Caring for indoor tomatoes. Technology and methods of growing tomatoes on a windowsill in winter

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Thanks to the efforts of breeders, tomatoes can be grown on a windowsill at any time of the year. There are many varieties that can produce good yields indoors. Growing them is no more difficult than ordinary tomatoes in the garden; moreover, they are not afraid of either drought or the Colorado potato beetle. To enjoy fresh tomatoes in the winter cold, you need to study all the nuances of such cultivation, but the most important thing is to choose the right variety.

Tomatoes on the windowsill in winter

Features of indoor tomatoes

Indoor conditions differ significantly from those in the garden, so not every variety of tomato can grow and bear fruit normally indoors. Varieties intended for growing on a windowsill have the following characteristics:

• short stature. Due to limited space, only low-growing and dwarf tomatoes are able to produce a crop. Tall tomatoes not only require a lot of space, but also a large number of nutrients, but there is too little soil in the flower pot for this;
• standardness. Not everyone knows how to form a bush correctly, but this is important condition for tomato yield. Standard varieties have a strong central stem and a dense crown; it does not need to be pinched or tied up;
• resistance to lack of lighting and disease. Indoor plants receive less light, especially in winter, and therefore really need additional lighting. But there are varieties of tomatoes that bear fruit normally in short-day conditions, and they only need lighting on cloudy days. Their genetic feature is short internodes, thanks to which the stems do not stretch. Of the diseases that affect tomatoes the most are blackleg (during the period of growing seedlings) and leaf mold. Hybrids, which make up 90% of the total number of potted tomatoes, are most resistant to them.

Cherry tomatoes on the windowsill

In addition to these features, indoor tomatoes have the highest taste qualities, and are rightfully considered champions among tomatoes in terms of the content of vitamins and sugars in their pulp. But not all of them can boast of yield, because some varieties are more decorative and form very small, cherry-sized fruits. Of course, they are also edible, but there are too few of them, and therefore they are most often used to decorate dishes.

Indoor tomatoes

If you need tomatoes for daily use, choose productive varieties with larger fruits. As a rule, the weight of indoor tomatoes varies between 15-130 g, depending on the variety. The best of them form low bushes completely covered with fruits. On average, one bush can produce up to 2 kg of tasty, marketable tomatoes per season.

Potted tomatoes have one more feature - they are perennials. If you do not throw away the bush after collecting the last fruits, then after a while new leaves will appear on the stem. Typically, such tomatoes grow and bear fruit within 5 years, although the most abundant harvests are produced in the first 2 years.

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill

The best varieties of indoor tomatoes

The range of indoor tomatoes is smaller than regular ones, but still impressive. Varieties differ in the shape, size and color of the fruit, height and shape of the bush, ripening time and other parameters. Every year their list is replenished with new varieties and hybrids from leading breeding companies. Below are the most popular tomatoes for growing on a windowsill.

Balcony miracle	This early-ripening variety forms standard bushes up to half a meter high. Its fruits are red, round, and high in sugar. Unlike most potted tomatoes, tomatoes of this variety grow up to 70-100 g. With good care, the yield per plant is about 2 kg. The balcony miracle adapts well to lack of light and can bear fruit well in winter
Room surprise	Early ripening, standard. The height of the bushes does not exceed half a meter, and the weight of the bright red elongated fruits collected in clusters is 25-30 g. The pulp of these tomatoes is very tasty and aromatic, they are great for salads. In winter, the plant needs lighting, otherwise the harvest will be rather weak
	A neat, lush bush up to 30 cm high. Tomatoes of this variety have a round shape and a rich red color, the weight of the fruit is 25 g. With good care, each plant produces 1 kg of delicious marketable tomatoes per season
Micron NK	Today it is considered the smallest type of tomato, the height of its bushes is only 12-15 cm. Round, small fruits (10-12 g) are yellow and red. Big harvest You shouldn’t expect anything from it, but in terms of decorativeness the variety is ahead of most potted tomatoes. Ideal for winter growing as it does not depend on day length
Pinocchio	One of the best pot varieties. The plants are not tall, maximum 30 cm, densely leafy, compact. The weight of the fruit is about 20 g, the color is red. One bush produces from 1 to 1.5 kg of tomatoes, which are suitable not only for salads, but also for canning. In summer it can be grown in garden beds, and in autumn the bushes are transplanted into pots and brought into the house
	Its fruits ripen 85-90 days after germination. Standard variety, universal use, bears fruit well in short day conditions. His tomatoes are small, weighing 25 g, red in color, aromatic. The bush itself looks very decorative during the period of fruit ripening
Florida Petite	A popular variety valued for its high yield. The bushes have compact shape, do not exceed 30 cm in height, do not require pinching. Its fruits are small (20-40 g), red in color, with very sweet pulp. The ovaries are collected in long racemes, and during the ripening period the leaves are almost invisible under the fruits. The variety is resistant to low light and bears fruit well in winter.
Honey bunch	Yellow-fruited and early-ripening variety. Can be grown on a windowsill or in open ground. The height of standard bushes does not exceed 40 cm, the crown is dense and does not require shaping. The weight of tomatoes is about 40 g, the yield is very high. The skin of the fruit is thin, orange color, the flesh is sweet and juicy
Window yellow	A new, still rare variety. The plant is standard, 25 cm tall, during the fruiting period the entire bush is covered with clusters of yellow small round tomatoes. The weight of the fruit rarely exceeds 30 g, the pulp is very sweet. The variety is neutral to low light conditions, so it bears fruit well in winter.
	Early ripening popular Dutch variety. Fruits regardless of the time of year and degree of lighting. The height of the bushes is about 30 cm, in open ground it can grow up to 50 cm. The weight of the tomatoes is 12-14 g, the color is red, the flesh is moderately sweet

Ampel varieties

In addition to standard varieties, lovers indoor growing Of tomatoes, ampelous tomatoes are also in demand. They can be planted in hanging flowerpots or in tall pots, from which the shoots will hang beautifully on the windowsill. Caring for them is a little more difficult than conventional varieties, and the yield is lower, but all this is compensated by the excellent taste of the tomatoes and the high decorativeness of the bush. The choice of hanging varieties is still small, and seeds can be purchased only from a few domestic agricultural companies.

