content of vitamins and sugars in the pulp. But not all of them can boast of productivity, because some varieties are more decorative, and form very small, cherry-sized fruits. Of course, they are also edible, but there are too few of them, and therefore they are most often used to decorate dishes.

Indoor tomatoes

If you need tomatoes for daily consumption, choose large-fruit varieties that are high-yielding. As a rule, the mass of indoor tomatoes varies between 15-130 g, depending on the variety. The best of them form low bushes completely covered with fruits. On average, one bush can produce up to 2 kg of tasty, marketable tomatoes per season.

Potted tomatoes have one more feature - they are perennials. If, after collecting the last fruits, the bush is not thrown away, then after a while new leaves will appear on the stem. Usually such tomatoes grow and bear fruit within 5 years, although the most abundant harvests are given in the first 2 years.

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill

The best varieties of indoor tomatoes

The assortment of indoor tomatoes is smaller than usual, but also impressive. Varieties differ in shape, size and color of fruits, height and shape of the bush, ripening time and other parameters. Every year, new varieties and hybrids from leading breeding companies are added to their list. Below are the most popular windowsill tomatoes.

Balcony miracle	This early ripe variety forms standard bushes up to half a meter high. Its fruits are red, round, with a high sugar content. Unlike most potted tomatoes, this variety grows up to 70-100 g. With good care, the yield per plant is about 2 kg. The balcony miracle adapts well to a lack of light and can bear fruit perfectly in winter
Room surprise	Early ripening, standard. The height of the bushes does not exceed half a meter, and the weight of bright red elongated fruits, collected in bunches, is equal to 25-30 g. The pulp of these tomatoes is very tasty and aromatic, they are great for salads. In winter, the plant needs lighting, otherwise the harvest will be rather weak.
Bonsai	A neat lush bush up to 30 cm high.Tomatoes of this variety have a rounded shape and rich red color, the weight of the fruit is 25 g. With good care, each plant gives 1 kg of tasty commercial tomatoes per season
Micron NK	Today it is considered the smallest type of tomato, the height of its bushes is only 12-15 cm. Round, small fruits (10-12 g) are yellow and red. You should not expect a large harvest from it, but in terms of decorativeness, the variety is ahead of most potted tomatoes. Ideal for winter growing, as it does not depend on the length of daylight hours
Pinocchio	One of the best potted varieties. Plants are not tall, maximum 30 cm, densely leafy, compact. Fruit weight - about 20 g, red color.One bush yields from 1 to 1.5 kg of tomatoes, which are suitable not only for salads, but also for canning. In the summer, it can be grown in the beds, and in the fall, the bushes are transplanted into pots and brought into the house.
Pygmy	Its fruits ripen 85-90 days after germination. Standard variety, universal use, bears fruit well in a short day. His tomatoes are small, weighing 25 g, red, fragrant. The bush itself looks very decorative during the ripening period.
Florida Petite	A popular variety appreciated for its high yield. The bushes are compact, do not exceed 30 cm in height, do not need pinching. Its fruits are small (20-40 g), red, with very sweet pulp. The ovaries are collected in long clusters, and during the period of leaf ripening, it is almost invisible under the fruits. The variety is resistant to low light and bears fruit well in winter.
Bunch of honey	Yellow-fruited and early ripening variety. Can be grown both on the windowsill and in the open field. The height of the standard bushes does not exceed 40 cm, the crown is dense, does not need to be formed. Tomatoes weigh about 40 g, the yield is very high. The peel of the fruit is thin, orange in color, the pulp is sweet and juicy
Window yellow	A new, still rare variety. The plant is a standard plant, 25 cm tall, during the fruiting period the entire bush is covered with clusters of yellow small round tomatoes. Fruit weight rarely exceeds 30 g, the pulp is very sweet. The variety is neutral to low light, therefore it bears fruit well in winter.
Teeny Tim	Early maturing popular Dutch variety. Bears fruit regardless of the season and the degree of lighting. The height of the bushes is about 30 cm, in the open field it can grow up to 50 cm.The weight of the tomatoes is 12-14 g, the color is red, the pulp is moderately sweet

Ampel varieties

In addition to standard varieties, ampel tomatoes are also in demand among fans of indoor tomato cultivation. They can be planted in hanging pots or in tall pots, from which the shoots will hang beautifully on the windowsill. Caring for them is a little more difficult than for ordinary varieties, and the yield is lower, but all this is offset by the excellent taste of tomatoes and the high decorative effect of the bush. The choice of ampel varieties is still small, and seeds can be purchased only from a few domestic agricultural firms.

