Growing tomatoes in bags

There are many ways to increase tomato yields, and one of them is growing tomatoes in bags. This method has many advantages, including protecting the plants from pests. However, not all varieties are suitable for this application. It's important to adhere to the application timing and basic agricultural practices.

Advantages of the method

Growing tomatoes in bags is an unusual option, but experienced gardeners have found it to be a convenient and less expensive method.

Advantages:

• installation of bags in any place, depending on convenience;
• easy to protect from temperature changes and weather conditions;
• moisture evaporates more slowly, and therefore less watering is required;
• the soil heats up faster and cools down more slowly, the crop ripens faster;
• Nutrients and water go directly to the roots;
• minimal risk of infection of roots and bushes by diseases and insect attacks;
• Plant care is simplified.

Suitable varieties

Not all tomato varieties are suitable for growing in bags, especially exotic varieties. The following are commonly used:

• Determinate varieties are those that have a growth limit and stop growing after 4-8 clusters have formed. These bushes bear fruit once per season and are often short.
• Hybrids are distinguished by their strong growth and are unpretentious in care.

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Most often, gardeners grow varieties such as:

• Burzhuy – easily adapts to conditions, produces large, round fruits weighing 300-400 g.
• Vesna Severa is a mid-early variety of large size (210-350 g), round in shape with a matte pink-red color.
• Azhur is a mid-early hybrid variety that is resistant to any conditions and produces a good yield weighing 240-260 g.

These species produce fruit well in bags and reach large sizes.

Using the method in a greenhouse and in open ground

Growing in bags is suitable for both open ground and greenhouses. In open ground, the same steps are followed as for regular bag planting. Water regularly, but sparingly, as water evaporates poorly, which can cause root rot. New roots may emerge during the first 25 days; these should be covered with fresh soil.

Before transplanting the seedlings to the greenhouse, the holes should be filled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (1%). After the solution has soaked into the soil, the seedlings can be placed in bags and covered with soil. Water the tomatoes only after 14 days. To conserve energy and nutrients in the plants, side shoots are removed before they reach 50 mm.

As with conventional greenhouse cultivation, pollination is necessary: ​​in the morning, on a sunny day, gently shake off the plant's tassels with a cloth. Then water and spray the leaves with clean water. After two hours, open the greenhouse for ventilation.

Greenhouses are often infected with late blight, a fungus that attacks leaves and fruit. To prevent the disease, you can periodically spray with potassium-containing solutions.

If the bushes haven't been watered for a while, don't immediately water them thoroughly. It's better to first moisten the top layer of soil and then water them thoroughly a few hours later.

What you will need for planting

Before you start growing tomatoes in bags, you need to prepare all the necessary materials:

• bags;
• priming;
• supports.

An important step is to cut small drainage holes on the sides of the bags to prevent excess moisture from stagnating.

As soil, you can use ordinary soil from the garden, fertilized with useful substances:

• humus;
• wood ash (1 liter per 20 liters of soil);
• superphosphate (20 g per 20 l of soil);
• sawdust for looseness.

Pegs are needed as supports, to which the bushes are tied with rope or wire.

It's best to choose large burlap (polypropylene) bags weighing 30 to 50 kg. These are most often used for packing sugar. They are durable and allow air and moisture to pass through well. White bags are best, as light colors reflect light, preventing the plant from overheating and preventing damage to the roots.

Many experienced gardeners recommend disinfecting bags with a potassium permanganate solution before planting. Afterwards, the bags can be used for 2-3 years, and the soil should be changed annually.

Soil preparation

Soil for tomato planting should be prepared in the fall, especially if it's mixed with ash. Adding ash before planting can burn the plant's roots. By spring, the ash will be neutralized, but the essential minerals for growth will remain, and the soil will be suitable for the next season.

If the soil is not prepared in advance, then instead of ash, water the seedlings with an ash extract (1 glass is infused in 10 liters of water for 24 hours, stirring occasionally) and filtered through a layer of gauze.

To disinfect soil from diseases and pests, steam it in a water bath under a lid for one to two hours and then allow it to cool. Store the treated soil in boxes or bags outside to prevent harmful bacteria and remaining insect larvae from freezing.