Garden Pearl	A spreading bush with shoots up to 50 cm. The stems of the plant are thin, but strong, and do not break under the weight of numerous fruits. There is no need to prun the bush. Round tomatoes weighing 15-20 g when ripe acquire a crimson color and become translucent. One plant can have up to three hundred marketable fruits. The variety is very decorative, feels great indoors and outdoors.
City dweller F1	Spectacular early ripening hybrid. It can grow vertically (but then the stems need to be tied up) and as an hanging plant. Its tomatoes are round, red, with a characteristic tomato taste, weighing about 30 g. The hybrid is specially bred for growing indoors, so it develops well and bears fruit regardless of the time of year
Cherryfingers F1	New productive hybrid for overhead growing. The shoots are sparsely leafy, up to half a meter long, strong. Small red fruits have an elongated shape, attached to long clusters of 8-10 pieces. Tomatoes are suitable for harvesting for the winter; they do not crack during heat treatment. In good conditions, the yield of one bush is 1.8-2 kg
	One of the new ampelous varieties. Very early, has a cascade bush shape, the weight of the tomatoes is 25-30 g. The fruit has an excellent taste, the average yield is about 2 kg. With a lack of lighting, the number of fruits is slightly less
Mascot	Already a fairly well-known ampelous variety of domestic selection. It belongs to the mid-early variety, the bush is quite compact, shoots up to 55 cm long. Red ovoid fruits average weight about 40 g. When grown in open ground, the weight of the fruit is almost twice as much. The variety is distinguished by extended fruiting, and very abundant. The tomatoes are juicy, tasty, and can be canned
Red Abundance F1	A very attractive productive hybrid. The shoots grow up to 60 cm; the plant does not need pinching. The clusters are densely hung with small (20g) sweet red fruits, which are suitable for canning. The bush grows quickly, so it needs a lot of space. In winter, the plant must be illuminated, otherwise the yield will decrease

Agricultural technology for growing indoor tomatoes

Like regular varieties, indoor tomatoes are best grown from seedlings. And at this stage there are no differences, except that the timing of sowing the seeds is different. On average, potted tomatoes begin to bear fruit 90-100 days after germination, and if you want to get your first tomatoes by a certain date, take this factor into account. For example, to harvest the first harvest in January, sow seeds for seedlings at the end of September.

Two ways to test seeds for germination

Before sowing, the seeds are disinfected by soaking for 15-30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then left in a damp cloth for a couple of days to hatch.

Preparing tomato seeds

Sow in a common container with ordinary soil or purchased substrate to a depth of no more than 1 cm. The distance between the seeds should be within 2-3 cm so that the seedlings are not thickened.

Container for growing tomatoes

Tomatoes in a box

The seedlings are transplanted into separate containers as soon as the seedlings have formed 2-3 true leaves. The size of the pots is selected depending on the variety of tomatoes: for dwarf tomatoes, a volume of 1.5-2 liters is sufficient, for ordinary indoor ones 3-4 liters, for hanging ones - at least 5 liters. All pots must have drainage holes. It is very important to properly prepare the soil, because the development and fruiting of the bush depends on its composition.

Soil preparation

The best option is the following composition:

• 5 parts garden soil;
• 2 parts sand;
• 5 parts rotted compost;
• 1 part peat.

To a bucket of such a mixture you need to add a matchbox of urea and potassium sulfate, a handful of sifted wood ash. Mix all this thoroughly. Now you can start planting seedlings.

Step 1. A drainage layer of fine gravel, pieces of bark, expanded clay or other material is poured onto the bottom of the pots. Fill the containers to the top with soil and make a small depression in the center.

Filling the pot with drainage and soil

Step 2. Pre-watered seedlings are carefully removed one at a time and planted in pots, deepening to the cotyledon leaves. Water carefully.

Planting tomato seedlings in a pot

The soil must be saturated with moisture so that water reaches the roots

Step 3. Place the pots on the windowsill (preferably on the south side) and regularly turn them with the other side towards the light every 2 days. In the mornings and evenings, as well as in cloudy weather, plants should be illuminated with a phytolamp.

Additional illumination of tomatoes with a phytolamp

After a week, the plants are fed with half the dose of nitrogen fertilizers necessary for growth. During the flowering period, in order to increase the percentage of pollination, the stems of the plant are shaken very lightly and brushed over the flowers with a feather or a soft brush. After the formation of ovaries, fertilizing with potassium fertilizer is required once every two weeks.

In varieties that need to form a bush, the stepsons are removed, the top of the main stem is pinched, and excess inflorescences are cut off to increase the size of the fruit. Tall bushes are tied to supports that are stuck into the ground along the edge of the pot.

Tomato care

If signs of fungal damage appear, all plants are sprayed with phytosporin or another antifungal agent. To prolong fruiting, regularly pick ripe fruits, remove dried leaves, and do not forget about fertilizing and watering. The soil in the pots needs to be loosened periodically, being careful not to catch the roots. With this care, your tomatoes will delight you all winter with an abundant harvest of sweet, tasty fruits.

Video - Tomatoes on the windowsill in winter: the best varieties

Video - Tomatoes on the windowsill in winter: the best varieties and procedure for growing tomatoes at home

Who among us does not dream of fresh vegetables that can be eaten not only when they are in season? Why go to the supermarket in winter for imported tomatoes that don’t even smell like them, when you can grow natural tomatoes on the windowsill?! By moving indoor flowers and freeing up space for several pots, it’s easy to get fragrant and tasty tomatoes even at home. How to do it right so that all year round pamper your loved ones with vitamins, a small selection will tell you practical advice and recommendations, which we invite you to familiarize yourself with today.

Time for sowing seeds

The timing when you should start sowing tomato seeds for window sill cultivation does not have the same restrictions as in the case of obtaining seedlings for open ground. It all depends on the period for which fruiting is planned: whether it will be year-round “exploitation”, or specifically the ripening of the crop in the winter.

To have fresh vegetables throughout the year, regardless of the weather, seeds can be planted in 4 passes: autumn sowing in October and November will provide winter harvest, and planting in February and March will guarantee fruit production in the summer.

Preparation of planting material

Potted tomatoes are grown in the same way as garden crops - through seedlings. You can use your own seeds, collected with your own hands from homemade tomatoes, or purchase them in a store. However, regardless of origin, all seeds must first be prepared for sowing. For this:

1. Sort out the hollow seeds by soaking everything in salted water (those that float are not suitable for seedlings).
2. Disinfect by leaving for half an hour in a solution of potassium permanganate.

To speed up the germination of seeds, you can put them in a fabric bag, moisten it well and leave it on a saucer for several days so that the seeds swell.

Soil selection

Particular attention should be paid to the substrate for growing tomatoes on the windowsill. It should be loose, nutritious and neutral acidity. The easiest way is to go to the same store where you bought the seeds and purchase ready-made special soil mixtures for tomato seedlings. This will be especially true for winter sowing; besides, store-bought soil already contains all the necessary nutrients, and there is no need to add additional components.

If you have the desire and opportunity, you can prepare the soil for growing tomatoes on the windowsill yourself by choosing one of the proposed mixture options, namely:

• 1 share of sand and 2 shares of garden soil;
• humus, peat and turf soil in equal parts;
• 1 share of vermiculite, as well as 4 shares of turf soil and compost.

Before use, soil from a garden or vegetable garden must be disinfected by dousing it with boiling water or calcining it in the oven.

Sowing seeds and creating conditions for seedlings

To grow tomato seedlings, you can use either a common container or individual cassettes, cups or peat tablets. In the first case, fill a shallow container with nutritious soil and moisten it well. The seeds should be placed at a certain distance from each other (1-2 cm), deepening no more than 2 cm, otherwise they will take a long time to germinate. Then sprinkle with a thin layer of soil and tamp lightly.

The seeds must germinate in a greenhouse, that is, the container must be covered with a lid or film and placed on a bright window. Ventilate the greenhouse periodically or make several small holes in the film to prevent condensation from accumulating. Optimal temperature conditions for seedlings at this stage of growth are from 22 to 24 degrees Celsius during the day and below 20 degrees at night.

