Window tomato. How to grow tomatoes for the New Year's table

» Tomatoes

Tomatoes all year round– this is no longer a novelty. But if it’s not from a supermarket bag, but from a window sill in your own apartment, it’s exclusive. Juicy, ripe, sweet and, most importantly, environmentally friendly fruits on your table will delight the whole family. At the same time, there are no costs, neither money nor time. This review provides a description and characteristics the best varieties potted tomatoes.

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, many different hybrid varieties tomatoes, unpretentious, but very productive, which easy to grow on a windowsill at home in an ordinary flower pot. By maintaining a microclimate suitable for tomato growth, you can pamper yourself in winter with the unique taste of homemade tomatoes.

Because the ripening time of various early ripening varieties varies from 90 to 110 days, easy to calculate the date of planting seeds so that New Year's table The fragrant fresh tomatoes are ripe. The main thing is to choose the right variety that meets all your wishes. You will have the opportunity to harvest a large harvest from a limited area at any time of the year.

The best indoor varieties for a mini-garden at home

For a window bed of tomatoes, standard and ampel varieties are suitable. They develop in height no more than 35-45 cm, do not branch, which means they do not need to be tied up. Many hybrids are adapted to short daylight hours and lack of sun rays, good resistance to the most common diseases (blackleg, leaf mold).

From neat small bushes you will get 1-2 kg of fruit per season. If you plant in batches of several bushes with an interval of 20-30 days, you can provide yourself with vitamins for the whole winter. In addition, indoor tomatoes have excellent taste qualities And increased content sugar and vitamins in the pulp (compared to regular ones).

The best standard hybrids for growing on a window at home are:

Balcony miracle

Forms standard bushes about 0.5 m high, tolerates lack of light well, fruits are round, red, weighing 70-100 g, with a high content of sugars. The tomato begins to bear fruit 80 days after germination.

Micron NK

The smallest known variety, the height of the bush barely reaches 15 cm, sweet fruits of red or bright yellow color weighing 10-12 g, ripening period 100-110 days. This variety is more decorative and does not depend at all on the length of daylight hours.

Pinocchio

Compact bushes, one of the best indoor tomatoes, the fruits are sweet, round, weighing up to 20 g. You can grow them in the garden in the summer, and in the fall, transplant them into pots and bring them home. And if you sow the seeds after September 20, you will reap the first harvest by the New Year. - mid-season, ripens in 105-115 days.

Bonsai

Early ripening variety (ripens in 85 days), unpretentious to light, the yield is not the highest - 0.5 kg, but the fruits are very tasty and sweet;

Honey bunch

Early ripening standard bush with a dense crown, height – 40 cm, the fruits are sweet, juicy, yellow in color. It has high productivity.

There are a lot of indoor and balcony varieties, and they all enjoy deserved popularity: Cherryfingers F1, Balcony Yellow, Yellow Pearl, Micro Bonsai, F1 Balcony Red, Room Surprise, etc. A unique feature is that they can grow for more than one season. Dried bushes can be left in pots, watered occasionally, and after a while green leaves will begin to appear again. Tomatoes can grow like this for up to 5 years, but the yield will decrease. The bushes bear fruit most abundantly in the first 2-3 years.

Cherryfingers F1

Proper preparation of seeds for planting at home

The principle of growing tomatoes at home is no different from growing them in the garden: first we get seedlings from seeds, then we plant them in pots permanent place. You should worry about preparing the seeds and soil for planting in advance.

It is better to buy seeds in specialized stores to be sure of the quality and compliance with the variety indicated on the package.

But still, before planting, it is better to check again and sort the full grains from the empty ones. To do this, immerse them in salted water for 10 minutes (1 teaspoon per 200g of water). Half-dried or empty seeds will float, while healthy, full-fledged seeds will sink to the bottom. They need to be soaked for 20-30 minutes in a manganese solution, to protect future plants from late blight.

To speed up the germination of seeds, you can put them in damp cloth for "pecking". Tomato seeds prepared in this way are sown in a seedling container in moistened soil to a depth of 1 cm and at a distance of 3 cm from each other. After this, the soil is lightly compacted, covered plastic film and put away in a warm place until shoots appear. The film needs to be pricked in several places so that excess moisture does not accumulate under it, as this can cause seedling diseases. It is advisable to maintain a daytime temperature of + 22-25 degrees, a night temperature of +15-17.

After about a week, the first leaves (false) appear, the temperature at this time is lowered to 20 degrees and the room is occasionally ventilated. It is also necessary to monitor the humidity - do not overdry, but also do not over-moisten, so that the seedlings do not get sick with “black leg”.

