It is no secret that one of the guarantees of a good harvest is changing the place for planting the crop. So, why should you plant tomatoes? This is the question every worker asks at the end of the growing season. Garlic, carrots, beets, onions, radishes, turnips, strawberries, wild strawberries, potatoes, legumes, cabbage or maybe cucumbers? Which land is most favorable for planting tomatoes next year? If the climate allows for two harvests per year, then what is the best way to plan crop rotation in the garden plot? Let's look at each crop one by one and decide what is best to plant tomatoes next season.
Tomatoes after legumes
Peas, beans or beans often take up little space in the garden. Indeed, why wonder what to plant for the next season, if the same peas are sold dried in any store and are inexpensive. Here lies the main mistake of a novice gardener. Legumes enrich the soil with nitrogen and important microelements that are beneficial for tomatoes.
After them, the earth rests, but the beneficial properties of legumes do not end there. The tops are finely chopped and buried in the ground as fertilizer. After this, you can safely plant tomatoes: legume tops are an excellent organic fertilizer. As a result, we get not only tasty fruits that can be dried for the winter, eaten fresh or used as ingredients for preparing various dishes, but also get ready-to-use fertile soil that tomatoes love so much.
One of the limitations is the common disease fusarium between the two crops. If legumes are affected by this fungus, then tomatoes will also be susceptible to the disease. After tomatoes and legumes, it is worth planting crops that are immune to the disease.
If you don't change anything
What will happen if you do not change the planting location and leave everything as it is next season? This approach greatly simplifies the task of growing crops in greenhouses, because the building is much more difficult to move if it is intended for growing a certain type of flora. If you plant tomatoes in the same place, the very principle of rotation is violated, and you need to worry about a good harvest in advance.
When rotating crops, the following occurs:
- exchange of microelements;
- part of the harmful microflora dies;
- pests weakened by the winter period, not finding food, are doomed;
- the earth is saturated with substances necessary for the growth of plants of other crops.
Tip: it is recommended to plant different species and families of plants in the same place when the season changes.
But there is a way out in this situation:
- you can use organic and mineral fertilizers in increased quantities;
- periodically spray plants, fight microflora and pests;
- partially transfer soil;
- automate watering;
- remove excess acidity of the fertile layer using a simple chemical reaction: per square meter it is enough to add about 50 - 80 grams of ordinary lime - the environment will become neutral or close to alkaline, which will create favorable conditions for growing seedlings.
Here you don’t need to think about which plants to grow other crops after. This approach is more labor-intensive, but justifies itself on an industrial scale.
Tomatoes and potatoes
Plants are similar in their natural composition and equally love nitrogen fertilizers. The soil after potatoes is depleted of nitrogen and, even if it is possible to plant tomatoes, for normal growth you will have to create an intensive fertilizer application schedule. Since it is almost impossible to uniformly fertilize every area of soil in one season, overdoses are possible, which will negatively affect the quality of the fruit.
As for various parasites or bacteria, most of them love both tomatoes and potatoes equally. At the end of the season, many fruits from potatoes simply remain in the ground. The human factor takes its toll: it is almost impossible to sift the soil for small fruits or parts thereof.When harvesting, small farms usually use ordinary shovels, while large farms use automatic devices for removing large volumes of crops.
Parasites or bacteria live quietly in the remaining fruits and soil, which will enthusiastically welcome a change in menu in the coming season. In this case, you can’t expect to get good tomatoes after potatoes.
Precious time for every farmer will be spent fighting the negative consequences of the decision made. It is best to anticipate all the risks in advance when changing the location of planting tomatoes and choose the best place.
What parasites can interfere with farmers:
- Colorado beetle. Not long ago, an overseas guest expanded his sphere of influence and lives in areas where he had not previously met. He still loves potato leaves, but he also enjoys eating tomato tops.
- Medvedka. It prefers moist soil and does well on both potatoes and tomatoes. It digs small holes in the ground and feeds on the stem of the plant.
- Wireworm. It gnaws through crop stems and ready-made fruits. Visually, the result of the work of this common enemy of all farmers is observed in the form of blackened holes along the diameter of the pest’s body.
As for fungal diseases, the common enemy is late blight. Affects the stems and foliage of plants. Gradually spreads to the fruits and leads to significant loss of them. If you see dark black spots on the tops and fruits, then most likely the diagnosis is obvious.