Caring for indoor tomato seedlings consists of the following activities:

• ventilation;
• removing the lid after seed germination;
• regular watering;
• thinning too dense crops;
• additional illumination with special lamps on cloudy days and shading from direct rays on sunny days (the length of daylight should be at least 13 hours);
• fertilizing with a weak solution of the mineral complex after the formation of 2 leaves (approximately 20 days after sowing).

Strong, grown seedlings can be planted in pots, having first laid a drainage layer on the bottom. The choice of containers depends on the specific variety:

• for dwarf tomatoes, a volume of 2 liters is enough;
• 4-liter flowerpots are suitable for medium-sized plants;
• for ampel varieties of tomatoes you need 5 liter pots.

Further care for tomatoes in a pot

In order for tomatoes on the windowsill to develop well and set fruit, they need to be provided good lighting, placing the pots on the southern windowsills. Every two days, the flowerpots need to be turned so that the bushes do not grow one-sided, and if there is not enough sun, add additional light.

It is also important to follow the watering regime, moistening the soil twice a week. The soil should not be allowed to dry out completely, otherwise the ovary and fruits will fall off, but waterlogging also threatens putrefactive diseases. After transplanting to a permanent place, you can start feeding the bushes after 20 days - during this time they adapt. It is enough to apply complex mineral fertilizers 3 times within a month, otherwise there is a risk that the tomatoes will become leafy, which will lead to a decrease in yield and shredding of the fruit.

Fertilizers must be applied to moist soil, preferably the day after watering.

Dwarf tomato varieties do not need pinching or staking, but for taller varieties you should install a support and form a bush into one or two stems, and also pluck out the stalks.

There are some other tricks that will increase the yield of tomatoes, namely:

• when the bushes bloom, you need to lightly shake the plants several times - this promotes better pollination and, accordingly, will affect the amount of harvest;
• if a lot of ovaries have formed, you should leave no more than 6 clusters on each stem, plucking out the rest - this way you can get fewer tomatoes, but they will be larger;
• For varieties that ripen unevenly, it is better to harvest at the semi-ripe stage - then the bush will have more strength for the tomatoes remaining on the branches, and the picked vegetables will quickly reach if they are laid out next to the pot on the windowsill.

Protecting tomatoes from diseases

Another point worth paying attention to is the protection of tomatoes in pots from diseases, because even room conditions cannot guarantee their complete absence. One of the main enemies of nightshades is late blight. To prevent its manifestation, it is important not to flood the bushes and drain the water from the pan. The fungus also does not tolerate fresh air, so you need to ventilate the room more often. As a preventive measure, you can spray your plants with a homemade remedy made from the following ingredients:

• 3 liters of water;
• 100 g garlic (chopped);
• 1 g of dry crystals of potassium permanganate.

Tomato varieties for indoor growing

When choosing a tomato variety to grow on a windowsill, you should give preference to low-growing, early-ripening and productive varieties due to limited space. They won’t take up much space and at the same time will delight you with delicious fruits in early spring. Some of the most popular varieties are the following tomatoes:

And in order to have fresh vegetables not only in the spring, but also until the New Year, you can plant taller ones (up to 1 m in height) hybrid varieties cherry tomato On the windowsill they will take up more space and will require shaping and gartering, but they will bear fruit before the onset of winter.

Some of the new but already popular hybrids are the following cherry varieties: Ira F1, Lisa F1, Maksik F1, Lykopa F1. Small but very tasty red or yellow color They grow in whole bunches and ripen quickly.

It is better to take pots of cherry tomatoes outside or onto the balcony for the summer, not forgetting to take them indoors when it gets colder.

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill - exciting activity, which will not only allow you to while away the long winter days, but will also provide your diet with vitamins. Plant and eat for good health!

Recently, growing tomatoes on a windowsill has become a popular activity among amateur gardeners. However, due to a lack of knowledge, it is not possible to harvest a good harvest: the tomatoes become sick, grow poorly, or set few fruits. What conditions must be provided for tomatoes in an apartment so that they bear fruit well at home?

Features of growing tomatoes on a windowsill

The technology for growing miniature indoor tomatoes is very similar to cultivating regular tomatoes on the site. At the same time, there are several features that must be taken into account when deciding to acquire low-growing tomatoes in the apartment:

• for good fruiting they need to be illuminated with phytolamps;
• in the room where the pots are located it is necessary to maintain a stable temperature and humidity;
• You cannot overwater tomatoes, otherwise they will get blackleg;
• growing containers must match the size of the plant;
• Tomato flowers need to be pollinated independently: during the flowering period, brush over the flowers with a soft brush 2-3 times a day.

By taking into account these nuances, which are described in detail below, the chance that growing tomatoes on a window in winter or at any other time of the year will be successful increases significantly.

Which varieties are suitable for growing on a windowsill?

For growing in an apartment, it is better to choose determinate (low-growing) varieties of tomatoes that do not require staking and are unpretentious to the composition of the soil and the length of daylight hours. Most varieties with these characteristics are standard hybrids. Depending on your wishes, you can plant super-early or mid-season varieties. Such tomato varieties as Bonsai, Balcony Miracle, Pygmy, Pinnochio, and Room Surprise have excellent characteristics.

Despite the fact that tomatoes of these varieties do not grow more than half a meter, the plants produce about 2 kg of yellow or red fruits weighing from 15 to 100 g. Among the many tall varieties of tomatoes, cherry tomatoes are suitable for growing on a windowsill, which do not require special conditions.

How to plant and grow - features, conditions and step-by-step instructions

Growing tomatoes in an apartment is quite simple if you strictly follow the recommended requirements. Anyone can enjoy bright, juicy tomatoes in the middle of winter if they give the plants due care.

Video: how to grow tomatoes on a windowsill

What should the place be like?

To ensure that the plants receive as much natural light as possible, it is best to place tomatoes on south or east windows. If this is not possible, you can place the pots on a western window, but the crop will have to be supplemented with light. It is not recommended to grow light-loving tomatoes on northern windows.

Temperature

When growing tomatoes in a window, it is very important to maintain the correct temperature. Deviations from the established ranges are fraught with slow development and poor yields vegetable crop. When growing tomatoes on a window at home, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

• Seeds germinate quickly and amicably at a temperature of +23-+25 C.
• When the seedlings are 7 days old, the temperature is reduced to +20-+22 C. Being in colder conditions, the seedlings will not stretch, which often happens with tomatoes indoors. You can reduce the temperature by ventilating the room for half an hour - the plant is not afraid of drafts.
• The optimal temperature at night is +15-+16C.

Important! On the coldest days, when the batteries become very hot, to protect the tomato leaves from the influence warm air, heating devices are covered with a wooden shield on top.

Humidity

Tomatoes grown in a window should only be sprayed if the air in the room is very dry. When the temperature in the apartment is below +20 C, you cannot spray plants at all: excessive humidity and cold air- the main reasons for the appearance of blackleg.

Lighting

Due to the fact that tomatoes are plants that need a long day of light in order to form many high-quality fruits at home, they need to be illuminated. The lamps are turned on from 8 to 11 a.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m. The latest hybrids invented are unpretentious in terms of the amount of light, however, for better yield, it is recommended to light even them during the shortest days of winter.