You can prepare the soil yourself or buy a ready-made substrate. For healthy plant growth and a good harvest, the following mixture is most suitable:

• the soil itself must consist from 50% humus, 45% chernozem, 5% sand;
• for enrichment add 1 cup of wood ash per bucket of soil, 1 matchbox each of superphosphate, potassium sulfate, urea.

Fill containers with this mixture - plastic cups with drainage holes or wooden boxes with pallets 10-12cm high.

Transplanting tomato seedlings and further care

After 2-3 true leaves appear on the seedlings, it is necessary to pick the seedlings, i.e. you need to select the strongest and most developed sprouts and plant them in pots or other containers specially prepared for this. The container size should be 8-10 liters, for the smallest decorative varieties For tomatoes, you can take a 4-5 liter container. In the process of caring for plants, you need to follow the basic rules and technologies of agricultural technology:

• Lighting. Pots with tomatoes are placed on windowsills on the south side. Once every two days they are turned 180 degrees so that the plant is level and does not bend over. sunny side. In cloudy weather, as well as in the mornings and evenings, it is necessary to provide the plants with additional lighting - a phytolamp or even ordinary electric lamps (except for those varieties whose growth does not depend on the length of daylight hours).

• Watering. Indoor tomatoes are very sensitive to watering. Regular soil moisture promotes good growth, ovary formation and fruit ripening. A lack of moisture will lead to fruit drop, but too much moisture will lead to the spread of various diseases - rot, late blight, fungal infections. You need to water 2 times a week, moderately and without irrigating the stems. When flowering begins, watering should be stopped and resumed when the ovaries appear.
• Feeding tomatoes. Three weeks after planting the seedlings and then every 10-15 days, we fertilize the plants with special mineral and organic fertilizers, which we apply to the moist soil on the second day after watering.
• Tying the lashes. Low standard bushes with a stable trunk usually do not need support. The branches of medium-sized tomatoes are tied to pegs, which are stuck into the ground, trying not to damage the root system.

• Stepsonning. It is necessary to carry out stepsoning, i.e. removal of “stepchildren” shoots in the leaf axils throughout the entire growth of plants for its proper formation. Stepchildren thicken the plant, take away nutrients, and reduce the yield of tomatoes.

After the formation of the main ovaries, it is also necessary to tear off the top.

• Pollination. Indoor varieties They give a fairly good harvest without pollination, but if desired, pollination can be carried out using a brush, carefully passing it over the flowers.

Growing hybrid varieties of tomatoes on a windowsill in winter time – This is not only beneficial, but also great pleasure, a very interesting activity. By paying a little attention and free time, you will get a harvest of exclusive varieties of bright, sweet and very healthy tomatoes from your windowsill. Caring for such a plant will be easy even for novice gardeners.

Tomatoes in winter, grown and ripened in your own garden, even on the windowsill, are where the special taste and joy lie. If your balcony is insulated, then tomatoes on the balcony will be no worse than on the windowsill.

Which varieties to choose

They sell a lot now different varieties. Which ones should you choose?

To grow tomatoes on a windowsill, it is best to choose seeds of low varieties. Their fruits, most often, are not very large or small. This is exactly what we need as they do not require much land for planting.

These varieties are Winter, Cherry, Yamal, Mini, Japanese Dwarf, Bullfinch, Snowdrop, Chinese Indoor, Balcony Charm, Polar Early and many other varieties.

To grow tomatoes on a balcony, if it is insulated, you can select taller and larger-fruited varieties. And care and everything else is no different from growing them on a windowsill.

What conditions are required for growing?

Indoor tomatoes grow well if you follow the necessary conditions. They don't like being overwatered. They need to be watered very carefully, otherwise they may get sick with blackleg or rot and die.

Tomatoes come from warm regions, they are native “Americans”, so they are heat-loving and need long sunny days. To provide this to them, it is necessary to keep the seedlings on the windows on the south side of the house, but this is not possible on the north side.

• On short winter days, seedlings need to artificially increase daylight hours by turning on additional lighting. These can be fluorescent lamps, energy-saving lamps or ordinary, fairly bright lighting. The daylight hours must be at least 12 hours.

• The temperature in the room can be reduced to 15-16°C at night, but during the day it should be at least 25-26°C. If the room is very hot, it is necessary to ventilate regularly; tomatoes are not afraid of drafts.

• Adding an excessive amount of organic fertilizers will cause strong growth of green mass, and few fruits will set, they will be small.

Step-by-step instructions for growing tomatoes

To grow indoor tomatoes, we first grow seedlings by purchasing seeds of the desired variety.

