Planting tomatoes using the Mittlider method

Tomatoes are grown in almost every Russian garden plot, and each gardener has their own secrets and methods for increasing their harvest. One such trick is growing tomatoes using the Mittlider method, which increases the yield, reduces the amount of planting space and reduces the time spent on crop care.

Who is Jacob Mittlider?

Jacob Mittlider, born in the United States on April 23, 1918, was an agricultural expert and a Doctor of Agricultural Sciences. He worked in:

• growing seedlings on an industrial scale, working in a nursery located in Southern California;
• creating your own fast way to grow vegetable plants;
• development of the most suitable mineral nutrition for vegetable crops;
• breeding new varieties of carnations (5 of which he received copyrights for);
• the development of commercial methods of cultivation, packaging and airfreight of live plants for sale in various areas;
• the invention and creation of a special Mittlider greenhouse.

Mittlider's method of growing vegetables

This method eliminates the use of organic matter in any form and relies on the selection of specific doses of mineral fertilizers, the recipe for which has been refined in different countries and areas, along with specific planting methods and unconventional care. This helps:

• get a high yield on poor lands;
• reduce the number of landing areas;
• eat nitrate-free food provided there is sufficient watering;
• grow in the same area the harvest is 2 times bigger;
• limit the time spent caring for vegetable crops;
• reducing the number of weeds;
• Use only a shovel, hoe and rake in your work.

Externally, a Mittlider vegetable garden consists of long, narrow, earthen beds 0.45 m wide and 9 or 18 m long, facing north to south, and strictly horizontal, without any slopes. The beds are bordered by earthen borders along the sides and ends. The width between rows ranges from 0.75 to 1 m. The beds and alleys are never interchanged. Throughout the summer, vegetable crops of various ages grow simultaneously in the beds: some are ready for harvest, others are growing, and still others are just being planted.

Ridges - boxes

In greenhouses constructed using Mittlider's method, he strongly recommended using raised beds—boxes 40 cm high and 1.5 m wide—set directly on the ground. They are filled with a mixture of rotted sawdust and sand, along with a balanced mineral fertilizer, and topped with soil mix. Over time, the soil settles due to the action of microorganisms, requiring additional soil. Tomatoes are planted in two rows, about 45 cm apart. The soil beneath them is not tilled throughout the summer, and weeds are simply pulled from the soil. If narrow beds are used, tomato seedlings are planted in a single row or in a staggered pattern, spaced 35-40 cm apart. Outdoors, the dimensions of raised beds are the same as those of in-ground beds.

Fertilizing and watering

For fertilizing vegetable plants, Mittlider developed two types of mineral mixtures:

1. The first mixture contains 2.5 kg of dolomite flour and 20 g of boric acid or borax.
2. The second mixture, containing macro and microelements, consists of 3 kg of nitrophoska, 0.5 kg of urea, 0.5 kg of potassium sulfate, 0.5 kg of magnesium sulfate, 0.07 kg of boric acid (0.25 kg of borax), 0.07 kg of ammonium molybdate or molybdic acid.

Before planting, both mixtures are added to the soil. The amount of mixture No. 2 remains unchanged and is 50 g per linear meter, and the amount of mixture No. 1 depends on the composition of the soil:

• when digging sandy soils, add 100 g;
• in clayey, loamy, and acidic peat soils, the additive is 200 g per linear meter.

Fertilize with composition #2 every 7-10 days at a rate of 25-40 g per linear meter of bed. The worse the conditions, the lower the dose:

• shaded area;
• poor land;
• unfavorable weather.

The fertilizer is applied dry to the center of the bed and watered until the mixture is completely dissolved. This method of application helps prevent root burn from the concentrated fertilizer. Watering is done directly into the root zone of the tomatoes. Overhead irrigation encourages fungal diseases and promotes weed growth. Root watering is not time-sensitive and can be done at any time of day, whenever the plants need moisture.

The soil must not be loosened:

• the roots receive nutrition from the upper layers of the soil, so they do not need to go deep;
• when loosening, the roots will be damaged;
• The roots located in the upper layers loosen the soil well themselves.

Garden layout according to Mittlider

This method of growing vegetables is suitable for open ground cultivation, greenhouses, and hothouses. For this method, select a level, well-lit plot of land. Next:

1. The area is dug up, carefully removing the roots.
2. They begin to mark out the beds.
3. The ridges are made strictly from north to south.
4. The width of the ridge is 45 cm, and the dimensions between them are twice as wide for good lighting and ventilation.
5. If the site is sloping, terraces are made and a garden bed is installed on each of them.
6. If there is a risk of soil erosion by rain, boxes are installed.
7. Before planting tomatoes, the beds are dug up again, adding portion of fertilizer and making sides about 10 cm high along the edges.
8. The passages between the beds are mown throughout the summer period.

The Mittlider Method in Russian Gardens

Biological Doctor Tatyana Ugarova was personally acquainted with Mittlider. She is known as the "Russian Mittlider" because she translated almost all of his books into Russian and adapted Mittlider's system to Russian conditions. According to her, the following are not suitable for cultivation in Russia using this method:

• wetlands;
• low, with stagnant water after spring and summer showers;
• areas in the shade;
• lands where there is no water for irrigation;
• slopes with a sharp descent.

The advantages and disadvantages of the Mittlider method of growing tomatoes are shown in the table:

Many Russian gardeners, adopting Mittlider's method of using boxes, narrow beds, and the principle of creating borders, varying the length of the beds as they see fit, have reduced the amount of mineral fertilizers or eliminated them altogether. Instead, they use:

• organic green fertilizers, pouring them into the middle of a narrow bed;
• mulching from weeds, preventing the formation of a crust on the surface and to reduce moisture evaporation.

Reviews

Vladimir, Leningrad region.

"A long time ago, in early 2001, I read an article about narrow raised beds and forgot about it. Then, after retirement, we moved to the countryside, and the soil around the house was clayey and infertile. That's when I remembered that article. There was a lot of sawdust from building a bathhouse. I knocked together some narrow beds, filled them with sawdust, wood shavings, and pine needles from the forest, and left them there for the winter. In the spring, I brought sand and a truckload of soil, filled them in, added fertilizer, mixed it, and planted cabbage and potatoes. Only later did I learn that this method is called the Mittlider method. I still plant, but I add very little fertilizer and more organic matter."

Irina, Kostroma

"The plot around the house is very small, and I tried to plant the vegetables as densely as possible, but the vegetables grew small due to a lack of sunlight and nutrients. Then I read about narrow beds and hesitated for a long time, especially because of the expense of buying boards. But when we were again left without a harvest, we dug up the entire garden and made narrow beds – boxes. I piled up weeds and kitchen scraps on the bottom, and covered them with a mixture of soil, sand, and compost. The beds turned out much smaller, but the space between the rows was big enough for two people to walk. I was very worried about the harvest being small. I planted potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumbers in one row, and carrots and beets in two rows. I raised the sides as recommended, but reduced the amount of fertilizer by half, watering several times with infused grass and adding ash. I mulched the soil between the plants with grass clippings from the rows. The yield was even slightly higher than with a regular planting. Each plant received full sun and developed well. I'll continue planting like this, but I'll keep the fertilizer application to a minimum."

Mittlider taught Russian gardeners not to use every centimeter of space, which allows every plant to receive sufficient light, nutrition, and moisture. Tomatoes thrive even in a box on a balcony or windowsill. To produce a productive harvest, they require constant, intermittent feeding and watering. But whether or not to use this technique for growing vegetables in their garden is a personal decision.