Growing a tomato on a window in winter. Growing tomatoes at home - a mini-garden on the window

Growing indoor plants is the lot of green pet lovers. If we grow plants at home, mostly for the soul, then we can try to grow plants for food. This, it turns out, is not so difficult. For example, tomatoes on the windowsill are no longer exotic.

Tomatoes grow well not only in the garden or suburban area. You can break the "bed" on the balcony. Growing tomatoes and caring for them in an apartment is not much different from growing them in open field and caring for indoor plants.

Features of growing tomatoes in an apartment

Even a beginner lover of indoor vegetables can grow tomatoes at home. But there are also some features. Only a few basic rules should be followed: First of all, it should be noted that the tomato is a very photophilous plant, it tolerates direct sunlight well. For its cultivation, south-facing windows are suitable, and in case of insufficient natural light, additional artificial in the form of fluorescent lamps is needed.

If you decide to grow tomatoes on the windowsill, it is better to opt for dwarf undersized varieties. For growing tomatoes on a balcony, where large volumes of soil can be provided, taller and large-fruited varieties. For a home garden, choose also early-ripening varieties. Recommended are "White filling" and "Siberian early ripening", undersized variety of tomatoes "Leopold", small-fruited tomatoes and tomatoes "Cherry". Dwarf varieties are suitable for “apartment” tomatoes: Ruby, Oak, Bonsai, George Bush, Canada News, Japanese Room, Balcony Miracle, “Florida Petit” (Little Florida), Pinocchio, Pierreta 225. Undersized varieties of tomatoes are perfect for a window sill: “ Cow's ear”, “Pink Angel”, “Renet” (very early varieties), “Yamal”, etc. Their fruits, however, are not so large, but the pleasure is no less. Outdoors, plants grow 25 to 35 centimeters tall. In the room, they stretch up to 40 - 50 centimeters, but at the same time, the trunk of the plant is strong enough, and it is not necessary to tie up the plants.

Growing tomatoes on the windowsill in winter and summer

Outside the window - a severe frost, and on the windowsill - fresh tomatoes? It is possible with a little effort and love. Let's take a look at dwarf tomatoes. Why on them? Dwarf tomatoes are not afraid of direct sunlight, tolerate shade well, are not afraid of drafts, and are unpretentious in care. And most importantly - tomatoes give fruits weighing up to 50 grams. For a culture grown on a windowsill, these are good indicators! You can sow indoor tomatoes in 2 terms. If you want to have your own red tomatoes for the New Year's table, sow the seeds in August-September. Then fruiting will be from December to January. Tomatoes will begin to turn red in March if you sow the second batch in December.

To grow tomatoes on a windowsill, you will need to: choose containers for growing (cylindrical shape is better than square ones or choose the most illuminated window sill (preferably southern), organize additional lighting (preferably with a source of short-wave red-blue light) - if there is a lack of light, buds fall; plant seeds in pallets covered with plastic wrap, until seedlings appear, keep the pallets in a dark and warm (25-30 degrees) place, then the film is removed, after the appearance of two “real” leaves, the plants swoop down and planted in a permanent place; after planting in a permanent place for seedlings are cared for in the same way as in the open field - watering, pinching, feeding, disease control; if desired, and with sufficient skills, tomatoes at home can be grown hydroponically. Any housewife will come up with many ways to decorate various dishes with glorious babies. Or you can put on the table in a beautiful pot a whole bush with mature fruits - both a snack and decoration! Small sweet tomatoes are good both fresh and canned. By the way, when canned, they do not crack.

Growing tomatoes on the balcony

No later than March-April, start germinating the seeds.

For sowing seeds, we use 200 ml plastic cups. It is advisable to choose transparent cups so that you can control watering, which is important. Do not make holes for water at the bottom of the cups, because with a small volume, the soil will not have time to absorb enough water. Fill the cups with soil, pour boiling water over and let cool. Use a pencil to make holes in the soil and place the seeds in them. If the seeds are dry, put 2-3 seeds in one cup (leave the strongest sprouts after germination), and if germinated, you can distribute one in each cup. Next, put the cups in a warm place (about 25 ° C) and cover them with a film to prevent moisture from evaporating. On the third or fourth day, as soon as the first shoots appear, we transfer the crops to a cool windowsill with artificial lighting so that the seedlings do not stretch out unnecessarily, and do not water until upper layer the soil does not dry out to avoid the development of fungal diseases.

Treat the selected tomato seeds with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, wrap in a damp cloth, put on a saucer, and the saucer in a plastic bag. Keep the seeds warm, near the battery or in the kitchen, closer to the stove. Make sure the cloth is damp all the time. A few days will pass, and the seeds will release white roots. Now you will need flower pots or just tin cans, for example, from condensed milk. Make five or six holes in the bottoms of the cans and pour the earth, then to a depth of about 3-5 mm. place a germinated seed and pour gently with lukewarm water. Only one seed is placed in each pot. Close the jars with glass or plywood and put them back in a warm place. Water a little warm water without waterlogging the ground. Tomatoes prefer direct watering, under the root. For this, plastic bottles are used, they are placed upside down in the soil and moistened in this way. When shoots appear in a day or two, the plants can be opened and moved closer to the light, on the windowsill, not forgetting to water with water at room temperature. After about a week, water the seedlings with a solution of mineral fertilizer, and after a few more days with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

