How to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse in winter: step-by-step instructions for getting a rich harvest all year round

Tasty, juicy and healthy tomatoes all year round are the dream of many farmers. Growing these vegetables in large quantities in winter brings profit from subsequent sale.

In this article we will tell you how to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse in winter and how to sell the resulting harvest.

Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse

In order for tomatoes to delight you with a rich and healthy harvest, you should take care of the premises in advance and choose the right variety. Summer temporary structures and traditional garden varieties are unsuitable for the cold season.

Preparing the greenhouse for winter use

To grow tomatoes in winter, permanent buildings are built and equipped with a powerful heating system. Greenhouses are installed on a durable metal frame with anti-corrosion coating. Walls and roofs are made of glass or polycarbonate.

Attention! Polycarbonate will reduce heating costs. It will create a thermos-like atmosphere inside the room. If a summer resident wants to grow a winter crop of tomatoes, he will need several heating devices.

The dimensions of a regular greenhouse are 100–500 m2, while an industrial greenhouse is about 1,000 m2. Tomatoes need a tall, wind-protected structure.

Choosing the right variety

To select the desired variety, its characteristics are determined:

• productivity - plants with high productivity significantly increase income;
• growing season - the faster the fruits ripen, the more profitable the business;
• disease resistance - a good variety is not susceptible to fungal and infectious diseases and does not require regular treatment with chemicals;
• taste - the fruits have a sweetish fleshy pulp with a pronounced aroma;
• size and color - buyers choose medium-sized vegetables in rich red, pink or yellow colors;
• resistance to damage - manufacturers indicate on the packaging information about the shelf life of tomatoes and their tolerance to transportation.

The most popular varieties:

• early and mid-ripening - Present, Aksinya, Cherry, Evpator, Kostroma, Palenque;
• hybrids with a short growing season - Verlioka, Rhapsody, Caspar, Sprinter, Etude, Farmer;
• varieties with a pronounced taste - Honey saved, pink honey, Orange King, Asteroid, Lady, Ballerina.

Reference. Vegetable growers place 2-3 different varieties in one greenhouse for reliability. Growing tomatoes is not an experiment, but an achievement of high yields.

Methods for growing tomatoes in greenhouses and at home

Sowing in open ground is not the best idea: seed germination with this method is low. Tomatoes are grown in winter greenhouses using the seedling method. They buy seeds, germinate them, place the sprouts in temporary containers, and then plant them in open ground. At the same time, the composition of the soil affects the amount of harvest. The entire process from cultivation to ripe fruit requires care, diligence and patience.

Tomatoes grown at home:

1. On the windowsill. To do this, purchase a special substrate - a universal mixture, mineral and nitrogen-containing fertilizers for feeding.
2. On the balcony. In addition to purchasing soil and fertilizers, they monitor the temperature and lighting in the room.
3. On hydroponics. Here it is important to provide the root system of the crop with a sufficient amount of minerals, water and oxygen.

Advice! To get a good harvest of tomatoes at home, the first two methods are preferable. Their effectiveness has been proven in practice.

Instructions for growing tomatoes in winter

Let's get started - we present to your attention a step-by-step algorithm for growing a winter tomato crop.

How to prepare seedlings

The crop is grown in the fall to be planted by early November. If it is not possible to prepare the material by this time, it is saved until January.

For this:

• periodically water with warm water;
• maintain room temperature +20…+22 °C.

Important! Ready seedlings have 6–8 true leaves, buds and a massive low stem.

Preparing seedlings and seeds for planting

Seeds are prepared as follows:

1. Before soaking, they are hardened: wrapped in a wet cloth and left for 2-3 hours, then placed in the refrigerator for 7-8 hours. This is done for 10 days.
2. After hardening, weak and healthy seeds are identified. Defective grains do not have sprouts, and healthy ones hatch on days 5–7 (they are prepared for soaking). To cull seeds, they are dipped in a saline solution (1 teaspoon of salt per glass of water) and kept for 10 minutes. Specimens that float to the surface are unsuitable for planting.
3. Soak the material in growth stimulants 20–30 minutes.
4. Ready seeds are placed in containers with fertile soil and well watered.

The seedlings are planted in a permanent place along with part of the soil, without burying them in holes, but leaving them 1.5–2 cm above the ground surface. This way the plants will avoid the risk of infection.

Attention! Before planting in the greenhouse, tomatoes are hardened for 2-3 weeks, gradually lowering the temperature in the room and regularly ventilating it. If the buds have already formed, then 4-5 days before picking the bushes to a permanent place, they are sprayed with a solution of boric acid (1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water).

Preparing soil in a greenhouse

The soil is prepared from equal parts of turf soil and humus. A layer of the mixture (10–12 cm) is poured onto preheated biofuel. The finished soil is gradually poured onto the roots and the layer is increased to 20 cm. If there is no biofuel, then a 16–18 cm layer of substrate is poured. Over the entire growing season, this layer is brought to 25 cm.

Biofuel can be replaced by straw bales. This way the bushes will not suffer from streaking, brown spot, or root rot. In this case, the harvest is harvested 7–10 days earlier.

Vegetable growers' tips for using straw bales:

• Any straw will do except one that has been treated with herbicides. For every 1 m2 of plot, 10–12 kg of material is prepared;
• the soil is treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or Nitrafen;
• the bales are watered with boiling water, sprinkled with dry fertilizers, and watered again, but with cold water. This will help the fertilizer penetrate the straw better. Then scald again with boiling water;
• after 7-8 days, add a 10 cm layer of soil and additional components: per 100 g of material add a mixture of 1 kg of lime, 1.3 kg of urea, 1 kg of potassium nitrate, 1 kg of superphosphate, 0.5 kg of potassium sulfate.

