Own tomatoes in winter - we grow on the windowsill

Growing conditions

Tomatoes that are planned to be grown on the windowsill in winter are also called "indoor". Indoor tomatoes do not require conditions that are fundamentally different from growing conditions in the open field. However, there are some peculiarities. Basic rules that even an inexperienced gardener can easily follow:

• the tomato loves light, therefore it is best to place the seedlings on the south side. The daylight hours of the plant are 13-16 hours;
• if there is no south side in the apartment or house, it is worth resorting to artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps, fluorescent lamps, energy-saving lamps. Recently, specially designed phytolamps have appeared on the market. In any case, the lamp should be placed at a distance of 25-30 cm from the seedlings;
• the ground should not be clayey. If you want to grow tomatoes with soil from the garden, you need to add ordinary sand to it, as well as a little potassium permanganate (for disinfection). Competently selected soil will ensure comfortable growth of tomatoes on the windowsill.
• it is not worth pouring water over the plant, because it threatens with diseases, for example, "black leg";
• the temperature during the day should be 20-25 degrees, at night it can be lowered to 15-16 degrees. On especially hot days, do not be afraid to ventilate the room, this will not harm the plant in the least.
• Organic fertilizers will help you grow tomatoes. They are good in small quantities, but too much will lead to lush growth of greenery, but not fruits;
• the capacity must correspond to the size of the plant, which can be recognized by the name of the variety.

Which varieties are suitable

There is a huge variety of different varieties of tomatoes on the agricultural market. How to choose the right ones that are not afraid of even winter and how to grow tomatoes on the windowsill? For growing on the windowsill, varieties of low tomatoes are best suited.
The fruits of these tomatoes are generally light and lightweight, ideal for growing in small pots with little soil. There are also incredibly many varieties that meet such requests. Here are just some varieties of tomatoes for the windowsill:

• Cherry;
• Bullfinch;
• Japanese dwarf;
• Mini;
• Yamal;
• Balcony charm;
• Room surprise;
• Rowan beads and many others.

If the windowsill is insulated, choose a tomato variety with a higher stem and large fruit for growing on the windowsill. The varieties of weighty tomatoes Bull's Heart and White filling are suitable for those who have very wide window sills with the ability to place flowerpots or boxes. But it should be borne in mind that over time, the bushes will become quite tall and it will be necessary to transfer the plants to the balcony or place them on the floor. Experienced gardeners know that different varieties behave differently on the same land.With growing tomatoes on the windowsill, the story is the same: only by trial and error you will find the variety that is ideal for the conditions of the apartment. For the first time, you can take several different varieties and observe the difference in their growth.

You need to be careful about the quality of the seeds you buy - always check the expiration dates on the original packaging. Often inexperienced gardeners cannot understand the reason why the seeds do not germinate. It is the overdue implementation period that can ruin your first growing experience.

Growing instruction

Having chosen the necessary varieties of tomatoes for the windowsill, we begin the process of germinating seeds.

Before sowing seeds, you need to carry out prophylaxis against late blight.

To do this, soak the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for a quarter of an hour (maximum half an hour). The next step will be to prepare the land. Peat cups are ideal, you can use plastic ones as well. For seedlings, such cups should have a volume of at least 200 ml. We fill the cups with a soil mixture (if purchased ready-made) or mix it ourselves according to the following formula: 5 parts of soil + 5 parts of humus + 2 or 1 part of sand + a little peat.

For 10 liters of the finished mixture, you need to take a small amount of urea (no more than a matchbox) and the same amount of potassium sulfate, as well as wood ash. All this can be purchased in specialized stores. Mix the mixture well and place in prepared cups.

We start sowing.

Tomato seeds should be at least 2 cm apart - this distance is very important for simultaneous germination. You need to sow seeds in damp ground to a depth of no more than 2 cm.

With a deeper planting, it will take a little longer to wait for seedlings.

Sprinkle the seeds in the dimples with earth, and cover them with glass or film on top. This will keep moisture in the ground until the seeds emerge. We place the cups in a warm, but not hot place, and wait for the first green stems to appear. You can wet the soil from time to time.

After the shoots have appeared, we transfer the cups to the windowsill. Naturally, we remove the film or glass. At this stage, it is important to monitor the heat and light for the tomatoes, as well as to ensure regular, rationed watering. A pick, that is, the seedlings of the strongest sprouts in a separate dish, are carried out after the appearance of two real leaves. The volume of the pot for the subsequent growth of the tomato should be much larger - 7-10 liters.

Next, we follow this care plan:

1. Once every 8-10 days, we carry out fertilizing with mineral or organic fertilizers, the instructions for breeding are always indicated on the package. A weak solution of potassium permanganate will also be useful for growing tomatoes on a windowsill;
2. Do not forget to loosen the ground at the roots. We do this very carefully so as not to damage the thin roots;
3. When the need arises, wooden or specialized plastic pegs should be placed in the ground, to which the tomatoes will be tied;
4. Over time, additional stepchildren will appear on the plants. The process of removing them - pinching - will provide better nutrition for the tomato fruit. One stalk can be left to form a second stem;
5. After the fruit has been set, we only leave 3-5 clusters for growing on each stem. We also remove the top of the stem, the inflorescence. Such measures will help the rapid development of already set fruits;
6. We cut off the dried leaves, especially carefully monitor those that are closest to the root. It happens that it is they who block the access of water to the root system and slow down the cultivation;
7. You can also help the plant with the pollination process. To do this, lightly shake the plant and draw it over the flowers with a soft brush or feather. We carry out this procedure very carefully.
8. Late blight is a typical nightshade disease.Tomatoes on the windowsill, like their counterparts in the open field, suffer from this fungal scourge even in winter. To prevent it, you need to process the stems and leaves with tincture of garlic and potassium permanganate (1/2 garlic + 1/2 grams of potassium permanganate + 3 liters of water). You can also use the phytosporin spray method.

Now you know how to grow tomatoes on a windowsill even in winter. In order to better understand some of the details of planting and care, it is worth watching the videos and photos that are presented on our website.

It's always a pleasure to taste homemade, lovingly grown tomatoes. Having the desire and diligence, you can please yourself and your loved ones with them all year round.

Video "Growing tomatoes on a windowsill"

The plot is about how to prepare tomato seeds before planting, how to plant them correctly and how to care for the plant when grown indoors.