Tomatoes are loved not only by adults, but also by children. Growing tomato seedlings at home is of interest to many people who do not have the opportunity to do this at their summer cottage. Currently, you can find varieties that are specifically designed for growing at home on a balcony or loggia. How do you grow indoor tomatoes?
How to choose indoor tomato seeds
Thanks to breeders, it is now possible to grow not only indoor plants, but also vegetable crops at home.Growing indoor tomatoes is no more difficult than cultivating a crop in a garden bed. In addition, at home there will be no insects on the bushes that spoil the harvest.
Before you start growing tomatoes in your apartment, you need to choose planting material. Indoor varieties have their own characteristics.
- Stunting
Tall varieties of tomatoes are not suitable for growing at home. Due to the limited space, they will not have enough space and will not be able to grow properly and produce a consistent harvest. In a pot, the root system will not be able to develop normally. Low-growing varieties thrive in such conditions.
- Standardity
Not everyone can form a bush, but this is one of the most important conditions necessary to obtain a good harvest. Standard varieties of tomatoes already have a main stem. There is no need to tie them up or remove side shoots.
- Ability to tolerate lack of sunlight and nutrients
Even in greenhouse conditions, seedlings do not receive enough light and beneficial microelements. Specially created varieties of tomatoes for growing at home do not need a lot of sun. There are tomato varieties that require artificial light only on cloudy days.
A feature of these varieties is the presence of short internodes. Thanks to this characteristic, the bushes do not stretch.
The main disadvantage of growing indoor tomatoes is that it is rarely possible to get a rich harvest. To a greater extent, such varieties are grown as ornamental. There is one more significant feature. All varieties of indoor tomatoes are perennials. Therefore, after harvesting, there is no need to rush to throw away the bushes. After a while they will begin to bear fruit again.As a rule, such varieties live on average 5 years. But the most abundant harvest can be collected only in the first two years of cultivation.
Timing of planting seedlings and choosing a place for seedlings
How to grow tomatoes at home? First of all, you need to decide on the timing of planting tomato seedlings at home. There are two planting periods to plant tomato seedlings at home.
Periods for planting seedlings:
- Summer-autumn (we grow tomato seedlings in mid-July - early August and then the harvest can be obtained already in November-December);
- Winter-spring (tomato seedlings are planted at home in November or December, and the harvest can be obtained in March-April).
How to grow tomato seedlings at home? To do this, it is necessary to solve the second important issue - the choice of location for placing boxes with seedlings. It is best to choose southern windows, where the amount of sunlight will be much greater. Also, do not forget about organizing additional lighting.
Additional lamps are placed at a distance of no less than 20-30 cm from the seedlings. Daylight hours for growing tomatoes at home should not be less than 16 hours.
How to grow healthy tomato seedlings
To grow tomato seedlings you need to follow some simple recommendations. Growing tomato seedlings is a very important stage on which you need to spend a lot of time.
First of all, it is necessary to disinfect the planting material. You need to take potassium permanganate (you can also use iodine). Dilute it in a glass of warm water. Pour the seeds into a glass and leave them for 20 minutes. After this, the planting material is filled with a growth stimulator solution for 12 hours. You can use the drug Epin.
The second stage is seed germination. You can do without it, but by germinating the planting material you can significantly increase the percentage of germination.
To germinate seeds, you need to take a small amount of warm water, a piece of natural fabric or gauze and a small saucer. Soak the cloth in water, place the seeds there and cover with the other half of the cloth. Place the package in a saucer and place it in a warm place (for example, on a radiator). After 2-3 days, sprouts should appear. After this, you can start planting the germinated seeds in the box.
How to grow seedlings correctly
Peat or ordinary plastic cups are best suited for growing seedlings, but boxes are also suitable. How to grow tomatoes to get a good harvest in the future?
Growing tomato seeds at home:
- First of all, you need to prepare the ground. You can take it from the garden, or buy a special soil mixture for vegetable crops. Place drainage on the bottom of the box (crushed eggshells, expanded clay, small stones or pebbles can be used as drainage).
- Next, pour out the substrate and pour it with a solution of potassium permanganate.
- Make small depressions in the ground and plant the seeds, lightly sprinkle with soil (do not compact). Water by watering method.
- Cover the container with glass and put it in a dark and warm place. Every 3 days the glass is removed for 20 minutes. This is necessary to prevent mold from appearing on the soil. It also needs to be watered regularly with warm water.
- When the first seedlings appear, the containers are moved to southern windows, where there is a lot of sunlight. The glass is removed.
After some time, the first pair of full leaves should appear on the seedlings.After this happens, the bushes can be planted in separate pots. You can grow tomato seedlings at home for cultivation on the balcony in the same way as for planting them in the garden.
Caring for indoor tomatoes
Young tomato seedlings are very tender. It should not be placed in drafts or watered with cold water. Also grown seedlings require a lot of sunlight. Therefore, during the first weeks you will have to constantly turn on additional lighting. It is not advisable to flood the seedlings. If you fill it up, the bushes will start to hurt.
If tomatoes are grown in the summer, then you can periodically open the windows and ventilate the balcony. Another important point of care is the application of mineral and organic fertilizers. In 1 liter of water you need to dilute 2 grams. potassium sulfate, 2 gr. urea and 6 gr. superphosphate. Mineral fertilizers should be applied every 10 days.
Also as fertilizers for tomatoes You can use mullein, chicken droppings and wood ash. Dilute 1 kg of fertilizer in 10 liters of water and water the bushes every week. Water for irrigation should be at room temperature. Tomatoes should be watered as the soil dries out. It is advisable to pour water near the bush, but not at the root.
After watering, you can weed the soil. This will allow moisture to be better absorbed and absorbed by the root system. Also, the soil will be saturated with oxygen, which has a positive effect on the growth of tomatoes.
Along with loosening, you can also hill up tomatoes. This will help to form a strong root system and ensure a stable harvest. Plants need to be earthed up every two weeks. It is recommended to remove dried and damaged leaves. They take some of the nutrients, but do not participate in the process of crop formation.
To prevent late blight, plants can be sprayed with a solution of potassium permanganate and garlic juice. To prepare the solution you need to take 15 grams. potassium permanganate and 1 tsp. garlic juice. You need to spray the entire bush.
How to increase the yield of indoor tomatoes
When growing tomatoes at home, you need to think about artificial pollination of the bushes. To make the ovaries begin to appear, you can lightly shake the bushes during flowering. It is recommended to remove the top of the main stem and inflorescence. This will help the fruits begin to form faster.
Another effective procedure that can be used to ensure productivity is “tearing the roots.” The essence of the method is that the tomato bush is taken by the lower part of the trunk and very carefully pulled up, as if tearing it out of the pot. In the process, small roots that “suck out” nutrients are torn off. After the procedure, the plants are watered and hilled.
During the flowering of the second and third flower clusters, to increase the fruiting of the plant, it is recommended to spray it with boric acid. For 1 liter of water you need 2 grams. boronic acid.
It is also very important to provide a favorable climate for plants. Tomatoes react negatively to sudden temperature fluctuations. The most optimal room temperature should be no less than +17 and no higher than +25 degrees.
When growing tomatoes in a window, the humidity should be no more than 60% percent (they do not like abundant humidity). If the humidity is too high, the tomatoes may develop fungal diseases. If the air is too dry, you can place a container of water near the containers.
