What to plant after tomatoes
How To Replenish Soil After Tomatoes [Inc. Amending Soil Or What To Plant]
For most of the year, gardening may be relaxing if you know what else to plant. Just after tomato season is done, which is often in late September, you can add a variety of plants to your garden. After tomatoes, what else can you plant? How can soil be improved and replenished after tomatoes? We conducted extensive research to give you the most significant information and answers.
Amending your soil by adding compost or other organic material is the greatest way to revive it. Crop rotation is additionally advised to aid with soil regrowth. The crops that will best support your soil and allow it to flourish are those that require little or no maintenance, such as legumes, onions, dill, carrots, and beets.
Thinking ahead when planting veggies in your garden is crucial and considering what will follow the current crop. Learn more about the plants you can substitute for tomatoes in your garden, how to prepare and amend your soil, and why it's important to rotate your crops by reading on. Our guide will elucidate.
How Should Soil Be Prepared After Tomato Plants?
After tomato plants, you'll need to prepare your soil for a new crop. Once you've gathered your tomato plants, you can't immediately put carrots or beans straight into the ground.
As a first step, eliminate whatever supports you may have placed on site for the tomato plants. Any tomato cages, poles, baskets, and ties must be taken down.
Clean them up, so they are ready for your subsequent crop, then store them securely. The next step is to clear the garden of any leftover tomato plants.
Any leftover tomato plants should be pulled up, the roots pulled out, and any fallen fruits collected. It would be beneficial to throw away any plant debris or burn it.
You can use a spade or a tiller/cultivator to cultivate the soil. This will encourage aeration, which will aid in the removal of any microbes that might be hazardous to your subsequent crops. You can start getting ready to plant your subsequent crop when that is finished.
Selecting A Garden Soil Amendment
How do you choose the best amendments for your garden when there are so many different kinds available? Start by testing the soil. A soil test can reveal important details about your soil's health, including its pH, amount of organic matter, and general fertility.
When you are aware of your plants' demands and the soil's condition, you may select amendments that work well. Perhaps your soil needs extra nitrogen. That includes composted animal manures. If you want to immediately improve your soil, such as in a vegetable garden, choose a fast-degrading additive like cow manure.
Choose a material like compost that takes time to break down—it will provide a consistent feed throughout the growing season in a permanent border or with long-lasting vegetables like tomatoes.
The pH of the soil is another aspect of developing healthy plants; excessively acidic or basic soil stops plants from absorbing nutrients. Sulfur could be applied to soils in basic locations to bring pH levels to appropriate ranges.
How frequently should your soil be tested? Even if your garden is doing well, it's a good idea to obtain a field experiment every four to five years. It is inexpensive and aids in determining which garden to plant.
Garden Soil Supplements Come In A Variety Of Forms
Bundles of sacks of composts, organic manure, and many other amendments are probably available at any garden center. Bigger greenhouses also might sell bulk supplies by the cubic yard. Here are some of the most popular gardening amendments.
Compost
Compost is a common garden soil addition, which can be created in your garden or bought at a garden supply store. Typically, leaves, garden waste, and decomposing organic material like vegetable peelings are used to make it.
Compost works wonders as a soil amendment, strengthening mainly clay and sandy soils, boosting water retention, and promoting plant development.
Animal Droppings
Farmers and garden centers both sell huge quantities of livestock manures in bags.
Sheep, cow, and horse manures are all common. Because the quality and amount of nutrients in each type vary substantially, we advise conducting some studies first.
Cow manure is among the most popular for gardening type, whether in bags or in bulk. In addition to a healthy supply of nutrients, it offers a lot of organic matter.
Sheep dung is a preferred type of bagged manure because it contains high levels of organic matter and minerals like nitrogen.
Horse manure is frequently referred to as "weedy manure" since horses don't completely digest seeds the way cows do. Nevertheless, less digested manure yields a greater topsoil amendment.
Leaf Mold or Chopped-Up Leaves
In the fall, crushed leaves can be raked into vegetable beds or allowed to decompose into leaf mold. Among the greatest additions is leaf mold since it dramatically enhances soil texture and structure, increases water retention, and provides a ton of hummus.
Making your compost from leaf mold is also very simple.
Just two things are required: time and leaves. Shredded leaves are the ideal place to start since they decompose more quickly.
