Tomato

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 15:51

© Sergey Rybin / Rusmediabank.ru

Latin name: Solanum lycopersicum Family: Nightshade Categories: Vegetable crops

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Is a popular vegetable, an annual herb of the Solanaceae family.

Characteristics of culture

The tomato is an annual crop. The root of a young plant is taproot, as it grows, it becomes branched, forms a large number of roots located in the upper layer of the soil. Individual roots can reach a depth of 1.5 m. Stems are herbaceous, highly branching, erect, prone to lodging, form stepchildren during growth, growing from the leaf axils. The foliage is large, pinnate, dissected, outside, grayish-green inside..

The aerial part of the culture is pubescent; when rubbed, it emits a light yellow, watery liquid with a not entirely pleasant smell. The flowers of tomatoes are light yellow, collected in brushes, sit in tiers on the stems. There are self-pollinating and cross-pollinating varieties. With free growth, the bushes of the plant reach a height of 1.5-2 m. Fruits can be of the most diverse shapes, sizes and colors. Red varieties are very popular.

The subtleties of cultivation

Tomatoes are classified as warm and light-loving plants. If a crop is planted in a shaded area, it will give a poor harvest, the fruits will be tasteless, and the plant will be susceptible to various diseases. The optimum daytime temperature for growing tomatoes is + 22-23C, and the nighttime is + 16-18C

Sowing seedlings

On the territory of the Russian Federation, tomatoes are grown exclusively by the seedling method, in the future, the seedlings are transplanted into the ground or a greenhouse. Before sowing tomatoes, the seeds are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate for pickling, after which they are washed under a stream of water, laid out on a moistened cloth or gauze, wrapped, folded into a plastic bag and removed to the lower shelf of the refrigerator. It is important to ensure that the fabric is constantly damp, but there should not be excess water on top of it.

The soil for sowing tomatoes is prepared in the fall, or purchased in gardening shops or nurseries. Sowing boxes are filled with soil fertilized with complex mineral fertilizers, or a soil substrate, which is made up of garden soil, humus and peat. On the soil surface, shallow grooves are formed in the box, leaving a distance of 5 cm between them, seeds are sown and covered with soil. Immediately after sowing, the soil is moistened with a spray bottle, the boxes are covered with plastic wrap and placed in a warm place.

After the emergence of seedlings, the film is removed, and the boxes are placed in a well-lit place. The optimum temperature for growing seedlings is 18-20C. Tomatoes need additional lighting, for this you can use fluorescent lamps. Lighting from all sides contributes to the uniform growth of seedlings, the plants become stronger and practically do not stretch. To avoid the spread of diseases, the plants are sprayed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The seedlings are fed with mineral fertilizers, humus or compost every 10-12 days.

When the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, pick the tomatoes in separate containers. Before picking, the plants are well shed, carefully using a fork, remove the seedling from the soil and place it in a container filled with soil substrate. After the procedure, the plants are watered at the root with a solution of sodium humate and powdered with wood ash. Picked tomatoes continue to be grown on windowsills, illuminated with fluorescent lamps. As a rule, after a week, the seedlings take root and start growing.

Before planting seedlings in the ground, they are fed and hardened, periodically taken out to fresh air. At the time of the formation of flower brushes on the seedlings, they are planted.

Planting seedlings

Ridges for tomatoes are prepared in the fall: they dig up and loosen the ground, add humus and wood ash. With the onset of spring, the earth is loosened, not too deep holes are dug, they are filled with a large amount of soft and settled water and the seedlings are planted. Holding the seedling with your hand, the hole is covered with soil, lightly tamped and watered.

Care procedures

Caring for tomatoes is a laborious process, but any gardener can cope with this task. Plants require regular watering, weeding and feeding. Once a week, the culture is loosened, but very carefully, without touching the roots. This procedure will saturate the roots with oxygen, which has a positive effect on the development of tomatoes. Grown tomatoes need to be tied, otherwise they will fall on the surface of the soil, and the fruits that appear will begin to rot. Also, as needed, the plants are cut off by the stepchildren.

Harvest

Tomatoes are harvested green or ripe. They are removed from the bush with stalks and laid out in boxes. Tomatoes are stored for 25-30 days at a temperature of 2-5C. Unripe fruits are stored in a dark room at a temperature of 15-18C..