Garden Pearl	A spreading bush with shoots up to 50 cm. The plant's stems are thin, but strong, and do not break under the weight of numerous fruits. You do not need to walk the bush. Round tomatoes weighing 15-20 g, when ripe, acquire a raspberry color and become translucent. One plant can have up to three hundred marketable fruits. The variety is very decorative, feels great indoors and outdoors
F1 Citizen	Spectacular early maturing hybrid. It can grow vertically (but then it is necessary to tie up the stems) and as an ampelous plant. His tomatoes are round, red, with a characteristic tomato flavor, weighing about 30 g. The hybrid is specially bred for indoor cultivation, therefore it develops well and bears fruit regardless of the season
Cherry Fingers F1	New yielding hybrid for ampel cultivation. Low-leafed shoots, up to half a meter long, strong. Small red fruits have an elongated shape, are attached to long clusters of 8-10 pieces. Tomatoes are suitable for harvesting for the winter; they do not crack during heat treatment. In good conditions, the yield of one bush is 1.8-2 kg
Toggle switch	One of the new ampelous varieties. Very early, has a cascading bush shape, the mass of tomatoes is 25-30 g. The taste of the fruits is excellent, the average yield is about 2 kg. With a lack of lighting, the number of fruits is slightly less
Mascot	Already a fairly well-known ampelous variety of domestic selection. Refers to medium early, the bush is quite compact, shoots up to 55 cm long. Egg-shaped fruits are red, average weight about 40 g.When grown outdoors, the mass of the fruit is almost double. The variety is distinguished by extended fruiting, and very abundant. Tomatoes are juicy, tasty, can be preserved
Red Abundance F1	A very attractive yielding hybrid. Shoots grow up to 60 cm, the plant does not need pinching. The brushes are densely covered with small (20g) sweet red fruits, which are suitable for canning. The bush grows quickly, so it needs a lot of space. In winter, the plant must be highlighted, otherwise the yield will decrease

Agricultural technology for growing indoor tomatoes

As with regular varieties, indoor tomatoes are best grown through seedlings. And at this stage there are no differences, except that the timing of sowing seeds is different. On average, potted tomatoes begin to bear fruit in 90-100 days after germination, and if you want to get the first tomatoes by a certain date, take this factor into account. For example, to harvest the first crop in January, plant the seedlings at the end of September.

Two ways to test seeds for germination

Before sowing, the seeds are disinfected by soaking for 15-30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then left in a damp cloth for a couple of days for pecking.

Tomato seed preparation

Sow in a common container with ordinary soil or purchased substrate to a depth of no more than 1 cm. The distance between the seeds should be within 2-3 cm so that the seedlings are not thickened.

Capacity for growing tomatoes

Tomatoes in a box

Seedlings are transplanted into separate containers as soon as 2-3 true leaves are formed in the seedlings. The sizes of pots are selected depending on the variety of tomatoes: for dwarf tomatoes, a volume of 1.5-2 liters is enough, for ordinary room ones 3-4 liters, for ampelous ones - at least 5 liters. All pots must have drainage holes. It is very important to properly prepare the soil, because the development and fruiting of the bush depends on its composition.

Soil preparation

The best option is the following composition:

• 5 parts of garden soil;
• 2 pieces of sand;
• 5 parts of rotted compost;
• 1 part peat.

On a bucket of such a mixture, it is necessary to add a matchbox of urea and potassium sulfate, a handful of sifted wood ash. All this is thoroughly mixed. Now you can start planting seedlings.

Step 1... A drainage layer of fine gravel, pieces of bark, expanded clay or other material is poured onto the bottom of the pots. Fill the containers to the top with soil and make a small depression in the center.

