Thanks to the efforts of breeders, you can grow tomatoes on the windowsill, and at any time of the year. There are many varieties that can produce good yields indoors. Growing them is no more difficult than ordinary tomatoes in the garden, moreover, they are not afraid of either drought or the Colorado potato beetle. To enjoy fresh tomatoes in the winter cold, you need to study all the nuances of such cultivation, but the most important thing is to choose the right variety.
Room conditions are significantly different from the conditions in the garden, so not every variety of tomatoes will be able to grow and bear fruit normally indoors. Varieties intended for growing on a windowsill have the following characteristics:
- short stature. Due to the limited space, only low-growing and dwarf tomatoes are able to form a crop. Tall tomatoes require not only a lot of space, but also a lot of nutrients, and there is too little soil in a flower pot for this;
- standardization. Not everyone knows how to properly form a bush, but this is an important condition for the yield of a tomato. Standard varieties have a strong central stem and a dense crown; it does not need to be pinned or tied up;
- resistance to lack of lighting and disease. Indoor plants receive less light, especially in winter, and therefore really need additional lighting. But there are varieties of tomatoes that normally bear fruit under short day conditions, and they need illumination only on cloudy days. Their genetic feature is short internodes, due to which the stems do not stretch. Of the diseases, tomatoes are most threatened by the black leg (during the seedling growing period) and leaf mold. The most resistant to them are hybrids, which make up 90% of the total number of potted tomatoes.
In addition to these features, indoor tomatoes are distinguished by the highest taste, and are rightfully considered champions among tomatoes in terms of the content of vitamins and sugars in the pulp. But not all of them can boast of yield, because some varieties are more decorative, and form very small, cherry-sized fruits. Of course, they are also edible, but there are too few of them, and therefore they are used most often to decorate dishes.
If you need tomatoes for daily use, choose high-yielding varieties with larger fruits. As a rule, the mass of indoor tomatoes varies between 15-130 g, depending on the variety. The best of them form low bushes completely covered with fruits. On average, one bush can produce up to 2 kg of tasty, marketable tomatoes per season.
Potted tomatoes have another feature - they are perennials. If, after collecting the last fruits, the bush is not thrown away, then after a while new leaves will appear on the stem. Typically, these tomatoes grow and bear fruit within 5 years, although the most abundant crops are in the first 2 years.
The best varieties of indoor tomatoes
The range of indoor tomatoes is smaller than regular ones, but still impressive. Varieties differ in shape, size and color of fruits, height and shape of the bush, ripening time and other parameters. Every year, their list is replenished with new varieties and hybrids from leading breeding companies. Below are the most popular tomatoes for growing on a windowsill.
| Name | Main characteristics |
|---|---|
| This early ripe variety forms standard bushes up to half a meter high. Its fruits are red, round, with a high content of sugars. Unlike most potted tomatoes, tomatoes of this variety grow up to 70-100 g. With good care, the yield per plant is about 2 kg. The balcony miracle adapts well to the lack of light and can bear fruit well in winter. |
| Early maturing, standard. The height of the bushes does not exceed half a meter, and the weight of bright red elongated fruits collected in clusters is 25-30 g. The pulp of these tomatoes is very tasty and fragrant, they are great for salads. In winter, the plant needs lighting, otherwise the harvest will be rather weak. |
| A neat lush bush up to 30 cm high. Tomatoes of this variety have a rounded shape and rich red color, fruit weight is 25 g. With good care, each plant produces 1 kg of delicious marketable tomatoes per season |
| Today it is considered the smallest type of tomato, the height of its bushes is only 12-15 cm. Round, small fruits (10-12 g) are yellow and red. You should not expect a big harvest from him, but in terms of decorativeness, the variety is ahead of most potted tomatoes. Ideal for winter growing, as it does not depend on the length of daylight hours |
| One of the best pot varieties. Plants are not tall, maximum 30 cm, densely leafy, compact. The weight of the fruit is about 20 g, the color is red. One bush gives from 1 to 1.5 kg of tomatoes, which are suitable not only for salads, but also for canning. In the summer it can be grown in the beds, and in the fall the bushes are transplanted into pots and brought into the house. |
