You can now buy fresh tomatoes in every supermarket, in any season. But in winter, vegetables are noticeably inferior to the summer harvest: in taste, content of nutrients and, of course, price.
Housewives often wonder: is it possible to grow tomatoes at home? Yes, you can. And this will require minimal investment and fresh tomatoes. Tomatoes grown using the method we will now discuss give a good harvest. Moreover, this can be achieved both in winter and summer, without the use of seeds.
Required:
- medium sized tomatoes;
- sharp knife;
- pots with holes;
- soil (60% garden soil, 40% organic compost).
for fertilizer:
- bird droppings;
for spraying:
- 500 ml. water;
- 30 ml. neem oil;
- 20 garlic extract;
- 20 ml. chili pepper extract.
Growing tomatoes in a pot:
For germination, choose small tomatoes, the size of a chicken egg. It is best to plant tomato seeds in September and October.
Prepare the tomatoes, pots and soil. Hold the tomato by the stem with one hand. Using a sharp knife, cut the vegetable into several pieces - circles.
Pour garden soil into the pots so that it covers 90% of the container. Place two circles of tomatoes on top - no more needed.
Sprinkle the tomatoes with soil and press down lightly. Then water the soil with a watering can or spray bottle.
After 7 days, you will notice a small sprout on the surface of the earth.
Water the plants periodically. It is important that the soil is constantly moist. After 14 days, the sprouts will have grown by about 7-10 cm. Make sure that the plants are outdoors. It is necessary to provide tomatoes with sunlight.
After 25 days, when the plant reaches 18-20 cm, it can be transplanted into a larger pot. The ideal option is a fabric bag with a diameter of 18 cm and a height of 15 cm.
Fill the bag with soil consisting of garden soil and organic compost. Using a small scoop, carefully scoop the tomato sprouts out of the small pots. Transplant them into bags of soil. To do this, make holes in the soil and place the plants in them. Excess lower leaves of the sprouts can be removed. One bag of this size can easily fit two plants. Water them generously. The water will remain on the surface of the soil for some time, but will quickly be absorbed.
For the next 7-10 days, the plants should be in a sunny place to receive enough nutrition. During this time they will grow noticeably.
55 days after planting, the tomatoes will bloom. You will notice yellow flowers on the stems. There comes a crucial moment when it is important to preserve the growth and flowering of plants. Place a wooden stick in the center of the pot and tie the plants to it using regular woolen thread.
After 65 days, small, green tomatoes with thick skin will appear on the branches.At this stage of tomato growth, they need to be fertilized with bird droppings. Simply sprinkle the fertilizer into the pot and mix it into the soil using a garden trowel.
When the fruits have approximately doubled in size, the plants must be sprayed. Mix water, neem oil, chili pepper and garlic extract in a spray bottle and sprinkle on green tomatoes.
On days 90-92, the tomatoes will begin to turn red, but it is still too early to pick them. Wait until the fruits are completely red and then pick them. The plants will bear fruit for another 1-2 weeks.
This method of growing tomatoes in a pot gives a rich harvest. And, as you can see, you don’t even need a summer cottage for this.
Watch the video
Watch a detailed video on growing tomatoes in a pot.
