Content
Growing tomatoes in Siberia has its own characteristics that must be taken into account when planting this culture. The region is characterized by unpredictable weather and frequent temperature changes. To obtain a good harvest in the open field, tomato varieties are carefully selected, the soil is prepared and fertilized regularly.
Variety selection
For planting in Siberia, varieties are selected that can withstand the conditions of this region. This includes tomatoes that are resistant to spring and autumn cold snaps. Outdoors, plants must tolerate severe temperature extremes. Most of these varieties are bred as a result of selection.
The following varieties of tomatoes are selected for planting in Siberia:
- Ultra-ripe Is a compact shrub with medium-sized fruits. Tomatoes ripen 70 days after germination. The plant does not require special care and adapts well to external conditions.
- Demidov Is a mid-season variety that forms standard bushes. The fruits have good taste and ripen after being removed from the bush.
- Siberian heavyweight - a variety of early ripening up to 80 cm high. Fruits are formed weighing 0.4 - 0.6 kg, therefore, the plant is tied up during fruiting. The low yield of these tomatoes is compensated by the large weight of the fruits.
- Abakan pink - a medium-late ripening variety, which is distinguished by long-term fruiting. The plant requires a garter and the formation of 2 stems. The height of the tomato is 80 cm. The variety is valued for its high yield and taste.
- Kemerovets Is an early ripening variety that takes 100 days to ripen its first fruits. The height of the bushes is up to 0.5 m. The plant does not require the formation of a bush and pinching, it tolerates difficult weather conditions.
- Barnaul cannery - an early ripe undersized variety that gives dense rounded fruits. Fruiting lasts 2 months. The variety is intended for canning.
- Grandee - mid-early tomato, bringing the first harvest 100 days after germination. The height of the bush does not exceed 0.7 m. The average weight of the fruit is 0.2 kg, some specimens reach 0.6 kg.
Soil preparation
Cultivation of soil for planting tomatoes begins in the fall. During this period, you need to remove the remnants of the previous culture and carefully dig up the soil. Planting of plants is allowed to be carried out in places where zucchini, cucumbers, beets, corn, carrots, legumes were previously grown.
Tomatoes prefer neutral soil, which has good moisture and air permeability. Compost, ash, humus must be added to the soil.
Plantings should not be exposed to excessive moisture. Otherwise, the development of plants will slow down, and fungal diseases will appear.
In spring, mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil to a depth of 20 cm. It is recommended to use up to 10 g of urea, 50 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium chloride per square meter of beds.
For planting tomatoes, the beds are located from north to south. At least 1 m is left between the beds, and up to 0.7 m between the rows. Bars up to 5 cm high must be made. The beds can be divided into sections up to 0.5 m, in each of which two plant bushes are planted.
Getting seedlings
For growing tomatoes in open ground in Siberia, tomato seedlings are first formed, which are then transferred to a permanent place.
At the end of March, the seeds must be soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 15 minutes. If the seeds of the plants float, then they are not used for planting.
Then the remaining material is wrapped in a damp cloth, and then left for several days. The seeds that are most active can be planted in small containers with soil.
For seedlings, it is better to use purchased soil. If the soil is taken from the garden, then first it must be calcined in the oven or microwave for 10 minutes. Additionally, before planting plants, the earth is disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate.
The top of the container can be covered with foil to provide young plants with high humidity and temperature. For germination, tomatoes require a temperature regime above 25 degrees. If the soil is dry, then it needs to be watered abundantly.
The first shoots appear in 4-6 days. Additional lighting is provided if necessary. The length of daylight hours for tomatoes is 16 hours. On a sunny day, when the air warms up, the seedlings are taken out to the balcony.
A distance of 40 cm is left between the bushes. The disembarkation is made on a cool day, when there is no wind and direct sunlight.
When tomatoes are transferred to open ground, the stem is buried 2 cm, which contributes to the formation of new roots in the plant. If the probability of spring frosts remains, then the plantings are covered with a film or special material.
Care rules
Proper care of tomatoes allows you to get a good harvest in the Siberian climate. Plants require regular watering, mulching, or loosening of the soil. The supply of nutrients is provided by feeding tomatoes. Particular attention is paid to protective measures aimed at combating diseases and pests.
Organization of watering
When growing tomatoes, you need to provide a moderate intake of moisture. Its excess negatively affects the development of plants and provokes the spread of diseases.
Tomatoes are able to withstand a short drought. In such a situation, moisture is introduced constantly, but in small portions. With intensive watering, the fruit will crack.
It is not recommended to water the planting with cold water from a hose. It is better to collect water in containers in advance and leave them to warm up in the sun. If necessary, add warm water to them. Watering plants is carried out in the morning or in the evening.
