Can tomatoes be grown in a greenhouse all year round?

Growing tomatoes all year round is quite possible! To do this, it is necessary to equip a heated greenhouse and find time to care for the plants.

To get the first harvest for the New Year holidays, you need to sow seeds for seedlings in September or October. At this time, you will have to use additional lighting, because there will be very little natural.

When sowing seeds in November, the main development of the bushes will be in January and February, and the first fruits will be closer to spring. But the light period will begin to increase, allowing you to reduce the cost of artificial lighting.

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Unfortunately, the harvesting season for vegetables and fruits from our own plot is very short. You can try to keep the harvested crop fresh, make stocks of pickles, jams, canned fruits, but there is an alternative way. For lovers of fresh vegetables throughout the year, there is an ideal solution - to grow them in greenhouse conditions. The size and presence of a heating system in modern greenhouses allow organizing a full cycle for the cultivation of almost any crop. For example, by planting tomatoes in a greenhouse, with proper care, you can achieve their ripening by a certain period, regulate yield, get larger fruits or improve taste.

How to grow juicy tomatoes in greenhouses, how to care for them, what difficulties you can face when choosing seeds, what is the difference between caring for tomatoes in greenhouses and in open ground - such questions often arise for many vegetable growers. The main rules for caring for tomatoes in greenhouse conditions can be considered:

• Creation of optimal temperature conditions;
• Use of an efficient irrigation system;
• Balanced feeding;
• Creation of optimal conditions conducive to self-pollination;
• Pruning and pinching plants

In indoor conditions, tomatoes are not so susceptible to sudden changes in temperature, frost, precipitation, the microclimate in the greenhouse can be made almost ideal, which means that you can increase yields and harvest fruits almost all year round. Greenhouses must be specially equipped and adapted for planting tomatoes.
When choosing building materials for this type of greenhouse, you should carefully study all their characteristics. To date, polycarbonate greenhouses have deservedly won great popularity among vegetable growers, which is distinguished by high rates of light diffusion and thermal insulation, and is resistant to adverse environmental conditions. The best material for the frame of such structures can be considered aluminum, due to its lightness, resistance to rust.
When choosing a location for a greenhouse for growing tomatoes, you need to take into account the fact that plants need good lighting. In low light conditions, it is important not to shade the bushes, you can even increase the distance between them. In order for tomatoes to ripen in the greenhouse all year round, an efficient heating system must be provided. It is possible to envisage the presence of a gas, electric, air heating system or the most economical one for today - a stove, on wood. When installing a gas heating system, we take into account the need for regular ventilation, which sometimes has a detrimental effect on fragile sprouts. Installing electrical systems is usually the most expensive and pays off over a long period of time.

Caring for tomatoes in a greenhouse involves using an efficient irrigation system (for example, a drip irrigation system) and good ventilation. Several hatches in different parts of the greenhouses avoid stagnant air, creating optimal conditions for pollination. It is recommended annually to disinfect greenhouses, clean their structures, and ventilate them.

It should also be remembered that planting and caring for tomatoes in a greenhouse has its own nuances, such as:

• the presence of calcium, to prevent the fall of inflorescences and the appearance of black spots on the fruits;
• high-quality and specially selected fertilizers for tomatoes should contain magnesium, potassium, nitrogen, boron and phosphorus;
• soil moisture, without drying out

Growing and caring for seedlings in a greenhouse

Tomatoes are best grown from seedlings. Friendly and similar seedlings can be expected by sowing the seeds in February - March, given the required maturity. First, it is necessary to process the seeds using a solution of Fitosporin-m or sodium humate, which stimulates their growth. Loose, light substrates, turf or humus soil can be considered the most suitable for tomatoes.
By placing crops in favorable conditions, the first shoots can be expected in seven days. The seedlings grow rather slowly for the first three weeks. The rapid growth of plants, especially leaves, is observed in the next two to three weeks. After five to six weeks, the seedlings should be moved to a well-lit area, turning the plants daily to provide even lighting.

The optimum temperature of the first week after germination can be considered 16-18 degrees during the day and 13-15 degrees at night. In the future, it is better to maintain a temperature of 18 - 20 degrees during the day and 15 - 16 degrees at night until two or three true leaves appear.
At the same time, watering is carried out only two or three times to avoid stretching the plants in case of insufficient natural light, which is characteristic of early spring. It is better to water the first time immediately after the emergence of shoots, the second - after 7-14 days, the third - 2-3 hours immediately before the pick.
Hardening tomatoes when growing them in a greenhouse is best done in April-May, for fear of exposure to drafts on the plants. After hardening, tomatoes have a specific shade of blue-violet stems.

