Nowadays, growing tomatoes on the balcony and in flower pots on the windowsills of apartment buildings has become an extremely fashionable activity. These undersized beautiful plants will give comfort to any interior, and their miniature bright fruits will appeal to even gourmets.
General information
Tomato "bonsai" received this name, most likely because of its main trunk, whose height does not exceed 25-30 cm. Apparently to the breeder, the plant he bred reminded of dwarf trees, revered in Japan and China. These tomatoes differ from most so-called indoor varieties in that in addition to their attractive appearance, they also have tasty fruits with a considerable sugar content. And this is very important, especially in the cold season.
Bonsai tomatoes have several varieties, characterized as supercompact and simply compact. Tomatoes of the bonsai-micro F-1 variety grow only up to 15-20 cm. They are distinguished by extremely abundant fruiting. Small round tomatoes ripen almost simultaneously and have a weight of not more than 30 grams.
How to sow tomatoes
Sowing tomatoes is best done either in February or in March. The first step is to properly prepare the soil. In specialized stores you can buy ready-made soil for tomatoes, however, such a mixture is easy to make yourself. To do this, mix turf soil, peat and manure in equal proportions. Then the prepared soil is laid out in existing small containers. Every experienced gardener knows how to sow tomatoes so that they sprout faster. To do this, take the seed material and pre-soak it in warm water. But, as experience shows, such a procedure is not necessary. Seeds and in the dry state will sprout perfectly, but only with a delay of several days.
For planting tomatoes, disposable paper or plastic cups are suitable. No more than two grains are placed in the ground to a depth of about 1 centimeter. When shoots appear, you must carefully examine them and leave the plant that, in your opinion, develops better. After that, pinch all the sprouts.
How to care for seedlings
To do this, it is enough to know a few simple rules. Do not water the plant too often. You can moisten the soil only once a week. In no case should you use cold water for these purposes. She is recruited in advance in order to have time to stand. Water used for watering seedlings should have a room temperature. In addition, in the room where the bonsai tomato is contained, it is necessary to adhere to a special temperature regime. During the day, the air should warm up to 20⁰ C, and at night - not lower than 16⁰ C. If the room temperature is higher, it is necessary to ventilate it from time to time. This should be done very carefully, because the flow of cold air can significantly damage the seedlings.
Before a young plant finds its permanent place, it is fed. Such actions will need to be repeated three times. For this purpose, fertilizers designed specifically for tomatoes are most often used. You only need to carefully read the instructions where the exact dosage is written. The first time the plant is fed 12 days after the appearance of sprouts. The following procedure is carried out after 10 days. The last time it is performed exactly one week before the planned landing at a permanent place. In order for the bonsai tomato to acquire a beautiful shape, you need to periodically rotate the cups with seedlings, and then the sun's rays will illuminate the plant evenly and from different sides.
Landing and care
Experts recommend planting each tomato bush in a separate container. For this, flower pots are usually used. But many plant seedlings in long narrow boxes. First it must be watered, and then carefully removed from the cups and placed in pots. As you know, tomato "bonsai" loves good lighting, so it must be placed in those parts of the house where sunlight penetrates.
It is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil all the time so that it is not too dry or too wet. If it’s hot outside, you need to water the plant every other day. In order to maximize stimulate the development of tomatoes and the rapid ripening of fruits, there is one little trick - root tearing. This is done in this way: they take the plant by the stem and slightly pull it up, as a result of which the thin roots come off. After such manipulations, watering is immediately carried out, and then hilling. Do not forget about the fertilizer of tomatoes. It is enough to periodically pour two tablespoons of wood ash under the bush.
Bloom
With the normal development of plants, after a short period of time, they bloom, covered with pale small flowers that have both female and male germ cells. That is why this tomato variety does not need artificial pollination or shaking pollen.
After the formation of brushes with an ovary, it is necessary to cut off the side branches, which have not bloomed. This will greatly accelerate the appearance of fruits. However, such a procedure can ruin the beautiful shape of the bushes. Tomatoes ripen as usual: first the fruit is green, then it takes on an orange tint and, finally, it turns bright red.
Planting on garden beds
First of all, it is necessary to grow seedlings, for which seeds are sown in small cups. They do this in early March, so that after 55-60 days, that is, somewhere at the end of May, plants are planted on garden beds. If you want to get an early tomato crop, the seedlings are transplanted at the beginning of the month. In this case, it must be covered with a film, thus protecting from possible frosts. Tomatoes are planted at the rate of three bushes per 1 sq. Km. m. It is not recommended to do this if earlier eggplants, potatoes or peppers grew on this plot of land. As you know, the bonsai variety is not afraid of shaded areas, but it is recommended to plant it in a warm sunny place, where there are no drafts.
Tomato Bonsai: reviews
Almost all the housewives who have already tried to grow this variety of tomatoes were satisfied with the result. They say that this miniature plant performs two functions at once: it serves as a decoration and gives a good harvest even in the winter months, since it is not at all afraid of the cold on the windowsill. Harvested fruits can be used both for the preparation of salads and for preservation. During the season, from one bush you can collect up to 2 kg of miniature fruits. This plant does not need a garter. After its landing and until the first fruits ripen, no more than 90 days pass. Leaves and fruits are almost never affected by late blight, because the earth in pots is not infected, unlike summer cottages.
Almost all productive tomato varieties for central Russia, belonging to the “cherry” group, are medium-tall and tall. For their normal development, a lot of space is required, since they grow only in greenhouses or on open ground. Most urban residents do not have personal plots and cottages, so for them the best option is to grow tomatoes on the balcony or on the windowsill in their apartment.