In the open field, tomatoes are watered after the moisture is completely absorbed. Do not allow the soil to dry out. Watering frequency is adjusted to account for the amount of precipitation. On average, tomatoes are watered once a week.
Low-growing plants need 2-3 liters of water, while tall tomatoes may need up to 10 liters. It is not recommended to water the plants for the first 2 weeks after planting.
On a large plot, you can equip drip irrigation. For this, a piping system is used to ensure a uniform flow of moisture to the plants. The drip system allows you to track the water consumption for tomatoes.
Loosening or mulching
After each watering, the soil is loosened. The procedure helps to warm the soil, improves the penetration of moisture and nutrients. This removes weedsthat interfere with the normal development of tomatoes.
The first loosening is done immediately after planting the tomatoes. Then the procedure is repeated every 2 weeks. The depth of soil loosening is up to 3 cm.
Together with loosening, you can spud tomatoes. Hilling promotes the growth of the plant root system and strengthens the planting.
Mulching consists in creating a protective layer above the soil surface. This procedure increases yields, accelerates fruit ripening, protects the tomato root system from moisture loss. Mulched soil does not require loosening and weeding.
The organic layer keeps the plants warm and moist, providing additional nutrition for the tomatoes. For these purposes, cut grass is suitable, which is carefully dried. Periodically, the mulching layer will rot, so it needs to be renewed.
Fertilization
Regular feeding provides tomatoes with useful substances responsible for the growth of green mass, the formation of ovaries and fruits.
Tomatoes require fertilization at the following stages of development:
- after planting plants;
- before flowering;
- when an ovary appears;
- in the process of fruit ripening.
The first feeding is performed two weeks after the transfer of plants to open ground. A solution is prepared for her, consisting of superphosphate (40 g) and potassium sulfate (10 g). The components are dissolved in 10 liters of water, after which the tomatoes are watered at the root.
The treatment is repeated until the inflorescences appear in the plants. When the ovary appears in tomatoes, you can prepare a yeast top dressing. This will require 10 g of dry yeast and 1 tbsp. l. sugars that are mixed and left for several hours. Then water is added to the resulting mixture in a ratio of 1:10 and the plants are watered.
During the fruiting period, solutions containing phosphorus are prepared. For 5 liters of water, you will need 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate and liquid sodium humate.
You can feed the tomatoes with an ash-based solution. A bucket of water will require 0.2 kg of wood ash. The solution is infused for 5 hours, then filtered and diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 3. The resulting product is watered plants at the root.
Foliar processing
Foliar feeding will help speed up the supply of nutrients. For its preparation, mineral and organic substances are used.
During the flowering period, tomatoes are sprayed with a solution containing boric acid. 1 g of boric acid is taken per liter of water.
Another method of spraying is the use of superphosphate. For 1 liter of water, 2 tbsp is required. l. of this substance. The agent is insisted for 10 hours, after which it is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.
A break of up to 10 days is taken between treatments. Leaf processing should be alternated with root fertilization.
Protection against diseases and pests
Violation of the rules for planting and caring for tomatoes contributes to the development of diseases and the appearance of pests. The following rules will help protect plants in Siberia in a greenhouse and open field:
- avoid thickening of plantings;
- compliance with crop rotation;
- timely watering and fertilization;
- preventive treatment.
Tomatoes are prone to late blight, powdery mildew, brown and white spot. Most diseases are spread by the fungal method in a high humidity environment.
When the first symptoms appear, plants are treated with fungicides: Fitosporin, Quadris, Ridomil, Bravo. In a rainy summer, it is recommended to process plantings every two weeks as a preventive measure.
For the prevention of tomato diseases, you can use folk methods. One of them is spraying plants with a solution containing 1 liter of milk, 15 drops of iodine and a bucket of water. The product prevents the penetration of harmful microbes into plant tissues.
The greatest damage to plantings is caused by aphids, whiteflies, bear, spider mites. To protect against insects, insecticides are used - "Zolon", "Sherpa", "Confidor".
Folk remedies are actively used to combat insects.A little wood ash can be poured between the rows with tomatoes, it additionally supplies plants with useful minerals. Onions and garlic can be planted between the rows of tomatoes, which repel pests.
Conclusion
For cultivation in Siberia, varieties are selected that are resistant to cold snaps and temperature extremes. Most of these varieties are bred specifically for this region, so the plants are adapted to the harsh conditions. A well-lit place is chosen for planting. High yields of tomatoes can be achieved through proper soil preparation, fertilization and watering.
About growing tomatoes in Siberia is described in the video:
