The advantage of greenhouse growing of tomatoes is that this method significantly brings the timing of harvesting closer. In greenhouses and greenhouses, the culture is protected from sudden changes in the weather. But the gardener must create the right conditions for the tomatoes to be comfortable.
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What is the danger of overheating tomatoes
Tomatoes react to too high a temperature with a shock. Plants stop growing and can no longer develop normally. All energy is spent on maintaining respiratory function. The fact is that during overheating, the process of photosynthesis slows down. Pollen is sterilized under such conditions, it is no longer suitable for pollination. Because of this, the ovaries are not formed.
Also, tomato bushes can just burn. The leaves will become tilted, lose their color and elasticity. If not only the shoot is damaged, but also the roots, then the seedlings cannot be saved. When individual leaves are burnt, they are removed. If a lot of leaves are damaged, then they need to be cut off in several steps so that the culture does not receive additional stress.
Even if the tomatoes do not die after overheating, fruiting will be significantly delayed. In some cases, the harvest ripens several weeks later than the due date. Therefore, such a situation should not be allowed.
Signs of burning tomatoes:
- lethargy of the bush;
- the appearance of burns on the foliage;
- loss of bright color of leaves;
- shedding of ovaries and flowers;
- drying out of stems and roots;
- stopping the growth of the bush.
Why do tomatoes burn?
Not all summer residents can afford to be on the site all the time. But still, leaving tomato bushes unattended in hot weather or forgetting to water them in time is very dangerous. If the temperature rises to +30 degrees, tomato flowers may become sterile. When this heat is present for several hours, the first signs of overheating can already be found on the bushes.
Prolonged overheating leads to burns on the foliage. The leaf plates begin to twist. Fruits suffer no less from high temperatures. Light spots and cracks appear on them, and the palatability deteriorates significantly - the pulp loses its juiciness and becomes more rigid.
If the temperature in the greenhouse rises above +38 degrees, the leaves will begin to fall off, and the stem will dry out. As a result, the bushes will die.
Seedlings that have suffered from high temperatures waste nutrients for recovery. Because of this, it stops growing.
Ways to protect tomatoes from overheating
The effects of overheating tomatoes in a greenhouse can be seen very quickly. After a few hours of being in hot conditions, the leaves begin to wilt and lose their normal color. You need to start saving the bushes from the heat immediately after the first symptoms of overheating appear.
Moisture retention
When the air in the greenhouse warms up too much, you must try to maintain a high level of humidity in order to save the tomatoes from death. It should be remembered that the culture does not like too frequent and excessive watering. A large amount of water erodes the topsoil, exposing the root system. It also leads to leaching of useful components from the soil.
Therefore, the main task of the summer resident is to reduce the amount of evaporated moisture. After irrigating the tomatoes, lay a layer of mulch from previously prepared hay or cut grass. Some people use a store-bought cover or plain paper.
Loosening is also required for tomatoes during the hot period. This agronomic technique promotes root branching and also protects against overheating. In addition, loosening is required to increase the future yield.
Shading
To shade plants in the midday heat, improvised means are usually used. If there is free space near the greenhouse, then you can plant shrubs of medium height so that they do not completely cover the greenhouse structure from the sun's rays.
It is advisable to think in advance about the location of the greenhouse and immediately build it where there are crops of suitable height nearby. Do not install the structure near fruit trees. They give too much shade, which will cause the plants in the greenhouse to lack sunlight. Falling fruits can also damage the floor covering.
For shading, you can spray the roof with a chalk solution. The water will evaporate very quickly, and a small layer of chalk will remain on the coating, which will protect the tomatoes from the scorching sun. The chalk will be very easy to rinse off if necessary. It is not recommended to use paint for these purposes, since it is quite difficult to remove it.
Some gardeners also use cut tree branches for shelter from the midday sun. They are simply laid out on the roof, and when the heat subsides, the branches are removed.
Large greenhouses are best shaded with a special mesh. Depending on its density, it can filter between 25% and 75% of sunlight. In addition, there are special paints on sale that are easy to wash off.
Ventilation
The simplest way to regulate the temperature in a greenhouse is to ventilate. In conventional film designs, a side flap is made for this purpose. At the peak of the heat, it is opened so that the tomatoes do not overheat.
If the room is large, several such doors are made at once at the same distance from each other. This will remove the stale air.
But this ventilation method also has disadvantages:
- birds and various insects enter the greenhouse through the open window;
- aeration does not protect plants from ultraviolet radiation.
In large greenhouses, forced ventilation is best. To do this, you need to install temperature sensors, exhaust and supply fans. Thanks to temperature sensors, the system will automatically turn on at the right time. Forced ventilation is used in cases where the crop is grown for sale. For a home greenhouse, these expenses are often not justified.
To obtain a high yield of tomatoes, you need to monitor the temperature regime. Before planting seedlings, it is necessary to provide for high-quality ventilation, methods of shading and maintaining the desired humidity level.
Do you know how to protect tomatoes from the heat?
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