Content
Most of the Moscow region gardeners try to grow tasty and healthy tomatoes on their plots every year. Some people succeed in this, while others regularly fail in the struggle for the harvest. There may be many reasons for this, but, as a rule, the failures of farmers are associated with violation of some important rules for cultivating tomatoes, because the delicate and painstaking process of growing must take into account not only the characteristics of the crop, but also the climate of the region. In the Moscow region, real spring warmth arrives quite late, but autumn does not take long to arrive. The relatively short summer period forces the gardener to be more attentive to the choice of tomato varieties and the conditions for growing vegetables.
Greenhouse or open garden bed: pros and cons
The Moscow region cannot be called a gardener's paradise, especially when it comes to growing such a heat-loving crop as a tomato. Unfortunately, tomatoes that arrived in our country from distant South America do not grow at temperatures below +100C. Under such conditions growing tomatoes in the open ground in the Moscow region it is possible only by the end of May, when night temperatures exceed the established value.A greenhouse allows you to speed up the process of growing tomatoes, since favorable conditions are established 2-3 weeks earlier. At the same time, there is no clear opinion among farmers about where to grow tomatoes, since each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages:
- The greenhouse allows you to plant tomato seedlings earlier and harvest vegetables. In greenhouse conditions, plants do not experience sudden changes in night and day temperatures; short-term spring and autumn frosts are not scary for them. However, greenhouse conditions are favorable not only for growing tomatoes, but also for the development of harmful microflora, fungi and bacteria that cause diseases of tomatoes, causing damage to plantings and harvests. The greenhouse gets very hot during the daytime, and the temperature can only be reduced by ventilation. If it is installed in a dacha, remote from the place of permanent residence of the owners, then it is not possible to regularly open and close doors and vents, which means tomatoes in the greenhouse Most likely they will just burn out.
- Open ground “sets” strict deadlines for the farmer to grow tomatoes, since spring frosts and autumn cold can destroy tomatoes in the beds. Rainy weather in the Moscow region in summer and the early arrival of autumn provokes the development of late blight, which damages plants and fruits. At the same time, open ground solves the issue of pollination of tomatoes, does not require financial costs for the purchase of materials, and partially solves the issue of watering tomatoes. You can eliminate the possibility of tomatoes freezing in unprotected conditions in the spring by using temporary shelter on arches.Open ground is the only correct solution for growing tomatoes in the garden without regular supervision from the owners.
Such contradictions are the basis for discussions among farmers. At the same time, each gardener in the Moscow region decides for himself in what conditions to grow tomatoes. Having chosen the appropriate cultivation option, you need to select the best variety, which is zoned for the area and can give the farmer a large number of tasty tomatoes when grown in the given conditions.
How to choose a tomato variety for the Moscow region
It is necessary to choose a tomato variety based on the selected growing conditions, desired yield, and early ripeness of the fruit:
- In a heated greenhouse in the Moscow region, you can get an early harvest of vegetables in early May. To do this, you need to choose an ultra-early ripening variety, the type of bush of which will be standard or determinate. Good examples of such varieties are “Boni-M”, “Lyana”, “Pink Leader”.
- In the greenhouse conditions of the Moscow region, you can get record tomato yields by choosing an indeterminate variety. Such tomatoes will grow and bear fruit until late autumn, yielding up to 50 kg/m2 vegetables for the whole season. It is necessary to take into account that it will not be possible to get a harvest of fresh vegetables early from indeterminate tomatoes. The ripening period of their fruits is long. Good indeterminate tomatoes are “President”, “Tolstoy f1”, “Mikado pink”.
- For open ground in the Moscow region, you should choose medium- and low-growing tomatoes with a short period of fruit ripening. This will make it easier to care for adult plants and allow you to harvest in full before the onset of autumn cold weather.In this case, the consumer can choose from the following varieties: “Yablonka Rossii”, “Dar Zavolzhya”, “Fighter”.
By choosing the right tomato variety for the Moscow region, you can achieve your goal, be it high yield or early production of vegetables. However, when choosing a variety, it would be useful to pay attention to the resistance of tomatoes to diseases, in the case of growing vegetables in a greenhouse, and to adverse weather conditions, if the harvest is planned to be harvested in open areas of land. The choice of taste characteristics, shape and size of tomatoes depends largely on the purpose of the vegetables and consumer preferences.
Is it possible to do without seedlings?
It is generally accepted that growing tomatoes in the Moscow region possible only by seedling method. However, many people forget that it is possible to grow tomatoes by sowing seeds in the ground if you have a greenhouse. To do this, you need to maintain the temperature above +150C. Sow 2-3 tomato seeds germinated and treated with an antiseptic in each hole. After the plants gain strength, one of the weakest seedlings is removed. It is worth noting that this method of cultivation is applicable for early ripening varieties, the seeds of which are sown in the ground at the end of April. If you have a heated greenhouse, you can sow tomato seeds much earlier.