The first stage of work has been completed. Now you just need to watch how the plants develop and water them. In April, feed the tomatoes twice with a solution of mineral fertilizer and once with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. At the end of April or at the beginning of May, transplant plants from jars into buckets. First, punch two or three holes in the bottom of the bucket to drain excess moisture and allow oxygen to reach the roots. Fill the bucket three-quarters full with universal fruit and vegetable soil. indoor plants. Carefully, together with an earthen clod, transplant the seedlings into a bucket, deepening the roots by about two and a half to three centimeters, and water them properly. Plant one plant in each bucket and tie it to a stake. Now let the seedling take root well, without exposing it to the sun for five days. Then, if the weather is not rainy, you can take the buckets to the balcony, but on cold days and nights it is better to put them indoors. When warm weather sets in, leave the plants on the balcony and overnight. Small pegs must be changed to large ones and plants should be tied to them with a cloth or clothesline. And when the tomato is well rooted and grows, sprinkle the earth every ten days until the bucket is filled to the brim. The second stage of work has been completed. It remains only to water the plants well with water and feed with mineral fertilizer once a week.

Seedlings will grow, give side shoots - stepchildren - shoots developing in the axils of the leaves. Medium-sized tomato varieties are formed into two stems. To do this, a stepson is left under the first inflorescence of the flower brush and, as usual, tied to an additional stake or trellis. In undersized tomatoes, 2-3 stems are formed, for which, in addition to the first stepson, the second stepson is also left. They form a second crown with flowers, in no way inferior to the main one. Stepsons that appear at the top of the plant, after the 8th-9th leaf, are good. Ideally, a stunted plant should have a stem and two stepsons at different levels. In addition to stepchildren, diseased and yellowed leaves are also removed, as well as leaves that cover the fruits of the lower brushes of the plant when these brushes are fully formed. The rest of the leaves should not be cut, as they are needed for the synthesis of organic materials. It is recommended to leave four bunches of ovaries on each stem, and then pinch the tops.

Tomatoes are self-pollinating plants, so there is no need to resort to artificial pollination. However, it is possible to increase the efficiency of their fertilization by manual pollination. To do this, it is recommended during flowering to gently shake the flower brushes and lightly tap on the stem so that pollen from the upper flowers spills onto the flowers located below. or open a balcony for air flow.

When most of the fruits are formed, the top and flowering brushes of the plant are removed so that they do not interfere with the fully formed fruits to develop fully. To accelerate the formation and development of fruits, a technique called "tearing the roots" is also used. The plant is taken by the lower part of the stem and carefully pulled up, as if trying to pull it out of the soil in order to break off the small roots. Then the plant is watered and spud. After this, accelerated growth, formation and ripening of fruits occurs.

When the fruits are already ripe, tie the branches to a stick, otherwise they may break off. And by the beginning of July you will already be harvesting - from each plant 50-70 tomatoes (in 12 bunches)! It is advisable not to wait until the fruits turn red on the bush, but to shoot them brown. Such fruits ripen well in room conditions, and other fruits grow better on the bushes.

Not having your own land plot, you can feast on freshly picked fragrant tomatoes, growing them on a balcony or windowsill. Most often, people want to grow vegetables on the windowsill in winter, when the summer season is far away, but they want to tinker with the ground. But even in the warm season, this is an excellent solution for residents, for example, apartment buildings. Of course, this is not a way to fully feed the family, but an opportunity not only to save a little, but also to get moral satisfaction. It is pleasant for everyone not only to see the result of their work, but also to taste it, because vegetables grown with their own hands are always the most fragrant and tasty, and most importantly, healthy and not treated with pesticides.

Growing tomatoes and caring for them in an apartment is not much different from growing them in the open field and caring for indoor plants. But there are also some features. Breeders bred a large number of varieties of tomatoes specifically for growing in the room. If you want to grow tomatoes on a windowsill, then it is best to choose undersized varieties, such as Florida Petit (Little Florida) and Oak. Outdoors, plants grow 25 - 35 cm tall. In the room, they stretch up to 40 - 50 cm, but at the same time, the trunk of the plant is strong enough and you don’t have to tie the plants up.
They differ in the compact sizes of a bush and high decorative effect. fruits on them small size but very tasty. And due to the fact that there are a lot of them on each bush, the harvest is quite decent. Also, such low-growing varieties as Pinocchio, Balcony Miracle, Buttons, Bonsai, Mikron NK, etc., have proven themselves well.

If you have a large, well-lit balcony or loggia, then you can try planting large-fruited and tall varieties: bull heart”, “Cream”, “De Barao”, “White filling”, “Carlson”. But in this case, it must be taken into account that for one such bush you need at least 10-15 liters of soil.

planting tomatoes

In order for seedlings to appear faster, the seeds must first be soaked. To do this, place them in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate for 10-15 minutes. Then throw out the seeds that have not sunk to the bottom, and take out the rest, wrap them in a wet cloth and wait for them to hatch. If the manufacturer applied a special protective and nourishing film to the planting material, soaking is not necessary.

Suitable for planting tomatoes "Universal" soil, which you can buy or make yourself by mixing black soil, sand and peat in equal proportions. To enrich the earth with minerals, it is better to add sifted charcoal. Before planting, the soil should be doused with boiling water, and then allowed to cool. Thus, it will be disinfected, warmed up and well moistened.

For sowing seeds 200 ml plastic cups can be used. It is desirable to choose glasses transparent so that you can control watering. Do not make holes for water at the bottom, because with a small volume, the soil will not have time to absorb enough water. The glass must be filled with earth, leaving at the top somewhere on the finger of free space. Make a hole 2 cm deep, plant 2 seeds, fill the hole with soil. After that, the glasses should be covered polyethylene film to avoid evaporation of moisture and put in a dark place with a temperature of 24-26°C. On the third or fourth day, as soon as the first shoots appear, we transfer the crops to a cool window sill with artificial lighting so that the seedlings do not stretch too much, and do not water until the top layer of soil dries out to avoid the development of fungal diseases.