1. We start by germinating these seeds. Seeds must be treated to prevent late blight. We do this by soaking the seeds in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes.
2. Preparing the land for sowing. For this we need peat pots or plastic cups, at least 200 ml. We fill them with the purchased special soil mixture or we make (if you have your own plot) the mixture yourself: 5 parts soil + 5 hours humus + 2 hours sand, you can add a little peat. To a 10 liter bucket of the mixture, add 1 matchbox of urea + 1 box of potassium sulfate, a small handful of wood ash. Mix all this well and scatter into the prepared container.
3. Sow the treated seeds. We moisten the prepared soil with a small amount of water and place 2-3 seeds in shallow, up to 1 cm, dimples and cover them with soil. To prevent the soil from drying out, cover the containers with seeds with glass or film until the sprouts sprout. Place in a warm, but not hot, place. Next we just have to wait for the shoots. If necessary, sometimes you need to moisten the soil a little to make it easier for the seeds to sprout.
4. After the shoots appear, remove the film, move the pots to the window, and make sure that the sprouts have light and warmth. We regularly water the tomatoes on the windowsill, but little by little, carefully ensuring that there is no water in the ground. excess moisture.
5. After two true leaves appear, we make a pick, i.e. We plant the strongest sprouts in a separate bowl, where they will grow further. This utensil should be, significantly, large sizes, its volume should correspond to approximately 7-10 liter bucket.
6. Once every 10 days we feed the seedlings with ready-made mineral and organic fertilizers. How to breed and feed is usually written on the packaging. Do not forget to loosen the soil around the trunk, but very carefully, trying not to damage the roots.
7. As necessary, we tie the tomatoes to pegs, which we stick into the ground next to the trunk.
8. Stepsonning. During the period of plant growth, additional stems appear in the axils of the leaves - these are stepsons. They need to be removed, as they will take away nutrition from the fruit. You can leave 1 first stepson to form the second trunk of the plant.
9. When the fruits have already set, we leave 4-5 clusters on the trunk, the rest are removed along with the top of the stem and other inflorescences so that they do not interfere with the growth and ripening of the set fruits. Do not forget to remove dried leaves, including the lowest ones, which interfere with watering at the root. Tomatoes are self-pollinating plants, but they are also recommended to help pollinate. All you need to do is shake it slightly flowering plant or move a soft brush over the flowers. We do this very carefully. Tomatoes can become diseased without proper care. If the soil is excessively moistened, they are at risk fungal diseases, such as: mold on the leaves, rot on the stem or late blight - black spots on the leaves.
10. To prevent late blight, tomatoes (plants) are treated with an infusion of garlic and potassium permanganate, consisting of ½ tbsp. garlic + 1/2 gram of potassium permanganate, diluted in three liters of water. You can periodically spray with a solution of phytosporin.
11. Fruits that have become full and beginning to turn pink should be removed and placed to ripen on a window or in cardboard box. They will no longer take nutrients from the still growing tomatoes.

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill is not a very difficult task, but to get a good result, you need to put effort into it, like any other task. Plants must be grown with love and diligence, then they will be large and tasty.

Growing tomatoes at home is quite interesting and useful activity. The most important thing is that there is nothing complicated in the work due to the fact that modern conditions you can buy everything you need.

Another huge plus, in my opinion, is that you can grow tomatoes all year round, so if you wish, you can enjoy a fresh harvest at least for a while. New Year, even on March 8 - no chemicals and no crazy expenses when buying.

How to get a great harvest

From the title it is clear that I will talk about five components, without which it is impossible to get a harvest at home. I want you to understand right away that the growing process is simple, but if you violate its individual requirements, you will get several times less harvest or even lose it completely in some cases.

Therefore, carefully read the agricultural technology; I am talking about the simplest option in my opinion, which requires minimal time and effort.

Factor 1 – seed selection

Even before starting work, you need to purchase high-quality planting material. More depends on this than you think, for the simple reason that there are so many low-quality seeds on sale that the likelihood of buying something unknown is very high.

So that you do not make a mistake when choosing, remember a few simple tips:

• Buy seeds only in specialized stores. There are no markets, street stalls or other sellers on wheels - their probability of buying a good product is zero. In addition, when selling on the street or in open structures, the storage conditions for seeds are violated, which directly affects their germination;
• Pay attention to the seed manufacturer; the following companies have proven themselves best: “Gavrish”, “Russian Garden”, “Aelita”, “SeDek”, “Artikul”, “Plazmas”, “Poisk” and “Sortsemovoshch”. All types of seed material from these brands are zoned, that is, suitable for cultivation in all regions of our country. Foreign options are also suitable, because we choose seeds for growing indoors, and here the microclimate is approximately the same everywhere;

• When choosing a specific option, be sure to ensure that it is suitable for home grown . After all, most varieties for open ground are not suitable for our purposes. Below I will talk about specific varieties that I can recommend, but this is far from full list, and there are many other good options on sale;
• Sellers should always have documentation of the quality of seeds. They won’t show you anything on the market due to lack of availability, so there can be no talk of any quality;
• You can purchase specially processed seeds; they can be in the form of dragees from a nutrient mixture, they can be encrusted with a thin layer of a special composition, or they can be treated with plasma. All these options are characterized by increased germination, but their price is noticeably higher than that of conventional seeds.

