Foliar feeding of tomatoes

If a gardener provides full and proper nutrition to his plants, then he can count on the result - a bountiful harvest and an unsurpassed taste of tomatoes. Foliar feeding of tomatoes is of great importance here. The method allows you to supply plants with additional components, elements and minerals that tomatoes need to carry out their successful life.

Foliar top dressing of tomatoes: pros and cons

foliar feeding of tomatoes

Most often, foliar feeding is used to ensure that the plant is saturated with all the necessary components for its own stable and normal growth and development. by spraying, you can achieve that the fruits will ripen much faster, and the plant and its stem system will strengthen, which is also important. It is sometimes difficult for a plant to resist diseases, bacteria and a variety of pests on its own, and foliar feeding in this is the most reliable and irreplaceable assistant. However, not everyone thinks about the fact that the roots and the leaf system are the sources of all nutrients and minerals for a plant.

Scientific data show that almost half of the tomato crop is produced precisely due to the vegetative activity of vegetation, leaf plates, as well as branches, in particular their upper cover, which must also be maintained intact, safe and, accordingly, fed. Nutrients that are assimilated by the root system are a key source for ensuring the overall life of the plant, its growth. If you feed the upper part, then this can achieve a quick and, most importantly, no less effective result, even if the plant has received significant damage due to attacks from pests, as well as due to the developed disease.

Foliar dressing is very important for tomatoes. Initially, tomato culture came to us from regions where there was a very high percentage of sunlight. If tomatoes are grown in areas other than those, then they will experience a lack of lighting, which will affect the quality of the plant itself, the size and taste of the crop. If you apply top dressing on time, it will significantly improve their taste, make the plant strong, reliably resistant to diseases, pests and stresses.

It is important to remember that foliar feeding is very convenient in that they are not required in large quantities, and thus they are very economical. Foliar dressing is consumed in much smaller quantities than if it were fertilizers that should be applied directly to the soil.

There are some pros and cons when it comes to foliar feeding. Of course, more positive features stand out, to which we will attribute the following:

- nutrients through the top layer are transported much faster to all the necessary places in the plant, and are absorbed by the leaf system almost 4 hours after processing. In this regard, root dressings lose, because the fertilizer is absorbed by the roots, and the whole plant receives the components only after 2-4 days;

- with foliar feeding, the degree of assimilation of nutrients is certainly increased than if the feeding was root. Many useful substances most often remain in the soil and are not absorbed by plants at all;

- thanks to foliar feeding, the plant can gain the necessary green mass. This affects its appearance, external qualities, as well as, in general, its resistance to various external influences - sudden changes in temperature, frost;

- when applying foliar fertilizers, the endurance of the leaves improves, if they suddenly encounter any diseases;

- most of the flowers, and then the ovaries, are formed precisely due to the processing of the plant by the foliar method. As a rule, regular and correct processing can increase yields by about 18-25%. Tomatoes also ripen almost a week earlier than usual, while they do not lose their taste at all - on the contrary, they only improve. Foliar dressing can significantly support weak plants, since root dressing often takes a long time, when, as a plant, it needs immediate emergency help.

If we talk about the shortcomings of the foliar method, then they are practically not observed, and both professionals and experienced gardeners talk about this. Nevertheless, gardeners sometimes express their dissatisfaction, and one of them is that a small, even meager amount of mineral components can be used in feeding in this way. Increasing the dose can lead to burns on the leaves, and this will negatively affect not only their appearance, but also their general condition. Sometimes, having made a solution, you should first try to apply it on a couple of plants, and then treat the entire area.

Boric acid fertilization

foliar feeding of tomatoes with boric acid

Tomatoes need foliar feeding only in some cases. They are mainly due to the fact that root treatment is not effective or will not bring a quick and desired result, especially if the plant needs emergency feeding.

The first case is that the soil has a high level of acidity, as well as the fact that it has a high salt content. This prevents plants from receiving all the necessary mineral and nutrients, especially phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium and calcium. The second situation is that the very appearance of a tomato bush suggests that it lacks any substances and components, even if the gardener has regularly applied fertilizers through the soil before. Thirdly, during the budding period it is best to just use the foliar fertilization method, especially if it is dressing and mixtures with a high content of boric acid and urea, which have a beneficial effect on flowering and abundant ovary.

Sometimes the soil is too moist, and this does not provide the gardener with the opportunity to fertilize in the usual way, so foliar treatment is required. If the root system is injured by pests, then it is, accordingly, weakened by them. The roots will not perceive any substances, so it is best to introduce them into the plant through the upper, green part.