Filling the pot with drainage and soil

Step 2. Pre-watered seedlings are carefully removed one at a time and planted in pots, deepening to the cotyledonous leaves. Water gently.

Planting tomato seedlings in a pot

The soil must be saturated with moisture for the water to get to the roots.

Step 3. They put the pots on the windowsill (preferably on the south side) and regularly turn them on the other side to the light every 2 days. In the mornings and evenings, as well as in cloudy weather, plants should be supplemented with a phytolamp.

Supplementary lighting of tomatoes with phytolamp

After a week, the plants are fed with half the nitrogen fertilizer required for growth. During the flowering period, in order to increase the percentage of pollination, the stems of the plant are very lightly shaken and carried over the flowers with a feather or a soft brush. After the formation of ovaries, potash fertilization is required every two weeks.

In varieties that need to form a bush, remove stepchildren, pinch the top of the main stem, cut off excess inflorescences to increase the size of the fruit. Tall bushes are tied to supports, which are stuck into the ground along the edge of the pot.

Tomato care

If there are signs of fungal infection, all plants are sprayed with phytosporin or another anti-fungal agent. To prolong fruiting, regularly pick ripe fruits, remove dried leaves, do not forget about dressing and watering.The soil in pots should be periodically loosened, being careful not to catch the roots. With this care, your tomatoes will delight you with an abundant harvest of sweet, tasty fruits all winter.

Video - Tomatoes on the windowsill in winter: the best varieties

Video - Tomatoes on the windowsill in winter: the best varieties and order of growing tomatoes at home

Tomatoes all year round are no longer a wonder. But if not from a supermarket package, but from a windowsill in your own apartment, this is exclusive. Juicy, ripe, sweet and, most importantly, environmentally friendly fruits on your table will delight the whole family. At the same time - no expenses, neither money, nor time. This review provides a description and characteristics of the best varieties of potted tomatoes.

Tomatoes on the windowsill: is it real?

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, many different hybrid varieties of tomatoes have appeared, unpretentious, but very productive, which easy to grow on a windowsill at home in an ordinary flower pot... By maintaining a suitable microclimate for tomato growth, you can pamper yourself with the unique taste of homemade tomatoes in winter.

Growing a tomato on a windowsill

As the ripening time of various early ripening varieties varies from 90 to 110 days, it is easy to calculate the date of planting seeds so that fragrant fresh tomatoes ripen to the New Year's table. The main thing is to choose the right variety that meets all your wishes. You will be able to harvest a large crop from a limited area at any time of the year.

The best indoor varieties for a mini-garden at home

For a window bed of tomatoes, standard and ampel varieties are suitable. They develop in height no more than 35-45 cm, do not branch, which means that they do not need to be tied up. Many hybrids are adaptable to short daylight hours and lack of sunlight, good resistance to the most common diseases (black leg, leaf mold).

From neat small bushes, you will receive 1-2 kg of fruit per season.... If planted in batches in several bushes with an interval of 20-30 days, you can provide yourself with vitamins for the whole winter. In addition, indoor tomatoes have excellent taste and a higher content of sugar and vitamins in the pulp (compared to ordinary ones).

The best standard hybrids for growing on a window at home are:

Balcony miracle

Tomato Balcony Miracle

Forms standard bushes about 0.5 m high, tolerates a lack of light well, fruits are round, red, weighing 70-100 g, with a high sugar content. Tomato Balcony miracle begins to bear fruit within 80 days after germination.

Micron NK

Tomato Micron NK

The smallest of the known varieties, the height of the bush barely reaches 15 cm, sweet fruits of red or bright yellow color, weighing 10-12 g, ripening period 100-110 days. This variety is more decorative and does not depend at all on the length of daylight hours.

Pinocchio

Tomato Pinocchio

Compact bushes, one of the best indoor tomatoes, sweet, round fruits, weight - up to 20 g. You can grow it in the garden in the summer, and in the fall, transplant it into pots, bring it home. And if you sow the seeds after September 20, you will harvest the first harvest by the New Year. Pinocchio is mid-season, ripens in 105-115 days.