| Its fruits ripen 85-90 days after germination. Standard variety, universal use, bears fruit well in short day conditions. His tomatoes are small, weighing 25 g, red, fragrant. The bush itself looks very decorative during the fruit ripening period. |
| A popular variety valued for its high yield. The bushes have a compact shape, do not exceed 30 cm in height, do not need pinching. Its fruits are small (20-40 g), red in color, with very sweet pulp. The ovaries are collected in long brushes, and during the ripening period, the leaves are almost invisible under the fruits. The variety is resistant to low light and bears fruit well in winter. |
| Yellow-fruited and early maturing variety. It can be grown both on the windowsill and in the open field. The height of standard bushes does not exceed 40 cm, the crown is dense, does not need to be formed. The weight of tomatoes is about 40 g, the yield is very high. The skin of the fruit is thin, orange, the flesh is sweet and juicy. |
| A new, still rare variety. The plant is standard, 25 cm tall, during the fruiting period the entire bush is covered with clusters of yellow small round-shaped tomatoes. Fruit weight rarely exceeds 30 g, the pulp is very sweet. The variety is neutral to low light, so it bears fruit well in winter. |
| Early maturing popular Dutch variety. It bears fruit regardless of the time of year and the degree of illumination. The height of the bushes is about 30 cm, in the open field it can grow up to 50 cm. The weight of the tomatoes is 12-14 g, the color is red, the pulp is moderately sweet |
Ampel varieties
In addition to standard varieties, ampelous tomatoes are also in demand among fans of indoor growing tomatoes. They can be planted in hanging planters or in tall pots, from which the shoots will hang beautifully on the windowsill. Caring for them is a little more difficult than for ordinary varieties, and the yield is less, but all this is offset by the great taste of tomatoes and the high decorativeness of the bush. The choice of ampel varieties is still small, and seeds can only be purchased from a few domestic agricultural firms.
| Name | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Spreading bush with shoots up to 50 cm. The stems of the plant are thin, but strong, and do not break under the weight of numerous fruits. Stepson bush is not necessary. Round tomatoes weighing 15-20 g, when ripe, acquire a crimson color and become translucent. On one plant there can be up to three hundred fruits of a trade dress. The variety is very decorative, feels great indoors and outdoors. |
| Spectacular early hybrid. It can grow vertically (but then it is necessary to tie up the stems) and as an ampelous plant. His tomatoes are round, red in color, with a characteristic tomato flavor, weighing about 30 g. The hybrid is specially bred for growing indoors, so it develops well and bears fruit regardless of the time of year |
| A new productive hybrid for ampelny cultivation. Shoots are slightly leafy, up to half a meter long, strong. Small red fruits have an elongated shape, mounted on long brushes of 8-10 pieces. Tomatoes are suitable for harvesting for the winter; they do not crack during heat treatment. In good conditions, the yield of one bush is 1.8-2 kg |
| One of the new ampel varieties. Super early, has a cascade shape of a bush, the mass of tomatoes is 25-30 g. The taste of the fruit is excellent, the average yield is about 2 kg. With a lack of lighting, the number of fruits is slightly less |
| Already a fairly well-known ampelous variety of domestic selection. It belongs to medium-early, the bush is quite compact, shoots up to 55 cm long. Egg-shaped fruits of red color, average weight about 40 g. When grown in open ground, the weight of fruits is almost twice as much. The variety is characterized by stretched fruiting, and very plentiful. Tomatoes are juicy, tasty, can be preserved |
| Very attractive high yielding hybrid. Shoots grow up to 60 cm; the plant does not need pinching. The brushes are densely hung with small (20g) sweet red fruits, which are suitable for canning. The bush grows quickly, so it needs a lot of space. In winter, the plant must be highlighted, otherwise the yield will decrease. |
Agrotechnics for growing indoor tomatoes
Like regular varieties, indoor tomatoes are best grown through seedlings. And at this stage there are no differences, except that the timing of sowing seeds is different. On average, potted tomatoes begin to bear fruit 90-100 days after germination, and if you want to get the first tomatoes by a certain date, consider this factor. For example, to take the first harvest in January, sow seeds for seedlings at the end of September.
