Tomatoes are grown, probably, in every garden and in every suburban area. And, of course, everyone is interested in the question of how to increase the yield of tomatoes.
In essence, each variety or each hybrid is programmed for a certain yield, and our task is not to reduce it by our actions. Let’s talk in more detail about the most common mistakes that prevent an increase in tomato yields.
The first mistake is the abandonment of stepchildren
It is usually allowed by novice gardeners. They are so happy with the growing shoots, they are so worried about every branch that they simply feel sorry for removing stepchildren. But for the cultivation of stepchildren, the tomato spends those juices and those forces that it could use to increase the number of fruits, and, therefore, to increase productivity. By the way, from a large number of stepchildren, tomatoes ripen longer.
The second mistake is that tomatoes in the garden grow densely, without sufficient distance from each other
Such a planting method exists, it is called “thick planting”, it is practiced on purpose, but it is not acceptable for a tomato. The tomato bush should be ventilated, the sun should warm it from all sides, and nearby neighbors only interfere with this. From such a close proximity, not only the internodes are stretched, but the plants are more prone to diseases with various rots.
The third mistake is excessive or insufficient watering
Tomatoes, especially indeterminate ones, need a lot of water to carry the calcium to their tall tops. Plenty of water is especially important in the first few weeks after planting. From a lack of moisture, the plant withers, the ovaries and buds fall off, the already ripened fruits crack. But the plant does not need to be flooded – otherwise it will get sick with fungal diseases.
A reasonable question immediately arises – so how much water does a tomato bush need? The standard rate here is about 5 liters of water, and watering should be done regularly, and only in the morning or evening. That is, you don’t need to think: “Oh, what a hot afternoon! I’ll water the tomatoes, let them cool!” They don’t get cold, they just get sick.
According to the norms, two or three waterings per week are quite enough (depending on the weather).
The fourth mistake is overgrown seedlings
It happens for two reasons: either they didn’t buy seedlings on time, or it’s still scary to plant their own, grown from seeds, in open ground – they say, it’s still cold and early, and suddenly morning frosts.
As a result, seedlings outgrow and spend a lot of time and effort on rooting and adaptation. But she could use all these forces to increase the yield of tomatoes.
Each climate zone has its own landing dates, and try to stick to them.
The fifth mistake is not helping the tomatoes to pollinate
Tomatoes are self-pollinating crops, and to increase productivity, they need to be helped in pollination.
In fact, it is very easy – in dry sunny weather, we lightly shake the tomato bushes so that the pollen from the stamens falls on the pistil. You can even not grab each bush separately, but just shake the rope to which a number of bushes are tied.
This should be done precisely when it is warm and dry, since the pollen is light and in dry air. Pollen absorbs moisture well, becomes heavy, and instead of falling on the flowers, it only falls to the ground. This is especially important for greenhouse tomatoes, where there is no air flow, or it is minimal.