Remember that tomato seeds remain viable for 4-5 years. Therefore, check the date of manufacture; it is better not to take planting material produced more than 3 years ago.

Now let's look at specific varieties, I can recommend you several options:

Factor 2 – preparing everything you need

In addition to seeds, we will need many other ingredients. Let's look at their list:

• Soil for planting - if previously it was necessary to mix peat, compost and other components, these days it is much easier to buy a ready-made option that does not need to be disinfected. There is no need to save money and make the soil yourself, since the soil that you collect in the field or somewhere else may contain disease spores or pests. The finished soil is processed and enriched with nutrients, which significantly simplifies the work process;

• To create drainage at the bottom of boxes or pots, purchase fine expanded clay. Many people work without it, but tomatoes do not like waterlogging, so drainage will protect you from this factor by taking away excess moisture. You don’t need a lot of expanded clay or other granules - literally 2 cm is poured onto the bottom;
• For planting seeds for seedlings, it is better to adapt a box; options for flowers are well suited, they have optimal size and easy to carry. Another huge plus is their small width, thanks to this the container can be placed on the windowsill so that the seedlings grow better naturally;

• Seedlings, when they grow up, are best grown in separate cups; these can be either special options or ordinary ones plastic containers. The main thing is to have the required number of cups on hand so that you don’t have to run to the shops just before the transfer;
• Tomatoes are transplanted to a permanent place either into pots with a volume of at least 3 liters, or into boxes, again the volume per plant should be the same 3 liters. You must purchase the required number of containers, but do not forget that you must have enough space on the windowsills for them;
• To disinfect and treat seeds, purchase potassium permanganate, any growth stimulant composition, as well as complex fertilizer, which will be used to process tomatoes.

If you grow tomatoes during periods with little daylight, you will additionally need a fluorescent lamp to illuminate the plants. Its use allows us to artificially increase daylight hours and significantly increase the productivity of our small plantation.

Factor 3 – preparation and planting of seeds

Now let's move on directly to the actions; the instructions for carrying out the work consist of the following steps:

• First you need to prepare the containers; I recommend planting the seeds in boxes, this simplifies the work process and allows you to plant the already sprouted plants in their places. If you plant immediately in cups, not everything may sprout, and some of the containers will sit idle to no avail. The work is simple: fill the soil and water it hot water until well hydrated;
• Checking seeds is necessary in order to initially reject low-quality material if it is present. To test, we need a glass of warm water, into which a spoonful of table salt is poured and thoroughly stirred. Seeds are poured into the resulting solution and mixed well, after the movement in the container has calmed down, all high-quality seeds will be at the bottom, and damaged and empty ones will float up, they need to be drained;

If you have seeds in a nutrient solution or encrusted special composition, then there is no need to check them.

• The seeds should be processed; first of all, they are immersed in a solution of potassium permanganate for 15-20 minutes. After this, they need to be soaked in a solution of a plant growth stimulator, which is prepared as indicated on the package. The seeds are left for 10 hours; the easiest way is to soak them overnight so that you can plant them in the morning (if you plant in the evening, soak the seeds in the morning);
• The prepared seeds are planted in containers, lines 1.5-2 cm deep are made in the soil, into which the seeds are laid out in increments of 2.5-3 cm. There is no point in planting thicker, since tested and prepared seeds germinate almost 100%. The depressions are filled with soil and slightly compacted; there is no need to tamp too hard, this will make it difficult for the sprouts to break through to the surface.

The containers with seeds that we have prepared must be covered with transparent polyethylene; it prevents the evaporation of moisture and maintains the microclimate necessary for germination and does not impede the penetration of light. All boxes or boxes are placed in a warm place, the temperature should be about 30 degrees, so seedlings will appear in 3-5 days.