Before sowing, the seeds are disinfected by soaking for 15-30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then left in a damp cloth for a couple of days to hatch.
They are sown in a common container with ordinary soil or purchased substrate to a depth of no more than 1 cm. The distance between the seeds should be within 2-3 cm so that the seedlings are not thickened.
Seedlings are transplanted into separate containers as soon as the seedlings form 2-3 true leaves. The sizes of the pots are selected depending on the variety of tomatoes: for dwarf tomatoes, a volume of 1.5-2 liters is enough, for ordinary room ones 3-4 liters, for ampelous ones - at least 5 liters. All pots must have drainage holes. It is very important to properly prepare the soil, because the development and fruiting of the bush depends on its composition.
The best option is the following composition:
- 5 parts of garden soil;
- 2 parts sand;
- 5 parts of rotted compost;
- 1 part peat.
On a bucket of such a mixture, it is necessary to add a matchbox of urea and potassium sulfate, a handful of sifted wood ash. All this is thoroughly mixed. Now you can start planting seedlings.
Step 1. A drainage layer of fine gravel, pieces of bark, expanded clay or other material is poured onto the bottom of the pots. Fill the containers to the top with soil and make a small depression in the center.
Step 2 Pre-watered seedlings are carefully taken out one at a time and planted in pots, deepening to the cotyledon leaves. Water carefully.
Step 3 They put the pots on the windowsill (preferably on the south side) and regularly turn them around every 2 days with the other side facing the light. In the mornings and evenings, as well as in cloudy weather, plants should be illuminated with a phytolamp.
After a week, the plants are fed with half the dose of nitrogen fertilizers necessary for growth. During the flowering period, in order to increase the percentage of pollination, the stems of the plant are shaken very lightly and carried over the flowers with a feather or a soft brush. After the formation of the ovaries, fertilizing with potash fertilizer is required every two weeks.
In varieties that need to form a bush, stepchildren are removed, the top of the main stem is pinched, and excess inflorescences are cut off to increase the size of the fruit. Tall bushes are tied to supports that are stuck into the ground along the edge of the pot.
If there are signs of fungal infection, all plants are sprayed with phytosporin or another antifungal agent. To prolong fruiting, regularly pick ripe fruits, remove dried leaves, do not forget about top dressing and watering. The earth in pots should be periodically loosened, trying not to hook the roots. With such care, your tomatoes will delight you all winter with a plentiful harvest of sweet, tasty fruits.
Video - Tomatoes on the windowsill in winter: the best varieties
Video - Tomatoes on the windowsill in winter: the best varieties and the procedure for growing tomatoes at home
Is it possible to harvest tomatoes at home? At this stage of breeding development many varieties have been bred that are suitable for growing at home in winter. Even a novice agronomist will be able to grow a good crop of tomatoes on his windowsill.
The advantage of such cultivation is to obtain healthy tomatoes in the winter. Also, the agronomist can be sure that his crop will be environmentally friendly. The taste of tomatoes will be almost the same as that of a summer harvest from open ground.
It is also worth mentioning that the cost of tomatoes from the windowsill will be much less than those purchased in the store.
The disadvantages of planting tomatoes in an apartment can be considered the fact that it is not always possible to grow tomatoes. BUT sometimes the fruits can be too small in size, because of which such cultivation may be impractical.
Preparation activities
What should be the place?
