A good harvest of tomatoes on the balcony, loggia and windowsill depends not only on growing conditions and the selected variety. It is very important not to miss the time of fruit setting: the more the flowers of the plant are pollinated, the more tomatoes will ripen. Secrets and nuances of tomato pollination need to know for everyone who wants to enjoy the taste of their own crop at home. How to pollinate tomatoes at home – read the article.
Peculiarities of tomatoes
For a better understanding of the processes of pollination it is necessary to know that tomatoes belong to monodomous plants, i.e. the flowers with anthers and pistil are on the same plant. Pollination of one’s own flower and those of neighboring flowers is possible with pollen. After pollination, fruits develop, which are referred to as berries according to the botanical classification. When immature, they contain the poisonous substance solanine. Mature fruits are rich in vitamins A and C, group B, rich in fiber, macronutrients and trace elements, contain sugars, organic acids, pectin and proteins. A special place among the numerous carotenoids of tomatoes is held by the pigment lycopene, which has a strong antioxidant property.
The roots are tapering and go one meter deep. Therefore, when growing in culture, the root is pruned to develop adventitious roots. Cuttings, stems, any place on the stem easily produce roots. Knowing and using the features of easy root formation, you can grow a whole vegetable garden on the balcony, windowsill, having one plant.
The stem is upright or loping, 30 cm to 2.5 m or more in height. The stem grows with the main shoot displaced every three leaves. There are varieties with unlimited growth and varieties with limited growth.
The split, unpaired leaves give the plant a decorative appearance and tomatoes were originally grown not for food but as decorative exotics. The beautiful leaf pattern combined with small yellow flowers and smooth, small fruits looked unusual in the winter gardens of Europe, where it came from South America in the 16th century. Wild and traditional forms, bred over many centuries by locals, still grow in its native land. The Aztec name “tomatl” has been preserved by many nations. The word “tomato” goes back to Italian and translates to “golden apple.”
Pollination of tomatoes at home
In nature, plants are pollinated by wind, by insects. Growing tomatoes on a balcony, loggia or windowsill, they have to help to set the fruit.
Pollen with an increase in temperature, above 30 ° C, sharply reduces its viability, and at 35 ° C becomes sterile. Below 13°C, pollination is impossible due to deformation of anthers. Humidity also plays an important role: if it exceeds 70-75%, pollen clumps, but dry air also negatively affects pollination.
The pollen ripens during the night hours, and the most favorable time to pollinate tomatoes is 8-10 hours in the morning. For the best germination of the seed, after the pollen has hit the pistil, moisture is needed. Therefore, the plant is watered or sprayed .
Frequent ventilation or the use of a fan, will create a draught, a kind of imitation of wind, and lead to self-pollination, if the temperature and humidity are favorable. Cold, frosty air on an open balcony will not lead to success.
Simply tapping or shaking the stem periodically will help to mechanically shed pollen from the anthers and get it on the stigma of the pistils.
Pollination is also carried out with the help of auxiliary tools. Using a soft brush, one touches all the opened flowers: the pollen clinging to the pistils of the flowers is carried away and subsequently germinates. Instead of a brush, you can pollinate with cotton buds or any suitable objects. When flower petals are bent backwards, they signal the end of pollination and the beginning of ovary growth.
How to get tomatoes to fructify successfully
In order for the pollinated flowers to develop fully and give a good harvest on the windowsill, balcony, it is necessary to grow full-fledged bushes capable of maturing the maximum number of fruits. Much depends on the choice of variety, which is selected on the basis of growing conditions. Low-growing varieties, reaching a height of 50 cm, are suitable for the windowsill. On a balcony and a loggia it is quite possible to grow medium- and high-growing varieties. Disease resistance, yield, indiscriminateness to abundant light, early maturity are the main criteria for choosing varieties for the house.
Container and soil for tomatoes
Tanks for each plant to choose a volume of at least 5 liters of any material.
Soil for planting we buy ready-made or make it ourselves. The soil should be loose, easily permeable to water: manure humus, peat, sand mix in a ratio of 2:1:1. Add 1 tablespoon of wood ash per 5 liters of soil as a mineral fertilizer.
Lighting and watering
In summer the light on a balcony or loggia will be enough, but in winter the duration of the daylight hours, 14-15 hours, prolonged with artificial light.
Watering as the top layer of soil dries up, with warm water. During fruit setting, water the soil in the first half of the day, after the artificial pollination occurred. At home, fertilize with mineral complex fertilizers with a full set of trace elements.
Temperature
The temperature below 15 ° C negatively affects not only the overall development of the plant, but also the setting of fruits. The ideal temperature is 22-25 ° C, without sudden jumps.
If all conditions of maintenance and pollination are maintained, the inflorescences develop normally, pollination is multiple, and in 90-110 days the fruits of different colors and shapes begin to ripen. Their weight varies from 50 g to 800 g depending on the variety.
The process of fruit setting and its quality is positively influenced by spraying bushes ready for flowering with a solution of boric acid. Dissolve 10 g of the powder in 10 liters of hot water, cool it down, and spray the plants in warm form.
Allocate a little time during the flowering period of tomatoes, approach the process of their pollination competently, and they will thank you with juicy and tasty fruits.