Use a chipper/shredder to shred the leaves, or mow them several times to cut them into tiny pieces. The leaves can be gathered in a free-form pile, placed in a compost pile, or enclosed in a ring of wire fencing.
Bog Moss
Bog moss or peat moss has already been promoted as a "soil conditioner" for many years. It is created from ground-up dried sphagnum moss and is airy and fluffy.
It is also a crucial component of potting mixtures. If you've ever attempted to rewet dry peat moss, you've probably discovered how challenging it may be.
Dry peat moss is not a great mulching or top-dressing amendment since it repels water. It can acidify the topsoil and has very few nutrients or microbes.
Check this organic vegetable plant fertilizer on Amazon.
Find this compost and manure fertilizer on Amazon.
What Should I Plant After Tomatoes?
Your garden won't be able to maintain other crops with the same feeding demands because tomatoes are heavy feeders.
As we mentioned above, the ideal plants to plant after tomatoes are those that require little maintenance and can withstand the chilly autumn weather.
These plants thrive on soil that has previously supported tomato plants, making them perfect for planting after tomatoes.
Legumes
After tomatoes, legumes are the most common vegetable to be planted in gardens. This family of plants includes Clover, peanuts, peas, alfalfa, and beans.
Because legumes' roots will replenish your soil's nitrogen levels, they are a fantastic crop to plant in rotation with tomatoes. After such a crop of hungry tomato plants, it will be a huge benefit to your garden.
Onion
After harvesting your onions, they must plant heavy feeders because onions are light feeders. After you've harvested your bulb harvest, you should plant your onions. Planting heavy feeders such as winter squash, pumpkin, or tomatoes should come after onions.
Dill
The gardeners can gain various advantages from the herb dill.
Pests that feed on brassicas, such as broccoli and cabbage, are repelled by it. Dill can draw parasites of the tomato hornworm and improve the well-being of tomato plants.
Carrot
Carrots are a fantastic crop to plant after tomatoes because the latter will have cleared the soil of weeds, giving the former more space to grow. Two veggies that are frequently cultivated together are carrots and tomatoes.
When tomatoes start to take over the area, carrots are collected. For reciprocal advantage, asparagus and tomato plants are planted together.
The asparagus serves to keep pests away from the tomato plants, and the tomato plants, in turn, offer protection for such asparagus.
Beetroot
A gardening practice called companion planting involves growing two or more plants together to increase an area's production. Companion planting can enhance vegetable flavor, ward against pests, and draw in beneficial insects.
Some plants clash, while others, like vines and corn, complement each other perfectly.
Corn and tomatoes are an illustration of companion planting.
While corn supports the tomato plant, tomatoes help keep destructive insects from devouring the corn. In companion planting, veggies are chosen that complement one another and have comparable environmental requirements.
Why Is It Important To Rotate Crops After Tomatoes?
Following tomatoes, rotating your crops will keep the soil in your garden healthy and encourage crop growth. Tomatoes are heavy feeders because they use up a large part of the nutrients in the soil.
Alternating lighter-feeding plants throughout your garden can encourage soil regrowth and give your crops the nutrients they need to thrive.
Crop rotation also helps prevent concerns with insects and diseases transmitted through the soil. The Solanaceae family of plants can act as the ideal breeding ground for pests and illnesses, rendering your garden worthless for years.
These plants are subject to the same diseases that harm tomatoes.
You can assist guarantee that the soil in your garden has all the nutrients it needs and that your plants develop by rotating the crops you grow there.
Final Thoughts
You have several wonderful planting options after your tomatoes. Because of their roots, legumes are an excellent choice because they help to replenish nitrogen, and due to your tomato plants, carrots will profit from weed-free soil.
Crop rotation is necessary for your garden to maintain nutrient-rich soil and healthy plant growth. You also learned how to pick the ideal amendment in this post, as well as how to prepare the soil for tomato plants.
Here is another related post you may want to read:
What Is The Best Netting For Tomato Plants?
When To Transplant Tomato Seedlings
What Is A Good Crop To Rotate With Tomatoes? (5 Options To Try) – greenupside
Crop rotation helps you to get a better harvest from the plants in your garden, including tomatoes. However, for crop rotation to work, you need to make a plan and stick to it.