Tomatoes are photophilous crops. Therefore, it is best to give preference to the southern sides of the room. If it is not possible to place tomatoes in the southern part, then you should take care of additional lighting. Remember that daylight hours for tomatoes should last at least 12-13 hours. As artificial light, you can use fluorescent, fluorescent, and energy-saving lamps. Now there are special phytolamps. Additional lighting should be placed at a height of 25-30 centimeters from the plants.
As for the air temperature, it should remain at the level of 22-24 degrees Celsius. At night, the temperature can be reduced to +16-18 degrees. If the air is warmed up less, the tomatoes will not grow. And with strong hot air, the culture will begin to dry. If the room is very hot, you should ventilate the room more often, avoiding the formation of drafts.
Make sure that the air in the room is sufficiently humidified. You can not place containers with tomatoes near heating devices, because they dry the air and the plant itself very much. It is best to place a container of water next to the tomatoes, which will serve as a homemade humidifier.
Special varieties for winter
To get a good harvest, you first need to choose the right variety for landing. Since not every variety is suitable for growing at home. Choose low or medium height shrubs. It is good if these are cherry tomatoes, since it is this species that can easily survive the lack of lighting and heat, and it also has a shorter ripening time. There are many varieties intended for growing at home. Among the most popular are the following:
- Pearl.
- Balcony miracle.
- Hummingbird.
- The pearl is yellow.
- Pinocchio.
- Angelica.
- Glasha.
- Alpatiev 905 A.
- Moskvich.
What should be the pot?
In order to grow seedlings for winter cultivation at the initial stage, ordinary plastic cups are also suitable, in which drainage holes must be made. But special peat cups are more suitable. As soon as the seedlings are ready for picking, they need to be moved to pots, the volume of which is 7-10 liters. The material of the pot is not particularly important. Suitable for plastic, and clay, and ceramics.
Soil features
The soil can be purchased ready-made in the store, or you can cook it yourself. To do this, we take soil, humus, coarse river sand and peat. The components are taken in the following proportions: 5:5:2:1.
For every 10 liters of substrate, you need to add a little urea (no more than a matchbox). In the same amount, you need to take potassium sulfate, as well as a tablespoon of wood ash. All components are thoroughly mixed and scattered in containers.
Step-by-step instructions for landing on the windowsill
seeds
Reference! Before sowing, it is better to soak the seeds in a growth stimulator. Otherwise, there is a risk that the seeds will not germinate.
seedlings
Before this procedure, you need to prepare containers. For this:
- A drainage layer is laid in the flowerpots. It can be made from brick chips or fine gravel. The pot is completely filled with substrate. In the middle of the flowerpot, you need to make a small depression, which is thoroughly moistened.
- Seedlings are watered from the root and moved to prepared flowerpots. Watering again. The soil is slightly compacted.
Important! Experienced agronomists do not recommend planting two sprouts in one flowerpot. They will not give a good harvest or even die.
- Pots are placed in a well-lit place. The containers are rotated twice during the day so that the plant develops evenly.
How to care at home in the winter: step by step instructions
Watering and fertilizing
The size of fruits and their taste qualities depend on the correct mode of soil moisture. The soil must be constantly moist. It is important not to allow the substrate to completely dry out., as this may cause the tomatoes to drop. However, it is worth remembering that excess moisture can lead to rotting of the root system.
Since there is not enough space for the full development of the root system in pots, the roots need to be fed for growth. The first top dressing should be carried out seven days after picking the seedlings. Most often, agronomists use the following drugs: Mortar, Nitrofaska and Aquarin. Fertilizers are applied three times a day, because there is nowhere for mineral elements to come from.
Starting from the third top dressing, the concentration of fertilizers is slightly increased.
Trimming and pinching
You need to pinch tomatoes, starting from the growing season. As soon as the first fruits begin to set on the tomatoes, you need to remove the top of the tomato two leaves above the last brush. This should be done only with a well-sharpened and disinfected tool.