Factor 4 – growing seedlings

Now let’s figure out how to grow seedlings, since it is at this stage that problems often arise. Plants that have not yet matured are much more easily susceptible to various diseases and much more sensitive to violations optimal conditions growing. Therefore, we will analyze this part of the work in as much detail as possible:

• When a couple of false leaves have appeared on the plants and they have already risen above ground level, you can begin to harden them. The containers can be placed on the windowsill and ventilated; the temperature during this period should be 20-25 degrees. You should not expose the seedlings to drafts, do not lose sight of this nuance;

• To prevent young shoots from getting sick with black leg, which often destroys crops, it is necessary to observe several simple recommendations: do not over-moisten the soil, do not keep plants at temperatures below 20 degrees and remove weak shoots when plantings are dense. Remember that watering is only needed when the soil dries out, it should not be constantly wet;
• When our plants already have two true leaves, we can carry out the first fertilizing. For this, a composition is prepared, and its concentration should be half that for adult plants (that is, half the amount of dry powder is added to the water). Fertilizing is done in cloudy weather a couple of hours after watering or the next day after it, there is no need to pour the leaves, apply fertilizing to the soil;
• If there is light shining through the windows bright sun, then it is better to protect the plants from it with a sheet of paper, since young leaves can get burned. On such days, it is better to keep our crops on the western or northern side of the house so that they do not get burned;

• When the plant has a couple of full-fledged leaves, you need to start replanting it into separate containers, it is best to use plastic cups, it is convenient to control soil moisture in them. When replanting, carefully dig up a bush with a piece of soil and plant it in a glass, after which it is watered and the plant is placed in a warm place with a temperature of 20-25 degrees;
• Once every two weeks you can water our seedlings with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and fertilize with the same frequency. Above I wrote how to cook nutritional mixture, here everything is done in the same way. To prevent mold, you can spray the plants with a milk solution (50 g per 500 g of water) once every 2 weeks; this is the simplest and most effective method prevention;
• During the growing process, carefully monitor the air temperature and periodically ventilate the room, this will prevent the appearance of whiteflies - small moths that lay eggs on seedlings. Rotate the seedlings periodically different sides to the window so that it grows evenly, and does not lean to one side and does not reach for the light;

• Approximately 3 weeks after transplantation, when the seedlings are sufficiently strong and begin to grow, they can be transplanted to a permanent place. They are best suited for these purposes (for small tomatoes, a volume of 3 liters is enough, for larger bushes it is better to take options 4-5 liters in size). You can also use boxes, in which case the distance between plants should be at least 25 cm;

If your tomato seedlings are withering on the window, then you need to urgently take action, most often the cause is insufficient watering or insufficient lighting. Therefore, if necessary, add additional light to the plants, and as for watering, remember that as plants grow, they consume more moisture, so its amount should constantly increase.

Factor 5 – proper plant care

Now let's figure out how to grow tomatoes on a window. To achieve best harvest, several important requirements must be observed:

• Plants should be located in the south or east side to receive enough light. If you grow tomatoes in autumn or winter, it is better to use additional lighting and use a lamp to increase daylight hours by 2-3 hours, this will significantly improve fruit set and ripening;
• The first feeding is carried out 3 weeks after transplantation to a permanent place, in the future this work is carried out once every two weeks. Spray the plants with a milk solution from time to time, since mold can also appear at any time if preventive measures are not taken;
• You should not water the tomatoes too often; this is done as the top layer of soil dries out; in cloudy seasons, watering is usually done once every 3 days, and in hot weather - every other day or even daily. In hot weather, you can spray plants with a household sprayer to prevent the leaves from drying out;
• When the air temperature is above 30 degrees, it is better to remove tomatoes from the sun so that they do not burn. In addition, being in the heat provokes the growth of plants in height, and we do not need this at all;
• Tomatoes are not afraid of drafts, so in warm weather they can be taken out to the balcony and the windows wide open. In summer, you don’t have to bring them into the house at all, provided that the temperature at night does not drop below 15 degrees;

• When the tomatoes bloom, you need to shake the brushes with inflorescences in the morning to improve pollination. You can also treat the plants with a special composition “Ovary”, which improves the formation of fruits and helps increase productivity;

• If you have a variety that produces stepsons, then they must be broken off at a distance of 5 mm from the point of their formation. This is necessary so that excess nutrients are not wasted on them, and fruit set and ripening are accelerated;

If the bushes are tall or a lot of ovaries have formed on small plants and there is a danger of damage to the bush, then it is better to put a peg and tie up the bush. The support allows you to withstand any load, and is required for bushes that are taller than 40 cm;

• When tomatoes begin to ripen, they should be picked so that the plant spends nutrients on the unripe ovaries. Don't worry if the tomatoes are sour, put them on the window and in 2 days they will become tasty and sweet.

Conclusion

Growing tomatoes is not difficult, the main thing is to do this work at least once, and then with experience everything will be completely simple. Your crops will take literally 10 minutes a day, so even those who get home late can grow tomatoes. The video in this article will help you understand the topic even better, and if you have questions, write them in the comments below.

If you want to express gratitude, add a clarification or objection, or ask the author something - add a comment or say thank you!

