To grow a good harvest of vegetables, many gardeners use greenhouse technology. This allows you to grow even heat-loving crops. One such vegetable is the tomato. He requires special attention. If all the requirements that the culture puts forward for its growth are met, you can get a bountiful harvest at the end of the season. At the same time, summer residents solve many problems. How to tie tomatoes in a greenhouse will be described in detail in the article.
Greenhouses for growing tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the most beloved and popular vegetable crops, widely used for cooking a variety of dishes. Almost every summer resident and gardener seeks to grow tomatoes in his area. However, climatic conditions do not allow everyone to do this. To get a rich harvest of tomatoes, even in the northern regions, gardeners have long and successfully usedgreenhouses.
The design of the greenhouse is different. At present, greenhouses with a film coating on a wooden or metal frame or structures with a polycarbonate coating are most widely used. Greenhouses also differ in their shape and size.
Since tomatoes are a heat-loving plant, for their successful cultivation, it is necessary to provide a suitable temperature regime in the greenhouse, which is not always possible when using a film coating. Therefore, in order to obtain a rich tomato crop, especially in the northern regions, a polycarbonate-coated greenhouse design should be preferred.
Advantages of polycarbonate greenhouse
Polycarbonate is a very practical and reliable material. Therefore, greenhouses from it are distinguished by a long service life. For the coating, cellular polycarbonate of a very dense structure is used. Inside, it is made up of honeycomb cells that provide an even distribution of sunlight indoors.
Polycarbonate is frost-resistant and able to withstand high mechanical loads. It perfectly retains heat inside, which allows you to save on heating. And with all these advantages, the price of the presented material is low, which makes it the most preferred material for arranging greenhouses. It is in such constructions that tomatoes are grown.
Choosing a variety of tomatoes
Tomatoes for the greenhouse, first of all, must be resistant tovarious microorganisms. A greenhouse with high levels of temperature and humidity is a suitable place for the development of pathogenic bacteria, fungi and pests. That is why the most important condition for growing tomatoes is mandatory ventilation. Therefore, the design of the room should provide for the presence of side and top vents.
Varieties for growing in a greenhouse should be selected based on considerations of high yield. It is better to purchase seed from trusted sellers. This will allow you to get the maximum yield of fruits, while using the minimum area, since the space in the greenhouse is limited. Based on this, tomatoes for the greenhouse usually select tall varieties with abundant fruiting.
So that the branches of plants do not break under the weight of the fruit, they should be tied up. How to properly tie tomatoes? And why is this procedure so important for getting a high yield? Experienced gardeners will answer these questions. Their advice will enable even a beginner to grow a bountiful crop of vegetables.
Tie materials
Tomato tying involves attaching the stems and branches of plants to a support. When choosing a material for a garter, one should be guided by the fact that it should not damage the delicate and fragile stems of plants. Therefore, it is worth immediately eliminating all thin binding lines, threads and wires that will cut into the stem. For this process, a large selection of materials is on sale. If desired, the garter belts can be made independently. Alsotape and electrical tape cannot be used for these purposes.
How and how to tie up tomatoes in a greenhouse without harming the plants? To do this, it is best to use strips of cotton fabric 4-5 cm wide or old tights cut into strips, stockings. Some gardeners use twine to tie tomatoes. It is a reliable and durable material for such work. It is important that it be from soft raw materials that do not harm plants. The choice of material must be taken with all responsibility.
A variety of devices can be purchased on the market. They can be used for several seasons in a row. These fasteners include, for example, plastic clips. With their help, they tie up the stems, and also hold the brushes with fruits. They have different sizes. These fasteners are easy to use, do not break and can be used continuously for several years.
When and how to tie up tomatoes in a greenhouse? Do this immediately after pinching and the appearance of fruit ovaries. As the stem grows, the procedure is repeated. Later, branches with fruits should also be tied up.
Important! Do not tie knots tightly and do not pull the stems too close to the support. This disrupts the circulation in the stems of the juices. As a result, they may dry out.
The benefits of the right garter
Garter provides a number of benefits in plant care and ultimately increases yields. Tomatoes do not like moisture on the stems and leaves, this can cause rotting of plants and the appearance of various diseases. Vertic althe method of fixation avoids an unfavorable outcome. Plants after such a procedure are conveniently watered to the very root.
Hanging fruits, unlike those lying on the ground, are not afraid of slugs and late blight. And they are much easier to assemble. This is another reason why the presented procedure is performed. The branches of tied plants do not break under the weight of the fruit.
Tied plants receive enough light and air, develop better, bear fruit faster and more abundantly. Tied bushes are easier to care for - weeding, fertilizing, etc.
Tomato garter options should be considered in advance, based on the height of the plant. At the same time, its yield, configuration and features of the greenhouse and other factors are taken into account. Before you get started, you need to consider popular ways to tie tomatoes that can be used in the greenhouse method of growing crops.
Fixation to personal support
This option is suitable for portable structures and small greenhouses covered with foil. In this case, stakes, as well as profile pipes, can serve as a support. You can also use rods (the diameter should be large). They are fixed next to the bush.
The height of the rods should be at least as high as a mature plant. The stem is tied to a support with a strip of fabric. It is not recommended to use this method for too elongated tomatoes, as they may fall, even despite the support.
Wire andlinear framework
The frame, which consists of thick wire, is used for varieties with a large number of tomatoes on the branches. The metal grate should have large cells (5 by 5 cm). It is wrapped around the plant. The support should be slightly dug into the soil. The design will serve as a fixation for both the stem and the fruit.
One of the most popular ways to tie a tomato in a greenhouse where a large number of crops are grown at the same time is linear fixation. Pipes (metal or plastic) are driven in on both sides of the beds. Between them along the row you need to tie a regular rope. Tomatoes are tied to it at an equal distance. The option is simple and economical, but not suitable for plants that are too elongated and heavy. In this case, a different garter method is used.
Fixation on the trellis
Recommended for polycarbonate greenhouses. Strong poles are installed along the edges of the room. They are attached to the usual rope. A strong mesh is formed from it, to which vegetables can be attached with fabric garters, plastic clips. You can also use other convenient methods.
For fixing bushes with wide, sprawling branches, it is recommended to use trellises. They are made from thin but durable rails. The material should be very securely fastened so that the supports do not fall under the weight of the plants. Vertical trellis is usually used in industrial greenhouses for tying tall bushes. They pre-cut side shoots.
Popular with gardeners is a method in which next toeach plant is attached to a rope, the upper end of which is fixed on the roof of the greenhouse. This is a very reliable option, in which the support does not break, withstanding the heaviest tomatoes on the branches. The rope for such fastening should be wide enough. Soft materials should be preferred.
Fixing to the grid
There is another popular way to tie up tomatoes in a greenhouse. For this, a grid is built. It is created from strong rods and has large cells. This design is installed between the pillars. Its advantage is the ability to untie branches and then fix them in a more convenient place.
General recommendations
When choosing a method of tying a tomato in a greenhouse, it should be borne in mind that temporary fasteners are best used for trial cultivation and with frequent changes of vegetable crops inside the greenhouse.
Permanent structures will cost more, but will last for several years without requiring any additional fixtures.
Many gardeners keep old garter material to save money so they can use it next season. It should be remembered that spores of pathogens may remain on such garters. Even if the tomatoes did not show signs of disease last season, old garters must be washed and disinfected well. Only after that they can be used next year.
Compliance with all the rules for tying tomatoes is one of the most important conditions for their proper development and high yields. Given the advice of experienced gardeners, you can gethigh results of their work. The quality and abundance of the harvest will surprise even a novice gardener.