When growing seedlings indoors, it is important to properly prepare the plants for planting in the greenhouse. By cutting off two or three lower leaf plates, you can reduce the risk of possible tomato diseases, improve air circulation and uniformity of lighting. The optimal age of the seedlings is fifty days, the height should be 25-35 cm, the stem has about ten leaf blades and a pair of formed inflorescences.

Soil for planting tomatoes in greenhouse conditions

Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse requires a complete replacement of the soil every five years, because even with regular fertilization, the soil is very depleted during this time. Disinfection is carried out every time after the end of the season. The best drugs for these purposes are Bordeaux liquid (1%), copper sulfate solution (1%), and dolomite flour solution (50g / 1m2).

Preparing the soil for early varieties of tomatoes is best done in the fall. Sometimes a layer of insulating material (sawdust, needles, straw, etc.), no more than ten centimeters thick, and a layer of compost of the same thickness are laid under the soil for future tomatoes. A garden bed prepared in this way will have a height of about 30 - 40 centimeters. Humus or turf soil is great for growing tomatoes. Fertilizers can be (proportions are indicated per 1 sq.m.) granular superphosphate (3 tablespoons), potassium and potassium magnesium sulfate (1 tablespoon each), carbamide and sodium nitrate (1 tsp), as well as wood ash ( 1.5 stack.).For clay and loamy soil, you can add humus, sawdust or peat (1 bucket per 1 sq. M.). For peat soil, when applying fertilizers, it is recommended to make humus, sawdust, turf (1 bucket per 1 sq. M.), Coarse-grained sand (half a bucket per 1 sq. M.). Earthworms will help to improve the soil. It is better to transfer them to the greenhouse together with the compost. You can enrich the soil with nitrogen thanks to legumes, planting them in the aisles. For a richer tomato flavor, you can sow basil.
Sometimes in greenhouses, marking of beds made of building materials is done in order to avoid excessive pressure on the ground when performing preparatory work or planting tomatoes. It is really possible to improve the microflora in the greenhouse with the regular introduction of organic substances.
How to care for tomatoes in greenhouse conditions.

When growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, it is advisable to adhere to certain patterns inherent in each variety. Seedlings of early maturing, as well as low-growing varieties should be planted in a checkerboard pattern. The optimal distance in rows is 35-40 cm, row spacing is 55 cm.
It is better for standard and determinant varieties to leave a space of about 20 cm, row spacing - 45-50 cm. Adhering to the indicated proportions, about 10 plants are placed on each square meter of soil. Giant tomatoes are also preferably staggered to form two stems. The optimal distance will be 55-60 cm, row spacing - 75-80 cm.
Growing tomatoes of different varieties in a greenhouse, you can adhere to a two-row planting scheme:

• for the first row, early ripening tomatoes of determinant varieties are selected, which are planted directly near the walls of the greenhouses. The distances between them are about 35-40 cm, while one stem is formed;
• for the second row, it is better to choose tall varieties of plants, placing them near the aisles. The required distance between the bushes is 60 cm. Seedlings of superdeterminant standard varieties are planted in the same row, at a distance of at least 25 cm. One stem is formed for all plants. After the formation of the second stem on the standard varieties, the plants should be pinched, leaving only 2-3 leaf plates. The fruits of these varieties ripen earlier than giant ones.

Adhering to the above schemes, you can place in the greenhouse at least twenty bushes of giant varieties of tomatoes, about forty determinant and fifty early ripening.
It is better to plant tomato seedlings in a greenhouse on a cloudy, cool day. Seedling holes, about fifteen centimeters deep, can be watered with a warm (50-60 degrees) aqueous solution of potassium manganese (1 g / bucket). The required volume is 1.0-1.5 liters per well. When planting tomato seedlings in a greenhouse, it is advisable to save clods of earth or peat cups in which it was grown. It is highly undesirable to place elongated seedlings at an angle; it is better to make an additional depression in the hole. The seedlings are placed in the lower part of the hole, and the upper one is filled up only after the adaptation of the tomatoes, usually after a couple of weeks. When planting seedlings, it is necessary to direct the inflorescences towards the aisles, avoiding possible shading of the fruit with leaves during ripening.

