In order for the tomatoes to grow actively and delight the grower with large sweet fruits, they need to be carefully taken care of.
Properly selected and timely applied fertilizers will positively affect the condition of the plant.
Fertilizing Tomatoes: Increasing Yields with Fertilizers
During the formation of fruits, tomatoes consume a lot of energy, so they need support with nutrients. Productivity should be increased with the help of mineral fertilizers. It is necessary to pay attention to the substances that make up the solutions. So, potassium is very important for the plant, as it provides tone, increases resistance and increases the number of fruits. Urea in small doses also accompanies rapid ripening and high quality tomatoes.
Top dressing in spring is of great importance for young plants. By adding organic matter to the soil, you can achieve a plentiful harvest with delicious pulp. In addition, fertilizers lay the foundation for the development and formation of branches, on which the fruits will later appear.
Fertilizing in the fall
Preparation for growing tomatoes should begin in the fall, so you need to determine in advance the location of the beds and perform tillage in this area. In addition, it is necessary to find out what crops were grown there over the past few years, because after potatoes or eggplant, harmful bacteria often accumulate in the ground, leading to severe diseases related to tomatoes. The plant needs fertile, chernozemic soil with a high content of nutrients of natural origin, which are recommended to be added independently, for example: mullein, compost and bird droppings mixed with earth will serve as an excellent basis for future tomatoes.
It is necessary to add more peat or organic matter to the loamy soil. In this case, sawdust, charcoal and finely chopped bark are perfect. Tomatoes grow poorly in soil with high acidity, such areas should be avoided. However, you can also make the soil comfortable for plants manually by adding slaked lime or crushed limestone in small quantities. If the acidity is medium, it should be limited to making powder from chalk, ash.
Fertilizers for young seedlings
Before planting, the seeds must be thoroughly sanitized. For this, a solution of water and salt with a concentration of 5% is used. The procedure is carried out for about 10 minutes, after which the seeds should be washed carefully and left in clean, decanted water for another 15-20 hours, so that they swell and take up more quickly.
For the soil, you can purchase ready-made substrates, then additional feeding is not carried out. In another case, it is recommended to water the soil in advance with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and leave it to dry completely for 2-3 weeks. A harmful infection will never appear in such a soil, and the plant will develop healthy and strong.
After planting, universal fertilizers for tomatoes are applied, liquid complex solutions are especially good. Organic is better not to abuse, limiting itself to peat tablets and wood ash. When the sprouts get stronger, and the first leaves begin to form on them, you need to water the soil with weak infusions of herbs (nettle, stepmother, plantain, etc.), which will affect the stamina and resistance of tomatoes to diseases.
How to feed tomatoes in the open ground
A few weeks before planting young seedlings on the site, a number of activities should be carried out. For example, carefully dig up the soil and mix it with compost. It is recommended to introduce mineral fertilizers, especially nitrogen-containing and phosphoric in small doses, which will contribute to the rapid adaptation and habituation of plants to new soil.
When growing, it is best to feed tomatoes with organic, namely a solution of manure and water. Preparing it is quite simple: you need to fill the bucket by about a third, and pour the liquid on top, mixing thoroughly. Part of the solution is added to 10 liters of water, after which it is introduced into the soil. Bacteria begin to process the infusion in 5-7 days. For a higher yield, tomatoes can be fed with urea in a limited amount.
How to feed tomatoes in a greenhouse
For greenhouse plants, there are subtleties in feeding. First of all, you should pay attention to the soil, which should pass oxygen well. It is recommended to sprinkle turfy earth, sand and humus on top, adding a tablespoon of potassium sulfate. This composition will make the soil very nutritious, providing the plant with a comfortable environment throughout the growing season.
In the first 2-3 weeks, various preparations are used to maintain young tomatoes healthy, such as Plantafol, Epinom Extra. It can be fertilized with other mineral solutions containing phosphorus and potassium, which are important in the early stages of plant development. If the fertilizer at the root does not bring proper results, you should go to foliar top dressing. For this, calcium nitrate is used at a concentration of 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of liquid.
In a greenhouse, tomatoes often begin to branch actively, while the fruits remain small and stop developing. To prevent this process, it is necessary to introduce a solution of superphosphate in the proportion of 3 tablespoons per bucket of water into the soil.
Top dressing during flowering
When flowering, you should pay special attention to the choice of fertilizer, since the wrong solution leads to disastrous consequences. It is best to use universal fertilizer (Kemira, Wagon). It can be prepared independently: mix potassium sulfate with a volume of not more than 1 tablespoon, 0.5 l of liquid manure, 7-9 l of running water. Such an infusion is introduced under the root about 2 times.
A good alternative to mineral fertilizers is nitroammophosk, 1 tablespoon of which is enough for a bucket of liquid.
Organic fertilizers, especially wood chips and a weak solution of humus, have a positive effect. From folk remedies, during this period, infusions of yeast, grass, iodine and ash are good.
Fertilizing during fruiting
As soon as the fruits begin to appear, you need to go to the next stage of feeding:
- The first 2 weeks it is recommended to use superphosphate in a concentration of 1 spoon per bucket. This will help young tomatoes to form properly and significantly accelerate the ripening process.
- Then you need to make a mineral complex containing as many trace elements, iodine and boron as possible, which affect the palatability of the pulp. Such an infusion should be prepared on its own: it is necessary to mix boric acid dissolved in boiling water with 10 ml of 5% iodine, 1-1.5 l of ash purified from impurities and pour the resulting mass of 10 l of running water. 1 liter of enriched complex is enough for the bush.
