What does tomato need now (August - September)

Tomatoes on the eve of autumn require no less attention to themselves than at the beginning of the season. During this period it is important to prevent the appearance of diseases on the plant, as well as to accelerate the ripening of fruits. How to care for tomatoes in August and September?

Closely monitor the appearance of the stem, leaves; time to feed and properly form a bush plant.

Tomato care at the end of summer

In the last decade of August, the plant is actively fruiting. A certain level of humidity, special feeding and the use of mulch help speed up the process.

Watering

The culture sharply reacts both to the lack of moisture and to the excess of the norm. Humidity underground and above it in August should be from 60 to 70 percent. The need for urgent watering will indicate drooping leaves. On a surplus - burst and blackened green tomatoes. Watering should be carried out exclusively at the root.

Top dressing

To protect plants from phytophthora, it is useful to pour a special infusion. Ingredients dissolve in boiling water:

• boiling water (10-liter bucket);
• wood ash (one and a half liters);
• iodine (10 ml);
• boric acid (10g);

After 24 hours, the cooled mixture is diluted in water at a ratio of 1 to 10. Fertilizer application rate is 1 liter of liquid for each root.

In addition, you can increase the level of carbon dioxide in the ambient air to speed up the process of the formation of the fetus. To do this, it is enough to put a bucket of liquid manure into the greenhouse at night.

Mulching

To protect the roots of tomatoes from excessive heat will help a 10-cm pillow of straw, hay or weed weeds. Mulch will retain moisture in the soil and fertilize it with organic matter. If the first frosts come, such protection will save the autumn harvest.

Tomato care in early autumn

Tomatoes, ripened on the garden, much juicier, more aromatic and healthier than home. In order for the fruit to turn red before frost, you should work with the bush:

• break off all stepchildren;
• trim the inflorescences located in the upper part of the plant;
• remove the top of the crop, thereby stopping the growth of the stem;
• tear off leaves under a brush with reddening tomatoes. In order not to injure the plant, clean the leaf every couple of days.

However, do not forget about constant watering. Ripening tomatoes require increased moisture to form flesh.

Disease prevention in September-August

With the advent of dew on tomatoes appears late blight. So that the disease does not penetrate the greenhouse, it should be aired in the morning: dew outside the structure has already lain on the grass, disease spores do not soar in the air. Additional protection - spraying bushes Bordeaux liquid (5 g per half liter of water).

Any change in the structure or color of the leaves and stems of a tomato (spots, stripes or strokes) should entail the partial or complete destruction of the bush. The epidemic can be stopped by treating not yet infected plants with a solution of potassium permanganate that does not contain antiseptic crystals.

Conclusion

Autumn tomatoes in the greenhouse or garden have a special taste. But they will be available only if the gardener clearly understands how to care for tomatoes in August and September. If you adhere to these recommendations and know the nuances of caring for ripening fruits, the harvest will please not only with quality, but also with quantity.