Foliar feeding of tomatoes in the greenhouse

foliar feeding of tomatoes in a greenhouse

There are several basic rules for foliar fertilization. Even though it seems simple, it also has many conditions. Foliar top dressing, as a rule, can be of two types:

- planned;

- situational.

Planned leaf treatments are carried out immediately after root dressing, if suddenly, due to unfavorable conditions, the gardener is not sure that all the nutrients will reach the plant and bring it the necessary benefits. Immediately, you should adhere to some rules, because with incorrect feeding, you can cause irreparable damage to the plant, damage it or completely destroy it:

- Tomatoes should be sprayed at intervals of six days after root fertilization.During this period, the plant begins to gradually process the substances that it received from the soil, and needs additional support from the outside;

- processing the plant externally requires a lot of time. It is necessary to spray the plant evenly, distributing the composition not only from above, but also to lower it. This requires a spray that produces the smallest spray;

- it is best to process it after sunset, or on cooler or more cloudy days. This will prevent the evaporation of drugs;

- if a prolonged abnormal heat was suddenly noticed, then it is best to spray the tomatoes before sunrise;

- after the top dressing of the tomatoes has been done in the morning, after a few hours it will not hurt to irrigate the upper part of the bushes. The jet should not be strong, so as not to injure the plant. It is especially important to carry out this procedure if adhesives and oil-based products were used;

- if we talk about the amount of foliar dressing, then they mainly depend on soil fertility. You can make about two sprays - when the foliage is just beginning to grow on the bush and is gaining strength, and when the very first ovaries begin to form;

- modern foliar dressings remain on the upper part of the plant for about ten days, especially if we are talking about those dressings that affect the growth of fruits and the abundance of the harvest;

- foliar feeding is carried out until about the end of June, because usually at this time flowering stops, and the first ovaries of tomato fruits appear.

The solution is always prepared depending on which agent was selected for the implementation of foliar feeding. For example, on the first day, you should treat the plant with ammonium nitrate. On the same day, a two-stage solution of superphosphate is prepared, since it dissolves for a long time, and requires its infusion and complete dissolution of the drug in water. On the third day, it is best to use potassium chloride - the selected dosage is dissolved in water.

Of course, you cannot just impose feeding on the plant, you need to monitor its condition, and understand whether feeding is necessary, or if there are enough root stimulants for the tomato. In normal tomatoes, which develop normally, the leaves on the upper part are slightly curled, they are evenly colored, do not have any flaws, and the correct shape. If the tomato lacks nitrogen, then the leafy part begins to gradually turn yellow, and then completely crumbles. The bush looks unhealthy, withered, emaciated. It may also indicate that there is too much moisture in the soil, and this does some harm to the root system.

If the leaves of the tomato become purple, this indicates that the root system is not developing enough, and that the plant needs to be fed with phosphorus-containing preparations. With a lack of potassium component, tomato bushes almost do not bud. This leads to the fact that the bush bears very little fruit. The lack of calcium indicates that rot appears on the plant - it focuses on the fruits, and the leaves begin to curl and deform.

Foliar feeding of tomatoes with iodine

foliar feeding of tomatoes with iodine

Of course, experience suggests that there are many ways and means by which foliar feeding can be carried out using more traditional means.

Gardeners are very fond of resorting to the use of boric acid when we are talking about foliar processing of tomatoes. The ovaries will crumble if the tomato does not have enough sconce, and it is necessary to identify such processes in time. An average of four sprays should be done to make up for the deficit. There are also ready-made preparations, and often you can make mixtures yourself.

Calcium nitrate is routinely introduced as foliar feeding.It is especially necessary when tomatoes have reached the stage of their flowering and the gradual creation of ovaries. In addition, calcium nitrate allows you to fight fungal diseases - for example, with apical rot, which is identified on fruits.

Urea has a positive effect on the growth of tomatoes, therefore it is one of the predominant means in order to organize foliar feeding. Nevertheless, urea can be fed only during the flowering period, the rest of the time it is unlikely to give a suitable effect. In addition, urea can be mixed with potassium permanganate, and this will also provide not only a feeding, but also a preventive effect if the tomato variety is susceptible to fungal diseases.

Potassium monophosphate - this drug is used not only as a root, but also as a foliar feeding of tomato bushes. Thanks to the substances contained in this preparation, the taste of tomato fruits can be noticeably improved, and this is a huge advantage.