Violation of the conditions for keeping tomatoes in a greenhouse leads to fattening of plants. It is associated with the abundant growth of the plant with a simultaneous cessation or extinction of flowering and fruiting, leading to a decrease in yield from the bush. If fattening of tomatoes has begun, what to do needs to be decided as soon as possible.

General characteristics of the plant

Tomato is a vegetable widespread in Russia that came from South America. Taking into account the peculiarities of the climate in the region, varieties are selected for growing in open or closed ground.For greenhouses, mainly varieties are selected that do not require pollination by insects.. The height of the bush tomato is:

  • Indeterminate.

  • Determinant.

The first include tall bushes reaching 3 meters. They are branched, the first ovary is formed above the 9-10 leaves. Varieties are medium and even late ripening. Need frequent pinching.

Determinant varieties are undersized. Usually the bush has one main stem and several poorly developed branches. The varieties are considered early maturing. Pinching them is not necessary, but the formation of a bush with 5 clusters speeds up the ripening process.

Signs of fattening tomatoes

Well-growing tomato bushes delight the eye of the gardener, but sometimes it turns out that after flowering, few ovaries are formed. It turns out that tomatoes are fattening; everyone should know what to do with this, how and to identify signs of the disease at an early stage:

  • the plant bush is healthy and strong, while the upper leaves are darker and are subject to curling;

  • thick stems and a branched superficial root system develop;

  • there is a meager flowering or it is completely absent, the flowers stop tying;

  • the flowers that appear fall;

  • fruits do not reach the declared size and ripen slowly.

Fattening tomatoes

The presence of all these signs indicates the process of fattening tomatoes.

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On a note! Tomatoes of the indeterminate type are more often fattened. It also affects hybrid varieties with a long flower cluster.

Reasons for fattening tomatoes

Several factors affect the fat content of indoor tomatoes:

  • abundant watering within 2 weeks after planting seedlings in the ground leads to the formation of a branched root system. As a result, the plant receives abundant nutrition and directs it to the growth of the tops;

  • poor lighting of the plant leads to its rapid growth and elongation of the tops, the bush tries to get the required amount of light due to the mass of the leaves. Most often observed with an excessively dense planting of bushes;

  • violation of feeding schemes. An excess of fertilizers, especially nitrogen fertilizers, leads to a sharp increase in leaf mass. Such a plant does not have the strength to bloom. A similar situation is observed with an excess of manure;

  • the absence of a constant microclimate in a closed greenhouse or a violation in the ventilation technique, fluctuations in soil moisture and air temperature.

If tomatoes are fattening in a greenhouse, what to do? Check for all these signs, although it can be difficult to identify a specific cause.

Watering tomatoes should not be carried out more often 1-2 times a week. Top dressing is done in stages. A week after planting, nitrogen fertilizers are applied.

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Important! Feeding with nitrogen affects the growth of the bush, but not the number of ovaries formed. It is impossible to carry it out after the formation of the bush.Other fertilizers should be used.

The microclimate of a greenhouse depends on a number of circumstances. This is both the place of its installation (preference is given to a site that is evenly illuminated throughout the day), and compliance with the planting scheme for the selected variety. Densely located bushes of a tall plant will stretch upwards, and below they will be poorly ventilated due to their crowding.

What to do if tomatoes are fattening in a greenhouse

The steps to be taken will depend on whether the cause of fat gain has been pinpointed. First of all, you should do the following:

  • Stop watering the plants for 1-2 weeks, preventing the soil from completely drying out. If necessary, pour small amounts of warm water under the root.

  • Ventilate the greenhouse regularly.

  • Analyze the feeding scheme, reduce the nitrogen content in the soil.

  • Remove some of the leaves.

  • Maintain the temperature in the greenhouse at night 22-23 degrees, during the day - no more than 25.

The result of the measures taken should be the growth of buds and fruits on the ovaries.

If tomatoes are fattening due to the excess nitrogen content in the soil, it is clear what to do - to reduce its amount by adding phosphate or superphosphate. Foliar top dressing using superphosphate should be carried out in the evening or before 9 am. Phosphorus has a beneficial effect on new ovaries, while inhibiting the growth of green mass.Stops the addition of potassium and magnesium. Magnesium is found in superphosphate. Potassium is included in fertilizers such as potassium monophosphate or ash in infusion.

Grasshoppers of tomatoes

What to do if tomatoes are fattening in a greenhouse? Pinching them is useful. It is carried out in accordance with the recommendations given for the care of a particular variety, taking into account the reasons for fattening. It is important to remember the rules of pinching:

  • the first pinching is carried out during the flowering of the first brush;

  • it is better if the remote branch has not reached 5 cm;

  • all stepchildren below the first inflorescence on the bush must be removed;

  • remove stepchildren in the morning;

  • watering the plant after pinching is worth not earlier than 10-12 hours;

  • pinching the top is carried out in August in order to stop the growth of the bush and ripen the fruit.

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On a note! It is customary to call the shoots that grow between the trunk and the branch of the bush stepchildren. They take on a lot of the strength of the plant, grow abundantly, prevent the ripening of a bountiful harvest.

It is impossible to urgently start pinching the plant. No more than 2-3 branches should be removed per day, otherwise the bush may die or completely stop fruiting.

Additionally, the plant should be pollinated. For this purpose, a slight shaking of the bush is carried out in the flowering area in the daytime before the start of the heat.

Prevention

Not letting tomato bushes grow fat is quite simple. This requires soil care before planting seedlings: wood ash is introduced, which will enrich the soil with potassium. The soil is subjected to deep digging to improve the penetration of moisture and air.

A predisposition to fattening occurs in the first 2 weeks after planting seedlings, which is why during this period it is impossible to water the plant abundantly and apply fertilizer with excess. You can determine the need for watering using a simple experiment. A lump of earth is taken from a depth of 15-18 cm, compressed in the palm of your hand. When a lump forms, watering is not required, when scattering, it is necessary.

Advice! Mulching the soil helps to retain moisture and prevent the soil from drying out. It also helps to reduce the need for watering.

Conclusions:

  • To fattening tomatoes leads to excessive fertilization and watering of tomato bushes, insufficient microclimate of the greenhouse.

  • The first sign of fattening is the process of rolling the leaves and their darkening from above.

  • You can reduce the nitrogen content by adding superphosphate.

  • Tomato bushes of the indeterminate type, subjected to fattening, need pinching, competent watering and artificial pollination by shaking the inflorescences.

Having figured out how you can stop fattening tomatoes and taking measures in time, you can harvest a good harvest.