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, tomatoes can be grown on a windowsill at any time of the year. There are many varieties that can produce good harvests V room conditions. Growing these is no more difficult than regular tomatoes in the garden, in addition, they are not afraid of either drought or the Colorado potato beetle. To enjoy fresh tomatoes in the winter cold, you need to learn all the nuances of this cultivation, but the most important thing is to choose the right variety.

The selection of indoor tomatoes is smaller than usual, but still impressive. Varieties differ in shape, size, color of the fruit, height and shape of the bush, as well as the ripening period and other parameters. Every year their list is supplemented with new varieties and hybrids from leading breeding companies. What varieties of tomatoes can be grown on a windowsill? Below are the most popular tomatoes for growing on a windowsill in winter:

• Balcony miracle. This early-ripening variety forms shredded bushes up to half a meter high. Its fruits are red, round, and high in sugar. Unlike most potted tomatoes, the fruits of this variety grow up to 70-100 g. With good care, the yield from one plant is about 2 kg. The variety is well adapted to the lack of light and can bear fruit well in winter.

• Room surprise. Early, rustic. The height of the bushes does not exceed half a meter, and the weight of bright red elongated fruits collected in clusters is 25-30 grams. The pulp of these tomatoes is very tasty and aromatic, they are great for salads. In winter, the plant must be illuminated, otherwise the harvest will be rather weak.
• Bonsai. A neat, lush bush up to 30 cm high. Tomatoes of this variety have a round shape and a rich red color, the weight of the fruit is 25 g. good care each plant produces 1 kg of delicious commercial tomatoes.
• Micron NK. Today he is considered the smallest kind tomato, its height is only 12-15 cm. Round, small fruits (10-12 g) are yellow and red. You should not expect high yields, but in terms of decorativeness, the variety is ahead of most tomatoes. Ideal for winter growing as it is not dependent on day length.

• Pinocchio. One of the best varieties in pots. The plants are low, maximum 30 cm, dense, compact. The weight of the fruit is about 20 g, the color is red. One bush produces from 1 to 1.5 kg of tomatoes, which are suitable not only for salads, but also for canning.
• Pygmy. Its fruits ripen 85-90 days after appearance. Variety of stems, universal use, good fruit on a short day. Its tomatoes are small, weighing 25 grams, red, aromatic. The bush itself looks very decorative during the ripening period.
• Florida Petit. Popular variety, rated for high yields. The bushes are compact in shape, do not exceed 30 cm in height, and do not require pinching. The fruit is small (20-40 g), red, with very sweet pulp. The ovaries are collected in long racemes, and during the ripening period the leaves are almost invisible under the fruits. The variety is resistant to low light and bears fruit well in winter.
• Honey bunch. Yellow and early ripening variety. You can grow both on the windowsill and on open ground. The height of stamping bushes does not exceed 40 cm, the crown is dense and does not require formation. The tomatoes weigh about 40 g and the yield is very high. The skin of the fruit is thin, orange, the flesh is sweet and juicy

Soil and seed preparation

How to grow tomatoes on a windowsill in winter? Like regular varieties, homegrown tomatoes are best grown through seedlings. And at this stage there are no differences, except that the sowing time is different. On average, tomatoes begin to bear fruit 90-100 days after germination, and if you want to have your first tomatoes by a certain date, consider this factor. For example, to harvest the first harvest in January, sow seeds for seedlings at the end of September.

Do you have experience growing tomatoes on a windowsill in winter?

YesNo

Before sowing seeds:

1. Disinfected by soaking for 15-30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
2. And then leave it on a damp cloth for several days to calibrate.
3. Preparation of tomato seeds.
4. Sow in a common container with regular soil or purchased substrate to a depth of no more than 1 cm.
5. The distance between seeds should be within 2-3 cm so that the seedlings are not thickened.

The seedlings are transplanted into separate containers as soon as 2-3 leaves are formed on the seedlings.

Pot sizes are selected depending on the type of tomatoes:

• for dwarfs with a volume of 1.5-2 liters;
• For ordinary room 3-4 liters;
• for hanging ones - at least 5 liters.

All pots must have drainage holes. It is important to properly prepare the soil, since its composition depends on the development and fruiting of the bush. Soil preparation the best option is the following composition:

1. 5 parts garden soil;
2. 2 parts sand;
3. 5 parts rotten compost;
4. 1 part peat.

To a bucket of this mixture you need to add a matchbox of urea and potassium sulfate, a handful of sifted wood ash. All this is thoroughly mixed.

Landing

Now you can start planting seedlings:

1. Place a drainage layer of fine gravel, pieces of bark, expanded clay or other material at the bottom of the pots. Fill the tanks to the top with soil and make a small groove in the center.
2. Pre-watered seedlings are carefully removed one by one and planted in pots, going deep into the cotyledon leaves. Water lightly. The soil must be saturated with air so that water gets into the roots.
3. Place the pots on the windowsill (preferably on the south side) and regularly turn them to the other side towards the light every 2 days. In the mornings and evenings, as well as in cloudy weather, plants should be illuminated with phytolamps.