So, what is a good crop to rotate with tomatoes? Any legume is a good crop to rotate with tomatoes. Legumes include peas, beans, peanuts, clover, and alfalfa. These crops will help to restore nitrogen to the soil when planted after tomatoes. You can also plan for a 3, 4, or 5 year crop rotation schedule to further reduce the risk of disease.
Of course, legumes aren’t the only crop you can rotate with tomatoes! There are lots of other crops that you can choose for your crop rotation plan.
In this article, we’ll look at some sample crop rotation schedules. We’ll also answer some common questions about crop rotation for tomatoes.
Let’s begin.
What Is A Good Crop To Rotate With Tomatoes?
If you want a crop to rotate with tomatoes, any legume is a good choice.
Alfalfa is a legume that restores nitrogen to soil and can also be used to feed animals.Legumes include plants such as:
- Alfalfa – a legume that is also known as Lucerne.
It has a deep root system, which makes it drought resistant. Alfalfa’s deep roots also help it to pull up nutrients from deep in the soil. This allows it to access soil resources that shallow-rooted plants cannot. - Beans – a legume that grows in pods, similar to peas. Green beans are one type of beans, and they come in both pole and bush varieties. Pole beans grow tall, climbing up a pole or trellis, and they produce beans for a longer period of time than bush beans. Bush beans grow along the ground, spreading out and covering more area than pole beans. Pole beans are the better option if you want to save space and make harvesting easier on yourself.
- Clover – a legume with distinctive 3-section leaves, which is often used as feed for livestock.
- Peas – a legume that grows in edible pods (although some pods are tougher than others!) Pea pods grow on tall climbing vines, so using a trellis for support is a good idea when growing peas.
- Peanuts – a legume whose leaves grow above ground and whose pods (containing the seeds, or peanuts we eat) grow underground.
According to Wikipedia, legumes have nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodules. This means that legumes will restore nitrogen to soil that has been depleted by other crops, such as tomatoes or broccoli.
Some legumes (such as peas, beans, and peanuts) are grown for human consumption. Other legumes (such as clover and alfalfa) are generally grown for livestock consumption.
Legumes may also be tilled into the soil after they grow. This helps to restore even more nutrients to the soil in a garden.
Crops such as clover and alfalfa are sometimes called cover crops, or green manure. These cover crops restore nutrients to the soil (just as ordinary manure does).
You can learn more about green manure crops (and their benefits) here.
Clover is a cover crop, or green manure, that is a legume (it replaces nitrogen in the soil).
If you want to rotate tomatoes over a longer four-year or five-year period, you can plant in the following order:
- Brassicas – crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts.
- Cucurbits – crops such as cucumbers, melons, and squash.
- Legumes – crops such as peas, beans, peanuts, clover, and alfalfa. Clover and alfalfa would be a good choice if you have livestock you need to feed.
- Root Crops – crops that grow in the ground, such as carrots, turnips, radishes, and beets.
- Solanaceous – crops such as tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants. These are also known as nightshades.
We’ll go into more detail about crop rotation plans and scheduling later. Right now, let’s talk about why you should rotate tomato crops.
Why Rotate Tomato Crops?
There are some good reasons to rotate tomato crops with other plants in your garden on a regular schedule.
According to Wikipedia, growing the same plant in the same location over time will deplete nutrients in the soil.
Crop rotation helps to restore nutrients to the soil, improving the yields of tomatoes and other plants. For example, legumes restore nitrogen to the soil, due to the nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodules.
According to the University of Maryland Extension, crop rotation also helps to prevent diseases in your garden. For example, some diseases that affect tomatoes (such as early or late blight) will not affect legumes.
Crop rotation can help to prevent the spread of diseases (such as late blight) in your garden.Thus, crop rotation helps to slow the spread of these diseases, or eliminates them entirely.
The University of Minnesota also suggests a good alternative: using containers (pots, grow bags, etc.) to “quarantine” disease-prone plants. For example, heirloom tomatoes have not been bred to have the disease resistance that some hybrid varieties enjoy.
How Often Should You Rotate Tomatoes?
Tomatoes should be rotated with another crop at least every other year (that is, every 2 years). This leaves a year for tomato diseases in the soil to die off before you plant tomatoes in the same spot again.
