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Experienced gardeners never throw away old buckets and other unnecessary containers. They can grow wonderful tomatoes. Although some people do not welcome this method, the results of growing tomatoes in buckets speak for themselves. The reason for such a high yield is the rapid heating of the soil in the container. In addition, you must agree that it is much easier to care for a bush in a bucket than in a large area. Considering all the advantages of this method, let's see how it happens. growing tomatoes in buckets.
Features of growing in buckets
Feeding and watering tomatoes in buckets is much more efficient. The fact is that the liquid will not spread and 100% will get to the plant roots. It should be remembered that every year the soil from the container must be thrown out and replaced with a new one. This process is much faster than replacing the soil in a greenhouse. You just need to shake out the old soil and collect a new one. Various nutrients can be added to it.
Tomatoes grown in this way do not crack and also have a wonderful appearance. These tomatoes boast a dense and juicy pulp. Gardeners who have already grown tomatoes using this method claim that the quality of fruits is much better than greenhouse or from the garden. They reach their maximum weight and size.
Seed preparation
Before sowing, the seeds must be carefully sorted out, leaving only large and undamaged seeds. You can purchase such seeds in a specialized store or prepare them yourself. For this, several large and ripe tomatoes are left in the fall. Last year's seeds are best for growing seedlings.
Self-prepared seeds should be thoroughly warmed up with a lamp. Also, the seeds are etched with a solution of potassium permanganate. Purchased seeds are often already processed.
Growing tomatoes in buckets
Work should start with the preparation of containers. For this, any buckets with a volume of 10 liters or more are suitable. They can be very old, full of holes and useless for anything. It doesn't matter if they are plastic or metal. The main thing is that the bucket has a bottom, since it is in it that drainage holes will need to be made.
From autumn (late November - early November), it is necessary to place wood ash and humus in containers. Some add special substances here to make the processes in the soil faster. Then the mixture is poured with water and left directly in the buckets in the greenhouse. They can be placed in any convenient way or dug into the ground to a depth of about 20 cm.
The advantage of such a planting can be considered the fact that it will be possible to plant seedlings in containers much earlier than in open ground. Thus, the harvest will be earlier. Tomato containers can be placed anywhere on your site. They feel good both in the greenhouse and outside. This saves space for other crops. Only one seedling is planted in one container, so you can achieve the best results. Landing is carried out in the usual way for us. In the spring, any organic fertilizers can be added to the soil mixture. Since the soil in the containers is not renewed in a natural way, top dressing is simply necessary for the good growth of tomatoes.
Some gardeners are coming up with more and more new ways to grow crops. Recently, it has become popular to grow tomatoes in buckets upside down. To do this, a small hole is made in the bottom of the bucket through which the seedlings are pulled upside down. Then, holding the plant, the bucket is covered with soil. It should be well tamped and watered.
The advantage of this planting is that the soil does not need to be weeded and loosened. In addition, tomatoes planted upside down can be placed anywhere, for example, hung on a balcony, in a greenhouse, or simply on your site. In the video below, you can see in more detail how the tomatoes are planted upside down.
Caring for tomatoes in buckets
Growing tomatoes both outdoors and in buckets requires some care. It consists of the following steps:
- regular moderate watering directly under the root of the plant. Never spray tomatoes with water;
- buckets dug into the ground can be watered under them;
- if the buckets are in the greenhouse, remember to ventilate it regularly. Fresh air is very important for tomatoes;
- like tomatoes in the open field, such tomatoes need pinching and regular removal weeds;
- feeding is carried out no more than three times during the entire vegetative period.
Interesting Facts
Also, to grow tomatoes in this way, you need to know the following information:
- The more leaky the bucket, the better. This applies to those buckets that are buried in the soil. Thus, the roots of the tomato can penetrate through the holes into the ground and extract moisture.
- The high yield of tomatoes in buckets is also explained by the fact that the root system is close to the walls of the bucket, which warms up very quickly in the sun. And as you know, the yield of tomatoes directly depends on the heat.
- Metal containers heat up faster, and are also more hardy and durable. Experienced gardeners advise using them for growing tomatoes.
Conclusion
So, the article described step-by-step instructions on how to grow tomatoes in buckets. Applying these tips in practice, you can get an excellent harvest of tomatoes without much effort.