The most suitable place for these procedures is early morning or evening after sunset. Places of cuts need to be treated with ash or ashes. With proper manipulation, tomatoes will give a rich harvest.
Support and suspension
Often, low-growing varieties are used for home cultivation. Such a bush is able to withstand up to two kg of fruit. Therefore, there is no need for supports. But this procedure is necessary because most often it is the pots with soil that can not support the weight of the fruit and tip over.
- First you need to choose a suitable place to place the flowerpot. It is good if the flowerpot stands near some wall or window, on which the entire bush will rest.
- Then you need to put wooden pegs in pots (one support for each bush).
- A bush is tied to a peg - this should be done as high as possible.
Diseases and pests, how to deal with them
The most common ailments are:
- Late blight. In this case, brown spots appear on the tomatoes, which increase over time. You can fight with tincture of garlic. Spraying is carried out several times with an interval of 5 days.
- Fusarium wilt. It is characterized by wilting and yellowing of the lower leaf plates. Over time, other leaves begin to turn yellow. To get rid of this disease, you need to treat the plant with Barrier or Hom. After that, it is important to loosen the ground as often as possible.
- Alternariosis. Differs in gray small spots that look depressed. They fight this disease with the help of drugs such as Antracol, Consento, Tattu.
Let's call pests of tomatoes.
- Whitefly. This insect causes yellowing of the leaves, which soon turns black. You need to fight the whitefly with the drug Confidor.
- Slugs. They eat leaves and fruits. Affected plants begin to rot. To prevent slugs, it is necessary to treat the soil with a solution of ash, tobacco dust or lime.
- Spider mite. It looks like small dots on tomatoes. Sucks the juice from the plant, which leads to death. Tincture of garlic or dandelions will help. Laundry soap can be added to the solution.
- Medvedka. Quite a large insect, the length of which reaches 5 centimeters. It affects the main root system of the plant. The struggle is carried out with the help of bitter pepper tincture or vinegar.
It is quite possible to grow tomatoes in an apartment in winter. And it is not difficult. Therefore, if you want to have your own growing tomatoes in the winter, you need to make a little effort and devote time to this. The main thing is just to wish.
Useful video
We offer you to watch a video about the process of growing tomatoes in the winter:
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
Growing tomatoes in the winter on the windowsill is quite realistic. The main thing is to create the desired light and temperature conditions, as well as to choose the right varieties.
Varieties of tomatoes for growing at home
It is best if these are varieties of low tomatoes with medium-sized fruits. Most often, cherry tomatoes are grown at home. Well, like indoor tomatoes, ampelous and standard varieties show themselves.
If you take reviews from fans of growing tomatoes at home, then the most favorite variety is Geranium Kiss and. They also grow Ogonyok, Snowdrop, Garden Pearl, Siberian Dwarf, Little Prince, etc.
Tomato lighting
When growing tomatoes on a windowsill in winter, the optimal daylight hours are 12 hours, and the best option is 14 hours. At this time of the year, this can only be achieved by installing additional lighting above the plants.
The most economical and convenient option is lighting tomatoes with LED or fluorescent lamps. How to adapt them - everyone decides individually, the main thing is to be comfortable.
Indoor tomatoes: growing
Start growing as usual, just sowing the seeds in a small container, not in boxes. Since seedlings do not need a lot. After all, each plant will need a capacity of about 10 liters in the future, but such “pots” need to be placed somewhere. So calculate in advance how many plants you will fit on the windowsill.
You can take the soil ready, or you can prepare it yourself. To do this, mix one part of humus, soddy land and peat, add a liter of sand to a bucket of such a mixture and a tablespoon of superphosphate and ash.
Soaking the seeds or not is a personal matter, the emergence of seedlings varies by only 1-2 days.