!!! A great danger to tomatoes is fungal diseases, the appearance and spread of which is facilitated by dampness. The development of the disease is hindered by sunlight and free access fresh air. good remedy to combat plant diseases is spraying with a Bordeaux mixture. To prepare it, it is necessary to dissolve 10 g of copper sulfate in a glass dish in 0.9 l of water, and dilute 20 g of slaked lime in 0.1 l of water. Pour milk of lime in a thin stream into the solution of vitriol, with continuous stirring. The finished mixture is stored for no more than 24 hours.

When two or three "real" leaves appear, transplant the tomatoes into large pots. For dwarf tomatoes, a 4-5 liter container will suffice, but the more space, the better. At the bottom of the pot, put expanded clay or pieces of foam, pour a layer of sand 2-3 cm and some soil. Lightly water the seedlings, and then carefully remove from the glass along with a clod of earth. Place the seedling in a pot, and fill the free space with soil. If more than one sprout has grown, then it is better to leave the healthiest one, and pinch off the rest with your hands at the root. Top up with 2-3 cm of earth and water. Thus, 5-7 cm should remain free in the pot to the top edge. This will make it possible to pour soil into the pot as the plant grows, thereby replacing hilling.

Watering

watering tomatoes depending on the return and time of year should be different. In the first month of tomato life, the soil should be moistened often, every day or every other day, but moderately. Further, the plants can be watered more abundantly and less frequently. When the tomatoes begin to bloom and the ovary appears, do not allow the earth to dry out. Tomatoes do not like high humidity. It is advisable to water the plants a couple of times a week, abundantly wetting the soil. For irrigation, it is better to use water at a temperature of 20-25 ° C. It is not necessary to erode the soil under the bush - it is enough that it is wet. It is best to water the plants in the evening. If it so happened that you need to water during the day, then it is better to do it through the pan. Do not water tomatoes on a sunny day. Water should not fall on the leaves or the trunk of the plant, because water droplets, like small lenses, focus the sun's rays and plants can get burned. On particularly hot summer days, or if the air at home is very dry, spraying can save. During this period, adhere to the rule "it is better to overfill than underfill." But winter period and cloudy days, on the contrary, - "it is better to underfill than overfill."

Lighting

Tomatoes are very demanding on lighting. In order not to use artificial lighting, it is better to plant seeds in late March - early April, and place the plants in the south or southeast. For uniform lighting every two days, you can turn the tomatoes with the other side to the window.

On cloudy short winter days, it is simply impossible to grow lush bushes in an apartment without additional lighting. It is no secret that light is the main component of the process of photosynthesis, which is important for a plant, without which normal growth and the development of the plant does not occur.

Additional lighting can be arranged using white and daylight fluorescent lamps. Such lamps give a light similar to sunlight and at the same time do not emit heat. Therefore, they can be placed close enough to plants. Also, in specialized stores you can buy phytolamps adapted specifically for indoor cultivation vegetables.

Top dressing tomato

For better fruiting, once every two weeks it is recommended to carry out fertilizing plants with organic fertilizers. You should not use chemicals, as there is a high risk of overdosing with the dosage and getting fruits full of nitrates, because if manure, ash and other organic fertilizers are provided by nature itself and plants take exactly as many nutrients as they need, then chemical fertilizers are absorbed by the plant uncontrollably. And if you overfeed, then at best the plant will die, and at worst (for you) case, the plants will become lush and beautiful, but their fruits can be poisoned. Therefore, for fruit-bearing plants, it is better to use only organic fertilizers.

You can feed a tomato with well-rotted manure diluted in water. It can be prepared in advance at the dacha, allowed to overheat, and stock up for the winter, and put to overheat on the balcony. When the manure is overheated, it smells quite strongly. If it is necessary to fertilize, but there is no balcony where manure in any container could overheat, then you can feed it with horse manure. When it overheats, it practically does not smell. They can be fed and not overripe. Top dressing with water infused with manure should be carried out once a week or two. You can alternate it with top dressing ash.

Fertilizing with manure stimulates plant growth and flower formation. But plants may not be able to cope with the abundance of color, and the flowers will fall off without forming ovaries ( when 2-3 bunches of tomatoes are tied, remove the remaining peduncles and stepchildren to reduce the load on the plant). In this case, the way out of the situation will be ash. It promotes the formation of ovaries, as well as the growth and ripening of fruits. Ash can simply be sprinkled on the ground around the plant or diluted in water and fed with this solution.

To feed with manure, it is enough to dilute two tablespoons of manure (with a slide) in a liter of water. For top dressing with ash - one teaspoon of ash must be diluted in a liter of water.

pasynkovanie

Further plant care certainly includes such items as pinching and bush formation. From the axils of the leaves grow the so-called stepchildren. Their growth requires a lot of nutrients necessary for flowering and fruit formation. In order to have more fruits, stepchildren must be removed so that the yield does not suffer. This is best done when the stepson has grown 1 - 3 cm long, breaking off with his hands, and not cutting off, to avoid infecting the plants.

When forming a bush, only one stepson is left - under the first inflorescence of the brush, thus forming a plant in two stems. Tie the stems to stakes as needed. In addition to stepchildren, it is desirable to remove yellowed and damaged leaves.