Caring for tomatoes in a greenhouse also provides for the need to feed the plants. An indicative schedule looks like this:

1. 20 days after planting. To prepare the nutrient solution, 500 ml must be used. mullein and 1 tbsp. nitrophosphate. The need is one liter for each plant;
2. 10 days after the first feeding. An aqueous solution is used (per bucket of water), consisting of fertilizer (1 tbsp) and potassium sulfate (1 tsp). The nutrient mixture should be prepared at the rate of half a bucket per 1 sq. M .;
3. 14 days after the second feeding. A nutrient mixture is prepared from a bucket of water, superphosphate (1 tablespoon) and wood ash (2 tablespoons). The need for 6-8 liters per 1 sq.m.
4. after the start of fruit ripening, you can use a solution of liquid sodium humate (1 tablespoon) and superphosphate (2 tablespoons) in a bucket of water. Such a solution is being prepared in the volume of half a bucket per 1 sq.m.

To accelerate the growth of green mass of tomatoes in a greenhouse, you can use nutrient solutions in which a high nitrogen content, in particular:

• liquid mullein solutions;
• chicken manure solutions;
• green infusions. Such an infusion is being prepared from 50 liters. water, 5kg. any chopped greens, a glass of ash. The solution must be left in the sun for fermentation, for 7-10 days.

Use diluted (per 100 liters of water) after straining.
For the convenience of feeding with liquid fertilizers, you can make additional holes between the plants after they have been planted. It is important to remember that you can only feed tomatoes in the greenhouse after watering.

After planting the plants, it is better to compact the soil and use the mulch as the top layer of the soil. Caring for tomatoes in a greenhouse provides for a period of "dormancy" - after transplanting tomatoes, it is better not to touch them for about a week, and only after that you can loosen the topsoil for better air flow to the plant roots. Simultaneously with the planting of seedlings, supports can be installed for further tying the plants. Often metal rods, fittings, trimmings of thin plastic pipes, slats, etc. are used as supports. Supports are placed directly near the stems, driving them into the ground to a depth of about 30 centimeters. To care for giant varieties of tomatoes, it is better to use trellises, saving space in the greenhouse. Tying tomatoes in the greenhouse to the trellis can be started on the thirteenth day after planting. Twine or wire is stretched horizontally at a distance of about 40 cm, the height of the stakes is about two meters. Thus, caring for tomatoes in the greenhouse when they are ripe can be slightly easier without reducing the yield. In this case, the side shoots can not be cut off, but simply refueled between the rows of horizontal guides. By tying up the bushes, you can improve their lighting and ventilation, and reduce the risk of various diseases.

Tomato varieties for the greenhouse:

Tomatoes in a greenhouse will thrive best if the humidity is kept at 80 percent. When growing tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse, special attention should be paid to airing, especially after watering the plants. It is important to avoid condensation on the greenhouse surfaces to avoid excessive humidity. In addition to possible late blight diseases, an increased level of humidity can cause poor fertilization of flowers, reduce the sugar level in the tomatoes themselves, which affects the taste of fruits grown in greenhouse conditions.
The care of tomatoes in the greenhouse can be partially automated, for example, automatic ventilation and irrigation systems can be installed. Only warm water should be used for watering tomatoes, it is extremely important not to let it get on the leaves or fruits.

Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse is not complete without artificial pollination of flowers. Despite the fact that tomatoes are self-pollinating species, pollen should get on the pistil. Airing greenhouses, especially in windy weather, allows you to create the necessary air currents for the movement of pollen. Sometimes honey crops are planted in greenhouses to attract bees or bumblebees, which contribute to pollination of plants. In some cases, you can gently shake the flower brushes or use a toothbrush or paint brush. Some growers use fans for pollination, thus creating the necessary air flow. Pollen matures at night, so pollination is best done in the morning. After pollination of the flower, its petals become slightly bent outward.

