If you tryYour own fruits and vegetablesTomatoes are a popular choice due to their high success rate - not to mention their wonderful taste. However, there are a number of problems when growing tomatoes that can result in an unsatisfactory harvest. With the right preparation and knowledge, these common mistakes can be avoided so that you can successfully grow tomatoes in the garden.
From untimely sowing to improper watering, some of these tomato growing mistakes can be serious. To ensure that your tomato plants thrive and produce high yields, you should definitely avoid the following mistakes when growing them.
1. Growing tomatoes: Errors can still occur during sowing
You can start growing tomatoes as early as the end of February, provided the optimal conditions are created. Tomatoes are a summer plantSeedlings after plantinglove warmth and cannot tolerate low temperatures.
If the soil temperature does not reach at least 15 degrees during the day, it is not warm enough for the tomato plants outdoors. Pre-grown young plants should also reach a height of around 6 to 8 centimeters before you transplant them.
Placing plants in the ground too early can result in flower drop, meaning the flowers fall off before fruit even forms. If it gets too cool at night, the tomatoes can become misshapen, wrinkled or pitted at the end of flowering. However, even distorted fruits are edible because some of the most popular tomato varieties are not perfectly round or red.
When it comes to the right point for pre-breeding, you can't choose freely either. Tomato plants also need a lot of light to develop strong shoots. If you want to grow tomatoes from seeds, they should be sown at the beginning of April at the latest.In this articleWe have put together all the important information about sowing and pre-growing tomatoes.
2. Planting tomatoes too close
Of course you want so much from your hard worktomatoes as possibleget it out - but don't plant too many plants in a small area! Planting too close together will restrict air circulation and create too much shade from neighbors' foliage. Find out about the optimal, specific spacing dimensions for your tomato variety on the seed packages or in the garden center.
In general, you should plant determinate tomato plants 50 to 60 cm apart, with each row 1.5 m apart. Indeterminate or indeterminate tomatoes are planted 60 to 90 cm apart, leaving 1.5 to 1.8 m between rows.
3. Growing tomatoes: watering mistakes
Watering tomatoes at the wrong time of day
Once you plant your tomatoes outdoors, avoid watering the plants in the late afternoon and instead opt for morning or dusk - whenever the sun and temperature are at their lowest. Early mornings are ideal, but evenings are also fine as long as you don't water the plants when the sun is high and temperatures soar. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the soil to absorb water before it evaporates.
Watering tomatoes too much or too little
How often do you need to water your tomato plants? Short answer: not too often. The danger of overwatering is probably greater than that of underwatering, as the former can have a negative impact on the taste of the fruit. It is best to avoid shallow and frequent watering as this sometimescause diseasescan. You may even consider a home drip irrigation system for your tomatoes to avoid overwatering and soil erosion.
As the plants mature, and especially in the hot summer months, you should slowly soak the soil so that the water (and therefore the roots) can sink deeper. After soaking the soil at the base of the tomato plants, allow the soil to dry for a while before watering again.
In general, you should water thoroughly once or twice a week. Sandy soils only need watering every four to five days, while heavy soils can get by with watering every seven to ten days. Of course, you should consider the weekly rainfall in your area.
Especially towards the end of the season, reduced watering can help achieve the optimal taste result. However, make sure that your tomatoes are supplied with enough water during the growth phase. When they are ripe, you should stop watering them so much.
Constant moisture is the key to a successful tomato harvest. Although they benefit from the soil drying out slightly between waterings, drastic or irregular changes in moisture levels can cause problems with the fruit, such as: B. to cracks and blossom end rot. Check the soil daily by running your finger an inch or two below the surface to ensure it is evenly moist.
Tips for tomatoes in pots
When watering young plants and potted tomato varieties, you should definitely avoid waterlogging, otherwise the roots could rot. Make sure the pots have good drainage to eliminate this problem. As long as the plants are planted outdoors, waterlogging is no longer a problem.
4. Fertilize tomatoes incorrectly
Tomatoes need a lot of nutrients during their growth phase. Plant diseases such as blossom end rot in tomatoes are often a sign of calcium deficiency due to uneven fertilization. The right tomato fertilizer should provide the natural nutrients your plants need. Use a complete organic fertilizer containing calcium and NPK micronutrients (i.e. nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). But be careful! Too much nitrogen can cause your plants to grow too quickly, resulting in fewer fruits and excessive foliage that is susceptible to pest infestation. Choose a fertilizer with a good, balanced dose of phosphorus.
Ultimately, tomato plants love to be well fertilized and can almost always benefit from fertilization - whether you use a granular fertilizer, a water-soluble fertilizer, or a slow-release tomato plant fertilizer.
5. Growing tomatoes without suitable climbing support
Many types of tomatoes require a trellis to keep them off the ground. This is necessary in order to:
- Maximize garden space and maintain order by growing tomato plants upwards (instead of outwards).
- Keep robust plants contained so that they do not overshadow the neighboring fruits/vegetables.
- To prevent diseases and pest infestations on tomato plants.
- To allow for easier harvesting.
There are three different ways to support tomatoes: stakes, trellises and trellises.
While your plants are still small, you should support them within a few days of transplanting to avoid root damage. These are some common and effective ways to support tomatoes:
- Stake tying is a method that uses metal or wooden stakes that can be between one and two meters long, depending on the tomato variety. This involves tying the main stem of the plant securely but loosely to the stake and continuing to do so as the plant grows larger.
- The climbing tower is a simple method in which plants are held in wire towers and their stems are supported. Simply pull the stems through the wire as your tomatoes grow.
- Espaliers are also a functional and attractive option for support, especially for indeterminate tomato varieties. You can use string, metal posts, or wire tied together in rows. Just make sure the wires are sturdy enough to support your plants' heavy limbs.
