In dry hot weather, tomatoes planted in a garden often feel uncomfortable. If you have chosen a variety that is suitable for regionalization in your region, and also correctly in advance prepared the soil and did not make mistakes when growing and planting seedlings in the ground, it is not worth it despair. We will tell you about the basic rules for caring for tomatoes, allowing you to grow and harvest a good harvest of vegetables even in a hot dry summer.
Loosening the soil and mulching the beds with tomatoes
After planting tomato seedlings in it, the soil must be mulched with peat, compost, humus, sawdust, straw or other improvised means. Mulching is especially important in hot, dry periods. This procedure will help reduce the evaporation of moisture between watering, and also slow down the growth of weeds.
The use of black or dark polyethylene as a material for mulching beds has recently become popular. This is undoubtedly convenient, but in the hot summer period it is impractical - the dark film attracts the sun's rays and heats up. If you still use such a film on the site, to avoid overheating the soil in the beds, sprinkle it with cut grass, straw or sawdust.
Unmulched vegetable beds need regular loosening. The soil will have to be loosened up often - about 5-7 times per summer. And during extreme heat and drought, the procedure must be performed every week - this is the only way to avoid cracking the soil around the bushes and save the tomato crop. The first time the soil is loosened usually two weeks after planting the seedlings.
Bush care
Regardless of the variety, young tomato bushes should be correctly formed using pinching. There are some varieties that do not need pinching, such as the Beauty of the Garden, Zhemchuzhinka, The Gardener's Dream, The Little Prince and some hybrids. All other plant varieties must be pinned - this is the only way to form a beautiful bush, strong and capable of forming fruits.
Grasshopping is a procedure for removing side shoots that are superfluous. They are also called stepchildren, as they grow from the axils of the leaves of the plant. Grasshopping helps to form a beautiful plant and leave it more energy to form fruit.
Most often, tomato bushes are formed, leaving no more than 3-4 stems. Excess shoots growing on lateral branches are periodically neatly broken off. The procedure is carried out once a week.
Grasshopping promotes faster ripening of fruits - tomatoes ripen 2-3 weeks earlier.
In addition to removing excess shoots, it is necessary to remove the overgrown green mass of the plant. This is done so that future fruits, and not extra tops, receive the required amount of valuable micro- and macroelements. Leaves begin to break off a month after planting seedlings in the ground. The leaves are cut off first from the bottom - this will provide better access of moisture and air to the root system, prevent the formation of late blight, and also contribute to the rapid ripening of tomatoes.
Watering tomatoes
Caring for any vegetable crop includes regular, proper watering. Tomatoes are no exception. The intensity should be selected in accordance with the state of the plant - if you notice that the leaves have begun to wilt, then the culture needs moisture. Watering tomato bushes is carried out at the root. The water should be warm. Make sure that no water gets on the leaves of the plant. The optimal solution for watering tomato beds is a drip irrigation system. This device not only moisturizes the soil and conserves water, but also significantly reduces the risk of fungal infections of vegetables.
After irrigation, the soil in the aisles is loosened, and all weeds are removed.
During the heat and drought period, tomato bushes are watered every 2-3 days. Watering is carried out in the early morning or after sunset. The water consumption rate is about 1 liter per plant.
Summer dressing of vegetable crops
Timely fertilization of tomato bushes is one of the conditions for obtaining a rich harvest. Complex mineral preparations or natural dressings are applied after watering in the morning or evening in calm weather. The procedure is carried out in two known ways: "under the root" or "on the sheet". Root and foliar dressings are equally useful for the formation of ovaries and proper ripening of fruits.
The first feeding is carried out a few weeks after planting in the ground during the formation of the first ovaries. The second and third (additional) are carried out during the period of active growth and ripening of tomatoes.
Fertilization of vegetable crops is often combined with the treatment of bushes from insect pests and pathogens.
Spraying tomato bushes
Preventive spraying of the crop will help to protect the growing tomato crop from the negative effects of diseases and pests. Starting in June, it is necessary to process tomato bushes on a leaf in order to prevent the occurrence of a dangerous and common disease - phytophthora.
Spraying is carried out with various fungicides ("Quadris", "Ordan", "Hom", "Profit Gold", etc.) or biological products ("Fitosporin", etc.).
If the plant is already affected by a dangerous disease, more serious fungicides such as Penncoceb and others will help to cope.
When using drugs, it is important to strictly follow the dosages and rules for processing vegetable crops prescribed in the instructions, as well as observe safety precautions.
In July and August, during active fruiting, the use of chemicals is prohibited. It is allowed to use folk remedies aimed at repelling insects and preventing disease. The most effective environmentally friendly processing methods include the following: spraying leaves milk whey, soda or soap solution, watering with a weakly concentrated iodine solution and NS.
Growing tomatoes in a hot dry summer is not an easy task, but a feasible one. Pay more attention to the plants, listen to the "requirements" of the plants grown, and a rich tomato harvest will be provided.
Read also: All do not care! How to deal with blackening and curling of pear leaves?
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