Low-growing tomatoes for the windowsill. How to grow tomatoes on a windowsill in an apartment in winter. Garden on the window - a cure for stress

If you like fresh healthy vegetables, get tomatoes. And nothing if you don't have a cottage. It is enough to know how to grow tomatoes on the windowsill and put it into practice. For your love and care, they will generously reward you with fruits, decorate the interior, and even in harsh winter it will be summer in your apartment. Let's start choosing seed.

Room conditions for tomatoes are far from the comfort of street beds. And there is not enough light and nutrients in the earth, limited by the size of the pot, not enough. In order not to get an impudent lodger instead of a pet, who will occupy the best part of the room and will require props, which, of course, will not decorate the design of your home, you need to take the choice seriously. Not all tomatoes on the windowsill in the apartment will be able to grow and bear fruit. What should they be?

First, undersized. Only undersized and dwarf varieties are able to form a decent crop in a limited space, being content with a small amount of flower pot land.

Secondly, shade-tolerant and disease-resistant. Even familiar indoor plants need winter additional illumination what to say about the tomatoes on which we want to see the fruits. And here it is worth paying attention to the varieties of shade-tolerant hybrids that are able to bear fruit well even under short day conditions.

Additional lighting they need only on cloudy days. In addition, hybrids are inherently immune to many diseases. With proper agricultural technology and the prevention of fungal diseases, tomatoes on the window will not hurt.

Thirdly, beautiful. Standard varieties look like a small tree with a strong stem and a dense crown. Requires no garters or pinching. Ampel varieties also will not bother you with these activities. Their thin, but very strong branched shoots fall outside the pot. These tomatoes can be grown in hanging planters.

It remains to add that the tomatoes on the windowsill can be large-fruited varieties- with a weight of fruits up to 130g and small fruits, the minimum weight of which is 15g. The color of the fruit may be different, as with varieties for open ground - all shades of red and yellow flowers. The yield of varieties can also be different.

Meet decorative forms, the fruits of which can only decorate holiday dish. But there are also very productive specimens that can give you more than 2 kg per season.

If you have got yourself such a pet and become attached to it, do not be discouraged, you are not in danger of a quick separation. indoor tomatoes- centenarians, they can please you for as long as 5 years.

Indoor varieties of compact tomatoes: Leopold, White filling, Florida Petit, Little Red Riding Hood, Oak, Ruby, Minibel, Bonsai, Bonsai micro, Pinocchio, Room surprise, Micron MK, Pygmy, Window yellow, Tumbler.

Video “Growing on the windowsill”

From the video you will learn how to grow tomatoes at home.

Arranging a garden on the windowsill

Of course, for a mini-garden you need to choose the brightest place. It is better if it is a window sill, the window of which faces south. Lamps for additional lighting daylight or energy saving. It is better, of course, to use phytolamps, the red and blue ranges of the light they emit enhance growth and fruiting.

Lamps are placed 25-30 cm above the tops of plants. They are turned on all day on very cloudy days. The rest of the time, their task is to increase the duration of lighting to the required 13-16 hours. Lamps are switched on for some time before dawn and after sunset.

Growing features

To grow a crop by a certain date, the seeds must be sown 90-100 days earlier. Like street varieties, our heroes are grown through seedlings. First, they must be disinfected for half an hour in a solution of potassium permanganate, and then left in a damp cloth for 2 days to hatch. Seeds are sown in a container with soil mixture to a depth of 1 cm and at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other.

You will have to tinker with the soil to clean it of harmful microorganisms. When the seedlings throw out the second true leaf, they can be transplanted into pots. For dwarfs, a sufficient volume is 1.5-2 liters, for indoor ones - 3-4 liters, for ampelous ones - 5 liters. The soil mixture is prepared according to the following recipe: garden soil, sand, compost, peat in a ratio of 5:2:5:1. On 1 bucket of this composition, you need to pour a handful of ash and matchbox urea and potassium sulfate. At the bottom of the pots, of course, lay drainage from small pebbles or expanded clay. When planting, seedlings are deepened to cotyledon leaves.

