Planting, growing and caring for tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse

A large number of experienced vegetable growers are familiar with the technology of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse and there is nothing strange about this. After all, it is with this method that you can get a good harvest throughout the year.

Growing tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse is not an easy job, which is quite difficult to cope with without preparation. Therefore, you need to learn in advance how to grow and how to properly plant tomatoes in greenhouses.

Greenhouse varieties

Before growing tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse, you need to choose the most suitable variety for this growing method. There are many types of tomatoes that grow well in greenhouses.

Bull's heart

The variety is distinguished by determinate and vigorous bushes that can grow up to two meters. Planting and caring for such a plant must be done correctly. During care, it is necessary to trim and tie up the bushes so that they are not damaged by the load of fruit.

The first fruits appear 100-130 days after planting tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse.

At best, you can harvest about ten kilograms of tomatoes from one plant. The largest fruits are located at the bottom of the bushes, and smaller tomatoes are located at the top. The tomatoes are dark crimson in color and their average weight is one hundred grams. However, if caring for tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse was done correctly, the weight can be more than 500 grams.

Pink Elephant

It is a fairly common large-fruited greenhouse variety that is recommended to be grown in greenhouses. The pink elephant is not suitable for every gardener, as it needs care and attention. Therefore, before planting, it is recommended to learn how to care for tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse. With proper care, you can get tomatoes weighing more than one kilogram.

Pink elephant has medium-sized bushes that grow up to 70-80 cm.When growing tomatoes, clusters form on the plant, each with 5-7 tomatoes. The fruits begin to ripen 100-120 days after the tomatoes are planted in a polycarbonate greenhouse.

The fruits of the Pink Elephant are bright pink, have a round shape and weigh about two hundred grams. Due to their considerable size, tomatoes are rarely used for preservation. Most often they are consumed fresh or made into vegetable salads.

Ox heart

Many people, before planting tomatoes, search for the most productive tomatoes. One of these varieties is Ox Heart, the main feature of which is large fruits weighing more than one kilogram. Some people plant this variety in open ground, but to improve productivity it is recommended to grow tomatoes in greenhouses.

Ox's heart is distinguished by high one and a half meter bushes. They need periodic staking and pruning. Also, the plant should be formed into several stems.

The tomatoes are pink in color with a slight crimson tint. They have a good sweetish taste, which is completely lacking in sourness. The shelf life of grown fruits is not very long, so they must be used immediately. Most often they are used to make tomato juice or canned food.

Mikado pink

Fans of fresh vegetable salads prefer to grow tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse Mikado pink. It is from them that you can prepare delicious salads and dishes.

The bushes stand out for their height, which reaches two and a half meters. Since they are too tall, caring for tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse should be accompanied by regular garters to three-meter supports.The plant also needs pinching, during which all leaves and shoots located in the lower part of the bush must be removed.

To get the maximum number of fruits, the cultivation technology and the correct planting scheme for tomatoes must be followed. They need to be planted in a 50 x 50 pattern so that the bushes are not too close to each other. The plant should also be regularly watered with settled water and fed. If everything is done correctly, the bushes will grow fruits weighing more than 500 grams. They have dense pulp and peel, which allows them to be stored for a long time and transported over long distances.

Greenhouse preparation

Before growing tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse, you need to prepare the room where they will be grown. It is recommended to do this in early spring in order to finish the work in time for planting.

Washing

First you need to carefully inspect everything in the polycarbonate greenhouse to ensure its integrity. If some elements are damaged, you will have to replace them and only then proceed with washing.

It is recommended to wash the walls, roof and glass elements not only from the inside, but also from the outside. To do this, it is recommended to use special glass cleaners. It is recommended to pay special attention to the joints, as this is where a lot of dirt accumulates.

Preparation for disinfection

Planting tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse should only be done in a pre-disinfected polycarbonate greenhouse. However, before starting processing, preparatory work should be carried out.

Before disinfecting the greenhouse, you need to clean it of moss that may have appeared in winter.To do this, you can use a weak solution of iron sulfate, with which you can get rid of spores.

The greenhouse also needs to be completely cleared of the remains of last year’s plants. Quite often they are a source of diseases, so if they are not burned in a timely manner, then there is a risk of infection of the planted bushes.

Lime treatment

Quite often, unheated greenhouses are treated with bleach. With its help, you can protect the premises from diseases such as white rot, clubroot, late blight and blackleg. It is recommended to carry out disinfection in the fall. You can use bleach in the spring only if the planting of tomato seedlings in the greenhouse is postponed to the beginning of May. If you plant it immediately after disinfection, the lime will damage the bushes being grown.

During processing, a special solution is used, prepared from ten liters of water and 500 grams of the substance. The liquid is used to treat the roof and walls of the structure, and the sediment is used to disinfect wooden elements.

Application of sulfur

Sometimes sulfur is used for disinfection in an unheated room. It helps in protecting seedlings from bacteria and other pathogens. The greenhouse is fumigated using sulfur. Before doing this, you need to close the doors and ventilation so that the fumes do not quickly disappear.

