Rules for feeding tomatoes in a greenhouse: what fertilizers and when to use to get a rich harvest

Tomatoes are one of the most finicky vegetable crops. This fact becomes especially relevant when plants are cultivated indoors, that is, in a greenhouse. Greenhouse tomatoes vitally need complete feeding - a complex of organic and mineral fertilizers.

Since growing tomatoes in a greenhouse is a real chance to bring the harvest forward by a couple of months, let’s consider what is especially important when feeding tomatoes in a greenhouse, what fertilizers to use and when.

How to feed tomatoes in a greenhouse

Most elements important for feeding tomatoes: nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus.

Most often, gardeners who grow tomatoes for themselves use organic fertilizers. Industrial farms use a simpler and cheaper way to feed tomatoes in the summer - mineral fertilizers (magnesium sulfate, Kemira Universal).

But the best option for fertilizing vegetable crops – use organic and mineral types of fertilizers. In this case, the plants receive all the important microelements they need for full growth and development.

Conclusion. It is better to alternate organic matter and minerals.

Fertilizer application scheme

The first fertilizing is carried out even before the seedlings are planted in the greenhouse.. For 1 m² use a bucket of compost or humus and two glasses of wood ash. Thanks to these organic substances, the earth is filled with nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and other trace elements.

Fertilizers at different stages of vegetable growth

Vegetable crops require a variety of fertilizers at each stage of their development.

Planting seedlings and ripening the bush

During the planting period, it is not necessary to add fertilizers to the soil in large quantities., since soil with fertilizers (compost, humus, ash) already contains all the microelements necessary for future seedlings. Within a week, the vegetable crop will adapt to the soil, after which the first leaves will appear.

After 2 weeks you can carry out mineral fertilizing substances that contain phosphorus (40 g), potassium (15 g) and nitrogen (25 g). The substances are diluted in 10 liters of water, 1 liter is used for each bush.

Important! During this period, you should not abuse fertilizers, including organic matter. If you overdo it with fertilizing (manure), the stems will become thick, the leaves will become large, but the fruits will become small and few in number.

Plant flowering and ovary formation

After planting seedlings in a greenhouse, do not rush to feed the plant.. Wait a week and see how well the bushes take root. When the plant begins to bloom en masse, it is time to apply fertilizer.

During flowering, fertilizing with organic matter (manure) and potassium sulfate is suitable. You can use mineral fertilizer "Kemira-universal".

When the plant begins to bear fruit and the fruits ripen, it especially needs potassium. Potassium accelerates the redistribution of nutrients and their entry into the resulting fruit.

Reference! During this period, the plant also especially needs nitrogen and phosphorus.

Fruit growth

As the fruits ripen, pay attention to how the plant develops. If the stem has stopped growing and the leaves have faded, it is necessary to repeat feeding.Dissolve 1 tbsp in a bucket of water. l. sodium humate and 2 tbsp. l. superphosphate. This solution will help the tomatoes grow faster.

If the plant develops well, fertilizing is not required.

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Types of fertilizing

Plant nutrition are divided into two types: foliar and root.

Foliar feeding

Foliar feeding necessary if you want to increase plant productivity. Do not overuse this type of feeding; do it only when necessary.

Fertilizing is carried out in warm weather with open windows.

If tomatoes are deficient in boron (the bushes bloom but do not set fruit), the plants are sprayed with boron solution (2 g of boric acid diluted in 10 liters of water). Iodine will protect the plant from late blight. 10 drops of iodine are diluted in 10 liters of water.

Root feeding

Root feeding carried out at all stages of plant maturation and fetal formation. It can be organic (compost, manure) or mineral (potassium sulfate, sodium humate, superphosphate).