The seedless method of growing tomatoes is advantageous, since for its implementation there is no need to occupy the windowsills with pots of tomatoes.At the same time, tomatoes do not need to be picked and planted, which means there is no chance of damaging the roots during transplantation, tomatoes will not experience stress and slow down their growth when conditions change. Example of seedless growing tomatoes can be seen in the video:
In the absence of the opportunity to grow tomatoes by sowing seeds in the ground, many gardeners traditionally grow seedlings on their windows in the spring. To do this, purchase or prepare a nutrient substrate and containers with a drained bottom. The soil for tomatoes should be light, its composition balanced, which is why peat, sand and wood ash must be added to the garden soil, which can be replaced with superphosphate and potassium nitrate. It is preferable to plant tomato seeds immediately in isolated containers, otherwise, at the age of 2-3 weeks after germination, the tomatoes will need to be planted. If the growing containers are made on a peat basis, then when planting, the roots of the tomatoes will not need to be removed, which means that the tomatoes will receive a minimum of stress.
Caring for tomato seedlings and tomatoes sown by seed in the ground is the same. Plants require watering and fertilizing. Water tomatoes rarely, as the soil dries. Feeding should be carried out at least 3 times during the entire period of growing seedlings. Tomatoes are planted at the age of 40-45 days. Seedlings should be planted in open ground in late May or early June, depending on weather conditions.
Tomato care
Tomatoes should be planted in greenhouses and open ground in beds whose soil contains a complex of nutrients, including organic matter and minerals. Prepare the substrate in advance by adding rotted manure (5-7 kg/m2), superphosphate (40-60 g/m2) and potassium nitrate (30-40 g/m2). The ridges are made on loose soil, dug to a depth of 25-30 cm. The width of the ridges should be approximately 1.5 m. This will allow you to plant tomatoes in 2 rows, the distance between which will be at least 60 cm. Tomatoes can be planted in a checkerboard pattern or in parallel, at a distance of at least 30 cm from each other.
Tomatoes must be watered regularly once every 2-3 days in large quantities. Excessive regular watering can lead to rotting of the tomato root system. You can saturate the roots of tomatoes with oxygen and prevent the development of fungal diseases by loosening the soil to a depth of 5-6 cm.
Adult tomatoes need to be fed once every 2 weeks, using various mineral and organic fertilizers. At the initial stage of growing tomatoes, it is preferable to add substances with a high nitrogen content; after the ovaries appear, the tomatoes need potassium and phosphorus. An approximate feeding schedule can be seen in the table below. The composition of fertilizers and their regularity for tomatoes in open ground and greenhouses are similar.
Growing tomatoes in open ground or in a greenhouse can be done using complex preparations that, in addition to nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, contain additional microelements. One of these complex drugs is Novalon.This fertilizer can be found in various formulations that correspond to the specific stage of growing tomatoes.
The formation of bushes is in many ways the basis for obtaining a good tomato harvest. By removing shoots and greens from the bushes, you can direct the nutrients and energy of the plant directly to the fruits, accelerating their ripening, improving filling and taste.
Forming tomatoes consists of pinching, pinching and removing the lower leaves. Bushes are formed depending on their type. Examples of the formation of tomatoes into one, two and three stems are shown in the photo:
High humidity and temperature in the greenhouse and lack of normal air circulation often provoke the development of fungal, bacterial and viral diseases. Tomato infection can be prevented using preventive treatments with fungicides or folk remedies. Among folk remedies, an aqueous solution of whey (1:1) shows high effectiveness. You can learn more about protecting tomatoes from diseases from the video:
Growing tomatoes in the open ground of the Moscow region you can also encounter some diseases, most often this late blight, which can be combated using the methods described above. The development of late blight is facilitated by high air humidity and sharp temperature fluctuations, therefore, when observing such conditions, it is necessary to take care of preventive protection of tomatoes.
It is worth noting that tomatoes become infected when bacteria, viruses, and fungi enter damaged areas of the plant’s skin. Pathogen carriers can be insects, wind, and water drops. In general, the protection of tomatoes can be ensured by following certain growing rules:
- You can water tomatoes only at the root;
- form tomatoes only in the morning of a sunny day, so that the wounds on the skin dry by evening;
- It is necessary to feed tomatoes regularly in compliance with the dosages of various substances;
- You can additionally support the immunity of tomatoes using special biological products (Baikal, Epin).
Not only invisible microbes and bacteria can harm tomatoes, but also pests that eat the leaves, fruits and roots of tomatoes. In the Moscow region, this problem is also common: aphids can show off on tomato foliage, cutworm larvae on the fruits, and tomato roots can become an appetizing food for the larvae of the cockchafer. You can fight them by installing various traps or spraying with special preparations. At the same time, there is another very simple and effective way to control pests: combined planting. So, next to the tomatoes you can plant beautiful marigolds, which with their smell will drive away most harmful insects.
Unfortunately, the Moscow region cannot boast of the most favorable climate for growing tomatoes. However, competent and diligent farmers cope with this difficult task, even on open plots of land. With a rational choice of tomato variety and compliance with all growing rules, even a rainy summer will not prevent the gardener from getting a good harvest of vegetables. Thus, we can conclude that the main secret of growing tomatoes lies in the knowledge of the farmer.