One hundred grams of the substance are used to treat one square meter. If there are spider mites in the greenhouse, the dose will have to be increased several times.

Formaldehyde treatment

Formalin is used to treat the greenhouse so that mold, fungi and spider mites do not appear in it. There are certain secrets to using this substance. For example, before using it, it is necessary to reduce the temperature in the greenhouse.This is done so that the formaldehyde does not evaporate too quickly. You need to treat the room with a weak solution.

After the work, the temperature rises to 20-25 degrees and remains at this level for several days. This treatment method will be effective if used a month before planting.

Seed preparation

Tomato seedlings are planted after sowing and germination of seeds. However, before this it is necessary to do their preliminary preparation.

Soak

Before planting tomatoes in a greenhouse, it is necessary to soak the seed. This is done in order to speed up the appearance of the first shoots. Sometimes after soaking, seedling growth is accelerated by 5-10 days.

To soak the seeds, place them in warm water heated to 25 degrees Celsius. It should be infused in the liquid for several days. During this time, you should change the water with new water every 5-8 hours.

Disinfection

Before planting tomatoes, tomato seeds are disinfected. They may contain viral and bacterial diseases, so without disinfection, young bushes may get sick and die.

For disinfection, a mixture made from a weak 2% hydrogen solution, preheated to 40 degrees, is used. Placement and soaking of seeds in the mixture should take place in a warm room. They should be kept in peroxide for 24 hours, after which the seeds are washed with warm water.

You can also disinfect planting material with mineral fertilizers. A mixture of potassium nitrate, superphosphate and manganese is ideal for this.

Preparing the soil and planting seeds

Not every gardener knows when to plant tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse.The timing of planting tomatoes for seedlings depends on the region in which they will be grown. Residents of the middle zone are recommended to plant them in the first half of March. It is better for gardeners from the northern regions to postpone planting to the beginning of April.

Soil preparation

You can use almost any soil to plant tomatoes. To increase productivity, you can add equal parts of peat or sand. Some also add sawdust or mullein to the soil. Before planting, the soil must be disinfected in advance using heat treatment. To do this, the soil is placed in special containers and placed in the microwave or oven. It is not recommended to warm the soil for too long. It is enough to keep it in the oven for about 20-30 minutes.

Sometimes the freezing method is used to sterilize soil. The prepared soil for seedlings is taken outside at the beginning of winter and remains there for three months. It will be possible to bring it back only a few weeks before sowing.

Landing

Before planting tomatoes, you need to familiarize yourself with how to properly plant seeds to grow seedlings.

It is recommended to place the seeds in small boxes about 15-20 cm high. However, they should not be planted too densely. The distance between each seed should be 5-10 cm. If you do not want to plant the seeds in boxes, then they can be placed in peat pots.

Tomatoes should be planted in moist soil so that the first shoots appear much faster.

Growing seedlings

The amount of the future harvest directly depends on how the seedlings were grown. Seedlings should grow in a room with a temperature of more than 20 degrees. Therefore, it is better to use heated rooms for growing. Before the first sprouting containers with tomatoes must be under the film. When the first leaves appear on the seedlings, they will have to be moved to the windowsill so that the plant gets used to the sun's rays. When growing seedlings, it is necessary to gradually lower the temperature. During the day it should not exceed 15 degrees.

Young seedlings must be periodically watered with heated water. It is enough to water the plant twice a week using a fine spray.

Planting seedlings and caring for tomatoes

It is recommended to plant tomatoes in a greenhouse when the seedlings are one and a half months old. By this moment, the first brushes appear on the bushes and the root system is fully formed. Before you get started, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with some tips for planting seedlings.

Landing

Proper planting of tomatoes in a greenhouse begins with choosing the optimal location for the plant. It is not recommended to plant it in poorly lit and dark places, as this can negatively affect the development of tomatoes.

It is also necessary to prepare the soil. Most varieties of tomatoes quickly suck all the nutrients out of the soil. Therefore, you need to make sure in advance that there is a sufficient amount of nutrients in the soil. Compost, humus and some mineral fertilizers are added to the soil.

Seedlings are planted in small holes. Their depth should not be too great. It is recommended to make holes so that they can completely cover the measles system. The distance between each hole should be 35 cm. The space between the rows is larger - 60-70 cm.After all the seedlings have been placed in the soil, the area is sprayed with water and compacted.

Care

To get a good harvest of tomatoes, young bushes must be properly cared for.

Not all gardeners know whether they need to hill tomatoes in a greenhouse. This procedure must be carried out without fail. The first hilling is carried out a few weeks after planting the seedlings in the soil. The next time the procedure is repeated a day after watering the plants.

Too often watering tomatoes in a greenhouse no need. It is enough to do this once a week. When watering, no more than a liter of water is consumed per plant bush. To do this, it is recommended to use only heated and settled water. The most suitable watering method for tomatoes is the drip method. It allows water to flow evenly into the soil and not affect the level of air humidity in any way.

Conclusion

Growing tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse is quite simple. To do this, you need to study their growing characteristics and decide when to plant tomatoes. Also, if you are planting tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse, a video with detailed instructions will help you do everything correctly.