After a week, the plants receive half of the nitrogen fertilizer needed for growth, and you should also take into account:

• During the flowering period, to increase the percentage of pollination, the stems of the plant are gently shaken and drawn along the flowers with a feather or soft brush.
• After the formation of the ovary, it is necessary to feed with potassium fertilizer once every two weeks.
• For those varieties that should form a bush, the stepsons are removed, the upper part of the main stem is clamped, and the excess ones are cut off flower buds to increase the size of the fetus.
• Tall bushes are tied to supports that are stuck into the ground along the edge of the pot.

Features of cultivation and care

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill in winter is not without diseases:

• If signs of a fungal infection appear, all plants are sprayed with phytosporin or another antifungal agent.
• To prolong fruiting, regularly pick ripe fruits, remove dried leaves, and do not forget about fertilizer and watering.
• The soil in the pots should be loosened periodically, trying not to catch the roots.

With such care, your tomatoes will delight you a bountiful harvest sweet, tasty fruits throughout the winter.

Photo

For a better understanding of the tomato varieties that can be grown in winter, you can view the photographs below.

You can also watch the video; a gardener with extensive experience will tell you how to grow indoor tomatoes in winter.

Growing and caring for tomatoes in a typical city apartment is not much different from growing them in open ground and caring for them. indoor plants. Nevertheless, this method provides an excellent opportunity to replace low-value vegetables from the store with environmentally friendly and very delicious products, grown with your own hands and with minimal costs and time.

A home windowsill can serve as more than just a place to grow indoor flowers, but also fresh tomatoes. As practice shows, many amateur gardeners plant in this way. different cultures. It is especially important to use this method, when it is not possible to equip a greenhouse.

Variety selection

At the agricultural market you can find a huge number of different varieties of tomatoes. To grow on a windowsill, it is better to choose varieties of short tomatoes. The fruits of such crops, as a rule, are small in size and weight, which is very important when land is limited. The following varieties meet these criteria:

• Bullfinch.
• Rowan beads.
• Japanese dwarf.
• Pink Angel.
• Room surprise.
• Little Red Riding Hood.
• Balcony charm.
• Leopold.

If the balcony is insulated, choose varieties with more large fruit and tall stem. Varieties of heavy tomatoes White filling and Bull's heart suitable for those who have a very wide window sills and it is possible to place boxes or flowerpots. However, remember that over time the bushes will become quite tall and will need to be placed on the floor.

Of the tall varieties, cherry tomatoes are grown on the windowsill. They will delight you with harvest all year round. This is not a particularly whimsical species that does not need much attention.

Seed treatment and selection of container for planting

First of all, be careful when choosing planting material. Always consider the expiration dates indicated on the original packaging. After purchasing seeds, be sure to check their germination. There are two ways to do this. The first consists of the following steps: wrap the seeds in a clean piece of cloth (10 pieces are enough), wet it a little in water, wringing it out excess liquid, and place it in plastic bag. Now send the bundle to a warm place for several hours. The percentage of similarity will be equal to the number of swollen seeds.

The second method is less labor-intensive. Accurate result it does not yield, but it allows you to separate high-quality seeds. Dissolve a tablespoon of salt in a glass of warm water until completely dissolved. Then throw the planting material into the resulting liquid and mix everything well. All the bad seeds will float (they will need to be drained along with the solution), while the good ones will remain at the bottom. Rinse quality seed under running water and dry in the sun.

Before starting sowing, it is necessary to disinfect the seeds. If there is no ready-made preparation, then a concentrated manganese solution will do. It is enough to soak the seeds in it for 15 minutes, then treat them with a growth stimulator. The latter promotes the friendly germination of planting material and improves its immune system.

Now select a container for growing tomatoes on the windowsill. It would be better if it were cylindrical and not square shape. Regular ones may suit you cans(for example, from condensed milk) or flower pots. Peat or plastic cups are ideal. Their volume should be at least 200 ml. At the bottom of the selected container, make five or six holes to drain excess moisture. The container should also be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Soil preparation and sowing

The next step is to prepare the soil. You can use ready-made soil mixture purchased at the store, or make it yourself. To do this, mix 5 parts earth + 5 parts humus + 1 part river sand and a little peat. Add a small amount of urea (no more than a matchbox) and the same amount of wood ash and potassium sulfate to 10 liters of the finished mixture. Mix the mixture thoroughly and pour into prepared cups.