Bonsai

Tomato Bonsai

Early ripening variety (matures in 85 days), unpretentious to light, the yield is not the highest - 0.5 kg, but the fruits are very tasty and sweet;

Bunch of honey

Tomato Honey Bunch

Early ripening standard bush with a dense crown, height - 40 cm, fruits are sweet, juicy, yellow. Differs in high productivity.

There are a lot of indoor and balcony varieties, and they all enjoy well-deserved popularity: Cherripals F1, Balconies Elo, Pearl yellow, Bonsai micro, F1 Balcony red, Indoor surprise, etc. A unique feature is that they can grow for more than one season.Dried bushes can be left in pots, watered occasionally, and after a while green leaves will begin to appear again. Tomatoes can grow like this for up to 5 years, but the yield will decrease. The bushes bear fruit most abundantly in the first 2-3 years.

Proper seed preparation for planting at home

The principle of growing a tomato at home is no different from growing in a garden: first we get seedlings from the seeds, then we dive them into the pots to a permanent place. In advance, you should worry about preparing for planting seeds and soil.

It is better to buy seeds in specialized stores to be sure of the quality and compliance with the variety indicated on the package.

But nevertheless, before planting, it is better to check again and sort out full-fledged grains from empty ones. To do this, dip them in salted water for 10 minutes (1 teaspoon per 200 g of water). Semi-dried or empty seeds will float, and healthy, full-fledged seeds will sink to the bottom. They need to be soaked for 20-30 minutes in a manganese solution, to protect future plants from late blight.

Manganese solution preparation

To accelerate the germination of seeds for a couple of days, you can put them in a damp cloth for "pecking". Tomato seeds prepared in this way are sown in a container for seedlings in moistened soil to a depth of 1 cm and at a distance of 3 cm from each other. After that, the soil is lightly tamped, covered with plastic wrap and removed to a warm place until shoots appear. The film must be chopped in several places so that excess moisture does not accumulate under it, as this can cause seedling diseases. It is desirable to maintain the daytime temperature + 22-25 degrees, the nighttime - + 15-17.

After about a week, the first leaves (false) appear, the temperature at this time is lowered to 20 degrees and the room is occasionally ventilated. It is also necessary to monitor the humidity - do not overdry, but also do not overmoisten, so that the seedlings do not get sick with a "black leg".

After 7-10 days, you can observe the first shoots of the tomato

You can prepare the soil yourself or buy a ready-made substrate. For healthy plant growth and a good harvest, the following mixture is most suitable:

• the soil itself must be from 50% humus, 45% black soil, 5% sand;
• to enrich 1 glass of wood ash is added to one bucket of soil, 1 matchbox of superphosphate, potassium sulfate, urea.

Fill containers with this mixture - plastic cups with drainage holes or wooden boxes with pallets 10-12 cm high.

Transplanting tomato seedlings and further care

After 2-3 true leaves appear on the seedlings, it is necessary to pick the seedlings, i.e. you need to choose the strongest and most developed sprouts and plant them in pots or other containers specially prepared for this. The container size should be 8-10 liters, for the smallest decorative varieties of tomatoes, you can take a container of 4-5 liters. In the process of caring for plants, you need to follow the elementary rules and technologies of agricultural technology:

For growing indoor tomatoes in winter, choose containers with a volume of 2 liters (for dwarf varieties), 4 liters (for medium-sized varieties) or 5 liters (for ampelous plants)

• Lighting. Tomato pots are placed on the windowsills on the south side. Once every two days, they are turned 180 degrees so that the plant is even and does not lean towards the sunny side. In cloudy weather, as well as in the mornings and evenings, it is necessary to provide plants with additional lighting - phytolamp or even ordinary electric lamps (except for those varieties whose growth does not depend on the length of daylight hours).

With a lack of sunlight for indoor tomatoes, additional lighting is equipped

• Watering. Indoor tomatoes are very sensitive to watering. Regular moistening of the soil promotes good growth, ovary formation and fruit ripening.Lack of moisture will lead to the falling off of the fruit, but the excess of it leads to the spread of various diseases - rot, late blight, fungal infections. You need to water 2 times a week, in moderation and not irrigate the stems. With the beginning of flowering, watering must be stopped and resumed with the appearance of ovaries.
• Top dressing of tomatoes. Three weeks after the dive of the seedlings and then every 10-15 days, we fertilize the plants with special mineral and organic fertilizers, which we apply to the moist soil on the second day after watering.
• Tying whips. Low standard bushes with a stable trunk usually do not need support. The branches of medium-sized tomatoes are tied to pegs, which are stuck into the ground, trying not to damage the root system.