We are waiting for the harvest

Growing tomatoes on the windowsill does not take much time. In the morning and in the evening you need to turn on the lamp. Every day, turn the plant the other side to the light. Watering is carried out 2 times a week strictly under the root, without touching the trunk. Water is poured “modestly”, waterlogging is the cause of fungal diseases. After watering loosen, trying not to touch the root. The first feeding is carried out when 5 true leaves are formed on the plant. In the future, fertilizers are applied every 10 days. Can be fed bird droppings, diluted in water 1:15. Or use ready-made microfertilizers, while for young plants the dosage recommended on the package is halved. If the variety you have chosen is not standard or ampelous, then the stepchildren formed in the axils of the leaves must be removed so that they do not take food from the resulting fruits.

The potted tomato will not have enough strength to ripen all the fruits that have set, so 5-6 brushes are left on each of the trunks. The rest are removed along with the top of the stem. After the formation of fruits, you can cut off lower leaves. Yellowed are removed constantly. Let's immediately understand why the leaves of tomatoes dry. This is not always the result of insufficient watering.

Waterlogging and poor ventilation can lead to the development of late blight and Fusarium wilt. For prevention, spraying with “Fitosporin” or an infusion of garlic (0.5 cups per 3 liters of water + 1.5 g of manganese) is carried out. The room where tomatoes grow must be ventilated, after removing them from the windowsill.

Houseplants tend to be self-pollinating, but a little help can be helpful. During flowering, tap on the stem and shake the brushes. You can spray the bush with a solution boric acid(1 g per 5 liters of water) so that the ovary does not fall off.

The grown crop is removed unripe. As soon as the tomato begins to turn pink, it is plucked and placed in a sunny place or in a dark box, where it will soon turn deep red. The saved resources will help other fruits grow to the right size.

Balcony Wonders

If you succeeded in growing tomatoes on the windowsill and want more, arrange a greenhouse on the balcony. If you have it insulated, start sowing in early March, otherwise wait until the end of April. It is best if the balcony is located on the south or southeast side. On the balcony, which looks north, the tomatoes will be cold, the southeast will have to be shaded in hot, sultry times.

The wide space of the balcony (compared to the window sill) makes it possible to grow taller varieties with higher yields. You can plant cherry or cocktail varieties with a wide variety of shapes and colors. You can plant varieties:

Grow them in the same way as indoor ones. The difference is that these varieties are tall and require shaping. Therefore, all stepchildren are removed, except for the lower one, so that 2 trunks are obtained. Long shoots require the construction of a trellis or pegs to which they will need to be tied. Not only tomatoes can be grown on the windowsill, there are varieties of cucumbers that can also grow and bear fruit in such Spartan conditions.

Video “Growing on a balcony”

From the video you will learn how to grow tomatoes on the balcony.

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 it perfect 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 open ground 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 put on planting material special protective and nourishing film, 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 you can use 200 ml plastic cups. 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 windowsill with artificial lighting so that the seedlings do not stretch out unnecessarily, 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. For its preparation, it is necessary to dissolve 10 g in 0.9 l of water. blue vitriol in glassware, 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. Doesn't like tomatoes 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 stem of the plant, because water droplets, like small lenses, focus Sun rays and plants can get burned. In especially 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 grow lush bushes in an apartment without additional lighting is simply impossible. 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 is recommended plant nutrition organic fertilizers . Shouldn't be used chemical substances, since there is a high risk of overdoing the dosage and getting fruits full of nitrates, because if manure, ash and other organic fertilizers are provided by nature itself and plants will 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 the desired 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 temperature ambient air, 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 required amount Sveta. 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.

Tomatoes in winter, grown, ripened in their garden, albeit on the windowsill, that's where the special taste and joy are. If your balcony is insulated, then the tomatoes on the balcony will be no worse than on the windowsill.

What varieties to choose

Selling a lot now different varieties. Which of them to choose?

To grow tomatoes on the 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, since they do not require a lot of land for planting.

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

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

What conditions are required for growing

Indoor tomatoes grow well if you follow the necessary conditions. They don't like waterlogging. They need to be watered very carefully, otherwise, they can get sick with a “black leg” or rot and die.

Tomatoes come from warm lands, they are born "Americans", so they are thermophilic and they need a long sunny day. In order to provide them with this, it is necessary to keep the seedlings on the windows on the south side of the house, and this is excluded from the north.

