Don't know how to best feed tomatoes in a greenhouse? This article will help you understand this issue.
Even when growing tomatoes in fertile soil, you cannot do without regular fertilizing. Only proper plant care coupled with timely application of fertilizers will ensure a rich harvest of healthy and beautiful fruits. It is important not to overdo it with the doses of fertilizers, otherwise the tomatoes may die.
How to feed tomato seedlings before planting
Healthy and strong seedlings are a necessary condition for a good harvest. You can buy everything for seedlings here. In order for the plants to develop properly, they need to be fed with yeast before planting in the greenhouse.
Yeast fertilizer is made like this: 1 packet of dry yeast is mixed with 2 tbsp. sugar, poured with 1 glass of warm water, mixed thoroughly and infused for 2 hours. After this time, dilute the infusion at a rate of 0.5 l per 10 l of water and water the seedlings with the resulting liquid.
In addition, during spring digging, you should prepare the soil for tomatoes in the greenhouse, if you did not have time to do this in the fall. Add 1 bucket of peat and turf soil to the beds (per sq.m). Then add organic fertilizer: 0.5 l of wood ash, 10 l of compost or humus and 1 tsp. urea per sq.m.
IMPORTANT! Before planting seedlings, the soil should be watered with a solution of potassium permanganate. To do this, dissolve 1 g of potassium permanganate in 10 l of hot water (not lower than 60 ° C).
How to feed tomatoes after planting in a greenhouse
At the end of May – beginning of June, a few days after planting the seedlings, tomatoes need to be fed with a complex fertilizer (containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium).
IMPORTANT! In a greenhouse, the humidity level is higher than in open ground, so the absorption of useful elements occurs faster. And so that the plant has time to absorb them, you need to slightly reduce the concentration of fertilizers.
So, experienced gardeners advise adding the following fertilizer to the soil: 1 tbsp. nitrophoska and 0.5 l of mullein are diluted in 10 l of water and 1 l of the resulting mixture is poured under each plant.
How to feed tomatoes during flowering
During the formation of flowers, it is recommended to feed tomatoes with such a universal fertilizer as "Agricola for tomatoes, peppers, eggplants". It contains the necessary macro and micro elements: nitrogen (N) - 13%, phosphorus (P2O5) - 20%, potassium (K2O) - 20%, boron (B), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn). and there is no chlorine.
1 teaspoon of fertilizer is dissolved in 10 liters of water and 0.5 liters of the resulting liquid is poured under each plant. This fertilizer not only increases the yield, but also prevents the development of fungal diseases.
If you prefer to prepare fertilizers yourself, take 1 tbsp. potassium sulfate and 0.5 liters of bird droppings, dilute in 10 liters of water, then add 0.5 liters of liquid mullein and water the tomatoes with the resulting mass at the rate of 1 liter of fertilizer per plant.
Also, during the formation of ovaries, it is necessary to carry out foliar feeding. To do this, spray an infusion of wood ash on dry leaves in the evening or in cloudy weather. To prepare such a fertilizer, pour 2 cups of ash with 2 liters of hot water. Then insist for 2 days, then filter the sediment. The resulting liquid is brought to a volume of 10 liters with water and it is used to treat the tomato tops. Many modern greenhouse varieties of tomatoes respond well to foliar feeding with magnesium sulfate: 15 g of fertilizer is dissolved in 10 liters of water and the resulting liquid is sprayed on the tomato tops, using 1.5 liters per square meter. And for active fruit setting, tomatoes are fed with superphosphate (1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water).
How to feed tomatoes during fruiting
During the period of mass fruiting, tomatoes are fed for the last time during the season. In this case, 2 tablespoons of superphosphate are dissolved in 10 liters of water and 1 tablespoon of liquid potassium humate is added there. 1 liter of fertilizer is added under the root of each bush.
IMPORTANT! After the fruits appear, only root feeding is used.
How to feed tomatoes so that they are plump
To prevent seedlings from stretching out and their stems are thick, feed the plants 2 weeks after picking. To do this, dissolve 20 g of superphosphate, 30 g of ammonium nitrate and 15 g of potassium sulfate in 10 liters of water. Then add 100 g of ash extract (1 glass of ash per 1 liter of water). Repeat this feeding in 2 weeks.
How to feed tomatoes for good growth
If tomato seedlings grow very slowly, they need to be fed with sodium humate. The fertilizer is prepared in accordance with the instructions for the preparation and each plant is watered with it under the root.
If the growth of apical and lateral shoots of tomatoes is delayed, yellowing appears on young leaves, then, most likely, they do not have enough nitrogen. Such tomatoes can be fed with any nitrogen fertilizer.
How many times per season should tomatoes be fed
There are no clear instructions on the time of application of fertilizers and the amount of tomato feeding. This depends on the characteristics of a particular variety and the condition of the plants. Well-growing tomatoes in a greenhouse are fed 3-4 times per season, but if you understand from the appearance of the plants that they lack some elements, then the amount of feeding should be increased.
Thus, "problem" plants (which develop poorly and are sick) are fertilized every 10-14 days. At the same time, root and foliar feeding are alternated.