As they grow, the stalks of the tomatoes are tied to pegs.

• Stealing. It is imperative to carry out pinching, i.e. removal of “stepchildren” shoots in the leaf axils throughout the entire growth of plants for its correct formation. Stepsons thicken the plant, take away nutrients, and reduce the yield of tomatoes.

After the formation of the main ovaries, it is also necessary to rip off the top.

• Pollination. Indoor varieties yield a fairly good harvest without pollination, but if desired, pollination can be carried out with a brush, carefully brushing it over the flowers.

Airing will help improve the self-pollination ability of a tomato.

Growing hybrid varieties of tomatoes on a windowsill in winter - this is not only a benefit, but also a great pleasure, a very interesting activity. With a little attention and free time, you will get a harvest of exclusive varieties of bright, sweet and very healthy tomatoes from your windowsill. It will be easy to care for such a plant even for novice gardeners.

If you like fresh, healthy vegetables, get tomatoes. And nothing if you don't have a summer residence. It is enough to know how to grow tomatoes on a windowsill and put it into practice. For your love and care, they will generously reward you with fruits, decorate the interior, and even in a harsh winter, it will be summer in your apartment. Let's start the selection of seed.

Choosing a suitable variety

Indoor conditions for tomatoes are far from the comfort of street beds. And the light is not enough and the nutrients in the earth, limited by the size of the pot, are not enough. In order not to get an impudent tenant instead of a pet, who will occupy the best part of the room and will require props, which, of course, will not decorate the design of your home, you need to take the choice seriously. Not all tomatoes on the windowsill in the apartment will be able to grow and bear fruit. What should they be?

First, they are undersized. Only undersized and dwarf varieties are able to form a decent harvest in a confined space, being content with a small amount of soil in a flower pot.

Secondly, they are shade-tolerant and disease-resistant. Even the usual indoor plants need additional lighting in winter, what can we say about the tomatoes on which we want to see fruits. And here it is worth paying attention to the varieties of shade-tolerant hybrids that are able to bear fruit well even in a short day.

They only need additional lighting on cloudy days. In addition, hybrids are immune to many diseases. With proper agricultural technology and prevention of fungal diseases, tomatoes on the window will not hurt.

Thirdly, they are beautiful. Standard varieties are like a small tree with a strong stem and a dense crown. No garter or pinning required. Ampel varieties, too, will not bother you with these activities. Their thin but very strong branched shoots fall outside the pot. These tomatoes can be grown in hanging planters.

It remains to add that tomatoes on the windowsill can be large-fruited varieties - with a fruit weight of up to 130g and small-fruited, the minimum weight of which is 15g.The color of the fruit can be different, as in the varieties for open ground - all shades of red and yellow. The yield of varieties can also be different.

There are decorative forms, the fruits of which can only decorate a festive dish. But there are also very productive specimens that can give you more than 2 kg per season.

If you have got yourself such a pet and become attached to it, do not be discouraged, a quick separation will not threaten you. Indoor tomatoes are long-livers, they can delight you for 5 years.

Indoor varieties of compact tomatoes: Leopold, White filling, Florida Petit, Little Red Riding Hood, Dubok, Ruby, Minibel, Bonsai, Bonsai micro, Pinocchio, Indoor surprise, Mikron MK, Pygmy, Window yellow, Tumbler.

Video "Growing on the windowsill"

From the video you will learn how to grow tomatoes at home.

Arrangement of a vegetable garden on the windowsill

Of course, for a mini-garden you need to choose the brightest place. It is better if it is a window sill with a window facing south. For additional lighting, fluorescent or energy-saving lamps are suitable. It is better, of course, to use phytolamps, the red and blue ranges of the light they emit enhance growth and fruiting.