Before planting the seedlings in the soil, it's important to further disinfect it from pests. Treat the soil with a hot copper sulfate solution a week before planting. Then, fertilize and mix again.

After planting, you can mulch the top layer with humus. This layer will provide additional protection for the root system from overheating, drying out, and crusting, which usually requires constant loosening.

The principle of planting tomatoes

Tomatoes are primarily planted as seedlings. For seeding, use a ready-made mixture or a homemade one, blending several beneficial ingredients:

• part of peat;
• humus or compost;
• turf or leaf soil;
• part of the river sand.

Add a cup of wood ash or crushed chalk and a tablespoon of mineral fertilizer to 10 liters of this mixture. Then, to disinfect it, heat it in the oven at 100 degrees Celsius for 1 hour. For best results, it's recommended to soak the mixture in a hot solution of potassium permanganate.

The seeds also go through the following stages of preparation:

1. Salt solution culling (30 g of salt per liter of water) – the seeds are placed in a brine, and after 15 minutes, the unwanted material floats to the surface and is discarded. The remaining material is suitable for planting and proceeds to stage 2.
2. Disinfection is carried out in a soda solution of 0.5 g per half glass of water. Dry the seeds on a napkin and soak them in the solution for 24 hours. This will not only disinfect them but also accelerate fruiting.
3. Soak the seeds in a boric acid solution (1 g per liter of water) for 24 hours. The water should be filtered or melted. Then, place the seeds in a growth-stimulating solution (Epin, potassium humate, Virtan-micro).
4. Hardening occurs after the seeds have swollen, placing them in a bag in the refrigerator for 24 hours. The bag is then moistened and placed on a saucer. After 4-5 days, they begin to germinate, and then you can begin sowing.

Planting is done in pots, cups, or containers. The containers are filled with potting mix, indented 3-5 cm apart and 1 cm deep, and covered with plastic wrap or glass.

For seed germination, a 16-hour daylight period is required. Water them gently once a week around the edge of the container without a watering can and mist them daily with a spray bottle. Be sure to feed the seedlings with fertilizer, eggshells, or compost.

The best time to sow seeds depends on the climate. In southern regions, sowing occurs in late February or early March, and by May, they begin planting in the ground. In northern regions, planting occurs later—in March or April—and they are planted by June.

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Once the seedlings have sprouted, they can be planted in bags with soil under certain conditions:

• if the height of the seedlings has reached 25-30 cm;
• stem thickness 8-10 mm;
• number of true leaves – 7-10 pcs.;
• the first flower brush was formed.

For low-growing varieties, fill the bag 40% full, tucking in the remaining space for later use. First, make 3-4 holes in the soil and plant the seedlings as deep as possible to ensure the stems are stable and the roots can grow.

Plant care

After planting, seedlings should be watered twice a week with warm, room-temperature water; in hot weather, water every other day. Each watering should be done only at the roots, avoiding the leaves to prevent disease, and should be accompanied by loosening the soil to prevent crusting.

Supports are added to growing bushes as early as the planting period, 2-3 weeks after transplanting. At this time, side shoots are removed, meaning new shoots, if any, are removed, depending on the variety.

Adviсe:

1. To prevent pests from getting into the bags, they can be placed on pallets or bricks.
2. It is recommended to place the bags in the sun, this will provide additional nutrition with microelements.
3. To ensure a consistent harvest, you can plant several different varieties with different ripening times.
4. If you can't water frequently, you can add vermiculite, a resinous mineral that can absorb moisture and regulate the water balance in the soil.
5. In case of frost, cold weather and rain, the remaining edges of the bag can be unfolded and covered, hiding the plant.
6. During the first few months of growth, you need to add more soil so that the trunk of the bush stands stronger.
7. If the tomatoes were diseased during cultivation, then the next time they are planted, the bags should be disinfected with potassium permanganate.

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Growing in bags isn't complicated at its core. Following the rules will significantly reduce the time spent caring for the plants. And the harvest will be richer and tastier.