How to properly care for tomato seedlings in a greenhouse?

It is quite difficult to get a good harvest of tomatoes, like any other heat-loving crops, without a film cover. According to statistics, tomatoes in a greenhouse are much less susceptible to diseases, they grow larger, have the correct beautiful shape.

If the seedlings are carefully looked after, then the yield is 2.4 times greater than as a result of growing tomatoes in the open field. Let's find out what kind of care the plants need in the greenhouse?

Selection and planting of seedlings

When growing a tomato under a film, polycarbonate or glass cover, it is very important to choose the right variety. In addition to personal taste preferences, purpose (for preservation or just for the table), it is important to take into account the resistance of plants to diseases, insufficient lighting, heat, temperature changes. In addition, you should consider what type of tomatoes are:

• Indeterminate (tall) capable reach several meters in height, have the best yield. Liana bushes under favorable conditions can bear fruit until late autumn. These tomatoes are quite demanding and time-consuming to care for. The main difficulty lies in the correct bush formation, tying it to a support... Since more space is required for full-fledged growing of tall tomato seedlings, no more than 2 bushes should be planted per square meter.
• Determinant (low and medium height). Such plants grow up to 1.3 meters, have a more compact appearance. After a flower raceme forms at the top (usually after 6–7 true leaves), the strongest stepson from the lower leaf axil continues to grow. Determinant tomatoes ripen earlier, at about the same period. By limiting the growth of the peduncle, less work is required to form a bush.
• Superdeterminant varieties limit their growth at a height of 50-60 cm. Used for growing outdoors.

If we talk about planting a tomato, then it is important to take into account the weather conditions. The ground should be warm enough (usually early to mid-May). Determinant tomatoes are planted at the age of 50 days, and indeterminate ones 60–65 days after the first shoots appear. At this stage of growth, plants survive transplants and temperature changes best.

When planting, it is very important not to bury the seedlings, first you need to dig a wide hole 12 cm deep, and inside make another one, the size of a seedling lump of earth. At first, only the first is covered with earth, the second can be buried only when the seedlings finally take root (after 1–1.5 weeks). Tomatoes of the determinant variety are planted at a distance of 50 cm, while leaving at least 60 cm between the rows.Tall tomatoes are planted every 60 cm, the optimal row spacing is 90 cm.

Growing rules

Seedling care is an equally important stage. If the tomatoes are properly watered and fed in a timely manner, then the fruits will grow healthy and will delight you with their size. In addition, you should take care of sufficient lighting, maintain optimal temperature and humidity.

How to water tomatoes?

The first watering is carried out immediately after planting, strictly at the root. Leaves should not be touched, in tomatoes they are very sensitive and do not tolerate excess moisture. Further, a 12-day break is maintained, during which time the plants do not stretch. Then you need to water according to the following scheme:

1. Before flowering, once every 5-6 days, this requires about 5 liters of water per square meter;
2. During flowering and fruit formation, every 4 days. We increase the fluid consumption to 12 liters;
3. During fruiting, you need 7 liters of water for determinant varieties and 10 liters for interminant varieties. Watering frequency is once every 3-4 days.

Proper care excludes the use of cold water, its temperature should be at least 23 degrees. Also, every time after watering in the greenhouse, it is necessary to reduce the air humidity. To do this, 2 hours after moistening the soil, you need to open all the vents. Such measures help to avoid waterlogging (a clear sign is condensation on the film), which very often leads to the development of fungal diseases.

Council. When growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, it is important to prevent waterlogging of the soil, otherwise the fruits will grow watery, sour and less fleshy.

What kind of lighting should be?

A tomato reacts very badly to a lack of light, its stem is stretched, and the number of leaves between inflorescences increases. Seedlings may experience a lack of lighting in the following cases:

• planting plants in the early spring months;
• a large number of floors in the greenhouse;
• poor location;
• wrong layout.

In order for the illumination in the greenhouse to be at the optimal level, you should adhere to the correct planting scheme and timing. It is also important to place the structure in a well-lit area, away from fruit trees and structures.

Air temperature

Tomato seedlings develop well at temperatures of 20-22 degrees during the day and 15-17 at night. During the ripening of the fruit, the needs increase slightly, the daytime temperature should be 24-26 degrees Celsius, and the nighttime temperature 18-20. Taking into account the fact that the air in the greenhouse warms up 10-15 degrees more, then in warm weather during the day, the film cover must be lifted or removed. Otherwise, the pollen will be sterile and pollination does not happen, the plants will start to wither.

Council. If a film cover is used in the greenhouse, then on cold nights it must be additionally covered with thick paper or rags, because the film cannot hold heat for a long time (the difference with the outside temperature is no more than 1 degree).

Top dressing

During the entire growing season, tomato seedlings are fed 3-4 times. The first time is 2–3 weeks after disembarkation, and 2 more times with an interval of 10 days. The following recipes are commonly used:

• Dilute one spoonful of nitrophoska and 500 g of mullein with 10 liters of water. For each plant, 1 liter of solution is consumed.
• For 10 liters of water, take 1 spoonful of superphosphate and half of potassium sulfate, add chicken droppings... Calculation - 5 liters of fertilizer per square meter.

Dilute a tablespoon of superphosphate in 10 liters of water. Water the tomato seedlings at the rate of 7 liters per square meter.

Council. To speed up the filling of tomatoes, at the initial stage of fruiting, you need to feed them with a solution of nitrifosca, potassium humate and 10 liters of water (5 liters of fertilizer are required per 1 m2).

Bush formation

Caring for tomato seedlings is a rather painstaking, responsible job. After it has finally taken root, you need to start the garter. Twine is best suited for these purposes. Tie up with a sliding loop under the lower leaves, while the procedure is repeated weekly. Also, one should not forget about pinching, side shoots must be cut off until they have grown more than 7 cm (preferably in the morning). It is important to understand that caring for indeterminate and determinant varieties different:

• Tall varieties need to be formed into one stem. All stepsons should be removed in a timely manner... The tip is pinched 40-50 days before the elimination of the culture.
• In medium-sized varieties, 1 stem and 1-2 reserve stepsons are also left, in case the tomato seedlings complete their growth with a flower brush.

An important point is pollination of flowers

In the open field, insects pollinate the plants, but in a closed greenhouse this becomes impossible.Therefore, you will have to take care of the tomato seedlings yourself. In warm weather, the flower brushes should be shaken gently and then moistened with water from a fine spray bottle. The greenhouse must be ventilated 2 hours after the procedure.

Proper care of tomato seedlings in a greenhouse allows you to harvest a beautiful, fragrant, healthy crop every day from summer to autumn. As soon as the fruits start to turn red, they are plucked so that the rest of the tomatoes are poured faster. The plucked vegetables will soon ripen. The shelf life depends on the variety of tomato, some may last 3 months (or even longer).

Harvesting under a film cover can be continued until early September, and in a glazed greenhouse until the end of the month. If the care was correct, then in total, about 14 kg of vegetables are obtained from tall varieties per square meter. Summing up, it is safe to say that growing tomatoes is not only pleasant, but also quite profitable.