When the plants have 2 true leaves, transplant them into separate cups. As the tomatoes grow, transplant into a larger container in order to build up a good root system. If the cup is small for the plant, it begins to grow in height, forming a frail thin stem, and during transplantation, the root grows massively and the stem turns out to be short and thick, which is what we need at home.
Remember that you will not get a crop in a small pot, be prepared to clutter up the window sills with large containers of earth. You can, of course, wrap them with some kind of fabric to look more aesthetically pleasing.
But outside, tomatoes in winter on the windowsill look very tempting. It’s snowing outside, a blizzard, cold, and here red little tomatoes hang - beauty ...
Tomatoes should be watered very moderately, no more than twice a week.
When stepchildren begin to grow from the axils of the leaves, they need to be broken out, since when growing at home, we do not need extra shoots.
Periodically check the temperature of the soil by sticking a thermometer inside it. There should not be a big difference with the air temperature. If the window sill is cold, substitute foam plastic or some other material under the container with tomatoes.
If the soil under the plants is fertile, then it is enough to feed the tomatoes during the flowering period and after the formation of the ovaries with a complex fertilizer for tomatoes.
Those who do not have a garden, but have a love for farming, grow tomatoes on the windowsill all year round. In the summer, of course, this is much easier to do, because you don’t need to bother with temperature and lighting, and tomatoes grow faster in the real sun.
Thanks to the efforts of breeders, tomatoes can be grown on the windowsill, and at any time of the year. There are many varieties that can produce good yields indoors. Growing these is no more difficult than ordinary tomatoes in the garden, in addition, they are not afraid of either drought or the Colorado potato beetle. To enjoy fresh tomatoes in the winter cold, you need to learn all the nuances of this cultivation, but the most important thing is to choose the right variety.
The range of indoor tomatoes is smaller than usual, but still impressive. Varieties differ in shape, size, color of the fruit, height and shape of the bush, as well as the ripening period, and other parameters. Every year their list is supplemented with new varieties and hybrids from leading breeding companies. What varieties of tomatoes can be grown on the windowsill? Below are the most popular tomatoes for growing on the windowsill in winter:
- Balcony miracle. This early ripe variety forms shredded bushes up to half a meter high. Its fruits are red, round, and high in sugar. Unlike most potted tomatoes, the fruits of this variety grow up to 70-100 g. With good care, the yield from one plant is about 2 kg. The variety is well adapted to the lack of light and can bear fruit well in winter.
- Room surprise. Early, rustic. The height of the bushes does not exceed half a meter, and the weight of bright red elongated fruits collected in clusters is 25-30 grams. The pulp of these tomatoes is very tasty and fragrant, they are great for salads. In winter, the plant must be lit, otherwise the harvest will be rather weak.
- Bonsai. A neat lush bush up to 30 cm high. Tomatoes of this variety are rounded and rich red in color, the weight of the fruit is 25 g. With good care, each plant produces 1 kg of delicious marketable tomatoes.
- Micron NK. Today it is considered the smallest type of tomato, its height is only 12-15 cm. Round, small fruits (10-12 g) are yellow and red. You should not expect a high yield, but in terms of decorativeness, the variety is ahead of most tomatoes. Ideal for winter growing as it is independent of day length.
- Pinocchio. One of the best varieties in pots. Plants are low, maximum 30 cm, dense, compact. The weight of the fruit is about 20 g, the color is red. One bush gives from 1 to 1.5 kg of tomatoes, which are suitable not only for salads, but also for canning.
- Pygmy. Its fruits ripen 85-90 days after appearance. Variety of stems, universal use, good fruit in a short day. Its tomatoes are small, weighing 25 grams, red, fragrant. The bush itself looks very decorative when ripe.
- Florida Petit. A popular variety valued for high yields. The bushes are compact in shape, do not exceed 30 cm in height, do not need to stepchild. The fruit is small (20-40 g), red, with very sweet pulp. The ovaries are collected in long racemes, and during the ripening period the leaves are almost invisible under the fruit. The variety is resistant to low light and bears well in winter.
