Why tomatoes in a greenhouse fatten and what to do if this happens: a guide to action and useful tips
Tomatoes are one of the favorite crops of gardeners. Juicy, aromatic, tasty fruits contain calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins A, C, B. In addition, it is a rich source of potassium, which is so necessary for heart health.
So, you planted tomatoes, take care of them and wait for the harvest. But time passes, the plants seem to be healthy, but the tomatoes do not appear. What's the matter? Most likely, the tomatoes are fattening. From the article you will learn what fattening is, see photos of fattening tomatoes, find out how to prevent it and what to do if it happens.
What is fatliquoring of tomatoes?
Fatliquoring is the process of increasing green mass to the detriment of fruiting.
When tomatoes are fattened, the tops actively grow, the plant looks powerful, but the development of flowers and fruit formation stops. This is not a disease or genetic deviation, but a consequence of incorrect agricultural practices. Tomatoes in a greenhouse fatten more often than in open ground.
Why fattening tomatoes are bad
Lush fattening plants can look beautiful. But the purpose of growing tomatoes is not to decorate the garden, but to produce fruits.
You should not expect a high harvest from fattened bushes; there may not be one at all.
How to understand that tomatoes are fattening
You can determine that tomatoes are fattening based on several signs. The bushes have a powerful thick stem, large dark green leaves, but the top ones are twisted.
Leaves or stepsons appear from the flower brushes, and so-called sprouting occurs.The brushes are formed with a large number of buds, which fall off after a while.
Reasons for fattening tomatoes in a greenhouse and ways to eliminate the problem
There may be several reasons why tomatoes become fattened, but they are all a consequence of ill-conceived planting and errors in plant care.
High stocking density
High planting density reduces the level of illumination of plants. Compensating for the lack of sunlight necessary for photosynthesis, tomatoes actively increase their green mass. To correct the situation, you need to carefully remove some of the leaves that prevent normal lighting of the flower brushes and ovaries.
Suboptimal temperature
The optimal temperature for proper growth and ripening of tomatoes during the day is 22-24°C, at night - 16-18°C. Pollen growth and production stop at temperatures below 10°C. Temperatures above 30°C cause flowers and ovaries to fall off.
To create a favorable microclimate in hot weather, greenhouses are ventilated.
At low temperatures, additional covering of greenhouse beds with film is used, the side walls of the greenhouse are covered with foam film, and the soil is covered with film or black non-woven fabric.
Too much fertilizer
Excess nitrogen leads to rapid growth of tops, while flowers, more like weakly colored small buds, are formed in small quantities, and fruits are not set. To prevent excess nutrients in the soil, the soil is not fertilized with fresh manure, and fertilizing with slurry is also avoided.
High air humidity
Tomatoes do not need high soil and air humidity. With excessive watering, foliage grows and fruiting is suppressed.In addition, with frequent irrigation, the root system develops weak and unable to withstand drought.
Water the tomatoes It is recommended no more than once a week during the period of plant growth; with massive fruit filling, increase the frequency of watering to 2-3 times a week.
Lack of light
Tomatoes are a light-demanding crop. With a lack of sunlight, the formation and ripening of fruits is suspended, and the plant spends all its energy on leaf growth. When planting tomatoes, you should choose unshaded areas.
How to fight fat gain
If the problem of fattening tomatoes has arisen, do not despair. A number of agricultural techniques will correct the situation.
Ban on applying nitrogen fertilizers
After transplanting the seedlings to a permanent location, stop applying fertilizers containing nitrogen, such as manure, urea, and saltpeter. An exception should be made if the plants experience a clear nitrogen deficiency - they are noticeably stunted in growth, have faded leaves and elongated thin stems.
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Air temperature regulation
To achieve optimal air temperature (daytime - 22-24°C, night - 16-18°C), the greenhouse is regularly ventilated. If necessary, the beds are additionally insulated.
Proper feeding
During the growth period, tomatoes are fed with potassium and phosphorus.
The first root feeding is done when 5-6 flower clusters appear. Mineral preparations - potassium monophosphate or superphosphate - are used as a source of these microelements. For faster absorption of nutrients, prepare solutions:
- potassium monophosphate - 1 tbsp. l.for 10 liters of water;
- superphosphate - 2 tbsp. l. per 10 liters of water (for better dissolution, use hot water).
The consumption of watering solutions is about 1 liter per bush.
As an ambulance, foliar feeding is practiced - spraying the foliage with fine sprays. The dosage of potassium monophosphate in this case is 5 g per 10 liters of water.