- Nevertheless, it is recommended to use purchased universal fertilizers, in such cases the risk of chemical burns if the dosage of substances is not correct is eliminated.
It is important not to exceed the frequency of top dressing, especially during the fruiting period, since most of the introduced components are absorbed by the roots and fall into ripening tomatoes, affecting their structure and taste.
Folk remedies for feeding tomatoes
Gardeners have developed many alternative ways to fertilize tomatoes, which in some cases are much more effective than purchased. Using readily available substances, you can avoid unnecessary financial costs, and most importantly - to know exactly what is included in the nutrition.
Ash
It is considered a complex fertilizer, because it contains many micronutrients (potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium) that act on various parts of tomatoes, providing them with vitality. In dry form it is used in case of planting plants - it is sprinkled with planting pits, and also in small quantities it is added to the soil when growing seedlings.
To do this, the ash must first be sieved from garbage and other inclusions. For the rest, it is recommended to prepare an ash solution, which is absorbed by tomatoes much faster. To do this, about 7 liters of water are mixed with 250 g of ash. It is customary to feed under the root with this infusion.
Leaves, shoots and young fruits are processed in a different composition: 250-300 g of ash should be added to 3 liters of water, and then boil the resulting mass for at least 30 minutes. The next day, add another 7 liters of liquid to the solution and mix thoroughly. After filtering, the infusion is ready for use.
Yeast top dressing
The method has gained great popularity among domestic gardeners, due to its effectiveness. To do this, 100 g of yeast must be soaked in 7 liters of water, and then mix. It is recommended to water with such a solution immediately, then it acts faster. If the yeast is dry, they must be mixed with settled water in a proportion of 10 g per 10 liters. Then leave the infusion overnight.
Before use, you can pour 3-4 more tablespoons of sugar. This method mainly affects the growth of tomatoes, activating vitality. It is bad in that it does not deliver the plant useful mineral components that are necessary for normal vegetation. Therefore, it is impossible to fertilize only with yeast, otherwise the tomatoes will get sick from a lack of trace elements.
Mullein
One of the best organic fertilizers used for a long time. It is rarely used in its pure form; solutions are most often prepared. Feeding regularly is not recommended, due to the strong effect on the soil composition. The solution is prepared very simply: 5 liters of water are mixed with 3-4 liters of manure so that the bucket is completely filled, after mixing, the container must be covered and removed in a warm darkened space for 7-10 days. Once insisted, the fertilizer will harden, so before watering it will be necessary to pour in the liquid again at a concentration of 1:10. Depending on the size of the bush, 0.5 or 1 liter of this top dressing is enough for him.
Nettle infusion
A useful natural decoction made on the basis of this herb is very nutritious, since nettle contains a large supply of vitamins and mineral deposits, including potassium and magnesium, which increase productivity and ensure the plant's resistance to infectious diseases.
For starters, not blooming nettle is collected, only green parts are used in the solution. Then the grass should be soaked with warm water, cover the container with a lid and leave in a dark place for about 3 weeks. You can speed up the fermentation by placing a bucket in the sun, but in this case there is a need to thoroughly mix the infusion every 2 days.
There will be a characteristic odor, which can be eliminated by sprinkling the crushed rhizome of valerian. After making the infusion under the root, the tomatoes are watered abundantly. It is recommended to apply no more than 1 time per week.
Chicken Feeding
It is considered a complex fertilizer, because it contains mineral trace elements in large quantities. Litter is rich in phosphorus and nitrogen, which accelerate the maturation process. The solution is prepared from fresh material. The litter is placed in the bucket in a ratio of 1/3 of the total volume, after which the remaining space must be filled with liquid. The infusion should be left for 1-2 weeks on the street in a shaded place, then mix thoroughly and add a little more water, if necessary. 5 l of solution is enough for one bush.
Feeding with iodine
It has a narrow focus on rapid growth and development. Unlike complex organics, iodine solution mainly accelerates the formation of fruits. It is also often used as a medicine for a disease common in tomatoes - late blight.
Tincture is prepared simply and applied immediately: add 4-5 drops of iodine to a bucket of liquid. Such a solution is recommended to be carried out by watering under the root. Feeding can be started 2-3 weeks after transplanting seedlings into the open ground when it has adapted. On one bush - no more than 2 liters.
Serum supplementation
As a fertilizer, whey is not the most effective option. However, it is used to prevent such a common disease in tomatoes as late blight. Solution preparation does not take much time. 1 l of serum is added to a bucket of water, you can pour 20-30 drops of iodine and mix thoroughly. This tincture is used for foliar dressing. Spraying is recommended in the evening.
Mr. Summer resident informs: how to determine what tomatoes lack in appearance
Although tomatoes and a relatively unpretentious culture, it needs proper care, including vitamins and minerals brought in with fertilizers. Sometimes, by the state of the bush, you can easily determine which additional components the plant needs.
So, with a low nitrogen content, the leaves darken, flowering slows down, and with a high content the bush is too lush, but the ovaries do not form.
If the leaves have acquired a light purple color, then the tomatoes lack phosphorus, with its excess green parts turn yellow and dry.
When potassium enters the plant in too large quantities, dull marks appear on the branches. When twisting the leaf plate, you need to provide the tomatoes with nitrogen-containing fertilizing.