Tying up

All varieties of tomatoes, with the exception of undersized ones, require tying. Otherwise, the plant may not support its own weight and its trunk may break. If tomatoes grow on a balcony, then you need to think in a timely manner where the plants will be tied up.

Medium-sized varieties can be tied to a peg. When planting tomatoes in a large pot, a peg is also dug in with the plant, 50 - 60 cm long (from ground level). When the plant reaches right size, it can be tied to this peg without any problems.
If you do not prepare in advance and do not dig in a peg, then later, when the plant is already large, it will be possible to damage the roots.
You can tie up with an old nylon stocking, or a strip of flannel cloth. Just do it carefully, the node should not be placed on the plant.

Pollination

Tomatoes do not require artificial pollination, but for better tying, you can lightly tap the stem several times a week, shaking the flower brushes. After the main part of the fruit is formed, the top of the plant, as well as flowering brushes, should be removed, as they will not allow the already formed fruits to fully develop.

With poor ventilation, high ambient temperature, insufficient soil moisture and poor lighting, the leaves of plants do not twist, but stretch upwards, flowers and fruits fall off. It is often necessary to ventilate the room and water the plants, carefully monitor temperature regime. With excessive watering and top dressing, on the contrary, a powerful dark green bush with weak flower tassels is formed. In this case, the plant is fed less often, the soil is not watered for about a week, and the flowers are pollinated by hand using cotton swabs.

Lemons grown in an apartment look very beautiful (and tasty).

The main recommendations for successfully growing tomatoes on a windowsill or balcony

- It is better to give preference to small-fruited, but high-yielding hybrids and varieties of tomatoes. In a small area, it is difficult for a plant to feed large fruits, there will be few of them or they will ripen for a long time. Small fruits ripen gradually, which will provide fresh vegetables every day.

- Plays an important role right choice seeds. For growing in a city apartment, self-pollinated early maturing undersized or bush hybrids will be most suitable. Nowadays, for home growing special varieties are also bred (in this case, the seed bags will indicate “suitable for growing in an apartment”).

- So that a beautiful, juicy, fruit-bearing bush grows from a seed, the plant needs to provide a suitable temperature and the required amount of light. Vegetable beds should be located on the south or southeast windows. On short winter days, additional lighting with fluorescent lamps is mandatory.

- Do not allow the soil to dry out. In the heat, the plant can drop flowers and ovaries. If there is no time to monitor soil moisture, you can arrange an "irrigation system". To do this, you need to dig into the ground plastic bottle, having previously made several holes in it. Which side to dig it in depends on the size of the pot. The main thing is that there is a funnel on the surface for pouring water. Thus, the roots will constantly receive moisture, and from above the earth will not be covered with a crust.

- feed the plants once a month is enough. During flowering, the twigs need to be shaken a little to improve pollination. For these purposes, you can use a universal fertilizer for indoor flowers or specialized growth concentrates. But it is very important not to abuse fertilizers, the saying "you can't spoil porridge with oil" is inappropriate here. The norm specified in the fertilizer instructions must not be exceeded. Better yet, divide it into two times (it is better to feed more often). In order not to burn the roots, the plant must first be watered. clean water, and only then - a solution of fertilizer.

- Pots with seedlings and adult bushes must be rotated 180 degrees once a day. This is necessary so that the bushes are even, as plants tend to bend towards the light. And, at the same time, it is necessary to protect the plants from the scorching rays of the sun. Burns on the leaves and yield can significantly reduce, and appearance plants are ruined. To do this, you can "tint" the glass with white paper - and the room will not be so hot, and the plants will become more comfortable.

- Don't pick unripe tomatoes. Singing on the bush, they become fragrant and juicy. This is what we lack in purchased fruits

- Do not force plants to compete. By planting two bushes in one pot, you can not only not increase the yield, but lose it altogether. If there is nowhere to transplant extra plants, it is better to throw them away altogether, and then the rest will be pleased with a generous harvest.

P.S. It is no secret that many insects, including mosquitoes and ants, cannot stand the specific smell of tomato leaves. Several plant pots tomatoes on the windowsill will become a reliable barrier to mosquitoes in the hot season.

Not everyone has the opportunity to grow tomatoes in the garden for the simple reason that they do not have their own land. Residents of apartment buildings are deprived of this opportunity. In addition, I would like to consume my own juicy vegetables in the winter, without buying them in the store. In both cases, there is a way out - to grow tomatoes at home. It is not so difficult, and the result exceeds all expectations, since all year round with their own tomatoes. But in order to start planting and growing a plant, you need to choose a variety of the best indoor tomatoes. There are quite a few of them out now.

1. Of course, not every variety of tomato can be grown at home. There are a number of criteria under which indoor plants develop normally and bring a good harvest.
2. These varieties belong mainly to the standard. That is, they have a powerful stem, a dense crown, they do not need to be tied up, to perform any operations in order to form the correct bush. Everything contributes to a bountiful harvest.
3. Such tomatoes should be undersized, because they grow in confined space(pot, box) where there are not many nutrients. Therefore, only low-growing plants have a chance to bear fruit.
4. Another feature of growing in an apartment is the lack of light, especially in winter. Indoor tomatoes are adapted to this so that they develop well without additional lighting.

It is also important that such varieties are resistant to the most common diseases, such as leaf mold.

Among indoor varieties, there are those that are grown as ornamental plants, this must be remembered when choosing tomatoes. Decorative bear few fruits, they are small, although edible. If planting is carried out precisely with the aim of obtaining a good harvest, then it is necessary to select the appropriate varieties.