Caring for tomatoes is effective only if plants are pinched.Forming bushes of giant varieties into one stem, undersized and medium-sized in two or three, you can direct the power of the plant to the formation of better-quality fruits. It is better to grab the bushes with your hands to reduce the level of injury to plants.
With the beginning of the flowering period, caring for tomatoes in a greenhouse necessarily includes disinfection treatment to prevent most diseases. For these purposes, you can use copper sulfate, phytosporin, foundationol, tattoo, folk remedies (serum solution or garlic infusion) may also be effective.
Diseases and pests can become a real threat to the crop for greenhouse tomatoes, especially:

• butterflies are scoops, especially their caterpillars;
• butterflies - whiteflies;
• bear;
• click beetles and their larvae - wireworms, etc.

You can fight pests using improvised methods (by preparing bait, using kvass, infusion of potato tops, vinegar water, or collecting caterpillars from leaves) or using chemicals such as Fitoverm, Argavertin, liquid smoke Sochva, Medvetox, Bazudin and others.

Many vegetable growers know how to care for tomatoes in order to avoid their diseases, but let's dwell on this in more detail.

To avoid the appearance of cracks in the fruits, you can correctly organize watering of the plants. To maintain soil moisture should be frequent watering, using a small amount of water for this. Greenhouses made of polycarbonate or glass can be treated outside with milk of lime, especially in hot and dry weather.
Tomatoes in the greenhouse need good lighting, otherwise the tomatoes may not turn red at all or only the underside of the fruit turns red. To avoid such a plant, plant it not very densely, pinch and stop feeding somewhere in the middle of July. To stop the intensive growth of green mass, you can make a longitudinal through incision 5-6 centimeters long, at a height of about 15 centimeters from the ground surface. By inserting a small chip into the cut, you can reduce the consumption of nutrients and moisture by the stem, accelerating the ripening of the fruit.
Excessive watering, sudden changes in temperature, insufficient calcium or excess nitrogen can cause plant disease with late blight or various types of rot. Taking proper care of your tomatoes in the greenhouse will help keep the risk of plant diseases to a minimum.
In order to facilitate the care of tomatoes in the greenhouse, it is important to choose the right tomato variety. The main characteristics that you should pay attention to when choosing plants for planting in a greenhouse are as follows:

• yield.

The best option can be considered hybrid varieties of tomatoes, which have the maximum yield in greenhouse conditions;

• types and sizes of bushes;
• ripening period;
• taste qualities;
• fruit size;
• resistance to diseases and pests;
• keeping quality.

Tomatoes in the greenhouse all year round

Proper care of tomatoes in the greenhouse allows you to harvest ripe juicy tomatoes almost all year round. Planting seedlings in mid-summer will allow you to harvest before winter. To do this, it is better to opt for early-maturing varieties with medium-sized fruits, plant only strong plants and correctly calculate the date of their planting in the greenhouse (65-80 days before the forecast date of the onset of frost). By pruning summer tomatoes and thus stimulating their growth, you can harvest tomatoes in the greenhouse until late autumn. Caring for such tomatoes should be special: balanced feeding and intensive watering.
When growing tomatoes in a greenhouse in winter, you need to take into account the need for additional lighting.

The collection of ripe fruits, like the general care of tomatoes in greenhouses, has a number of features. How to care for tomatoes has already been described above, but you also need to harvest correctly. Tomatoes are harvested as the fruits ripen, preferably in the morning.
Tomatoes are classified according to their degree of maturity into four groups: green, milk, pink or brown, full maturity. You can pick ripe tomatoes, slightly brown, yellow or slightly pink. After picking, unripe tomatoes can be left in a dark place until fully ripe for one and a half to two weeks. At the same time, the taste is completely preserved. If only ripe tomatoes are harvested, the subsequent harvest will shrink and lose their bulk. Often, tomatoes are harvested daily, stimulating a faster ripening of the tomatoes remaining on the bushes.

To increase the shelf life, it is better to pick ripe tomatoes with stalks, you can wrap them in soft paper and put them in boxes, sandwiching the tomatoes with hay, sawdust, etc. It is advisable to harvest the crop until the air temperature at night drops below 8 degrees. A lower temperature can provoke rot, and fruits collected at temperatures below 4 degrees will definitely be spoiled.

