Why do tomatoes in a greenhouse lose color: what to do to save your tomato harvest
In Russia, tomatoes began to be grown in the 18th century. Then the vegetable was received with distrust, but now it rightfully occupies an honorable place on the table. Tomatoes are grown in almost every garden plot. However, it is not always possible to obtain a good harvest of this crop. The tomato is native to the tropical regions of South America. Wild varieties of tomato are still found there.
In our climate, it is not easy to provide the necessary conditions for the formation of ovaries and ripening of tomatoes. One of the common problems when growing crops in a greenhouse is color loss. Today we will tell you about the rules that must be followed to avoid color loss in tomatoes.
Causes of color loss
In temperate climate zones, tomato cultivation is not easy. The plant is demanding of light and heat due to its southern origin. This explains the problems that gardeners face when cultivating crops.
Why do tomatoes in a greenhouse lose color? There are several reasons for this.
Increased soil moisture
Providing tomato bushes with water is one of the most important conditions for their growth and development. However, excess moisture is harmful and leads, in particular, to the fact that the flowers of tomatoes fall off. It should be taken into account that during the growth process the plant’s need for water is not the same.
The periods of maximum water demand are the time of seed germination and fruit filling.
Important! During the flowering period, plants must experience a certain moisture deficit. This inhibits the intensive growth of the green mass of the bush and stimulates fruit set.
At the same time, the soil should not be allowed to dry out, leading to the fall of flowers and even young ovaries.
Tomatoes in a greenhouse or greenhouse are watered in sunny weather in the morning. For irrigation, use settled water at a temperature of 20–25 °C. Before fruit sets on the first inflorescences, water very moderately.
Overmoistening of the soil, among other things, leads to increased air humidity in the greenhouse. An indicator of more than 60–70% is considered elevated. When the moisture content in the air is high, fertilization of flowers does not occur, since the pollen sticks together and stops spilling out of the pollen sacs. Barren flowers wither and fly away.
In addition, excess water leads to infection of plants with fungal diseases and root rot.
Lack of sunlight
Light is the main factor in the life of plants, including tomatoes.. Crops grown in greenhouse conditions are very dependent on sunlight. Lack of natural light is a common reason why tomato ovaries dry out and fall off. In addition, with good lighting, tomato bushes withstand cold weather better.
When choosing a site for a greenhouse, pay attention to how it will be located relative to the sun. The installation site of greenhouses, hotbeds and film shelters should not be shaded by buildings or trees throughout the day. The ideal site is high, open, illuminated by the sun from sunrise to sunset.
It happens that the garden plot is small and there are many good fruit trees growing on it, which are a pity to uproot.Then the place is chosen so that the sun enters the greenhouse from morning to noon. At the same time, you can expect that the plants will grow strong, bloom and bear fruit well.
Advice. Regularly clean the walls and roof of the greenhouse from dust and dirt. This simple measure increases the access of sunlight to plants by 10–20%.
Temperature changes
One of the main conditions for obtaining a good harvest of tomatoes (especially early ones) is maintaining an optimal temperature regime for the crop.
The tomato is very sensitive to heat and cold. Temperature changes lead to the appearance of a large number of barren flowers, drying out and falling of flowers.
Attention! Small and weak flower stalks indicate that the bush does not have enough heat.
In hot weather, ventilation prevents plants from overheating in a film shelter. It is good to install dark containers with cold water in the greenhouse - they collect excess heat.
When it gets cold, heaters help.
Water the tomatoes only with warm water at the roots, making sure that the water does not get on the leaves and flowers.
Bushes too close
Crowded plantings are one of the common reasons why a plant drops flowers without setting fruit. If tomatoes are planted too close to each other, the air flow to the bushes is hampered and excess moisture does not evaporate. Plants begin to get sick and drop their flower stalks.
Incorrect application of fertilizers
Another common mistake is improper feeding of tomatoes. Often, gardeners, trying to get the highest possible harvest, violate the timing and dosage when applying fertilizers.
An excess of nutrients leads to “fatification” of plants. The bushes grow a lot of greenery, form powerful shoots, but do not form fruits.
A lack of nutrients is just as destructive to the crop as their excess. With a lack of magnesium, for example, yellowed areas appear on the leaves, photosynthesis is disrupted, and the quality of the fruit decreases.
Diseases
Tomato diseases are another likely cause of flower shedding.
Gray and white are very dangerous rot. They usually develop at the base of the fruit. Gray rot is a watery gray spot that quickly spreads to the entire fruit. When affected by white rot, the tomato becomes covered with white mycelium. Disease It also affects the stems, leaves and inflorescences of tomatoes.