During the entire period of tomato growth, the soil is mulched with straw 2 times. The seedlings are deepened into bales.

Picking and fertilizing seedlings

When 2-3 true leaves appear, the seedlings are placed in peat-humus pots. The main thing is not to be late. If you allow the future roots to form abundantly, then when transplanted into a greenhouse, the embryos will break and the plants will weaken.

When picking, pinch off 1/3 of the main root. This will stimulate the branching of the root system.

Moderate watering (2-3 times a week) and fertilizing are important:

• a week after the pick;
• after the formation of 4 leaves;
• after the formation of 6 leaves.

For fertilizer, 1.5 g of ammonium sulfate is diluted in 1 liter of water. Pour 20 ml per bush.

Caring for tomato bushes

After transplanting the crop to a permanent place, water it only after 10–12 days. Then - every 8-10 days. If the soil dries out quickly, reduce the temperature in the greenhouse.

Additionally, a trellis is installed. A strong wire is pulled along the plantings at a height of about 2 m and attached to the supports. Then the twine is pulled: one end of the rope is tied under the second leaf, and the other is secured to the wire.

Attention! Watch the stems as they begin to wrap around the twine. If the rope is too tight, the plants will be damaged and die.

Growing tomatoes in greenhouse conditions

To get an early harvest and increase the duration of fruiting, remove secondary shoots in the axils of the leaf blades. Leave one lower stepson and form a bush of two stems. The length of the shoot is 3–5 cm. The lower leaves near the ground are also removed.

Humidity for normal development

The ideal air humidity for tomatoes is 60–70%. A hygrometer is installed in the room and the indicators are monitored.

Secrets of flower pollination

There are two methods of pollinating plants in winter, when insects have been hibernating for a long time:

• plant parthenocarpic hybrids capable of self-pollination. However, this does not always end in success and farmers do not advise beginners to use the method;
• use a simple brush with natural bristles and gently touch the flower with it on the 2nd day after full opening. The temperature in the greenhouse should be +23...+25 °C, and humidity - 70%. These are optimal conditions for pollen transfer.

Important! Pollinating tomatoes with human hands is a long and painstaking job. It is better to arm yourself with support and be careful: flowers are fragile and break easily.

Greenhouse lighting and heating

Fluorescent lamps are installed in the room: they will glow blue, which is necessary for the proper development of the bushes. The devices consume little energy and practically do not heat up, which will eliminate the formation of burns on leaves and stems.

For heating, install one of the following equipment:

• stove - economical, but fire and injury hazard;
• gas - economical and easy to use, but requires the creation of a ventilation system;
• electric is the most affordable and easy to use. Gardeners recommend choosing an infrared heater.

Which type of heating to choose depends on preferences and budget.

Diseases of tomatoes in winter in a greenhouse

Sprouts in the early stages of development can become ill with fusarium when they wither, turn yellow and die. For prevention, planting material is kept in a solution of Trichodermin, Previcura or weak potassium permanganate.

Attention! If dry rot (fusarium) eats the root system, the diseased plants are destroyed. Otherwise, the entire harvest will be at risk.

Feeding for proper development

Bushes are fertilized 3 times during the entire growing season:

1. During the growth of stems and leaves, 0.5 liters of mullein and 1 tbsp. A spoonful of nitrophoska is diluted in 10 liters of water. Apply 2 liters to each plant.Replace the solution with a tincture of bird droppings: add 250 g of fertilizer to a bucket of water and leave for 24 hours. 3 liters are poured under each well.
2. When setting fruit, mix 2 g of potassium magnesia, 2 g of superphosphate, 2 g of ammonium nitrate and 10 liters of water. Use 3 liters per 1 m2 of area (the solution is applied using a watering can so that the fertilizer penetrates better into the soil).
3. To increase immunity, prepare a mixture of 4 g of manganese sulfate, 2 g of copper sulfate, 2 g of boric acid, 2 g of zinc sulfate and 10 liters of water. 2 liters are poured under each bush.

Important! If you use dry mixtures, the absorption of beneficial components will be slower. Therefore, it is better to apply fertilizers in the form of solutions.

Why growing tomatoes is a profitable business

Growing winter crops is a very profitable business: on average, one bush produces 600–700 g of fruit. At the same time, market prices for tomatoes in the spring and winter are much higher than during the summer peak of their ripening.

The farmer decides for himself how to sell the finished product. Tomatoes are sold to wholesalers, sold independently, or prepared into canned products.

Useful tips

Experienced vegetable growers on various forums share tips on caring for tomatoes.

These recommendations will help you grow a rich winter harvest of vegetables:

1. Regularly remove damaged, dry leaves from plants and the area.
2. Remove excess inflorescences: leave 5 on the first cluster, 6 on subsequent clusters. This will allow the fruits to appear evenly and have optimal sizes.
3. Pollinate your tomatoes 3 times a week to get more yield.
4. Pick fruits that are not brightly colored: they will ripen safely in a few days and will not waste the extra energy of the bushes.
5. Pick the tomatoes carefully.

Conclusion

Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse in winter is a profitable and promising activity. The main thing is to follow the recommendations for caring for the crop, take into account the advice of experienced farmers, check the planting material, apply fertilizing and watering in a timely manner, and maintain comfortable indoor conditions. High-quality care for tomatoes will give a rich harvest.