Fresh tomatoes grown in a greenhouse can be stored for about 8-12 weeks with appropriate preparation. Fresh tomatoes should first be immersed in warm water (60 degrees) for a couple of minutes, then wipe thoroughly with a dry cloth. Heating up in this way the tomatoes are best placed in one layer in boxes, sprinkled with peat or sawdust. Tomatoes of early and mid-season varieties are perfectly stored frozen, so that the fruits are thawed, it is enough to dip them in cold water for a few minutes.
Taking care of tomatoes in a greenhouse is troublesome and quite costly, but with proper care, you can harvest almost 2.5 times more than in the field. Observing the simple rules described above, you can not only grow an excellent harvest in greenhouse conditions almost all year round, but also keep tomatoes fresh and fragrant for a long time.

Diseases of tomatoes

Learn more about tomato diseases. From our article, or watch the video, this is a very important stage, since even the most powerful and healthy seedlings can die in one day. And all your work will go down the drain.

Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse as a business is a great solution for aspiring entrepreneurs with agricultural experience. The greenhouse makes it possible to harvest crops even in winter, when the margin for fresh vegetables increases significantly. With the correct organization of the business, the investment will pay off in 1.5-2 years, after which the business will begin to bring a stable income.

• Pros and cons of a greenhouse tomato growing business
• How to start a tomato growing business in a greenhouse
• How much can you earn from growing tomatoes?
• Start-up capital required to organize a tomato growing business in a greenhouse
• Materials and equipment for the construction of a greenhouse
• Important issues related to business registration
• Which varieties should you choose?
• Greenhouse tomato cultivation technology for sale

Pros and cons of a greenhouse tomato growing business

Before starting the construction of greenhouses and growing tomatoes, it is important to weigh all its pros and cons, realistically assessing your own strengths.

Among the main advantages of the tomato business:

• high demand for tomatoes;
• in a year-round greenhouse, you can grow any, even the most capricious varieties;
• harvesting is possible all year round;
• greenhouse tomatoes can be sold in winter and spring, when the demand for them is especially high;
• in the greenhouse, tomato yields are higher, even the latest ovaries develop.
• the business is highly profitable.

Despite the obvious advantages, growing tomatoes in a greenhouse also has some disadvantages:

• high costs for building a greenhouse, electricity and water;
• in regions with a cold climate, the cost of fruit is too high;
• good profitability can only be achieved in a large greenhouse farm, the creation of which requires large one-time investments;
• agricultural skills are required to be successful;
• high competition, especially in the autumn-summer period.

How to start a tomato growing business in a greenhouse

Select a greenhouse site. The ideal option is the territory of the former vegetable-growing state farms with prepared areas. Land can be bought, but for a start it is better to arrange a long-term lease.

Register a legal entity. You can choose the form of IE or LLC. A very profitable option is a farm that allows you to pay a single agricultural tax.

Registration of a legal entity is required if you plan to sell tomatoes to retail stores or catering establishments.

Write a detailed business plan based on upcoming expenses and planning for future income. A business plan is necessary if you plan to attract a co-investing partner, take out a subsidy or get a preferential bank loan.

Start building a greenhouse. For a start, one structure with an area of ​​80 to 100 m² is enough. Subsequently, the farm can be expanded by increasing your own profits. The best option for year-round cultivation is a greenhouse on a metal frame with anti-corrosion impregnation, covered with cellular polycarbonate. A high foundation of cinder blocks, air vents and a vestibule with double doors are required. The greenhouse can be made in an arc or pitched shape. For irrigation, it is worth equipping an automatic system that saves water and your own strength.

Decide how you will grow your tomatoes. The most delicious tomatoes are ground tomatoes, the mark-up is higher, and demand always exceeds supply. However, the hydroponic technique often used by greenhouse owners is significantly less expensive. It is worth considering that tomatoes grown in a nutrient solution have a characteristic watery taste that customers do not like too much. An alternative option is rack cultivation. In this case, the seedlings are planted on racks covered with soil, which saves the scarce interior space of the greenhouse.

Buy seed material, fertilizers, tools. It is better to grow tomatoes in seedlings, this will speed up the harvest. Seedlings are placed at home; in a large heated greenhouse, a separate place can be allocated for the constant cultivation of seedlings. This approach will make the harvest uninterrupted.

How much can you earn from growing tomatoes?

Grown tomatoes can be sold to wholesale resellers or organized on their own in the market. Another option is sales through vegetable kiosks, retail stores around the house. The largest turnover is provided by the suppliers of retail chains. However, these partners also have disadvantages. Large chains are interested in very large quantities, moreover, they provide a minimum price. It is much more profitable to cooperate with public catering. By concluding a permanent contract with a chain of restaurants, cafes or canteens, you can provide a permanent sales channel at very competitive prices.