Another common disease is late blight. The infection can be recognized by dried, curled leaves with brown spots. The disease develops quickly and affects both mature fruits and ovaries.
Poor seed quality
Poor quality seeds produce weak and diseased seedlings. Therefore, the choice of seed material should be taken seriously. Be sure to pay attention to the production date and expiration date indicated on the packaging. Buy seeds from trusted suppliers.
Pollination problems
Problems with pollination also cause flowers to fall off on tomatoes. Tomato pollination has its own characteristics.
Pollen is formed at night and ripens at a temperature not lower than 15 ° C. If the greenhouse is colder, the pollen does not ripen and cannot set fruit.
Pollination of flowers occurs during the day. If at this time the greenhouse is too hot (more than 30 ° C), the ripened pollen becomes sterile. As a result, a barren flower is formed, and the flowers fall off without setting fruit. Temperatures below 14°C are also critical for pollen fertilization and germination.
In unstable weather conditions, the successful formation of ovaries is facilitated by the use of drugs that artificially improve pollination.
What to do to save the tomato harvest
It doesn’t matter what mistakes led to the flowers flying around. You can save your tomato harvest. The first thing to start with is to create the right microclimate in the greenhouse.
Creating the right microclimate
The microclimate of a greenhouse is understood as a combination of air and soil temperatures, their humidity, illumination, air movement and its composition. The microclimate is not constant. It changes with the change of day and night, in sunny and cloudy weather, and when the structure is ventilated.
To grow tomatoes indoors, the temperature must be constantly monitored, from seed germination to fruiting.
It is important to know: the optimal temperature for tomatoes in closed ground during the day is 20–22 °C, at night – 16–18 °C (before flowering). When the tomatoes bloom, the temperature in the greenhouse should be 26–32 °C during the day, and 14–16 °C at night.
The temperature should not fall below average values, otherwise the formation of buds will stop. If the values are below 10 °C, the plants will stop growing. At elevated temperatures (36–40 °C), seedlings may even die.
Ventilation helps regulate the temperature. Soil humidity is maintained at 80% and air humidity at 60%.
The creation of proper light conditions is facilitated by the use of less shading greenhouse structures, the choice of the correct location on the site, competent plant placement patterns and their formation.
Attention! The microclimate of a greenhouse will never be favorable without constant human intervention.
Compliance with landing rules
To correctly calculate the planting scheme, they start from the growth force of a bush of one or another variety or hybrid. Tall tomatoes are planted less frequently, 3-4 bushes per 1 square meter.
Medium-sized plants are placed 4-5 pieces per 1 square meter.
Pollination, spraying and feeding
In open ground, tomatoes are pollinated by wind and insects. In a greenhouse, natural pollination is facilitated by drafts and plants that attract bees.
If this is not enough, special preparations that stimulate pollination help increase the number of ovaries.
Important! It is not recommended to spray bushes in hot weather. Some compounds can burn foliage.
Correct application of fertilizers also helps to correct the situation. To establish new inflorescences, plants are fed with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.
Correct bush formation
The number of flowers directly depends on the number of stems and branches. The more the bush grows, the more color it forms. However, more is not better. A short summer will not allow all the fruits that have formed to ripen. Therefore, the growth of a tomato bush is limited by pinching.
Preventive measures
Prevention of color loss in tomatoes includes measures for artificial pollination, timely application of fertilizers in the correct dosage, and protection of plants from diseases and pests.
Fertilizer application stimulates the formation of a large number of ovaries. Plants begin to be fed before flowering.
Treating bushes with copper sulfate solution protects against diseases. Plants weakened by infections will not be able to set fruit, so prevention is very important.
Advice from experienced agronomists
To avoid color loss on tomatoes, experienced agronomists give the following recommendations:
- Use artificial pollination. Pollen is most active in the morning, between 9 and 11 am. At this time, walk along the rows of tomatoes and shake the trellis or the plants themselves for better pollination.
- Additionally, use the preparations “Ovary” and “Bud”. These biostimulants improve fruit set, increase yield by 15–30% and late blight resistance by 4–6 times, and reduce ripening time by 5–7 days. Spray the plants at the beginning of flowering of the first or second cluster.
- Water moderately. Excess moisture leads to pollination problems and diseases.
- Destroy in a timely manner aphids on tomatoes. Pests carry many viral diseases.
Conclusion
Maintaining an optimal microclimate in the greenhouse, proper application of fertilizers, compliance with planting rules and disease prevention help to avoid drying and color loss on tomatoes. Don’t neglect the recommendations, and the problem will go away.