Important! Without additional lighting, indoor tomatoes can be grown from mid-February.

Despite the fact that tomatoes love to live on light windowsills, the leaves of young seedlings can get burned when exposed to bright spring rays. To protect the plant from such injuries, the pots are moved to the eastern and northern windows. If it is impossible to make such a rearrangement, during the brightest hours they are shaded with gauze or paper.

Tying and pinching

The vast majority of hybrids and varieties of tomatoes intended for growing in an apartment on a window or windowsill do not need to be tied up, since they are endowed with a low, powerful stem. Only some varieties whose height exceeds 50 cm need supports. Medium-sized tomatoes form 2 stems, tall ones - one.

What container to plant in?

Tomato seedlings are initially planted in seedling containers, and as soon as they become crowded, they are transplanted into separate peat pots or plastic cups volume more than 200 ml. Using peat cups, you need to control the amount of watering, otherwise the containers may simply fall apart.

During the next transplant, when the plants have 4-5 pairs of true leaves, the tomatoes are planted in a permanent pot. The size of the container for planting should be selected based on the characteristics of the variety being grown: the more compact the plant, the smaller the volume of the planting container should be.

Based on this rule, for planting dwarf varieties you need to use pots with a volume of up to 2 liters. Potted tomatoes It is recommended to plant containers in 3-4 liters, and hanging containers in 5 liters. Regardless of the size, there must be drainage holes in the bottom of the planting containers to drain excess water.

What soil to plant in

To plant low-growing tomatoes in an apartment, use a special substrate industrial production or a self-prepared mixture: mix garden soil, rotted compost and peat in a ratio of 5:5:2:1. A matchbox of potassium sulfate and approximately the same amount of urea are added to a bucket of soil mixture. Add a handful of wood ash to the mixture and mix thoroughly. The finished substrate is poured into containers and planting begins.

Important! Regardless of its origin, the soil must be calcined or frozen: high or low temperature will destroy pathogenic bacteria and insect larvae. Moreover, in order to prevent tomatoes from becoming infected with dangerous diseases, you need to heat the tools that will be used when working with soil at home.

Preparing seeds for planting

The bad ones are rejected first. planting material. Pour the seeds into a container with salted water and mix thoroughly. A few minutes after the water stops swirling, the good seeds will sink to the bottom, while the bad ones will remain on the surface. The floating seeds are drained along with water, and the remaining ones continue to be prepared for planting in the apartment.

To destroy pathogens on the surface of the seeds, planting material is soaked for 15-20 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After the end of time, they are taken out of the container and laid out on paper towel. After drying, they are treated with a growth stimulator in accordance with the instructions. The substances contained in such preparations accelerate the germination of seedlings and increase the resistance of seedlings to diseases.

Direct landing

Indoor tomatoes are planted in the same way as regular tomatoes intended for growing in open ground. Planting is carried out in the following sequence:

1. The disinfected planting material is placed in a damp cloth and placed in a warm place so that they hatch. Please note that if the fabric dries out, it must be sprayed, otherwise the embryos will dry out and the seeds will not hatch.
2. The prepared soil mixture or special substrate is poured into the seedling container and grooves 1 cm deep are made. It is not recommended to plant tomatoes to a depth of more than 2 cm: the period for the emergence of seedlings is doubled. The seeds are placed at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other.
3. The crops are sprinkled with soil and slightly moistened. Until the seedlings emerge, the box is covered with film or glass, which is removed from time to time so that the soil does not become moldy.
4. As soon as the seedlings produce 2-3 pairs of true leaves, they are transplanted into pots of appropriate size, the bottom of which is lined with drainage material.

Video: how to grow indoor tomatoes in winter

How to care after planting and before harvesting - tips

The health of tomatoes and the volume of the harvest depend on the quality of care. So that indoor tomatoes develop quickly in apartment conditions and set maximum amount Their fruits need to be watered and fertilized in a timely manner.

Watering

For fruits to form and ripen, the soil in the pot should be slightly moist. Tomatoes react poorly to both drought and overwatering: in the first case, the fruits may fall off during formation, in the second, the plant gets sick with blackleg and late blight.

Since chlorine is harmful to plants, indoor tomatoes should only be watered with well-settled water. In order for the particles of the chemical element to sink to the bottom, the water must be left to settle for a week. You can reduce the water preparation time to several hours by using a filter. As soon as the soil dries, water the seedlings moderately.

Subject to temperature regime and normal air humidity, watering is carried out once every 5 days. Out of turn, tomatoes are watered the day before transplanting: removing the rhizome from moist soil is much easier and less painful for the plant.

Top dressing

At the beginning of development, after reaching a week of age, indoor tomatoes in pots are fed with nitrogen fertilizers, which activate plant growth. During fruit setting and pouring, potash fertilizers are added to the soil.

You can also fertilize seedlings with ordinary mineral mixtures diluted twice with water. To avoid burning the roots, fertilizing is applied 2 hours after watering. The optimal time for manipulation is cloudy weather. All types of fertilizers are applied no more than once every 2 weeks in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Worth knowing! For adult plants, fertilizing can be applied to the leaf or at the root. For young seedlings with tender leaves, foliar feeding is contraindicated.

Germination and harvest dates

While creating the right conditions in an apartment, tomato seedlings appear on the surface 6-10 days after sowing. The time for emergence of seedlings may be delayed further if the room is too cold or the seeds are sown too deep. In such cases, seedlings begin to sprout only on days 14-17.

Depending on the variety chosen, window-grown tomatoes ripen 85-110 days after planting.

Growing tomatoes on the windowsill is not only exciting, but also a useful activity, thanks to which you can replenish the supply of vitamins for the whole family, which is especially important in winter.

Video: growing tomatoes on a windowsill

In winter, when a blizzard and cold are knocking on the window, fresh tomatoes on the windowsill seem like something exotic, unattainable, and this only makes them more attractive. How realistic is it to grow them in a harsh season? If you know the small nuances of “agricultural technology in pots”, it is no more difficult than ordinary tomatoes in the beds. When there is an insulated balcony, growing tomatoes can be organized on it.

Varieties that will “get along” in the house

All “tomato work” is tightly linked to the availability of free space. If there is enough space on the balcony, you can choose almost any variety for planting - tall, low, branchy or not very branchy. When only free space on the windowsill is available all year round, cherry varieties or miniature bushes specially bred for “home breeding” that quickly “give up” the harvest are suitable for growing. Among them there can be both red and yellow varieties of tomatoes. High-quality composition does not depend on external color.

Cherry varieties: Bonsai, Balcony Miracle, Baby, Balcony Charm, Golden Bunch, Chinese Room, Room Surprise, Rowan Beads, Bullfinch, Japanese Dwarf and others.

Regular tomatoes that are suitable for a winter windowsill: White filling, Bull's heart, Leopold, Siberian early ripening, Florida Petit, Yamal.

Tomato varieties for balcony cultivation can be taken slightly taller in height and with larger fruits; otherwise, caring for them will be the same as for vegetables on the windowsill.