To receive a stable income, you need to constantly look for new ways to implement. Join vegetable cooperatives that sell products through online stores, organize sales of goods on pre-orders. Do not forget about advertising, in the future it is possible to register your own trademark.

Growing tomatoes is a very promising business. In order not to be mistaken, it is important to calculate everything long before the start of the project and increase production gradually. Look for new ways to sell, consider options for your own retail or tomato processing. This approach will help significantly increase profits and profitably occupy a niche in the agricultural market.

Start-up capital required to organize a tomato growing business in a greenhouse

A detailed analysis of the question of how much money needs to be invested in growing tomatoes for commercial purposes shows that the implementation of this business project and its financing depends on the following factors:

• scale of activity;
• region of residence;
• the cost of energy resources;
• technology used for the construction of greenhouses;
• the situation on the market for this product.

For example, for the construction of a modern greenhouse complex according to Dutch technology, the area of ​​which is one hectare, it is necessary to invest about 200 million rubles. The offer of domestic companies (according to many farmers, not inferior to Dutch technologies) will cost novice businessmen almost ten times less - 20-30 million rubles.

But even a more modest greenhouse project (the second option) is not of interest to most novice farmer entrepreneurs. The main reason is its high cost. Therefore, you need to start a tomato growing business with the construction of a small greenhouse that will “work” all year round, and bring about 100 thousand rubles of net profit during one winter season. The cost of such a structure will not exceed 200 thousand rubles.

In total, to organize a greenhouse business focused on growing tomatoes, 200 thousand rubles are needed to build the first greenhouse and about 50 thousand to resolve legal issues, purchase seeds, fertilizers, etc.

Materials and equipment for the construction of a greenhouse

In order to build a reliable greenhouse that will function at any time of the year and bring you a good harvest, you must:

• prepare a place for a greenhouse;
• build a frame (metal or wooden, but today plastic structures are also practiced) and fix the base (ordinary film, glass, modern polycarbonates, etc.);
• prepare the ground;
• make a heating, ventilation and irrigation system;
• provide additional lighting during the cold season.

Each of these points has its own nuances, which are associated with the individual characteristics of your future greenhouse.

Important issues related to business registration

Dealing with the registration of a business for growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, you will certainly come across the question of the classification of your activity. This direction belongs to the group with the code OKVED 01.13.12.

Note! Processing the documents required for legal work, you don't need to think about getting additional permits and licenses.

Which varieties should you choose?

For cultivation in greenhouses, high indeterminate varieties are suitable. These shrubs do not do well outdoors, but they yield excellent yields in shelter. For the successful development of ovaries, tying and formation of plants is required with the removal of most of the lateral shoots (stepchildren). Look for seeds that are labeled as suitable for greenhouses on the packaging.

Assess customer preferences. Marketers believe that consumers prefer small, bright red or dark pink tomatoes with moderately thin skin and fleshy flesh. It is advisable to grow sweet fruits with minimal acidity, they are suitable for salads and for canning whole fruits. Hybrids of the first generation, insensitive to pests and less demanding to care for than the classic varieties, have proven themselves well. Among the most popular varieties are the hybrids of Verlioka and Verlioka plus, De Barao red and pink, Eagle heart, Volgograd pink, Gift of the Volga region, Raspberry Paradise, Pink Lady, Pink Paradise, Benito, Pink Elephant. With proper care, up to 10 kg of selected tomatoes can be removed from 1 m² of plantings.

Miniature cluster tomatoes are no less popular.The cultivation of such varieties will help you to establish yourself favorably from competitors, increasing your own sales. Popular are both red and yellow tomatoes of the varieties Honey Drop, French Grozdevoy, Sweet Cherry, Octopus Cream, Red and pink caramel, Moscow Stars, Scarlet Candles.

In the greenhouse, it is better to plant tomatoes with different ripening periods. The super early ones will harvest in 70 days after sowing, the late ones will ripen in 100-120 days, but their taste will be more expressive. To begin with, you can plant at least 10 varieties in order to select the most promising of them. Experienced growers specialize in 3-4 of the most productive varieties, with each entrepreneur having their own favorites.