However, it is even better to rotate tomatoes on a longer schedule (that is, if space allows). The Washington State University Extension suggests using a 3 or 4 year crop rotation schedule.
Rotate tomatoes at least every 2 years, but ideally over 3, 4, or 5 years to reduce risk of disease.Leaving more time between plantings of tomato crops gives the soil more time to recover nutrients used up by plants. It also leaves more time for tomato diseases to die out if they are present in the soil.
Let’s look at some crop rotation plans for 2, 3, 4, and 5 year schedules.
2 Year Crop Rotation Plan (for Tomatoes)
A 2 year crop rotation plan for tomatoes is useful if you do not have much space in your garden.
In a small space, it may not be practical to split the garden into 3 or more sections for crop rotation.
In that case, plant tomatoes in the first year, and a legume in the second year. Rotate in this manner every other year.
The legumes will help to restore nitrogen to the soil in alternating years. Here is what the 2 year crop rotation plan would look like:
| Year 1 |
|---|
| Tomatoes |
| Legumes |
| Year 2 |
|---|
| Legumes |
| Tomatoes |
3 Year Crop Rotation Plan (for Tomatoes)
A 3 year crop rotation plan is similar to the 2 year plan above, in that it includes one tomato section and one legume section. However, you also add a third unplanted section to your plot.
Leaving a section of the garden unplanted allows the soil to “rest” for a year, since there are no crops taking up nutrients for growth.
You can then use compost or aged manure to restore nutrients and organic material to the soil in the unplanted section.
Just be sure to also mulch this unplanted section. Otherwise, you might get some unwelcome guests (weeds!) taking up residence in the space.
Here is what the 3 year crop rotation plan would look like:
| Year 1 |
|---|
| Tomatoes |
| Legumes |
| Unplanted |
| Year 2 |
|---|
| Unplanted |
| Tomatoes |
| Legumes |
| Year 3 |
|---|
| Legumes |
| Unplanted |
| Tomatoes |
4 Year Crop Rotation Plan (for Tomatoes)
A 4 year crop rotation plan is a little bit different than the ones outlined above.
In this plan, you rotate between four different groups of plants in your garden:
- In the first section, you grow tomatoes.
- In the second section, you grow legumes (like beans and peas).
- In the third section, you grow brassicas (like broccoli and cauliflower).
- In the fourth section, you grow root crops (like carrots and turnips).
This leaves even more time between plantings of tomatoes. As a result, diseases that affect tomatoes will have a lower chance of surviving in the soil until the next time tomatoes are planted.
The variety of crops planted will also help to balance out the nutrient demands on the soil from year to year. Here is what the 4 year crop rotation plan would look like:
| Year 1 |
|---|
| Tomatoes |
| Legumes |
| Brassicas |
| Root Crops |
| Year 2 |
|---|
| Root Crops |
| Tomatoes |
| Legumes |
| Brassicas |
| Year 3 |
|---|
| Brassicas |
| Root Crops |
| Tomatoes |
| Legumes |
| Year 4 |
|---|
| Legumes |
| Brassicas |
| Root Crops |
| Tomatoes |
5 Year Crop Rotation Plan (for Tomatoes)
A 5 year crop rotation plan is similar to the 4 year plan above, except that it adds a fifth unplanted section to your plot.
Leaving a section of the garden unplanted allows the soil to “rest” for an extra year, and gives tomato diseases more time to die off. Here is what the 5 year crop rotation plan would look like:
| Year 1 |
|---|
| Tomatoes |
| Legumes |
| Brassicas |
| Root Crops |
| Unplanted |
| Year 2 |
|---|
| Unplanted |
| Tomatoes |
| Legumes |
| Brassicas |
| Root Crops |
| Year 3 |
|---|
| Root Crops |
| Unplanted |
| Tomatoes |
| Legumes |
| Brassicas |
| Year 4 |
|---|
| Brassicas |
| Root Crops |
| Unplanted |
| Tomatoes |
| Legumes |
| Year 5 |
|---|
| Legumes |
| Brassicas |
| Root Crops |
| Unplanted |
| Tomatoes |
It is helpful to keep track of your crop rotation plans with a journal.
That way, you won’t forget what was planted in previous years. You will know exactly what to plant in each section of the garden and when to plant it.