General characteristics

The description of each variety has its own characteristics of a particular tomato. However, a number of characteristics for indoor tomatoes have common features:

1. very tasty, contain a lot of sugar and vitamins;
2. the fruits are small in size from 15 to 130 gr., often tightly stick around the bush, and can bring up to 2 kg of tomatoes per year (from the bush);
3. these tomatoes are perennial, after harvesting, leaves appear on the stems after a while, the life span of such tomatoes is five years, all this time they can bear fruit, but the largest crops are harvested in the first two years.

Indoor tomatoes perfectly adapt to the home environment, and the listed characteristics indicate that throughout the year there will always be juicy, nutritious fruits on the table.

Photo and description of the best varieties

The number of varieties of this type of tomato is not as large as that of ordinary tomatoes, but there are also a lot of them. Every year, breeders bring out new varieties or get another hybrid with improved characteristics. You can make a list of the most common varieties that are most often grown by indoor plant lovers. First of all, we list the standard varieties.

Tiny Tim. Released in the Netherlands. Its height is 30 cm, if planted in the ground, it grows up to 50 cm. It bears fruit throughout the year. The fruits are spherical, red, weighing from 12 to 14 grams. This is not to say that these tomatoes taste too sweet.

Window yellow. This is a novelty in the tomato seed market. Its name itself suggests that the fruits of this plant are yellow. Very sweet in taste. During the ripening period, they tightly stick to tomato branches, their weight is 30 grams, and the height of the plant is 25 cm.

Honey bunch. Another variety yellow tomatoes, perfectly adapted for cultivation, both on the windowsill and in the open ground. Height 40 cm, yellow fruits form on branches and really look like bunches of grapes. It has a high yield, and the fruit has a very thin skin and a sweet taste.

Florida Petit. Fruits well in winter. Fruits of red color with very sweet pulp, weigh no more than 40 gr. This variety is valued precisely for its high yield. Ripening fruits are collected in dense brushes, so that the leaves themselves are not visible.

Pygmy. This variety can be attributed to ornamental, but the plant bears fruit quite abundantly, although the fruits are small, about 25 grams, there can be both yellow and red tomatoes on the branches. It is well adapted to the conditions of a short day, this does not affect its development.

Pinocchio. Just a universal variety, with dense foliage and many red fruits, and although they are small, only up to 20 grams, you can collect up to 2 kg of these fruits from one bush, which are great for salads, and also go well in pickling. Moderately sweet taste of these tomatoes makes it indispensable in winter time when you crave fresh vegetables. In summer, the plant can grow in the beds, in the fall it is transplanted into pots and it develops at home, bearing fruit in the winter.

Micron NK. The smallest of all currently existing indoor tomatoes. Its height is not more than 15 cm. It fits into an ordinary flower pot. Fruits of yellow and red color are very small, we can say peas, weighing 10 - 15 grams. These tomatoes bring a small harvest, but fresh, sweet tomatoes are on the table all year round.

Bonsai. A very neat low bush (up to 30 cm) grows from the seeds of this tomato variety, which is easily placed in an ordinary flower pot. The fruits are bright red, weighing 25 - 30 g, spherical. At good care from a bush you can collect 1 kg of tomatoes during the year.

Room surprise. Refers to early maturing varieties. The fruits are red, elongated with fragrant, sweet pulp, weighing up to 30 g. Unlike the listed varieties, which are capable of producing crops even under short day conditions, this tomato needs illumination in winter, otherwise there will be no harvest in winter.

Balcony miracle. The name is not chosen by chance. It grows up to 50 cm and bears fruit all year round, does not require good consecration. Its round fruits are the largest of all indoor tomatoes up to 100 gr. weight, if you take good care of it, you can collect 2 kg of tomatoes per year from one bush.

Garden Pearl. This variety belongs to the ampelous, they are planted in pots or pots, from which, as the plant grows, shoots hang down. These tomatoes are very decorative look. Their yield is lower than that of standard ones, it is more difficult to care for them, but these tomatoes have a great taste and they become a decoration of the house. From the seeds of the Garden Pearl variety, a bush grows up to 50 cm tall with thin, but very strong stems, on which round raspberry-colored fruits with very delicate skin ripen, so that they seem transparent. Fruit weight 15-20 gr.

CitizenF1. This is a hybrid bred exclusively for indoor growing conditions. It can be held upright by tying up the stems. Red, round tomatoes reach a weight of 30 grams.

Cherripalchiki F1. Another hybrid not so long ago bred. Its strong shoots reach a length of 50 cm. Elongated, red fruits are collected in a brush on them 8-10 tomatoes weighing up to 30 grams. From one bush you can get 2 kg of tomatoes, but only with good care.

Tumbler. The spreading bush of this tomato brings 2 kg of small red fruits weighing up to 20 gr., It belongs to the very early ampelous varieties. Possessing good fruitfulness, at the same time, it looks very decorative, that is, it brings benefits and creates beauty.

Mascot. The result of the work of Russian breeders. The shoots reach a length of 55 cm. The fruit is red, similar in appearance to an egg, the weight of one tomato is up to 40 g. But if you plant a plant in the ground, then the mass of one tomato will reach 80-100 gr.

Red abundance. The shoots of this tomato grow up to 60 cm, while growing quickly, so this must be taken into account, since the plant will take up a large space in the room. The fruits are collected on brushes, one can have up to 12 pieces. They are round, deep red, weighing 20 grams. each. An important circumstance should be taken into account when growing tomatoes of this particular variety - additional lighting is needed in winter, unless, of course, the goal is to get a good harvest in winter.

