Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse allows you to ensure a harvest all year round, minimize the influence of weather conditions and achieve high quality fruits. To achieve success, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the crop and provide the plants with optimal conditions at each stage of growth. First of all, you need to buy a greenhouse, for example on the website https://teplitca.kiev .ua/g304009-teplitsy-arochnye-dachnye. Greenhouses can be divided into year-round and seasonal. The former are intended, most often, for industrial cultivation, less often - for family consumption; they are durable with thermal insulation materials. The latter are more affordable and lighter, allowing you to plant the first crop in the spring, after the frosts have subsided. A greenhouse made of agrofibre also performs similar functions, but it is cheaper and more compact, more details about it at link.
Choosing a greenhouse and tomato variety
At the initial stage, a small greenhouse under film will be enough for you. An arched shape requires less material, which means it is cheaper, but it is not as convenient to work with as a gable one. You can assemble a greenhouse with your own hands from available materials, for example, make a wooden frame and buy greenhouse film, for example next. For greenhouses, determinant or semi-determinant hybrids are more often chosen, which are resistant to diseases and tolerate limited space well. The soil should be loose, nutritious and neutral in acidity. A few weeks before planting, it is worth enriching the soil with organic fertilizers, such as rotted manure or compost. This will provide the plants with the necessary nutrients for a long time. It is also useful to add wood ash, which serves as a source of potassium and reduces acidity. But first you need to measure the acidity level of the soil and, based on this, increase or decrease the acidity.
Planting and care
Planting of seedlings is carried out when the plants have formed 5-7 true leaves and the height reaches 20-25 cm. It is recommended to plant tomatoes to a depth just below the first pair of leaves, which contributes to the development of a powerful root system. The distance between plants is chosen taking into account their variety and requirements, but it is important that light and air reach each bush. Caring for plants in a greenhouse includes watering, fertilizing, forming bushes and controlling pests. Watering tomatoes should be regular but moderate. Excess moisture leads to rotting of the roots and the development of fungal diseases. To optimize irrigation, drip systems are often used that deliver water directly to the roots.
Formation of bushes and fertilizing
Removing the stepsons that take away strength from the plant allows you to direct the energy to ripening the fruits. For tall varieties, it is also important to tie the stems to a support so that they do not break under the weight of the fruit. Feeding is carried out several times per season. At the beginning of growth, plants need nitrogen to grow greenery, later phosphorus and potassium to form ovaries and increase productivity. Organic fertilizers, such as mullein infusion or herbal infusion, can be an excellent alternative to mineral preparations.
Harvesting begins when the fruits reach biological maturity, acquire a characteristic color and are filled with juice. It is important to harvest tomatoes carefully without damaging the plants. If you need to transport or store tomatoes, you can pick the fruits green, as soon as they are fully formed and begin to change color, later they will “arrive” on their own.