Keep in mind that there are some cold-hardy plants that can survive the winter. You might consider planting these in the “off-season” (or for a fall “succession planting”) to get an extra harvest.
For example, garlic survives over the winter (and needs 9 months to grow!) Spinach is very cold hardy, to the point where it can survive frost and still produce for you in the following year.
What Not To Plant After Tomatoes
You should not plant any crop in the nightshade family directly after (or before) tomatoes. There are several reasons for this (Note: nightshades include tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants).
Potatoes share many of the same diseases as tomatoes, including early blight and late blight. Peppers and eggplants can also be affected by these diseases.First, all of the crops in the nightshade family have similar nutrient requirements.
Over time, they will deplete nutrients in the soil, unless you fertilize heavily.
Also, plants in the nightshade family share some diseases in common. For example, early blight and late blight are two diseases that can both affect tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants.
As a result, these plants can spread diseases between one another.
You can learn more about how tomato plants get blight (and how to prevent it) here.
Can I Plant Tomatoes In The Same Place As Last Year?
It is certainly possible to plant tomatoes in the same spot every year. However, it is not a good idea.
As mentioned above, diseases such as early blight and late blight are more prone to spread through your garden when you plant tomatoes in the same spot every year. This is more likely in warm climates, which do not get cold enough to kill some of the diseases the live in the soil.
Using proper spacing for your tomato plants (18 to 24 inches apart) will help to avoid the spread of disease between adjacent plants.
Also, nutrient deficiencies are more likely to occur when you plant the same crop in the same place every year. Adding compost or fertilizer makes this less likely, but crop rotation helps to avoid the problem altogether.
Conclusion
Now you have some ideas for what crops you can use to rotate with tomatoes. You also have the outline for crop rotation plans over 2, 3, 4, and 5 years.
I hope you found this article helpful – if so, please share it with someone who will find the information useful. It’s time to get out your journal, map out your crop rotation, and prepare for a great tomato harvest this year!
If you are ready to get started with your tomato planting this year, you can learn all about tomato seed germination here.
You can learn about multicropping methods here.
To find gardening books, courses, and more, check out The Shop at Greenupside!
What to plant after tomato, crop rotation table.
Then plant tomatoes in open ground, in a greenhouse Good afternoon, dear readers!
Tomatoes are loved and grown in almost every region of Russia. Before planting this nightshade crop in your garden, you need to choose the right place, prepare the soil and create the necessary conditions for growth. In addition, we must not forget about the alternation and proximity of cultures. Only by adhering to these rules, you can get a healthy and plentiful tomato crop.
In today's article, all the details of the crop rotation of tomatoes on the site.
Contents of the article
- Is it possible to plant tomatoes after tomatoes?
- What to plant next year after the tomato?
- In the open ground
- In the greenhouse
- What to plant after phytophthora patients tomato to improve the soil
- Sowing green manure before and after tomato: video
- Rotation table
- After what can I plant tomatoes?
- Outdoors
- Greenhouse
- Is it possible after peppers, onions, garlic, potatoes, eggplants?
- Are cucumbers planted after tomatoes?
- Can cucumbers be planted in the greenhouse after tomatoes?
- After which you can not plant tomatoes?
- What can not be planted after tomatoes?
- Best neighbors, what to plant next to tomatoes?
- What kind of soil and growing conditions do tomatoes need?
- Growing tomatoes outdoors: video
Is it possible to plant tomatoes after a tomato?
A break in the cultivation of tomatoes in one area in accordance with the crop rotation should be at least 3-4 years.
When growing tomatoes in one place, for example, in a small garden area or in greenhouses, disinfection or replacement of the topsoil (4-5 centimeters) is necessary. If the previous tomatoes were sick, the soil layer is cut off by 10 centimeters. After that, the soil is sprayed with a hot solution of copper sulfate. In place of the removed soil, a fertile mixture of soddy or leafy soil, sand, and rotted humus is poured.
If you plant tomatoes in the same place every year, the soil in this bed becomes acidic. Every autumn, fluffy lime is introduced into the ground for deep digging.
What to plant next year after the tomato?
Tomato can be planted in place: radishes, beets, carrots, cabbage, onions, garlic, beans, peas, soybeans, beans, dill, parsley, lettuce, celery, cucumbers, squash, zucchini.