Landing and care

There are some features associated with growing indoor tomatoes. Like ordinary tomatoes, they are grown using seedlings, but one must take into account the fact that indoor tomatoes begin to bear fruit after 100 days, which means that seeds should be sown in pots in September if we want to harvest in January, just in time for the New Year's table.

Before the seeds are planted, they are dipped for 15 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate to destroy possible viruses. Then spread on a napkin and within about two days they germinate.

Seeds are sown in a box filled with earth. Alternatively, you can buy a special substrate for seedlings in specialized stores. Seeds are planted to a depth of no more than 1 cm, the distance between the planted seeds is from 2 to 3 cm, this is done in order not to thicken the seedlings too much.

As soon as the sprouts reach a position where they have 2-3 leaves, they are planted in pots or other containers. Their volume depends on the variety. For Bonsai, a volume of no more than 1-2 liters is suitable, but ampel varieties require a volume of up to 5 liters. We must also remember that the bottom of the pots must be with holes, this is a prerequisite.

The next point that you should definitely pay attention to is the ground. The fruitfulness of the plant directly depends on it. For indoor tomatoes, you need to pick it up in the following proportions:

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

Urea, potassium sulfate and wood ash are added to this mixture, all in the volume of one matchbox. Having prepared the ground, you can start planting seedlings:

1. the bottom of the pot is filled with a drainage layer - gravel, expanded clay, then soil is poured, a small depression is made in the center;
2. before planting in pots, seedlings are watered, carefully dug up so as not to damage any part, and planted in pots, after which they are watered again, it is necessary that the earth is well saturated, this is a guarantee that it will fall on the roots;
3. pots with seedlings are placed on the windowsill on the south side of the room, lighting is needed in the evenings, and it is also required on cloudy days;
4. after a week, top dressing is applied - nitrogen fertilizers, they are necessary for plant growth;
5. when the tomato blooms, to promote pollination, the stems are shaken and a small brush or feather is drawn over the flowers;
6. when ovaries appear, potash fertilizers are applied at least once every two weeks;
7. in cases where it is necessary to form a bush, cut off extra stepchildren, remove inflorescences that are superfluous, all this increases fruitfulness.
8. too high bushes tie up.

General recommendations for caring for the plant are to loosen the soil, water at least twice a week, but never flood. When the plant begins to bloom, watering stops. Every ten days, fertilize in the form of mineral fertilizers or manure diluted in water.

In order for the air next to the tomato to be moist, a glass of water must be placed near the pot with the plant, this will be enough to moisturize. It is best to remove only reddening fruits from the branches, then they will ripen.

When a fungal disease appears, the entire plant is sprayed with phytosporin or another antifungal agent. If the goal is to have tomatoes all winter, then you need to constantly make sure that there are no ripe fruits and dry leaves on the branches, all this must be removed in time and then indoor tomato will please good harvests almost all year round.

It is quite possible to grow indoor tomatoes at home. Not only as an ornamental plant, but also a real help in the household. Modern varieties allow you to grow plants that bring a bountiful harvest both in winter and summer, and on the table to have, even in the most severe frosts, a tasty and sweet tomato. In addition, these tomatoes are great for conservation.

Growing tomatoes in an apartment in winter is very simple. But we are not talking about large tomatoes that require a lot of space. At home, only undersized varieties can be grown.

It is very easy to grow tomatoes in an apartment in winter

Room conditions are very different from garden conditions. Therefore, you can grow tomatoes on the windowsill in winter if you know the fruit-bearing varieties at home.

The best varieties have short stature, high yield and compactness of the bush. These varieties include:

1. Balcony miracle.
2. Pinocchio.
3. Minibel.
4. Bonsai micro.
5. Cherry.
6. Yamal.

Gallery: tomatoes in the apartment in winter (25 photos)

Seed preparation

It is best to grow fruits in a dwelling through seedlings. Fruiting begins as early as 90 days after seed germination. If you need to get a crop by a certain date, then this factor must be taken into account.

At home, only low-growing varieties can be grown.

Before sowing, seeds must be soaked for disinfection for 20 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and, after transferring to a damp cloth, left for 2 days for germination.

For sowing, you need to prepare a container with garden soil or a substrate purchased from a store. The distance between the seeds should be at least 3 cm, and the sowing depth should be 1 cm. It is preferable to use a cylindrical container so that the corners in a square shape that are not occupied by roots are not empty.

Seedlings need to be transplanted after the development of 3 leaves. The size of the container depends on the variety of tomato. For dwarf varieties, 2 liters is enough, for ampelous varieties - about 5 liters. The pots should be drainage holes.

Growing tomatoes in winter (video)

Soil preparation and planting seedlings

The fruiting of plants will depend on the composition of the soil, so it is important to properly prepare it. The best option includes:

• 1 part peat;
• 5 pieces of land;
• 2 parts sand;
• 5 parts compost.

For 10 liters of the mixture, add potassium sulfate, urea and a handful of wood ash.

Fruiting begins as early as 90 days after seed germination

The sequence of transplanting seedlings is as follows:

1. Expanded clay or fine gravel is poured into the bottom of the pot for drainage. The container is completely filled with soil. A recess is made in the center. The soil is saturated with moisture.
2. Seedlings are watered and transplanted one at a time into prepared pots. Water carefully.
3. It is not recommended to plant 2 sprouts in one container. They will not give a full harvest or they will die.

The pots are placed on the windowsill and during the day they turn the other side to the light 2 times. In cloudy weather, tomatoes need to be highlighted with a fitolamp. But it is best to use additional lighting with fluorescent lamps, which give enough light.