In short winter days, seedlings need to increase daylight hours artificially, turn on additional lighting. These can be fluorescent lamps, energy-saving lamps or ordinary, fairly bright lighting. 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, then it is necessary to ventilate regularly, drafts are not afraid of tomatoes.

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

Step-by-step instructions for growing tomatoes

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

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.
Preparing the land for sowing. For this you need peat pots or plastic cups, not less than 200 ml. We fill them with a purchased special soil mixture or make (if we have our own plot) the mixture ourselves: 5 parts of soil + 5 hours of humus + 2 hours of sand, you can add a little peat. For a 10 liter bucket of the mixture, add 1 matchbox of urea + 1 box of potassium sulfate, a small handful wood ash. All this is well mixed and sprinkled on the prepared container.
Sow treated seeds. We moisten the prepared soil with a small amount of water and put 2-3 seeds into shallow, up to 1 cm, dimples, cover with earth. So that the earth does not dry out, we cover the containers with seeds with glass or film until the sprouts sprout. Put in a warm, but not hot, place. Then it remains to wait for shoots. If necessary, sometimes you need to slightly moisten the soil to make it easier for the seeds to sprout.
After the emergence of seedlings, we remove the film, transfer the pots to the window, and make sure that the sprouts are light and warm. We regularly water the tomatoes on the windowsill, but little by little, we carefully monitor that there is no excess moisture in the ground.
After the appearance of two true leaves, we make a pick, i.e. we plant the strongest sprouts in a separate bowl, where they will grow further. This dish should be, significantly, large sizes, its volume should correspond to, approximately, a 7-10 liter bucket.
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 package. Do not forget to loosen the ground around the trunk, but very carefully, trying not to damage the roots.
As necessary, we tie the tomatoes to pegs, which we stick into the ground next to the trunk.
Pasynkovanie. During the period of plant growth, additional stems appear in the axils of the leaves - these are stepchildren. They need to be removed, as they will take food from the fruit. You can leave 1 first stepson to form the second stem of the plant.
When the fruits are already set, leave 4-5 brushes on the trunk, remove the rest along with the top of the stem and other inflorescences so that they do not interfere with the growth and ripening of the fruit that has set. Do not forget to remove dried leaves, including the lowest ones, which interfere with watering at the root. Tomatoes, plants self-pollinating, but they are also recommended to help pollinate. To do this, you just need to shake a little flowering plant or with a soft brush move over the flowers. We do this very carefully. Tomatoes can get sick without proper care. With excessive soil moisture, they are threatened with fungal diseases, such as: mold on the leaves, rot on the stem or late blight - black spots on the leaves.
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.
The fruits that have poured and begin to turn pink must be removed and put to ripen on the window or in cardboard box. They will no longer take away useful substances from still growing tomatoes.

Growing tomatoes on the windowsill is not a very difficult task, but in order to get good result, you need to make an effort to this, as well as to any other business. Plants must be grown with love and diligence, then they will be large and tasty.

Dwarf tomatoes look amazing in flower pots. The compact bush is all strewn with cherry tomatoes. To be able to enjoy them at any time, read how to grow tomatoes at home.

The content of the article:

A city apartment, a loggia can be turned into a real greenhouse. Moreover, not only flowers, but also vegetables can grow here. Having learned how to grow tomatoes in an apartment, you can enjoy bright sweet fruits from spring to late autumn.

Read the article about the cottage.

Tomatoes - the best varieties for growing in an apartment

Plants should not be tall, have a compact bush and bear fruit abundantly. Some varieties and hybrids meet these requirements. A small bush is just strewn with delicious tomatoes. Here the best varieties tomato for growing at home:

"F1 Balcony Red";
"Elou's Balconies";
"Balcony Miracle";
"Red Pearl";
"Pearl yellow";
"Bonsai";
"F1 Bonsai micro";
"Pinocchio".

"F1 Balcony Red" very early tomato f1. Already 85 days after germination, bright red tomatoes begin to ripen. They are small, but sweet and fragrant. The bush is low, reaches a height of thirty centimeters, it is not necessary to stepson it.

Balcony Elou a very decorative tomato, the description of this variety can begin with the fact that it belongs to the group of mid-early hybrids. From the moment of emergence of seedlings to the beginning of fruiting, 100-110 days pass. Compact, which is especially valuable when growing tomatoes at home, it grows up to 45 centimeters in height. fruits are round, yellow color, sweet, with a slight sourness. Suitable for canning and fresh consumption.