Let's start sowing. If you need to grow tomatoes on a windowsill in winter, then sowing work is carried out in two stages: in October and at the end of November. This makes it possible to receive fruits throughout winter period and even in early spring. To extend the spring-summer growing of tomatoes, sow seeds in mid-February and in the last days of March. Such variations in time will provide you with fresh tomatoes throughout the year.

So, pour the prepared substrate into containers and moisten it well. Make small indentations (you can use a pencil) and place the sprouted seeds at a distance of about 2 cm from each other. The seeding depth is no more than 1-1.5 cm. Water the top again warm water. Cover the pots with a plywood board or glass and place in a warm place. When the first shoots appear (this will happen in a couple of days), you can open the plants and move them closer to the light. This completes the first stage of work. All you need to do is watch the development of the seedlings and water them on time.

When the plants get stronger, transplant them from the pots into buckets (the volume of the container for subsequent growth should be more than 7-10 liters). First, punch several holes at the bottom of the container to allow oxygen to reach the roots and to drain excess moisture. Fill the container three-quarters full with soil for indoor and fruit plants. Carefully, without destroying the earthen ball, transplant the seedlings into a bucket. At the same time, deepen the roots of the tomatoes by about 2.5 cm. Plant the seedlings one at a time in each bucket and tie them to a peg.

Now let the seedlings take root well without exposing them to the sun for five days. Next, in sunny weather, place the buckets on the windowsill, and on cold days and nights, bring them into the room. When will it be installed? warm weather, you can leave the seedlings on the balcony overnight. After a week, change the small pegs to large ones and tie the plants to them with a clothesline or cloth. When the tomatoes are well rooted and begin to actively grow, add soil to the buckets every ten days until they are filled to the brim. This ends the second stage of work.

Stepchildren will produce seedlings ( side shoots appearing in the leaf axils). Medium-sized tomato varieties should be formed into two stems. For this purpose, leave a stepson under the first inflorescence and tie it to an additional trellis or peg. For low-growing tomatoes, it is necessary to form 2-3 stems. To do this, in addition to the first shoot, leave a second one. It will give another crown with flowers, which will be in no way inferior to the main one. Stepchildren formed after 8-9 leaves at the top of the plant are good.

In addition to the stepsons, you should cut off yellowed and diseased leaves, as well as those that cover the fruits of the lower clusters of the plant. Sometimes they slow down the growing of tomatoes because they block the access of water to the rhizome. The remaining leaves do not need to be removed, as they participate in the synthesis of organic materials.

When most of the fruits have finished forming, pinch off the flowering clusters and the top of the plant so that they do not interfere with the tomatoes’ full development. Also, to speed up the growing season, use a technique such as “tearing the roots.” Grab the plant by the bottom of the stem and gently pull it up, as if trying to pull it out of the ground. This way you will tear off small roots and limit the supply nutrients. After this, accelerated development and ripening of the fruit occurs.

Caring for tomatoes on the windowsill

The main part of the work is done. Now provide the crop with proper care:

• During the day, the air temperature for growing tomatoes should be 20-25 °C, at night – 15-16 °C. Be sure to ventilate the balcony on particularly hot days. This will benefit the plant.
• Fertilize with organic or mineral fertilizers once every 8-10 days. Instructions for diluting the drug are always indicated on the packaging. Also, a weak solution of potassium permanganate will be useful for growing tomatoes on a windowsill.
• Don't forget to loosen the soil at the roots. Do this very carefully so as not to damage the root system.
• Tomatoes on the windowsill need watering (preferably drip). Place upside down in soil plastic bottle filled with water. The liquid will slowly seep through the unscrewed plug and gradually moisten the soil. Remember that too much watering harms plants (the development of diseases is possible).
• Tomatoes are a fairly light-loving plant. To grow them, choose windows facing south. In case of insufficient natural insolation, provide additional artificial lighting in the form of fluorescent lamps, energy-saving lamps, and fluorescent lamps. Specially designed phytolamps are considered especially effective. Place any of these devices at some distance from the top leaves of the seedlings (at least 25-30 cm). The daylight hours for tomatoes are 13-16 hours.
• To improve the pollination process, gently shake the flower brushes during flowering. Also lightly tap the stem of the plant so that pollen from the upper inflorescences falls onto the flowers located below. For this purpose, you can open the windows for air flow. Carry out this procedure very carefully, trying not to damage the bushes.

Another important measure when caring for tomatoes is disease control. A typical problem for all nightshades is late blight. Moreover, tomatoes suffer from this fungal scourge even in winter. To prevent its development, treat the leaves and stems with a tincture of manganese solution and garlic (1/2 g of potassium permanganate + 1/2 garlic per 3 liters of water). You can also use the method of spraying with phytosporin.