It is important to check the expiration dates, which are always indicated on factory packages of seeds. Often, inexperienced vegetable growers cannot understand why their indoor tomatoes do not sprout in winter. It is quite possible that this is the result of an overdue implementation period.

Miracle on the balcony

The “Balcony Miracle” tomato has gained special love among gardeners at home. This is a compact determinate variety, up to 50 cm high, ultra-early ripening (maximum ripening period 90 days), the weight of each bright red tomato is up to 65 g, round in shape. The usual yield is up to 2 kg per bush. If the plant is “allocated” to a larger area, the harvest in winter can be higher.

Before germination, the seeds are grown in greenhouse conditions, then the temperature is reduced to 15 degrees for a week, then raised again. When the sprouts rise to 15 cm, they are planted in large containers. “Balcony Miracle” tomatoes love light (although they ripen even in conditions of its deficiency) and do not require tying up or removing shoots.

Positive effect when winter growing will give: help in pollination, good watering, fertilizers, careful loosening of the soil, bush formation.

Feeding options:

• Special drugs.
• Liter solution: 5 g of superphosphate, mixed with potassium sulfate and urea - 1 g each.

The most productive fertilizing is in winter during the period of flowering and fruit formation.

Growing a “Balcony Miracle” at home will allow you to collect excellent tomatoes from your windowsill in winter for salads, preparations, and even freezing.

Main growing conditions

Growing tomatoes on a balcony or windowsill requires compliance with a number of necessary conditions:

• The best location is near the southern windows. Almost impossible - in the northern ones.
• Disinfected, non-clayey soil. Not less than 5 liters per bush.
• Along the bottom - drainage with expanded clay or sand.
• Air humidity up to 65%.
• Daylight hours for seedlings are at least 12 hours even in winter, preferably 13-16.
• If necessary, add additional lighting with lamps installed no closer than 30 cm from the seedlings.
• Water the tomatoes on the balcony or windowsill carefully, with warm water, without over-watering, but also without over-drying. On average once every 3 days.
• Air temperature indicators: during the day 25-26 degrees, at night up to 15-16. If it’s hotter, ventilate; tomatoes are not afraid of drafts.
• Do not grow on a balcony without insulation before April.
• Loosen the soil and top up as necessary.
• It is possible to spray leaves and tie up branches.
• Do not turn pots with bushes to prevent tomatoes from falling off the branches.
• It is advisable to install containers on slatted stands.

You should not frequently fertilize tomatoes with nitrogenous and organic fertilizers in winter. Otherwise, powerful, coarse bushes will grow with a minimum of small fruits.

Instructions for winter growing tomatoes on a windowsill

Before you “start” the winter process of growing tomatoes at home, you need to stock up on everything necessary materials. You should have at hand:

• Seeds from well-known manufacturers with a “fresh” shelf life.
• Seeding cups.
• Containers for planting after picking - “cut-off” bottles, pots.
• Lamps for additional lighting.

Main stages of work

• Preparing containers and tools. "Fry" high temperature(in the oven) or treat with a preparation against fungi and bacteria. If using new peat pots, before planting, soak them in a solution of mineral and organic fertilizers and dry them.
• Land preparation. Tomatoes on a windowsill, as well as when grown outdoors, prefer “breathing”, clean soil. Ordinary soil can be doused with hot potassium permanganate, steamed in a water bath, or seriously frozen. Examples of mixtures for self-preparation: equal parts of earth, humus, peat and sand; for two parts of the land, 4 “measures” of humus and peat, 1 - sand. Pour well with a mixture of urea and potassium sulfate, diluting it with 10 liters of water according to the volume of a matchbox. Add a handful of ash there. The looseness of the soil is increased with peat or sawdust.
• Germination of seeds. To prevent late blight, soak them in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour, dry and treat with a growth stimulator. To germinate, soak the seeds with warm water and leave them on a damp cloth in a warm place.
• Rules for sowing varieties for balconies and windowsills. Sprouted tomato seeds are planted in lightly watered soil in small holes (up to 1 cm), 1 piece at a time. Dry ones are buried in 2 or 3 copies at a distance of 2 cm. Cover with film or glass on top and transfer to a warm place, but without the “African heat”. To obtain a tomato harvest on the windowsill in winter and early spring, sowing is carried out in October and late November. Continuity of tomato harvesting can be ensured by the following sowings in mid-February and late March.
• "Moving" to a permanent place. When shoots appear, the covering material is removed and the pots are moved closer to the window. Next, it is important to ensure that the sprouts have enough light and warmth in winter.

Raise containers with tomatoes from time to time to see if excess moisture has accumulated in the pan. It needs to be removed. Watering room temperature.

• Carrying out a dive. During the period of appearance of 2 permanent leaves. After the “procedure”, the strongest sprouts receive a more capacious “container” for growth - 7-10 liters. The roots of the seedlings are buried 3 cm and watered. Growing tomatoes on the balcony will take place in such large containers. More large varieties immediately tied to pegs. Leave any tomatoes in the winter after transplanting for about a week so that the bushes take root quietly. When it’s still cool outside, it’s better to bring tomatoes from the balcony into the room at night. With the onset of warmth, all plantings “move” to the balcony.
• Winter feeding of tomatoes on the windowsill. Seedlings are “supplied” once every 10 days with organic matter and ready-made mineral fertilizers. Proceed according to the instructions on the package, do not forget to carefully loosen the soil around the trunk. With the appearance of 2 true leaves, fertilize the seedlings in winter with a solution of microelements. The most important rules work: for young plants, the dose, reduced by 2 times compared to the instructions, is carried out on moist soil, preferably without touching the leaves.
• Pinching and pruning. The stems that begin to grow from the axils of the leaves are called stepsons. They are removed so that nutrition is not taken away from the ripening fruits. To form 2-3 stems low-growing varieties you can leave the appropriate number of stepchildren. The rest are removed manually, preferably in the morning, while there is no strong sun. Low-growing and standard varieties do not need to be pinched, but the bush should not be thickened either. Sick and yellowed leaves are cut off. After the clusters have formed, you can also cut off the lower leaves.

You cannot remove all the leaves. In this case, the synthesis of organic materials will be disrupted.

• Bush formation. After setting the fruit, 4-5 clusters are left on each trunk. All others are removed along with the top of the stem and inflorescences. When the formation of the fruit itself begins, the tops are pinched and the flowering tassels are removed.
• Help with pollination. Tomatoes of “balcony” varieties are also self-pollinating, but help in winter will not hurt them. It is enough to lightly shake the flower tassels and tap on the stem. To prevent the ovary from falling off, it is permissible to spray the bush with a solution boric acid– 1 g per 5 liters of water and add a little potassium permanganate.
• Prevention of diseases. Without proper care tomatoes can get sick in winter even when grown on a windowsill. If you “flood” them, mold, rot or late blight are guaranteed. For its prevention, a mixture of the following composition is well suited: add half a glass of garlic and a little potassium permanganate (half a gram) to a three-liter container of water. You can use spraying with Fitosporin. The appearance of whiteflies, even when grown in a window in winter, is facilitated by soil acidification. Adding crumbs of chalk, ash, dolomite flour or slaked lime. There are also special deoxidizing drugs.