Lamps are placed 25-30 cm above the tops of the plants. They are turned on all day on very cloudy days. The rest of the time, their task is to increase the duration of lighting to the required 13-16 hours. The lamps are turned on for a while before dawn and after sunset.

Growing features

To grow a crop by a certain date, the seeds must be sown 90-100 days earlier. Like street varieties, our heroes are grown through seedlings. First, it is necessary to disinfect for half an hour in a solution of potassium permanganate, and then leave it in a damp cloth for 2 days to hatch. Seeds are sown in a container with soil mixture to a depth of 1 cm and at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other.

You will have to tinker with the soil to cleanse it of harmful microorganisms. When the seedlings have thrown away the second true leaf, they can be transplanted into pots. For dwarfs, a sufficient volume is 1.5-2 liters, for indoor ones - 3-4 liters, for ampelous ones - 5 liters. The soil mixture is prepared according to this recipe: garden soil, sand, compost, peat in a ratio of 5: 2: 5: 1. On 1 bucket of such a composition, you need to pour a handful of ash and a matchbox of urea and potassium sulfate. At the bottom of the pots, of course, drainage is laid from small pebbles or expanded clay. When planting, seedlings are buried to the cotyledon leaves.

We are waiting for the harvest

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill will not take much time. In the morning and in the evening, you need to turn on the lamp. Turn the plant the other way to the light every day. Watering is carried out 2 times a week strictly at the root, without touching the trunk. Water is poured "modestly", waterlogging is the cause of fungal diseases. After watering, loosen, trying not to touch the root. The first feeding is carried out when 5 true leaves are formed on the plant. In the future, fertilizers are applied every 10 days. Can be fed with bird droppings diluted in water 1:15. Or use ready-made micronutrient fertilizers, while for young plants the dosage recommended on the package is halved. If the variety you have chosen is not a standard or ampelous variety, then the stepsons formed in the leaf axils must be removed so that they do not take food from the resulting fruits.

The indoor tomato will not have enough strength to ripen all the fruits that have set, therefore 5-6 brushes are left on each of the trunks. The rest are removed along with the top of the stem. After the fruit has formed, the lower leaves can be torn off. Yellowed ones are removed permanently. Let's immediately figure out why the leaves of tomatoes dry. This is not always a consequence of insufficient watering.

Waterlogging and poor ventilation can lead to the development of late blight and fusarium wilting. For prophylaxis, spraying with "Fitosporin" or infusion of garlic (0.5 cups per 3 liters of water + 1.5 g of manganese) is carried out.The room where tomatoes grow must be ventilated, after removing them from the windowsill.

Indoor varieties are usually self-pollinating, but a little help will come in handy. During flowering, tap the stem and shake the brushes. You can spray the bush with a solution of boric acid (1 g per 5 liters of water) so that the ovary does not fall off.

The grown crop is removed unripe. As soon as the tomato begins to turn pink, it is picked and placed in a sunny place or in a dark box, where it will soon turn deep red. The resources saved will help other fruits grow to the desired size.

Balcony wonders

If you succeeded in growing tomatoes on the windowsill and you want more, arrange a greenhouse on the balcony. If you have it insulated, start sowing at the beginning of March, otherwise wait until the end of April. It is best if the balcony is located on the south or southeast side. On the balcony, which looks to the north, the tomatoes will be cold, the southeast will have to be shaded in a hot, sultry time.

The wide balcony space (compared to the window sill) makes it possible to grow tall varieties with higher yields. You can plant cherry or cocktail varieties in a wide variety of shapes and colors. You can plant varieties:

• Pauline, Spencer - red;
• Butterfly Ballerina - pink cream;
• Fortessa - yellow-orange;
• Rose - pink;
• Forte orange - orange.

They are grown in the same way as indoor ones. The difference is that these varieties are tall and require shaping. Therefore, they remove all the stepsons, except for the lower one, so that 2 trunks are obtained. Long shoots require the construction of trellises or pegs, to which they will need to be tied. Not only tomatoes can be grown on the windowsill, there are varieties of cucumbers that can also grow and bear fruit in such Spartan conditions.

Video "Growing on the balcony"

From the video you will learn how to grow tomatoes on the balcony.