Tomatoes after strawberries
Sometimes a situation arises when a farmer refuses juicy strawberries in favor of tomatoes. This can happen, for example, as a result of aging beds or for other reasons.But what awaits us if it’s time to plant tomatoes after strawberries - how will events develop in this case? Is it possible to plant tomatoes like this? After all, you can certainly find another place for annual plants and not reduce the size of the plantation, into which a lot of work has already been invested.
If you nevertheless decide to give up part of the land and give it to tomatoes, then, most likely, you can’t expect unprecedented harvests. The soil needs to rest after the strawberries, and this will take time. The main reason for this injustice is the lack of nitrogen in the soil. This element is vital for the normal growth of strawberry and tomato crops.
Getting out of this situation is quite labor-intensive. The soil must be prepared in advance:
- Dig thoroughly.
- Clear weeds. Often, after strawberries, real wheatgrass plantations remain, the roots of which are intertwined with the main crop. It is quite difficult to grow this grass; partial removal of the soil along with the roots helps.
- After this, the soil must be dried and re-dug along with manure or other organic fertilizer. Peat feeding in small quantities is perfect. Ash promotes normal growth of tops and fruits.
- After the soil has stood for a while after the strawberries, you can add mineral fertilizers with nitrogen, potassium, or combined ones. Next, you can form beds for future planting.
- Throughout the life of the plant it is necessary several times per season. feed the tomatoes, combining liquid fertilizers with dry, mineral and organic ones. Then after tomatoes you can use the soil again.
Strawberries are in the rose family and in the genus of the strawberry we all know.It is subject to all agronomic rules based on the principles of crop rotation. If strawberries are planted on your plot of land, be prepared to carefully prepare the soil when transplanting tomatoes onto it.
Tomatoes after onions
Few pests are able to feast on the juicy fruit of such an interesting plant as onions. This explains the fact that, without proper care, onions run wild and thrive among weeds and pests, scaring them away with their exotic taste and phytoncides. Planting tomatoes after onions is a balanced decision by an experienced gardener. But what happens to the soil after green onions live in it?
Green onions are a perennial plant, but are usually planted for one year at a time. After this, the harvest is harvested and the land is prepared for the next planting.
The land after the bow becomes:
- slightly alkaline, which is favorably perceived by plants of the nightshade family;
- Nitrogen and potassium remain in the soil - they accumulate from fertilizers, and onions are indifferent to them.
We must not forget about such specialized substances as:
- phytoncides are special substances that are secreted by the root system of a plant, its leaves and stems: when released into the soil, they create a favorable environment for growth, destroying bacteria and repelling pests;
- the root system of the plant frees the soil from pests that simply have nothing to eat.
All these factors make it possible to plant tomatoes in open ground and, in fact, carry out competent rotation of fruit-bearing flora.
How to properly plan crop rotation for tomatoes
The basic principle of crop rotation is seasonal or intraseasonal rotation of various species and families of plants within a land plot.They cannot be planted in the same place multiple times, as this will deplete the soil.
This problem can be partially solved:
- adding various fertilizers to the soil;
- replacing the seed fund - for example, this method works well in the case of potatoes.
But only competent seasonal crop rotation can completely remove all questions and ensure good yield indicators.
- It is necessary to divide all the crops that grow on the land into species and families.
- Draw up a detailed garden plan.
- Following the rules of agricultural technology, carry out seasonal crop rotation.
After this, you can decide after which crops tomatoes can be planted. Good predecessors of tomatoes that will help you grow a good harvest:
- cauliflower or white cabbage;
- beets and carrots;
- legume family;
- pumpkin;
- garlic and onions;
- roots.
If we grow certain types of flowers on the plot, then we can expect not only a positive effect from such an innovation. After petunia or cineraria, there is no need to plant tomatoes: surprisingly, all these plants belong to the nightshade family, but nasturtium or tansy, coriander or flax can make a pleasant company for tomatoes.
As you can see, gardening requires a thorough analysis of all factors that can affect productivity. An attentive attitude to nature often leads to amazing discoveries, teaches you to be sensitive and responsive, develops emotionally and helps you understand the meaning of life itself, which has developed according to its own laws over billions of years.