Tomatoes on the windowsill require fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers necessary for growth. During the flowering period, the stems are slightly shaken to increase pollination. The resulting ovaries are fed 2 times a month with potash fertilizers.

Tomato care

Growing tomatoes in winter is possible, but only with constant care for them.

• periodically loosen the soil;
• when watering, do not overmoisten the soil, do not wet the stems;
• feed every 12 days;
• when airing the room, tomatoes should be removed from the windowsill;
• stop watering when plants are flowering.

Plants need to be watered in the morning. The water must be warm. When the soil dries up, it is lightly loosened. This is necessary to facilitate the flow of air to the root system and reduce the evaporation of moisture.

It is easy and simple to grow tomatoes on your windowsill. The main thing is to choose suitable grade, prepare planting material and create the necessary conditions for cultivation. You need to know about the rules of watering, feeding, picking, processing from pests and diseases. By observing certain requirements and taking into account the advice of gardeners, it will be possible to harvest juicy, sweet and large tomatoes.

Step-by-step instructions for beginners will help you grow tomatoes in summer and winter. An important step is the choice of a suitable variety:

• Plants with a determinant type of growth are suitable. In such tomatoes, after the appearance of several brushes, growth stops.
• In order for the tomatoes to have enough light and heat for development, it is better to plant early-ripening varieties. They mature in 80-95 days.
• You need to choose self-pollinating tomatoes or parthenocarpic (not requiring pollination).
• For indoor use, the selected variety should have high disease resistance.

In an apartment, you can grow tomatoes all year round in any region, including Ukraine.

The best varieties for home growing

If you choose the right variety of tomatoes for growing on a window, then seeds can be planted not only in spring, but also in autumn. The crop will be harvested all year round. Indoor tomatoes are notable for their short stature, strong stem and not too sprawling branches.

balcony miracle

Dwarf variety, stem height reaches 55 cm. The bush takes up little space. The fruit ripening period is early (89 days pass from the moment of planting to harvest). From one bush it will be possible to collect a lot of sweet tomatoes of small size (up to 60 g), red. The variety shows good resistance to many tomato diseases.

Micron NK

The tomato variety Mikron NK is distinguished by medium ripening boundaries. The height of the bush reaches 16 cm. The fruits, depending on the variety, may be with a yellow or red tint. Tomatoes are resistant to cold and continue to develop with a lack of light.

Pinocchio

The bushes are miniature, the height does not exceed 34 cm. The fruits are flat-round, red, weigh 18 g. They taste sweet with some hints of sourness. Ripening begins after 105 days. The variety shows high resistance to many diseases.

Bonsai

The small size of the bush allows you to grow a crop in an apartment. The height of the stem reaches 20-25 cm. The variety is characterized by early ripening limits - 87 days. High yield allows you to collect up to 1.6 kg of tomatoes from one bush. Round, red tomatoes weigh 45 g.

A compact bush will take up little space on the windowsill, the height reaches 58 cm. Tomatoes are flat-round, orange-yellow in color, their weight does not exceed 44 g. Fruiting is friendly, begins 95 days after planting.

room surprise

The small-fruited variety of tomatoes is characterized by early boundaries of fruit ripening. Plant height is not more than 50 cm. Rounded fruits of a bright red hue weigh 26 g.

pygmy

Ultra early variety. The fruits begin to ripen after 78 days. The height of the stem reaches 27 cm. The fruits are round in shape, red in color, weigh 24 g. Gardeners are attracted by the numerous yields and high resistance to late blight.

The variety is characterized by early boundaries of fruit ripening. Harvesting starts after 89 days. The height of the bush reaches 30 cm. Small-sized tomatoes weigh 22 g, the skin is pale red.

window yellow

The variety belongs to dwarf crops with a determinant type of growth. The bush stretches up to 58 cm. Numerous small, round, yellow tomatoes are formed on the branches.

The plant reaches a height of only 30 cm. You can grow a variety in an apartment all year round. Rounded red fruits taste juicy and sweet, weigh 14 g. Another advantage is the ability to grow a plant on northern windowsills.

Ampel varieties

Ampel varieties differ from ordinary tomatoes in some ways:

• develop with a lack of light;
• not afraid of drafts;
• seedlings do not stretch;
• branches hang down, so they do not come into contact with the ground;
• unique taste of fruits;
• the crop is harvested all year round;
• tomatoes show high resistance to infections and pests.

It is advisable to grow ampelous tomatoes in hanging flower pots or planters.

Garden Pearl

Early ripe, determinate variety of tomatoes, the fruits ripen in 86 days. The culture is distinguished by a long period of fruiting. The bush does not grow more than 37 cm. The stem is creeping, it accommodates a large number of small, round fruits Pink colour. The mass of fruits is 17 g.

Citizen F1

An early maturing type of tomato enters the fruiting phase after 87 days. You can grow this culture at home without difficulty. On the branches, a lot of round-shaped fruits are formed, scarlet in color, weighing up to 30 g.

The hybrid is distinguished by the average boundaries of fruit ripening and the determinant type of growth. From the moment of planting seedlings to ripening, 106 days pass. The height of the bush reaches 65 cm. The fruits are elongated (6 cm long), red-orange in color, weigh 20 g.

toggle switch

The variety of tomatoes looks beautiful in hanging flower pots. Long shoots hanging down reach a length of 35 cm. The culture is characterized by high productivity and super-early ripening limits (50 days have passed from the day of planting). From one bush it is possible to collect up to 2.5 kg of a crop of small, round, red fruits with a sweet taste.

Talisma

The bushes of the plant rise up to 53 cm. The ripening of numerous fruits begins after 112 days. Tomatoes of red color and round shape weigh 35 g.