By responsibly caring for the bushes and taking all preventive measures, you can be sure that the tomatoes will ripen in the right quantity.

Harvesting

To grow a full-fledged harvest on the windowsill, it is important to collect the fruits on time. In winter, remove saturated tomatoes that have begun to turn slightly pink. They are placed for ripening on a window or in a dark box. The process will go through to the end, and the bush will “throw” all the released useful substances into growing the fruits remaining on the branches.

Knowing how to grow tomatoes at home on a windowsill or balcony, you can pamper “ delicious plantings» loved ones not only in summer, but also in winter. This will especially please children, who will examine each plant with the greatest curiosity and will certainly taste the small tasty “tomatoes”.

There is nothing more pleasant than moving from winter to summer.

You can create a summer mood and diversify the menu during the cold season by growing delicious ones on the windowsill.

Popular varieties of tomatoes for growing on a windowsill

When choosing a variety suitable for growing on a windowsill, one is guided by two important indicators:

Bush dimensions. It is necessary to take into account the area that will be allocated to indoor tomatoes; growing this crop will be problematic if the tomatoes have little space and sun.

• Room surprise;
• Bonsai;
• Balcony miracle;
• Japanese dwarf;
• Thumbelina;
• Leopold;
• Baby;
• Pygmy;
• Little Red Riding Hood;
• Minibel;
• Bonsai micro.

You can experiment with: growing several varieties in pots will allow you to choose the optimal one using trial methods.

Did you know? Seed producers indicate on the packaging that the variety is suitable for growing on a windowsill, well-insulated loggia or balcony.

How to create growing conditions

When growing homemade tomatoes on a windowsill, it is important to provide the plant with enough space for the crown and roots. A pot with a volume of 2 liters is enough; for larger varieties you need a pot or container with a volume of 5-6 liters.

If you have chosen balcony tomatoes, the pot size for growing them can be even larger, 8-10 liters.

As they develop, some will require support for their stems.

Lighting

Tomatoes perfectly accept straight Sun rays. Windows on the south, south-west side of the house are suitable for their placement. In natural light, it is recommended to carefully turn tomatoes with different sides to the sun before the ovary forms, so that the bush grows symmetrically. Daylight hours for tomatoes should be at least 12 hours. Growing tomatoes at home in winter requires additional lighting. Illumination lamps are installed at a distance of 30 cm from the plants.

Humidity and temperature

For good development of plants and tomatoes, the temperature during the day should not be lower than 22-26 degrees. At night it can be cooler, 15-16 degrees. In winter, cold air may come from the glass; in this case, it is recommended to move the plants some distance from the windows. Favorable air humidity is 60-65%.

Important! Small drafts are not dangerous for tomatoes; you can safely ventilate the room; a lack of fresh air can spoil the plants.

Soil composition

There are several recipes for making your own soil mixture for growing tomatoes on a windowsill.

• Turf soil, in equal proportions with peat and humus.
• – 1 part, and turf soil – 4 parts each, you can add a little ash.
• Earth – 2 parts, sand – 1 part each.

It is recommended to first fill the soil from the garden with a solution of potassium permanganate in boiling water to destroy infection and pests.

Ready-made soil mixtures are sold in gardening departments and stores. Their composition is optimally selected for tomatoes and. Information about the composition of the soil and the plants for which it is suitable is indicated on the packaging.

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill

In addition to soil and containers, you need to prepare seed material. There are two options for obtaining: seeds and rooting cuttings. The second method of propagating tomatoes when growing and caring for them on a windowsill allows you to speed up the harvest by saving time on forcing seedlings. The lateral and apical shoots of tomatoes, for example, after, are rooted in a glass of water or directly in the ground. The cuttings should be in a warm place without drafts; you can fertilize them with suitable ones.

Rooted cuttings are transplanted to a permanent place. This propagation method is suitable for growing tomatoes in the window and for growing seedlings for the garden.

Preparation of soil and planting material

Before growing on a windowsill in an apartment, select seeds. Large, whole seeds of light shades, without spots or darkening, are suitable for sowing tomatoes. They are soaked for 25-30 minutes in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate to prevent late blight. Then, after treating with a growth stimulator, they are left to swell on a damp cloth in a warm place.

It is convenient to use plastic cups to prepare seedlings. They are filled with soil, which is poured with boiling water for disinfection. After cooling to room temperature, the soil is ready for planting seeds.

Did you know? It is convenient to water the seedlings with a small syringe, plunging its spout between the ground and the wall of the cup.

Sowing and caring for seeds

Sprouted seeds are planted in cups with soil, 1 piece at a time, deepened by about 1 cm. It is not necessary to soak the seeds, then they are deepened into the soil 2 cm, 2-3 pieces at a time. In this case, weak shoots will then need to be removed, leaving one sprout per glass.

Before germination, containers with seeds are covered with film and placed in a warm place. Since it is not recommended to water frequently on the windowsill, you need to wait until the top layer of soil dries. After the first leaves appear, the film can be removed and the seedlings placed in a well-lit place.

How to properly care for tomatoes at home

Tomato seedlings on the 20-21st day. To do this, before planting tomatoes in pots, the seedlings are “hardened off” by slightly lowering the ambient temperature several times. A month after germination, the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place.

Did you know? Modern science has proven the ability of tomatoes to improve mood, thanks to the substance tyramine, which in the human body is converted into the “happiness hormone” serotonin.

Picking

The picking method is the most popular way of planting seedlings, peppers and a number of other crops. It consists in the fact that when replanting, the central part of the plant root is shortened by about a third, so that the horse system grows wider. At the same time, many varieties of miniature tomatoes do not need picking; they are transplanted using the transshipment method, without disturbing the earthen ball and without touching the root system. Expanded clay drainage is poured into a pot for indoor tomatoes to 10-15% of the depth of the container. Then the container is filled with earth, a hole is made for the roots of the tomato, into which the plants are placed, adding earth on top. The lower leaves should ultimately be 2-3 cm above ground level.

Watering and fertilizing tomatoes

Watering tomatoes on the window in winter warm water once every 3-4 days, as the soil dries out. Tomatoes are fertilized 3 times a month. If you fertilize tomatoes more often, you can get the effect of increasing the green parts, to the detriment of the yield and size of the fruit.

Tomatoes in winter, grown and ripened in your own garden, even on the windowsill, are where the special taste and joy lie. If your balcony is insulated, then tomatoes on the balcony will be no worse than on the windowsill.

Which varieties to choose

They sell a lot now different varieties. Which ones should you choose?

To grow tomatoes on a windowsill, it is best to choose seeds of low varieties. Their fruits, most often, are not very large or small. This is exactly what we need as they do not require much land for planting.

These varieties are Winter, Cherry, Yamal, Mini, Japanese Dwarf, Bullfinch, Snowdrop, Chinese Indoor, Balcony Charm, Polar Early and many other varieties.

To grow tomatoes on a balcony, if it is insulated, you can select taller and larger-fruited varieties. And care and everything else is no different from growing them on a windowsill.

What conditions are required for growing?

Indoor tomatoes grow well if you follow the necessary conditions. They don't like being overwatered. They need to be watered very carefully, otherwise they may get sick with blackleg or rot and die.