- Honey bunch. Yellow and early maturing variety. You can grow both on the windowsill and in the open field. The height of stamping bushes does not exceed 40 cm, the crown is dense, does not require formation. The weight of the tomatoes is about 40 g, the yield is very high. The skin of the fruit is thin, orange, the flesh is sweet and juicy
Soil and seed preparation
How to grow tomatoes on the windowsill in winter? Like regular varieties, homemade tomatoes are best grown from seedlings. And at this stage there are no differences, except that the sowing time is different. On average, tomatoes begin to bear fruit 90-100 days after germination, and if you want to get your first tomatoes by a certain date, consider this factor. For example, to harvest the first crop in January, sow seeds for seedlings at the end of September.
Do you have experience growing tomatoes on a windowsill in winter?
YesNot
Before sowing seeds:
- Disinfected by soaking for 15-30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- And then left on a damp cloth for several days to calibrate.
- Preparation of tomato seeds.
- Sow in a common container with ordinary soil or purchased substrate to a depth of no more than 1 cm.
- The distance between the seeds should be within 2-3 cm so that the seedlings are not thickened.
Seedlings are transplanted into separate containers as soon as 2-3 leaves form on the seedlings.
The sizes of the pots are selected depending on the type of tomatoes:
- for dwarfs with a volume of 1.5-2 liters;
- for an ordinary room 3-4 liters;
- for ampelous - at least 5 liters.
All pots must have drainage holes. It is important to properly prepare the soil, since its composition depends on the development and fruiting of the bush. Soil preparation the best option is the following composition:
- 5 parts garden soil;
- 2 parts sand;
- 5 parts of rotten compost;
- 1 part peat.
On a bucket of such a mixture, you need to add a matchbox of urea and potassium sulfate, a handful of sifted wood ash. All this is thoroughly mixed.
Landing
Now you can start planting seedlings:
- At the bottom of the pots, pour a drainage layer of fine gravel, pieces of bark, expanded clay or other material. Fill the tanks to the top with soil and make a small groove in the center.
- Pre-watered seedlings are carefully removed one by one and planted in pots, deepening into the cotyledon leaves. Water lightly. The soil must be saturated with air so that water gets into the roots.
- Place the pots on a windowsill (preferably south facing) and rotate them regularly every 2 days to the other side towards the light. In the mornings and evenings, as well as in cloudy weather, the plants should be illuminated with fitolamps.
After a week, the plants receive half of the nitrogen fertilizer needed for growth, and the following should also be taken into account:
- During the flowering period, to increase the percentage of pollination, the stems of the plant are gently shaken and drawn along the flowers with a pen or soft brush.
- After the formation of the ovary, it is necessary to feed with potash fertilizer once every two weeks.
- In those varieties that should form a bush, stepchildren are removed, the upper part of the main stem is clamped, excess flower buds are cut off to increase the size of the fruit.
- Tall bushes are tied to supports that are stuck into the ground along the edge of the pot.
Features of cultivation and care
Growing tomatoes on the windowsill in winter is not without diseases:
- If signs of a fungal infection appear, all plants are sprayed with phytosporin or another antifungal agent.
- To prolong fruiting, regularly pick ripe fruits, remove dried leaves, do not forget about fertilizer and watering.
- The earth in pots should be periodically loosened, trying not to hook the roots.
With such care, your tomatoes will delight you with a bountiful harvest of sweet, delicious fruits throughout the winter.
A photo
For a better understanding of what are the varieties of tomatoes that can be grown in winter, you can view the photos below.
You can also watch a video, a gardener with vast experience will tell you how to grow indoor tomatoes in winter.
Growing and caring for tomatoes in a typical urban apartment is not much different from growing them outdoors and caring for indoor plants. Nevertheless, this method provides an excellent opportunity to replace low-value vegetables from the store with organic and very tasty products grown by oneself and with minimal cost and time.