Growing tomatoes without watering using the Kazarin method

Despite varying growing conditions, tomatoes are grown in many parts of Russia. Gardeners with a garden plot close to home benefit, as it's much easier for them to provide consistent care and watering. However, gardeners with plots far from their homes can use the Kazarin method, a useful method for growing tomatoes that saves time and effort on watering.

Basics of the method

The Kazarin method of growing tomatoes involves not watering the plants from planting until the fruit clusters form. With frequent, but with scanty watering Tomato roots are located near the soil's surface and are unable to obtain water and nutrients for themselves. They lack the incentive to grow and develop. When water is scarce, the roots dig deeper, sometimes up to 2 meters, and across the soil to find life-giving moisture. These roots are able to nourish tomatoes not only during the period of intensive growth but also during the fruit ripening period.

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Peculiarities of growing seedlings

To ensure that seedlings planted in the ground for their permanent location survive in the absence of moisture and fertilizer, they are grown using a special method. With the traditional method, the roots are pinched off by one-third during transplanting to create a fibrous root system.

Seeds are sown in:

1. Container with soil.
2. Twist (snail).

Method 1 of growing seedlings

Fill a large container with nutrient-rich soil, either homemade and steamed or baked, or store-bought. Make furrows with a toothpick and sow the seeds to a depth of about 1 cm. Top with nutrient-rich soil and cover the container loosely with a lid or plastic bag, leaving some space for air to circulate. Place in a dark, warm place. When loops appear above the soil, remove the cover and place the seedlings on a bright window. When the sprouts have 1-2 true leaves, transplant them, not into individual pots, but into individual cellophane containers. The transplanting process:

1. Spread a piece of cellophane, similar in size to a food bag, on the table.
2. Place 1 tablespoon of soil on it.
3. Use a fork or a small spatula to lift a tomato sprout and place it on top of the soil.
4. Add another 1 tbsp of soil on top.
5. Wrapped into a roll.
6. Secure with an elastic band
7. Place in a container.
8. Watering is done through a tray, adding a weakly concentrated complex fertilizer to the water.
9. As the seedlings grow, unroll the snail, add another tablespoon of soil, and wrap it again. The plants grow in this form until they are transplanted into the ground.

Method 2 of growing seedlings

A plastic food bag folded in half with the fold facing away from you is laid out on the table. Place it on top of it:

1. Place toilet paper in several layers.
2. The paper from the medicinal bulb is moistened with a solution of water and a growth stimulator.
3. Tomato seeds are laid out, leaving 1-1.5 cm from the top and about 2-2.5 cm from each other.
4. The film is rolled into a tube.
5. They tie it with a rubber band and write the grade.
6. Place in a container.
7. Cover the top loosely with a plastic bag and put it in a dark, warm place until loops appear above the surface of the paper.
8. Watering is done through the tray, making sure that the paper does not dry out.
9. When the sprouts develop one or two true leaves, they are pricked out, leaving every other sprout here. Adding a little soil on top, they are then rolled into a snail shape.
10. The transplanted seedlings are moved to another nest with a small amount of soil.
11. As the seedlings grow, add a little soil to the snails.

Landing

Since seedlings grown with this cultivation method are grown using a special recipe, planting also differs from the traditional method. Before planting:

1. All lower leaves are removed from the seedlings, leaving only the 2 upper ones.
2. They dig a trench, the length of which is slightly more than half the length of the stem.
3. Pour half a bucket of compost and 2 handfuls of ash into the trench and mix.
4. Dissolve 1 g of potassium permanganate in a bucket of water.
5. Pour 1/2 bucket of the prepared solution into the trench.
6. Place the seedling trunk in the trench with the top facing north and cover it with soil, leaving only the top.
7. They drive a stake in nearby and tie the top strictly vertically.
8. Water again, pouring 1/2 bucket of water under each plant.
9. Mulch with a layer of up to 10-15 cm, using rotted sawdust, dry grass, and fallen leaves.
10. Another watering can be done during fruit setting, when a developed root system has formed.

https://youtu.be/N9eMJMVPUa8

Growing

For the first two weeks after planting, the transplanted tomatoes are a joy to behold, but later, as the soil in the hole dries out, the leaves begin to wilt and droop. At this point, the struggle for survival begins. The roots vigorously seek out the missing moisture, their growth accelerates, and the gardener finds it difficult to resist watering to help the seedlings survive. But it doesn't take long before the tomatoes regain their original appearance. Therefore, a major advantage of this growing method is that even rejected plants (sickly or overgrown) produce a harvest.

To the advantages This method of cultivation includes:

• lack of watering and top dressing;
• the opportunity to visit the dacha less often;
• saving energy;
• obtaining fruits with a distinct taste and no wateriness;
• obtaining a harvest even from weak (frail or overgrown) seedlings;
• tomatoes ripen 7-10 days earlier than usual.

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On the downside include:

• the presence of mulch is essential, preventing moisture evaporation from the soil surface;
• seedlings located in a limited space (a cup), when grown on a windowsill, have a fibrous root system, poorly adapted to independently search for water, and can die due to a lack of moisture when transplanted into the ground;
• rapid drying of soil in closed greenhouses and hotbeds and the likelihood of plant death without watering;
• Breaking off the main root during transplantation leads to the growth of lateral roots located close to the soil surface and possible problems in finding water.

Reviews

Svetlana, Kaliningrad

"In our region with its unique climate, I didn't dare plant all my tomatoes this way; I tried it on three plants. I didn't grow the seedlings in diapers, but in regular cups. When planting, I poured a bucket of water into the holes, so worried was I about the plants. Watering wasn't really necessary; it rained once or twice a week, but at times the tomatoes would drop their leaves, and I was really sad about them. My harvest was a little later and smaller than on regular plants, but the tomatoes were much sweeter."

Igor Petrovich, pensioner, Ivanovo

"I heard about a new method for growing tomatoes and decided to try it on a few plants. My dacha is a half-hour walk away, so I can spend the night there in the summer, but water is scarce. So, if I don't stock up, the plants will go without water. I selected five small tomato roots, planted them, and watered them thoroughly. I covered them with about 15 cm of mulch (I had some hay left over from last year). After two weeks, the plants looked sad and their leaves drooped, but I persevered. After 10 days, they began to gradually revive, and I kept adding more mulch underneath them. I didn't notice any increase in yield; the tomatoes were smaller than on other plants, but they were delicious."

Everyone chooses their own method for growing vegetables in their garden, taking into account all the pros and cons. However, for the sake of experimentation, it's worth sacrificing a few plants to understand how they struggle for survival and compare the taste of the fruits produced under different care conditions. And it's highly likely that Kazarin's method will become the only growing method used by any given gardener.