Tomatoes come from warm regions, they are native “Americans”, so they are heat-loving and need long sunny days. To provide this to them, it is necessary to keep the seedlings on the windows on the south side of the house, but this is not possible on the north side.

• On short winter days, seedlings need to artificially increase daylight hours and turn on additional lighting. These can be fluorescent lamps, energy-saving lamps or ordinary, fairly bright lighting. The daylight hours must be at least 12 hours.

• The temperature in the room can be reduced to 15-16°C at night, but during the day it should be at least 25-26°C. If the room is very hot, it is necessary to ventilate regularly; tomatoes are not afraid of drafts.

• Addition excessive amount organic fertilizers will cause strong growth of green mass, but few fruits will set, they will be small.

Step-by-step instructions for growing tomatoes

To grow indoor tomatoes, we first grow seedlings by purchasing seeds of the desired variety.

1. We start by germinating these seeds. Seeds must be treated to prevent late blight. We do this by soaking the seeds in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes.
2. Preparing the land for sowing. For this you need peat pots or plastic cups, at least 200 ml. We fill them with a purchased special soil mixture or make (if you have your own plot) the mixture yourself: 5 parts of soil + 5 hours of humus + 2 hours of sand, you can add a little peat. To a 10 liter bucket of the mixture, add 1 matchbox of urea + 1 box of potassium sulfate, a small handful of wood ash. Mix all this well and scatter into the prepared container.
3. Sow the treated seeds. We moisten the prepared soil with a small amount of water and place 2-3 seeds in shallow, up to 1 cm, dimples and cover them with soil. To prevent the soil from drying out, cover the containers with seeds with glass or film until the sprouts sprout. Place in a warm, but not hot, place. Next we just have to wait for the shoots. If necessary, sometimes you need to moisten the soil a little to make it easier for the seeds to sprout.
4. After the shoots appear, remove the film, move the pots to the window, and make sure that the sprouts have light and warmth. We regularly water the tomatoes on the windowsill, but little by little, making sure there is no excess moisture in the soil.
5. After two true leaves appear, we make a pick, i.e. We plant the strongest sprouts in a separate bowl, where they will grow further. This utensil should be, significantly, large sizes, its volume should correspond to approximately 7-10 liter bucket.
6. Once every 10 days we feed the seedlings with ready-made mineral and organic fertilizers. How to breed and feed is usually written on the packaging. Do not forget to loosen the soil around the trunk, but very carefully, trying not to damage the roots.
7. As necessary, we tie the tomatoes to pegs, which we stick into the ground next to the trunk.
8. Stepsonning. During the period of plant growth, additional stems appear in the axils of the leaves - these are stepsons. They need to be removed, as they will take away nutrition from the fruit. You can leave 1 first stepson to form the second trunk of the plant.
9. When the fruits have already set, we leave 4-5 clusters on the trunk, the rest are removed along with the top of the stem and other inflorescences so that they do not interfere with the growth and ripening of the set fruits. Do not forget to remove dried leaves, including the lowest ones, which interfere with watering at the root. Tomatoes are self-pollinating plants, but they are also recommended to help pollinate. All you need to do is shake it slightly flowering plant or move a soft brush over the flowers. We do this very carefully. Tomatoes can get sick without proper care. If the soil is excessively moistened, they are at risk of fungal diseases, such as mold on the leaves, rot on the stem or late blight - black spots on the leaves.
10. To prevent late blight, tomatoes (plants) are treated with an infusion of garlic and potassium permanganate, consisting of ½ tbsp. garlic + 1/2 gram of potassium permanganate, diluted in three liters of water. You can periodically spray with a solution of phytosporin.
11. Fruits that have saturated and are beginning to turn pink should be removed and placed to ripen on a window or in a cardboard box. They will no longer take nutrients from the still growing tomatoes.

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill is not a very difficult task, but to get good result, you need to put effort into this, like any other thing. Plants must be grown with love and diligence, then they will be large and tasty.

It's easy and simple to grow tomatoes on your windowsill. The main thing is to choose suitable variety, prepare planting material and create the necessary conditions for growing. You need to know about the rules of watering, fertilizing, picking, treating pests and diseases. By observing certain requirements and taking into account the advice of gardeners, you will be able to harvest juicy, sweet and large tomatoes.

Step-by-step instruction for beginners will help to grow tomatoes in summer and winter. An important step is choosing the right variety:

• Plants with a determinate growth pattern are suitable. In such tomatoes, after several clusters appear, growth stops.
• To ensure that tomatoes have enough light and heat to develop, it is better to plant early ripening varieties. They mature in 80-95 days.
• You need to choose self-pollinating tomatoes or parthenocarpic (not requiring pollination).
• For indoor use, the selected variety should have high disease resistance.

In an apartment, you can grow tomatoes all year round in any region, including Ukraine.

The best varieties for home cultivation

If you choose the right variety of tomatoes for growing on a window, you can plant the seeds not only in spring, but also in autumn. The harvest can be harvested all year round. Indoor tomatoes are characterized by their short stature, strong stems and not too spreading branches.

Balcony miracle

A dwarf variety, the stem height reaches 55 cm. The bush takes up little space. The fruits ripen early (89 days pass from planting to harvest). You can harvest a lot of sweet tomatoes from one bush small size(up to 60 g), red. The variety exhibits good resistance to many tomato diseases.

Micron NK

The tomato variety Mikron NK has medium ripening limits. The height of the bush reaches 16 cm. The fruits, depending on the variety, can be yellow or red. Tomatoes are resistant to cold and continue to develop in the absence of light.

Pinocchio

The bushes are miniature, the height does not exceed 34 cm. The fruits are flat-round in shape, red in color, weigh 18 g. They taste sweet with some notes of sourness. Ripening begins after 105 days. The variety exhibits high resistance to many diseases.

Bonsai

The small size of the bush allows you to grow the crop in an apartment. The stem height reaches 20-25 cm. The variety is characterized by early ripening limits - 87 days. High yield allows you to harvest up to 1.6 kg of tomatoes from one bush. Round, red tomatoes weigh 45 g.

The compact bush will take up little space on the windowsill, the height reaches 58 cm. The tomatoes are flat-round in shape, orange-yellow in color, their weight does not exceed 44 g. Fruiting is amicable, begins 95 days from the date of planting.

Room surprise

A small-fruited tomato variety is characterized by early fruit ripening. The height of the plant is no more than 50 cm. The round fruits are bright red and weigh 26 g.

Pygmy

Ultra early ripening variety. The fruits begin to ripen after 78 days. The height of the stem reaches 27 cm. The fruits are round in shape, red in color, weigh 24 g. Gardeners are attracted by the numerous yields and high resistance to late blight.

The variety is characterized by early fruit ripening boundaries. Harvesting begins after 89 days. The height of the bush reaches 30 cm. Small tomatoes weigh 22 g, the skin is pale red.

Window yellow

The variety belongs to dwarf crops with a determinant growth type. The bush stretches up to 58 cm. Numerous small, round, yellow tomatoes form on the branches.