"Balcony Miracle"- one of the most famous and time-tested varieties. From a low bush you can collect up to two kilograms delicious fruits. Mass fruiting begins three months after germination, and the first tomatoes can be harvested after 80 days.

"Pearl red", "Pearl yellow" successfully grown in the garden in the open and closed ground, on the loggia or windowsill. The bush grows up to half a meter in height. Red fruits are sweeter than yellow ones, but both are very decorative varieties tomatoes.

"Bonsai" distinguished by its unpretentiousness and precocity. Already on the 85th day, red fruits of a round shape ripen. The bush is compact, up to thirty centimeters high. From each of them you will collect at least 500 grams of small, but colorful and tasty fruits.

F1 "Bonsai micro". With additional lighting in the morning and evening hours, you can grow these at home in winter. Dwarf bush looks great in a hanging basket, it grows up to only 15 centimeters.

If you plant the seeds of a variety "Pinocchio" at the end of September, then by the New Year you will have red cherry tomatoes. The plant is unpretentious, early ripe. This variety of tomatoes is one of the best for growing on the windowsill.

There are other varieties and hybrids of tomatoes that can be successfully grown at home.

Sowing tomato seeds in the apartment

Before planting, tomato seeds are treated by soaking them for 20 minutes in potassium permanganate, and then in a solution of Epin or another growth stimulator for 10 hours. This technique will help increase germination, tomato seeds will germinate faster.

After carrying out these procedures, tomato seeds are placed in a bowl and covered with a damp cloth. In a warm place after three days they will have small roots, then you need to plant them in a container filled with soil for seedlings. Tomato seeds are lowered to a depth of 1 cm, the distance between them is 3 cm.

Seed boxes covered transparent material placed in a warm place. After the appearance of the first shoot, put on the windowsill closer to the light. Maintain night temperature at the level of +15 - +17°, daytime - around +22 - +25°.

In such conditions, there will be seedlings, the cultivation of which is not difficult. The main thing is to prevent drafts, waterlogging of the soil and watering. cold water. Since these factors can contribute to the development of plant diseases.

Transplanting tomato seedlings into pots

Talking about how to grow tomatoes in winter, it is necessary to note one important detail- increase in daylight hours. It can be achieved by placing it at a height of 25 cm from top leaves seedlings fluorescent lamp. Turn it on when it's worth it overcast weather, and also extend daylight hours, including in the morning before dawn and in the evening after sunset.

When the seedlings are 3 weeks old, they are fed with fertilizer for seedlings, diluted with water according to the instructions. To prevent fungal diseases of seedlings, you can spray it with 50 g of milk diluted in 500 ml of water.

After the third true leaf begins to form, the plants dive. First, each is planted in a small pot with a diameter of 5 cm. If you transplant the seedlings immediately into a large container, root system will develop worse.

A month later, tomatoes are transplanted from small cups into large containers. For this, pots with a volume of 3-5 liters are suitable. You can fill a balcony box with fertile light soil, transplant tomatoes into it, keeping a distance of 25-30 cm between them.

An interesting way to place plants on a canopy. To do this, they are planted in a hanging pot. Over time, the leaves and fruits will fall down, and the plant will delight not only with fruits, but will become an adornment of a window, balcony, loggia.

Growing tomatoes at home: care, pollination, harvesting

In the cold season, you need to water infrequently, when the earthen ball dries. In the summer this is done every 2-3 days.

Tomatoes are heat-loving plants, so they need to be placed on a south or east window. If you notice that the bushes began to stretch, long internodes appeared between the leaves, most likely this is from the heat. On a hot July day glazed loggia gets very hot, keep an eye on the temperature. It should not be higher than +30°. To reduce it, hang thin curtains on the glass, open the windows. On such hot days, you can bring the bushes into a room where it is cooler.

Since there are no pollinators in the conditions of the apartment, take care of this process yourself. When the tomatoes bloom, lightly shake their brushes in the morning. It is possible at this stage to spray them with the "Ovary" preparation, which promotes the formation of fruits.

If you planted a variety on which stepchildren are formed, break them off as they grow, leaving a “stump” of 5 mm. During flowering and after another 2 weeks, feed the tomatoes with a complex mineral fertilizer or ash, spreading 1 tbsp. l. in 500 ml of water.