In the open field
Legumes and greens are planted in the open field to compensate for the nitrogen in the soil that the tomatoes have used up.
Legumes are undemanding to the composition of the soil. They saturate the soil with nitrogen, enriching it with organic compounds.
Root crops consume nutrients from deeper soil layers than tomatoes and therefore can also grow on these beds.
Onions and garlic in such a place always give a bountiful harvest and heal the soil.
Pumpkin crops are planted with mandatory restorative top dressing.
In the greenhouse
- All types of cabbage, radish, cucumbers, zucchini, herbs and herbs are planted in the greenhouse.
- Cabbage is indifferent to nitrogen deficiency and is not affected by diseases of nightshade crops.
- Before planting cucurbits, organic matter is introduced into the soil.
- Greens and herbs not only grow well in this place, but also restore the soil.
- To disinfect the soil, you can sow any type of green manure.
What to plant after late blight tomato to improve the soil
It takes 3-4 years for the natural healing of the soil after the disease, but there are plants that improve it in a short time.
Such plants are green manure (legumes, cereals and cruciferous). Rye or winter wheat is sown after the tomato harvest, in September, and dug up in the spring.
Mustard is sown in autumn (in a greenhouse) or in spring and when it reaches 20 cm it is mowed. It improves the soil, inhibits the development of late blight, fusarium and scab.
Oil rare can be sown in autumn or spring. She goes under the bevel or digging.
Phacelia should be sown from late August to early October. Phytoncidal properties of phacelia help in the fight against various diseases and their pathogens.
All these plants help in the fight against late blight and loosen the soil.
Sowing green manure before and after tomato: video
Can you plant peppers, onions, garlic, beets, carrots?
It is undesirable to plant a pepper in place of a tomato, as they are related plants and carriers of common pests and diseases.
Beets, carrots, like all other root crops that grow after tomatoes, give an excellent harvest.
Onions and garlic in this place bear fruit perfectly and have a beneficial effect on the soil.
Rotation chart
After what can I plant tomatoes?
The best predecessors for tomatoes are: legumes, bulbs, green crops, carrots, radishes, turnips, varieties of cabbage, beets, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, pumpkin, under which organic matter was added.
Winter wheat, mustard, alfalfa, soybeans are also good predecessors that feed the soil.
Outdoors
Outdoors, crop rotation should be followed whenever possible. Tomatoes can be planted in place of green manure, cruciferous, pumpkin, root crops, bulbs, greens and legumes.
In the greenhouse
In the greenhouse, tomatoes are planted on the spot:
- cucumbers,
- courgettes,
- cabbages,
- radishes,
- green manures, and
- green manures 01010.
If it is necessary to plant tomatoes in the same place, work is carried out to improve and disinfect the soil.
Can I do it after peppers, onions, garlic, potatoes, eggplants?
Planting tomatoes after peppers, potatoes and eggplants is not recommended as they are related crops. Microorganisms and harmful insects remain in the soil after the predecessors, which will subsequently cause damage to tomato plantings.
Onions and garlic are very good forerunners as they detoxify the soil and eliminate many pests.
Are cucumbers planted after tomatoes?
Cucumbers can be grown in place of the tomato. They are not susceptible to phytophthora, but are sensitive to the quality of the soil. Before planting, compost or rotted humus is introduced into the soil.
Can cucumbers be planted in the greenhouse after tomatoes?
In the greenhouse, as well as in the open field, cucumbers can grow in place of the tomato after the complex of nutrients has been restored in the soil.
After which you can not plant tomatoes?
Poor precursors for tomato are:
- Sowing green manure before and after tomato: video
These crops impoverish the soil quite a lot and are carriers of many diseases and pests.
What can not be planted after tomatoes?
Crops such as potatoes, physalis, varieties of pepper, tobacco, eggplant, strawberries and wild strawberries should not be planted in place of tomatoes.
They are affected by the same diseases and pests. Plants will be susceptible to late blight, rot, attack by wireworm, Colorado potato beetle. Even soil disinfection does not guarantee the complete destruction of pathogenic bacteria and insects, which can lead to future damage to plants.
Best neighbors, what to plant next to tomatoes?