Greenhouse tomato cultivation technology for sale

Start growing tomatoes. Seeds for seedlings are sown in February or early March, the exact dates depend on the variety. Successful germination requires warmth, bright light, and moderate watering. The seeds are sown in fertile light soil from a mixture of garden soil with compost and a little sand. The same mixture must be prepared for greenhouses.

Seedlings are fed with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer at least 2 times. It is most convenient to plant tomatoes in cassettes or peat pots, this saves space and makes replanting easier. Young plants are moved to the greenhouse when at least 7 true leaves unfold on the seedlings.

For successful growth, tomatoes require moderate watering with warm water, frequent airing of the greenhouse and loosening of the topsoil. Tomatoes do not tolerate excessive moisture and stagnant water in the soil. During the season, you need to feed the bushes 2-3 times with full complex fertilizer. Foliar dressing is also useful, for example, abundant spraying with an aqueous solution of superphosphate.

Modern insecticides will save from pests, but they can be used only before flowering begins. To protect yourself from late blight, treat the planting with medicinal preparations. Dusting the soil surface with wood ash or mulching with peat saves from root rot and black leg.

In order to form as many ovaries as possible on the bush, remove the lateral processes above 2 or 3 brushes. On bushes that are too tall, you can gently pinch the growing point. It is recommended to remove all deformed flowers and lower leaves, so that the plant throws all its energy not to build up the green mass, but to the early ripening of the set fruits.

2 October 2011

Oleg Markaryan

If we talk about essential products that people will buy at any time of the year and under any economic conditions, then food will take a leading position. This means only one thing. Manufacturing and / or marketing food products is one of the best niches for starting your own business. For example, year-round cultivation of strawberries and their further sale to supermarkets or through our own retail outlet. This business, especially in winter, is extremely profitable, since strawberries (as well as all summer greens) are sold at a very high price (200-500 rubles per kilogram, depending on the region).

Today we will once again touch upon the topic of agricultural business and talk about growing tomatoes in greenhouses (of course, we are primarily interested in winter and spring) and their further implementation. But, before we move on to organizational issues, let's see why this business is very promising?

Why is it profitable to grow tomatoes?

If you are a frequent visitor to supermarkets or regular grocery stores, you have probably noticed that the prices for vegetables, fruits and herbs vary greatly depending on the season. For example, in spring watermelons cost 150-200 rubles per kilogram. Because they are very difficult to find. Not a season. But at the end of August, the cost of the largest berry in the world drops to 4-5 rubles per kilogram.That is, 30-50 times! The situation is about the same with the heroes of today's material - tomatoes. In summer and early autumn, the cost of tomatoes is only 10-20 rubles per kilogram. In regions where they are especially common, the cost can be even lower. But in winter and spring, as if by the instant of a magic wand, prices for these beautiful and incredibly tasty fruits skyrocket. 100-150 rubles is far from the limit.

The most important paradox is this. While prices for vegetables in the “off-season” are creeping up, their taste is rapidly creeping down. You probably noticed that in winter and spring, most often, tomatoes are on sale that have neither taste, nor smell, nor color.

Why is this happening?

From the fact that large producers usually care more about the amount of products grown, and not about their consumer qualities. If tomatoes were grown in soil rich in all kinds of nitrates. The latter, in turn, have little in common with real fertilizers (vermicompost), which give tomatoes a rich taste and aroma. After all, nitrates are obtained during the action of nitric acid on salts, oxides, metals and hydroxides. Due to their ability to dissolve in ordinary water, these substances (a more familiar name for many - saltpeter) are widely used to "fertilize" the soil on which all kinds of agricultural crops grow. That is why the consumer qualities of such vegetables (and this applies not only to tomatoes) tend to zero.

On the one hand, this is bad. But on the other hand, a great opportunity opens up for conscientious growers who are ready to approach the process of growing tomatoes as responsibly as possible. And offer the consumer a natural, tasty and healthy product.

How to start a greenhouse tomato business?

First of all, you need a suitable territory. If you live in a rural area and have your own plot of land, there is no problem. Also lucky are those who live in the city, but have their own house in the village (or just a summer cottage) with a small plot of land. If you don't have all this, you will have to rent land.

In no case should you contact an agency offering services for finding land and real estate for rent. It is best to personally contact the owners of the land plots. Thus, you can rent someone's garden at a very attractive price. And even more. Some villagers have already lost the habit of working “on the land” that they are ready to give their vegetable garden for free rent. If only the tenant took care of the plot (since they themselves, in view of employment or ordinary laziness, have no opportunity to do it).