When the fruits begin to ripen, pick the ripe ones to enable their counterparts to grow and develop better. If the tomatoes are sour, it may be due to lack of sun. Put them on a sunny windowsill for 2-3 days, and the taste of the fruit will improve.

That's how interesting, exciting and not difficult at all to grow tomatoes at home.

Video tips for growing tomatoes on the balcony:

Video on how to grow Vnuchok tomatoes on the window:

Many are grown on the windowsill green onion, dill, parsley. Some try to grow arugula and lettuce as a change. But did you know that you can grow not only greens on the windowsill, but also vegetables, for example, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes?

This topic is very interesting. fresh vegetables in winter, you want to feast on more than ever, and store-bought at this time of the year, as a rule, leaves much to be desired in taste and is not cheap. Not everyone can build and maintain a greenhouse in winter. Growing tomatoes and cucumbers on the windowsill is a good way out.

Growing tomatoes on a windowsill

Our craftsmen have come up with a lot of ways to grow vegetables on the windowsill: someone limited himself to a couple of bushes in pots, and someone arranges entire hydroponic installations for this business. Today we will consider the technology of growing tomatoes on the windowsill. in the usual way available to anyone interested.

From the article you will learn:

1 What you need to grow tomatoes on the windowsill
2 What varieties of tomato are suitable for growing on a windowsill
3 Tomatoes on the windowsill: growing technology
4 Sowing seeds and seedlings
6 Useful video: how to grow tomatoes on the windowsill
7 More recommended reading:

What you need to grow tomatoes on the windowsill

To grow a tomato on a windowsill, you will need:

seeds or rooted cuttings of a suitable variety of tomato;
containers for growing (boxes or pots);
nutrient soil for planting bushes;
a well-lit window sill (preferably on the south or east side of the room);
fluorescent lamps or agro-lamps for organizing additional lighting.

What varieties of tomatoes are suitable for growing on a windowsill

The specificity of growing vegetables on the windowsill is that they grow in a completely unintended environment. A window sill is not a garden or even a greenhouse. Its area is limited, as is the height of the window. In addition, daylight hours in winter are short, which also matters.

If you want the tomatoes not only to grow, but also to bear fruit, you need to provide the bush with sufficient space, care and light. It is also important that the fruits ripen as early as possible. Based on this, you need to select a variety for growing tomatoes on the windowsill.

Sort - Balcony miracle

It is best to grow low-growing early-ripening and medium-early, abundantly fruiting tomato varieties with compact bushes on the windows. Some varieties and hybrids meet the listed requirements. Among them are ordinary tomatoes and small cherry tomatoes. Small bushes of tomatoes of these varieties, when fruiting, are simply strewn with delicious tomatoes.

Here is a list of tomato varieties that are suitable for home growing on a windowsill:

"F1 Balcony Red";
"Elou's Balconies";
"Balcony Miracle";
"Red Pearl";
"Pearl yellow";
"Ox's ear";
"Pink Angel";
"Renet";
"Bonsai";
"F1 Bonsai micro";
"Pinocchio";
"Craiova";
"Cherry Lisa F1";
"Bead F1";
"Thumbelina";
"Baby";
"Pygmy";
"Minibel";
"Zelenushka F1";
"Date F1".

If you did not manage to buy tomato seeds of any of these varieties, you should not be upset. There are other varieties and hybrids of tomatoes that can be successfully grown at home on the windowsill. When choosing a variety from those available in the store, pay attention to the height of the bush and the ripening period of the fruit. In particular, the height of the bush should not be higher than 30-40 centimeters. If you want to grow a tall variety, remember that you will have to take care of good support.

Tomatoes on the windowsill: growing technology

The process of growing a tomato on a windowsill is in many ways similar to growing in a greenhouse and in the open field. But there is also a specificity. So, Special attention you need to pay attention to the choice of capacity for planting bushes, their lighting and pollination. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, let's figure it out in order.

Sowing seeds and seedlings

Most often, tomatoes are grown on the windowsill seedling way from seeds. But few people know that tomatoes can be grown from rooted cuttings. Both methods have their advantages: in the first case, the bush produces more fruits, in the second, the fruits ripen a little earlier - the time for forcing seedlings will be reduced.

seedling method

Dry tomato seeds are planted in seedling boxes or plastic cups. The method with cups is the most convenient: they take up little space, there is no need to dive seedlings and carry a large box due to several seedling bushes.

tomato seeds are planted in seedling boxes or plastic cups.