Tomatoes get along well with corn, carrots, horseradish, radishes, legumes, lettuce, onions, beets, garlic, spinach, cabbage, celery, radishes, asparagus, parsley, basil, nasturtium, marigolds, tansy, tagetis, coriander and calendula.
Marigold, tagetis, tansy, nasturtium, coriander and calendula protect tomatoes from most pests.
Beans and corn save plantings from gusty winds.
Basil adds a pleasant flavor to tomatoes.
Onions and garlic release phytoncides in large quantities and protect plants from late blight. Onion saves from aphids, earthen fleas. Garlic and radish protect against spider mites.
Tomatoes, in turn, have a positive effect on the growth of onions, garlic, legumes, cabbage, prevent scab on fruit trees, drive away the codling moth.
Tomatoes scare away gooseberry moth, sawfly.
With combined crops, tomatoes will feel good next to garlic, carrots, beets, radishes, onions, green crops.
Between the rows you can sow: herbs, dill and parsley.
Neighborhood of a tomato with any nightshade plants (potato, pepper, eggplant, physalis, tobacco) leads to the defeat of common diseases and pests.
It is not recommended to grow tomatoes and cucumbers in the same greenhouse, as tomatoes require intensive ventilation.
Both cultures are susceptible to root rot.
The neighborhood of a tomato with cabbage, peas, turnips and grapes is undesirable, since these crops oppress each other.
Peas also have a common disease with tomatoes, such as Fusarium.
What kind of soil and growing conditions do tomatoes need?
Tomatoes thrive in almost any soil. But the best yield is observed on light, deep, moisture-permeable, sandy and loamy soils rich in organic matter. The soil should contain nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and calcium.
In clay and sandy areas, compost or rotted humus is introduced to improve the soil composition. At least 5 centimeters of organic matter is required per square meter of area.
In very heavy and calcareous soils, the topsoil needs to be replaced to a depth of 30 centimeters.
When choosing a location, keep in mind that beds with close groundwater are not suitable for tomatoes. In any case, a good drainage system is created.
The best place for planting tomatoes is considered to be a southern, well-lit slope with a fence and buildings protected from the wind.
In a wetland or heavy soil, the beds are formed on a hill, from east to west.
Beds should be built in a bright area. With a lack of light, the growth of the tomato is delayed, the leaves turn pale, the plants weaken, the buds fall off, the stems stretch.
The soil should be neutral to slightly acidic, with a pH of 6.0-6.8. If necessary, when digging beds or when planting, wood ash, slaked lime, dolomite flour or crushed chalk are added directly to the holes.
To prevent late blight and improve the taste of tomatoes, soda ash (15 grams per square meter) is scattered on the beds.
With an excess of nitrogen fertilizers in the soil, sawdust and straw are introduced into the soil. An excess of nitrogen leads to the growth of green mass and the deterioration of the fruit set. In addition, the tomato weakens resistance to disease.
In autumn, to improve the soil when plowing or digging the land, rotted manure or compost and ash (lime) are introduced. In early spring, repeated digging is carried out on a shovel, and then leveling with a rake.
Mineral fertilizers are applied to the prepared soil and embedded into the soil with a cultivator or rake.
Sowing tomato seeds for seedlings depends on the period of planting in a permanent place. The soil mixture for seedlings is prepared from 3 parts of peat or 1 part of humus, 0.5 parts of soddy soil and 0.25 parts of river sand or sawdust. The soil is mixed and spilled with a hot solution of potassium permanganate. After moisture drains, 15 grams of ammonium nitrate, 40 grams of superphosphate are mixed there.
When sowing seeds in February, seedlings are illuminated by a lamp for 14-16 hours. The lack of light can be compensated by the application of potash fertilizers. 2 weeks before planting, the grown tomato seedlings need to be hardened off. Watering is reduced, seedlings are treated with 1% Bordeaux mixture.
2-3 weeks before planting tomato seedlings, the beds are watered 3-5 times with an interval of several days. This contributes to the replenishment of moisture reserves in the soil, and the leaching of salt residues from last year's fertilizers.
After the last watering, the soil is loosened and top dressing is applied.
5-6 days before planting a tomato, the soil is spilled with a hot solution of copper sulphate or copper oxychloride.