The next stage is the construction of a greenhouse. Of course, in the summer you can do without it. But even in the summer it is better to play it safe. Indeed, sometimes the weather can present another surprise. For example, a strong hail that can destroy the entire crop. The greenhouse can be made on your own or you can order a ready-made structure. The cost of polycarbonate greenhouses (we advise you to forget about structures made of a frame and plastic film) starts at 15 thousand rubles. For this money (for example, a company), you can purchase a structure measuring 4x2.5x1.6 m (length, width, height). A large greenhouse measuring 10x4x2.2 m will cost you about 90-100 thousand rubles. But on such an area (40 sq. M.), You can grow a large number of tomatoes.

To grow tomatoes in greenhouses practically all year round, it is necessary to maintain optimal conditions at any time of the year. It will not be possible to cope with the means of the greenhouse alone, since it is necessary to maintain the internal microclimate. Therefore, it is necessary to purchase and install a heating, air conditioning and water supply system.

Next, you need a good quality fertilizer. After all, it is on him that the rapid growth and high quality of finished products depend. The best option is vermicompost.The cost is 10-30 rubles per kilogram. The amount depends on the area of ​​the greenhouse. If you are building a greenhouse in a closed area, then in addition to fertilization, you will need a lot of soil. You can choose the optimal soil for growing certain tomatoes by studying the forums of gardeners and truck farmers. All these issues are hotly discussed there. And we move on.

The process of growing tomatoes in greenhouses

Tomato seedlings (as soon as the sprouts reach 20 cm in height) are planted in pots in a greenhouse as follows. Wide holes are made with a depth of about ten centimeters, a depression is made in them to the height and width of the pot with seedlings. In this inner hole, the seedlings are placed directly in the pot and filled up to the bottom of the wide depression. After 11-13 days, the upper hole is covered with earth. It should be noted that for better plant growth, they are planted at a distance of about 50 cm from each other.

A trellis with a height of about two meters is installed along the entire length of the beds. It is necessary for tying plants that grow very quickly and need support (after all, under the weight of the fruit, they can easily break). For the first two weeks, the plants are not watered so that they do not grow.

One and a half months after planting, the lower leaves of the plants are gradually removed (3 leaves once a week) in order to eliminate the risk of contracting diseases. After the first flowers appear, they need to be pollinated. This is done very simply by gently shaking the plant. After that, the flowers are moistened with a spray bottle with water.

The first crop is harvested 2-2.5 months after planting. During the fruiting period, 10-25 kg of tomatoes are harvested from one square meter (depending on climatic conditions and plant variety).

Ways of selling finished products

As soon as hundreds of kilograms of tomatoes are in your hands, it's time to think about their implementation. What paths are there? We have included some of the possible options in the following list:

• Various supermarkets and shops in your city. This is one of the easiest ways, but it cannot be called the most profitable. After all, large stores buy all the necessary products at very low wholesale prices. And you either have to reduce the cost, or look for other ways of implementation.
• Opening your own point of sale. This is not a store, but an ordinary point in the market. First, you can get more people interested in this way. After all, everyone has known for a long time that more natural vegetables and fruits are sold in the markets than in supermarkets (where everything is beautiful, but rarely tasty).
• Selling tomatoes over the Internet. Why not. This is the same point of sale, only virtual. The difficulty lies in the creation and some promotion of a regional site. After all, you must bind it to your region.
• Another interesting way (well known in the West, but not widespread in our country) is to send tomatoes by subscription. You get a certain number of "subscribers" (for example, 20 people) who wish to receive one box of selected tomatoes every two weeks. They pay the cost of the subscription (for the period of fruiting tomatoes or for a year). And you send them two boxes of tomatoes a month “for free”. It is very convenient for both you and your clients. You know that all products will be sold. Your client knows that there will always be fresh natural tomatoes on his table.

The most important thing in the greenhouse tomato business is to stay true to your principles to the end. After all, you, for sure, will not once come up with the idea that you can save. Save on fertilizer and grow low-quality, although very beautiful fruits. But who can be deceived in this way is unclear. After all, a client who once bought such tomatoes will never return to the seller. Take care of your consumers and they will take care of the thickness of your wallet.