The plant reaches a height of only 30 cm. The variety can be grown in an apartment all year round. The round red fruits taste juicy and sweet, weigh 14 g. Another advantage is the ability to grow the plant on northern windowsills.

Ampel varieties

Ampel varieties differ from regular tomatoes in some ways:

• develop under light deficiency;
• are not afraid of drafts;
• seedlings do not stretch;
• the branches hang down, so they do not come into contact with the ground;
• unique taste of fruits;
• the harvest is harvested all year round;
• tomatoes exhibit high resistance to infections and pests.

It is advisable to grow hanging tomatoes in hanging flower pots or flowerpots.

Garden Pearl

An early-ripening, determinate variety of tomatoes, the fruits ripen in 86 days. The culture is distinguished by a long fruiting period. The bush does not grow more than 37 cm. The stem is creeping and bears a large number of small, round fruits. Pink colour. The weight of the fruit is 17 g.

City dweller F1

The early ripening variety of tomatoes enters the fruiting phase after 87 days. You can easily grow this crop at home. The branches produce many fruits, round in shape, scarlet in color, weighing up to 30 g.

The hybrid is distinguished by average fruit ripening limits and a determinant type of growth. From the moment the seedlings are planted until they mature, 106 days pass. The height of the bush reaches 65 cm. The fruits are elongated (6 cm long), red-orange in color, weigh 20 g.

Tumblr

This tomato variety looks beautiful in hanging flower pots. Long shoots hanging down reach a length of 35 cm. The culture is characterized high yield and super early ripening boundaries (50 days pass from the day of planting). From one bush it is possible to harvest up to 2.5 kg of small, round, red fruits with a sweet taste.

Talisma

The bushes of the plant rise up to 53 cm. The ripening of numerous fruits begins after 112 days. The tomatoes are red in color and round in shape and weigh 35 g.

An early-ripening hybrid enters the maturity phase after 50 days. The height of the bush does not exceed 20 cm. The fruits are bright red, round in shape, weight reaches 25 g.

How to properly grow tomatoes on a windowsill

To grow tomatoes in an apartment, it is necessary to create certain conditions.

What container and soil should I plant in?

Tomato seeds can be planted at home in a separate container (the ideal option would be to choose peat pots) or in a large wooden box. Drainage holes are made at the bottom of the container. The soil should be light, loose, nutritious, with good aeration. A mixture of black soil, humus and sand is ideal. To increase nutritional components add wood ash or superphosphate.

Pre-sowing seed preparation

Before planting, seeds should be selected, processed and germinated:

• Large, dense seeds are suitable for sowing. The selection procedure can be simplified by using a saline solution in which the seeds are immersed for 12 minutes. The bad ones come to the surface.
• Many pathogenic bacteria accumulate on the surface of the seeds, which are activated when they enter the soil. To disinfect the material, use a solution of potassium permanganate.
• You can speed up seed growth by soaking. The grains are spread on a damp cloth surface and left for a couple of days.

It is better to buy tomato seeds from well-known and trusted manufacturers.

Direct landing

As soon as the seeds hatch, begin sowing them:

• Make grooves 14 mm deep in the soil and water them with water.
• After this, the grains are sown at intervals of 3.5 cm.
• The seeds are covered with earth.
• Cover the container with film and put it in a warm place.

After 5-7 days, the first shoots should appear. At this time, the air temperature in the room is set at +20 degrees. How often do tomato seedlings need to be watered immediately after planting? At first, it is enough to just spray the planting with water, preventing the soil surface from drying out.

Picking

After the first pair of true leaves unfold on the seedlings, pick. The procedure allows you to grow seedlings with a strong root system by activating the growth of lateral root branches. During picking, the central root is plucked off to about 12 mm. Transplant the bushes into larger ones flower pots volume from 6-9 liters.

Transplanting seedlings to a permanent place in a large pot

Before planting tomato bushes in large pots, a number of measures should be taken:

• a couple of days before transplanting, cut off the three lower leaves;
• watering stops within three days;
• the soil in the new pot is fertilized with superphosphate;
• the hole is made deep.

After transplanting, potted tomatoes are hilled on all sides and watered with warm water.

Features of growing on the north side

Tomato seedlings need warmth and light, so it is better to place the container on a southern windowsill. If the windows are on the north side, then the seedlings will definitely have to be illuminated. You need to sow the seeds a little earlier. The box with tomatoes is moved as tightly as possible to the glass. Growing technology involves installing some kind of reflective element, such as a mirror or foil.

Rules for caring for balcony tomatoes

In order for tomato bushes to grow strong and form a large harvest, you need to provide proper and regular care.

Lighting, temperature and humidity

It is best to place pots of tomatoes on a south-facing window. Every two days, the container is turned with its other side towards the light so that the stem is even and does not stretch. In cloudy weather, it is necessary to provide additional lighting using phytolamps or LED lamps.

During the day, the air temperature should be equal to 23 degrees, at night a little lower - +19 degrees. The humidity in the room should not be more than 65%. High humidity leads to the development of fungal infections.

Watering and fertilizing the plant

It is important to establish proper, regular watering of indoor vegetables. For good growth and development requires sufficient soil moisture. Watering should be done with warm, settled water twice every 7 days. During irrigation, you need to make sure that water does not get on the green part of the plant. At the flowering stage, watering is stopped, and at the moment the ovaries form, they are resumed again.

The first feeding of tomatoes is carried out two weeks after picking. Then every two weeks the application of mineral and organic compounds is repeated. For better distribution of microelements, fertilizers should be applied after watering the soil.

Pinching and tying up a bush

To grow crops on a windowsill, choose varieties that are characterized by limited, low stem growth. But sometimes there are so many fruits that it is necessary to install a support for tying. For proper growth of bushes it is necessary to carry out pinching. Remove the side branches that grow in the axils of the leaves.

Stepchildren prevent the flow of light and air to all parts of the plant, take away many nutritional components and inhibit development.

Pollinators

Indoor tomato varieties do not need pollinating insects. In some cases, the procedure is carried out independently. During the period of active flowering, shake the stem daily or brush over the flowers.

Protection from diseases and pests

Frequent diseases of tomatoes are late blight, gray rot, blackleg, fusarium, cladosporiosis. Common pests of tomatoes include whitefly, cruciferous flea beetle, spider mite, cutworm, aphid.

To protect tomatoes from infections and pests, it is necessary to disinfect the soil and seeds before planting, carry out comprehensive feeding and bush formation in a timely manner, and maintain the required level of temperature and humidity in the room.

Possible growing problems

Various problems may arise when growing tomatoes:

• you can notice that the seedlings dry out and wither;
• leaves turn yellow and curl;
• color fades;
• the ovaries fall off;
• Various spots appear on the leaves.

When one of the signs appears, you need to immediately begin to identify the problem. This will help on early stages eliminate the cause and save the harvest.

Harvest and storage

It is better to collect slightly unripe fruits. Firm tomatoes without signs of damage are suitable for storage. They are placed in a clean wooden box in one row with the stalks facing up. Each row is lined with paper or shavings hardwood. Boxes of tomatoes should be stored in a dark, well-ventilated area. Air humidity should be 85%. The air temperature should be within +2…+6 degrees.

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