Take ordinary plastic cups, preferably transparent, to control watering. Fill them with soil (you do not need to make holes in the cups) and pour boiling water over them to disinfect. When the soil has cooled, plant the seeds, deepening them by 2 cm.

You can sow seeds in 2-3 pieces in one cup, after germination, weak sprouts can be removed. And if the seeds are germinated in advance, we plant one in each cup.

Germinate the seeds like this: soak them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 15 minutes. good seeds they will swell and sink to the bottom, while the unsimilar ones will remain on the surface. The solution is poured out, the seeds are placed in a damp cloth and wait for small sprouts-roots to appear.

Next, cover the cups with seeds with a film and place in a warm place (25-30 ° C). After about 3-4 days, shoots will appear, and they can be transferred to the windowsill with additional lighting installed.

Start watering seedlings only after the topsoil dries out to reduce the likelihood of fungal diseases. It is better to water with a pear, sticking it between the soil and the wall of the cup. Thus, you will not wash out the soil and do not overmoisten the top layer. Water for irrigation should be warm, separated.

The soil for growing tomatoes on the windowsill should include peat, sand, humus and soddy soil (all in equal parts). Undersized varieties can be planted in pots with a volume of 3-5 liters, and tall ones need a container with a volume of 8-12 liters. Put a layer of expanded clay on the bottom of the pot, then a 2 cm layer of sand, install the plant in the middle and sprinkle it with earth to the cotyledon leaves.

Growing from rooted cuttings

An interesting feature of tomatoes is their ability to root stems and cuttings. Therefore, it is not at all necessary to grow tomatoes on the windowsill from seeds, you can transfer the plant directly from the garden, or root its stepchildren or shoots.

Propagation of tomatoes using stems and cuttings

For rooting, you need to take the side or apical shoots, place them in cups of water and put in a warm, draft-free place. To stimulate growth, you can add a drop of fertilizer for indoor flowers to the cups. With good room conditions cuttings will take root in just a week and can be planted immediately in large containers.

But some gardeners shorten this process even more. For example, the author of the following video generally took cuttings from the garden and planted them in the ground without prior rooting. You can see what she did.

By the way, in the spring in this way you can significantly reduce the time for forcing seedlings. early tomato for the garden. Just root a few cuttings from a bush on the windowsill and the seedlings will be ready in a maximum of two weeks.

Caring for tomato bushes on the windowsill

When the seedlings are ready and planted in containers, the bushes are set on permanent place. Tomatoes are photophilous, so they are best grown on south side. Additional lighting will not be superfluous fluorescent lamps or agro-lamps, especially in the autumn-winter period. Insufficient lighting usually leads to the lack of flowering and, accordingly, the lack of fruits.

Caring for tomato bushes on the windowsill

An important point in growing a tomato is pinching - removing shoots that develop in the axils of the leaves. They must be broken off by hand, and not cut off. By removing the shoots, you increase the yield, because. are spent on the development of stepchildren nutrients plants that could go to the formation and development of fruits.

For growing tomatoes on the windowsill, the daytime temperature is 28°C and the night temperature is 15°C. Unlike cucumbers, tomatoes are not afraid of drafts. Watering is carried out several times a week with warm (20-25 ° C) water, without eroding the soil under the bush. Once every 10 days, feed the plants with mineral or organic (manure, ash) fertilizers.

You can also spray the leaves with a nutrient solution. But do not overdo it with fertilizers, otherwise your greens will grow strongly to the detriment of the fruits. As the plant grows, it is necessary to tie the stems to a wooden peg.

Pay attention to pollination

Artificial pollination is not required for tomatoes, but to be safe, you can tap the stem a couple of times a week to shake the flower brushes during flowering. At this stage, you can spray the tomato bushes with the "Ovary" preparation, which promotes the formation of fruits.

When the bulk of the fruit is formed, remove the top of the plant and flowering brushes. This way you will ensure the full development of tomatoes. A tomato is able to bear fruit for 5 years, but still, it bears fruit best of all in the first 2 years.