An early ripe hybrid enters the maturity phase already after 50 days. The height of the bush does not exceed 20 cm. The fruits are bright red in color, the shape is round, the weight reaches 25 g.

How to grow tomatoes on a windowsill

To grow tomatoes in an apartment, it is necessary to create certain conditions.

What container and soil to plant?

Tomato seeds at home can be planted in a separate container ( ideal option there will be a choice peat pots) or in a large wooden box. Drainage holes are made at the bottom of the container. The soil should be light, loose, nutritious, with good aeration. A mixture of black soil, humus and sand is ideal. To increase the nutritional components, wood ash or superphosphate is added.

Pre-sowing preparation of seeds

Seeds before planting should be selected, processed and germinated:

• Large, dense seeds are suitable for sowing. It will be possible to simplify the selection procedure with the help of a saline solution, in which the seeds are immersed for 12 minutes. The bad ones float to the surface.
• Many pathogenic bacteria accumulate on the surface of the seeds, which, when they enter the soil, are activated. To disinfect the material, a solution of potassium permanganate is used.
• It will be possible to accelerate the growth of seeds by soaking. The grains are spread on a damp tissue surface and left for a couple of days.

It is better to buy tomato seeds from well-known and trusted manufacturers.

Direct landing

As soon as the seeds hatch, they begin to sow them:

• Grooves are made in the soil with a depth of 14 mm and watered.
• After that, seeds are sown with an interval of 3.5 cm.
• The seeds are covered with earth.
• The container is covered with a film and cleaned in a warm place.

After 5-7 days, the first shoots should appear. At this time, the air temperature in the room is set at +20 degrees. How often do you need to water tomato seedlings immediately after planting? At first, it is enough just to spray the planting with water, preventing the soil surface from drying out.

picking

After the first pair of true leaves unfold on the seedlings, a pick is carried out. The procedure allows you to grow seedlings with a strong root system by activating the growth of lateral root branches. During the pick, the central root is pinched off by about 12 mm. The bushes are transplanted into large flower pots with a volume of 6-9 liters.

Transplanting seedlings to a permanent place in a large pot

Before planting tomato bushes in large pots, a number of activities should be carried out:

• a couple of days before the transplant, the three lower leaves are cut off;
• watering stops in three days;
• the soil in the new pot is fertilized with superphosphate;
• make the hole deep.

After transplanting, potted tomatoes are spudded from all sides and watered with warm water.

Features of growing on the north side

Tomato seedlings need warmth and light, so it is better to place the container on the southern windowsill. If the windows are on the north side, then the seedlings will definitely have to be highlighted. You need to sow the seeds a little earlier. The box of tomatoes moves as close as possible to the glass. The growing technology involves the installation of some kind of reflective element, such as a mirror or foil.

Rules for the care of balcony tomatoes

In order for tomato bushes to grow strong and form a numerous crop, you need to ensure proper and regular care.

Lighting, temperature and humidity

It is best to put pots with tomatoes on the south window. Every two days, the container is turned sideways to the light so that the stem is even and does not stretch. In cloudy weather, it is necessary to provide additional illumination with phytolamps or LED lamps.

During the day, the air temperature should be equal to 23 degrees, at night a little lower - +19 degrees. Humidity in the room should not be more than 65%. high humidity leads to the development of fungal infections.

Watering and feeding the plant

It is important to establish the correct, regular watering of the room vegetable crop. Adequate soil moisture is essential for good growth and development. It should be watered with warm, settled water, twice every 7 days. During irrigation, you need to make sure that water does not get on the green part of the plant. At the flowering stage, watering is stopped, and at the time of the formation of the ovaries, it is resumed again.

The first feeding of tomatoes is carried out two weeks after picking. Then, every two weeks, the introduction of mineral and organic compounds is repeated. For a better distribution of trace elements, fertilizers should be applied after watering the soil.

Pasynkovanie and tying a bush

For growing crops on the windowsill, varieties are chosen that are characterized by limited, low stem growth. But sometimes there are so many fruits that it is necessary to establish a support for tying. For the proper growth of the bushes, it is necessary to pinch. Remove side branches that grow in the axils of the leaves.

Stepchildren prevent the flow of light and air to all parts of the plant, take away many nutrients and inhibit development.

Pollinators

Indoor varieties of tomatoes do not need pollinating insects. In some cases, the procedure is carried out independently. During the period of active flowering, shake the stem daily or brush over the flowers with a brush.

Protection against diseases and pests

Frequent diseases of tomatoes are late blight, gray rot, blackleg, fusarium, cladosporiosis. Common tomato pests include the whitefly, cruciferous flea, spider mite, owl, aphid.

To protect tomatoes from infections and pests, it is necessary to disinfect the soil and seeds before planting, carry out complex feeding and bush formation in time, and maintain the required level of temperature and humidity in the room.

Possible Growing Problems

During the cultivation of tomatoes, various problems may appear:

• you can notice that the seedlings dry and wither;
• leaves turn yellow, curl;
• pale color;
• ovaries fall;
• various spots appear on the leaves.

When one of the signs appears, you should immediately begin to identify the problem. This will help on early stages eliminate the cause and save the crop.

Harvest and storage

It is better to collect slightly unripe fruits. Dense tomatoes without traces of damage are suitable for storage. They are placed in a clean wooden box in one row with the stalks up. Each row is lined with paper or hardwood shavings. Tomato boxes should be stored in a dark, well-ventilated area. Humidity should be 85%. The air temperature should be within + 2 ... + 6 degrees.

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