Phosphorus and potash fertilizers (especially superphosphate), applied when planting in the hole (15 grams of fertilizer in each).
Plants are planted in open ground in June. The seedling, ready for planting, is a strong bush 35 centimeters high with 2 flower clusters and 10 leaves. Seedlings deepen to cotyledon leaves. Elongated plants are planted horizontally.
When planting tomatoes, keep a distance. The spacing between the rows should be 0.9-1 meter, and in the rows, depending on the variety, at least 0.45 meters. Overcrowded plantings lead to diseases and low yields.
Each plant is tied to a stake after planting. To preserve moisture, the soil around them is sprinkled with dry earth.
After planting, plants need to create a comfortable environment for growth.
At high air temperatures, a white non-woven material is stretched over them. In greenhouses, windows are opened or a door is opened for ventilation.
Insect pollinators are attracted to the garden or greenhouse to increase the yield. Plants for this during flowering are sprayed with a solution of sugar and boric acid.
Stepchildren are removed from plants as they grow and, if necessary, the top is pinched.
Plants require constant watering. Tomatoes respond to timely hydration with a good harvest. Drought causes shrinkage of fruits. Plants have reduced resistance to disease and stress.
At the same time, low humidity must be maintained. At high humidity, the conditions for pollination of flowers worsen, the yield decreases and the quality of fruits deteriorates. Soil moisture for tomatoes should be 75-80%, and air humidity about 45-60%. After each watering, you need to loosen the soil, remove the weeds that have appeared.
To increase the yield for growing tomatoes, humus, peat-manure compost, chicken manure, slurry, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus and potash fertilizers are added.
Growing tomatoes outdoors: video
Tomatoes are one of the most common vegetable crops that are consumed in many countries around the world. Every table is not complete without dishes with this delicious vegetable. For his health and a good harvest, you need to correctly select the predecessors, neighbors in the area, as well as feed and water in time.
Then plant tomatoes
Tomato is one of the favorite vegetables in the garden, but not everyone has a rich harvest. We have already talked about the compatibility of crops of vegetables, berries and herbs, let's talk in more detail about tomatoes.
The first thing you need to know is that related vegetable crops such as tomatoes and potatoes (nightshade), cucumbers and pumpkins (melons) suffer from the same diseases. This means that if the pathogen appears on potatoes, it will easily spread to tomatoes.
The second rule concerns the consumption of nutrients: vegetables that grow roots (turnips, potatoes, celery) and vegetables whose intended purpose is to harvest tops (tomatoes, cucumbers) consume nutrients differently. To prevent one-sided depletion of the soil, they are alternated.
Considering these two rules, we will make a list of priorities for the tomato.
Tomato precursors
The precursors are what to plant tomatoes after:
Cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, squash, turnips, cabbage, green onions, carrots, beets and green manure herbs. Of all, preference should be given to red cabbage, white cabbage, cauliflower and pumpkin.
Do not plant tomatoes after: potatoes, peppers, eggplant, physalis, as well as in the old garden, i.e. tomatoes after tomatoes. These are all representatives of the nightshade. In addition to them, tomatoes cannot be planted after peas.
What can be planted after tomatoes
Onions, garlic, cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, beans, peas and other legumes, beets, lettuce, parsley, dill, celery, worse - carrots.
Do not plant potatoes and other nightshades after tomatoes - they have common pests and pathogens, as well as berries - strawberries and strawberries.
Plant tomatoes after tomato
It should be noted that we usually grow tomatoes in greenhouses. Most of them are stationary structures, they cannot be moved, so we are forced to plant tomatoes in the same place.
But any crops have an impact on the soil, spend more than some certain elements. Tomatoes also make the soil acidic, but they themselves prefer to grow on soils with a neutral acidity of pH 6.5-7.
Therefore, it is advisable to sow green manure legumes after harvesting tomatoes. In the spring, mow the grass for green fertilizer, make holes in the beds and plant the next batch of tomatoes.
If you are a supporter of deep plowing, then in autumn, when digging, you can add fluffy lime at the rate of 50-80 g per 1 sq. m. m.
What can be planted next to tomatoes
Good neighbors with tomatoes: corn, onions, carrots, peppers, radishes, watermelons, melons, parsley, celery, asparagus, spinach, neutral - beans.