The superphosphate solution is prepared as follows: 20 tbsp. l. the drug is poured into 3 liters of boiling water and left for 24 hours in a warm place, stirring occasionally, then 150 ml of the resulting extract is diluted in 10 liters of water. The consumption of working solutions is 5-6 liters per 1 m2.
Suspending irrigation
When signs of fattening appear, stop watering for about 7 days. In the future, you should water the tomatoes no more than once a week; during mass pouring of fruits - no more than 2-3 times a week.
Hand pollination
Tomatoes are self-pollinating plants; the pistil and pollen grains are found in one flower. Flowers located next to each other pollinate each other.
On fattened bushes, the viability of pollen grains is reduced. In addition, high humidity interferes with the spread of pollen.
To form the ovaries, they carry out hand pollination. The plants are shaken slightly so that the pollen falls off the flowers. The spread of pollen is also facilitated by regular ventilation, which ensures air circulation in the greenhouse.
Important! The manual pollination procedure is carried out in the morning in dry weather.
Formation of bushes
In the fight against the problem of fattening, you should not neglect the techniques of forming bushes or pinching. Remove the side shoots that form in the axils of the leaves.
Tomatoes are planted for the first time during the flowering period on the first flower cluster.Remove the stepsons before they reach 5 cm in length by tearing off or pinching. This procedure is best carried out in the morning.
When forming bushes, it is worth removing the lowest leaves so that the stem remains dry and well ventilated. In July - August, the top is pinched to stop upward growth.
Additional events
To get rid of excess moisture in the greenhouse, beds mulch, and to maintain the necessary humidity, several plastic bottles without a bottom are dug into the ground.
Hilling helps strengthen the root system, which is carried out twice a season; for the first time - when small growths appear on the stem.
Microelements (magnesium, boron, iodine) are necessary for the smooth formation of ovaries, so experienced gardeners carry out regular foliar feeding with microfertilizer solutions.
Tomatoes fatten in open ground - what to do
When signs of fattening appear in tomatoes in open ground, stop watering for 7 days. After this, root fertilizing is done with potash or phosphate fertilizers. For better lighting, remove excess side shoots.
Preventive measures against fat gain
In order for the fruiting of tomatoes to be timely and friendly, it is recommended to take preventive measures against fattening:
- Do not thicken the tomato plantings. With an optimal planting pattern, the row spacing is 40-50 cm, and the distance between bushes is 30-35 cm for low-growing bushes. For tall tomatoes, maintain a width between rows of 50-60 cm and a distance between plants of 40-45 cm. It is recommended to adhere to planting patterns for each variety; as a rule, they are indicated on the bag of seeds.
- Avoid shaded areas for planting tomatoes. It is better to place greenhouses in sunny places and orient the frame in the east-west direction. This way the greenhouse space will be evenly illuminated all day long.
- After planting in a permanent place, the seedlings should not be watered for 2 weeks. In the future, tomatoes are watered no more than once a week, and after the mass formation of fruits begins - 2-3 times a week. When watering, it is necessary to moisten the soil by at least 30 cm. This irrigation regime contributes to the formation of a developed root system that is resistant to adverse external factors.
- Do not overfeed plants with nitrogen fertilizers. Even in the fall, it is better to add rotted organic matter (compost, manure humus), since fresh organic matter will not have time to decompose during the winter, and an excess of nitrogen in the soil is guaranteed. There is no need to fertilize with nitrogen during the growing season of tomatoes. The exception is cases of obvious deficiency of this substance.
- Form a bush, removing excess shoots in time. Flower clusters do not form on the stepsons, so nutrients will be spent on the formation of excess green mass.
- Ventilate the greenhouse regularly to ensure air circulation. This measure creates the necessary microclimate: reduces air humidity, maintains an optimal temperature - 22-24ºС.
- Carry out regular root and foliar feeding potassium, phosphorus, microfertilizers containing magnesium, boron, iodine. During the season, 8-10 feedings are carried out. Depending on the condition of the plants, this number is reduced or increased.
Conclusion
Fattening of tomatoes is the growth of powerful tops instead of the formation of fruits. The phenomenon indicates improper care of plants, signals an excess of nitrogen in the soil, excessive watering, and insufficient lighting.
When growing tomatoes, you should not get carried away with organic matter and nitrogen fertilizers; It is better to underfeed tomatoes than to overfeed them. They do not need a lot of moisture; watering once every seven days is quite enough. For active fruiting, it is necessary to provide full sunlight to the bushes - do not place the beds in the shade, do not thicken the plantings, and remove excess shoots in a timely manner.
If you follow all the rules for growing tomatoes, a rich harvest is guaranteed.
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