Traditional methods

Organic fertilizers for feeding tomatoes are especially popular among gardeners:

1. Ash. Used to strengthen the root system, contains nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. To prepare the solution, take 10 liters of water and two glasses of ash. Mix everything and leave in a dark place for a week. Then water the tomatoes.
2. Yeast. Organic feeding increases the plant’s immunity and fruiting, and helps withstand the heat. To prepare the solution, use dry powder or yeast in granules. Place 100 g of the substance in a bucket of warm water.Once a week, pour a liter of solution under each plant.
3. Herbal infusions. The advantage of herbal infusions is that tomatoes receive nitrogen in an easily digestible form. Any plastic container is suitable for preparing the infusion. Fill 2/3 of the container with grass. It should not contain seeds. After this, water is poured. It should not reach 5-10 cm from the edge. Then the container is covered with film and left for 2 weeks. Water the roots with a solution diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.
4. Compost. One of the best fertilizers for tomatoes is compost. It improves soil fertility. But this organic matter must be prepared a year before planting the seedlings in the greenhouse. Compost is suitable for freshly cut grass, weeds that do not produce seeds, food waste, hay, sawdust, egg shells and much more. All this is stacked in layers into a special storage facility for agricultural products. Over the course of a year, biochemical reactions occur within the mixture, resulting in an organic fertilizer rich in nutrients. Compost is applied immediately before planting seedlings or in the fall.
5. Manure. Valuable nutrient for vegetable crops. Manure is applied to the ground in the fall, when the entire crop has already been harvested. During the time before planting seedlings, the percentage of ammonia in the soil will decrease. 5 kg of manure is applied per 1 m² of land.
6. Chicken droppings also applied to the soil in the fall after harvesting.

Mineral mixtures

Mineral mixtures contain substances necessary for plant growth and fruit development. They may contain one component or several.

The best mixtures and rules for their application

Most effective complex mineral supplements for plants:

1. Nitroammofoska. Mineral fertilizer is rich in phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. Directly affects productivity indicators. Dissolve 50 g of nitrophoska in 10 liters of water in a container until the granules completely disappear. The solution is poured into each well before planting. For one tomato bush, use 1 liter of fertilizer.
2. Calcium nitrate. The substance is rich in calcium and nitrogen, promotes intensive plant growth and fruit development. 20 g of fertilizer are dissolved in a bucket of water. For the first time, root feeding is carried out 7 days after planting in open ground, then once a week until the flowers appear.
3. Ammophos. Contains a lot of phosphorus. Fertilizer stimulates fruiting and development of the root system. Fertilizing can be applied in dry form (into the ground at a distance of 10 cm from the arch) or watered with a solution at the root.

How to determine which minerals are missing

In order not to use fertilizers that are unnecessary for tomatoes, and not to waste effort, time and money on preparing solutions, you need to learn to determine the needs of plants:

• phosphorus - plants cannot easily tolerate cold, resistance to diseases and pests is sharply reduced;
• potassium – lack of potassium has a bad effect on the taste of fruits and the condition of the root system;
• nitrogen – if the plant lacks nitrogen, the leaves may turn yellow, the development of the plant’s vegetative system will stop, the roots will weaken, and the yield will decrease;
• calcium – leaves curl;
• magnesium and zinc – the leaves become dome-shaped, small, and may be covered with yellow dots;
• sulfur - the plants begin to fade, the leaves turn yellow on the upper side of the bush;
• boron tomatoes lose their ability to set fruit;
• copper - leaves become limp, turn white, new leaves grow with a bluish tint;
• manganese - the foliage acquires a variegated color, the veins are dark;
• molybdenum - the leaves become spotted in color, then the edges of the leaf curl inward or die off;
• iodine - plants suffer from fungal infections (brown spot, late blight, root rot).

Read also:

Why spray tomatoes with iodine serum?

Why tomatoes don’t grow in a greenhouse and what to do about it

Tips and tricks from experienced farmers

To ensure that tomatoes grow and bear fruit well, follow these steps: recommendations from experienced farmers:

1. Do not plant tomatoes in soil that is too fertilized with organic matter.
2. Carry out the first feeding of tomatoes planted in the ground in early June.
3. It is not recommended to use manure to fertilize tomatoes more than 2 times per season.
4. The best fertilizer for seedlings is any liquid organic fertilizer (example: vermicompost). It is diluted according to the instructions, a little ash is added, and then the plant is watered with the solution.
5. If plants need emergency help, then foliar feeding is a way to quickly receive nutrients.

Conclusion

When feeding tomatoes, use organic and mineral fertilizers, but do not unreasonably increase the amount of feeding - they depend on the growing season and the needs of the plant.

During the growth of the vegetable crop, monitor the condition of the bushes. Poor condition of leaves and roots can indicate what substance is missing. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are three essential elements that a plant needs at every stage of its development.