The myth of fattening tomatoes, what happens in practice

I read carefully, looked closely at the successful experiments in growing tomatoes and found... Of course, conflicting information! I found the link that unites opposing opinions about fattening tomatoes.

What is tomato fattening

1. There are greens, no fruit, or very few ovaries. It is believed that this is overfeeding, especially with nitrogen, or the seed is initially incapable of fruiting (the action of a virus or micromutation). I didn't have that.
2. On a healthy bush, the leaves curl and the top of the head curls up in a ring, this is also fattening. The bush produces plastic substances for the fruit, but there is nowhere to put them. He was ready for fruiting, and he will still delight with the harvest, just at this stage there was a failure. The leaves will not straighten, but the harvest will be with the usual normal care.

So, fattening tomatoes is a failure in the fruiting program. It is associated with overfeeding.

For understanding, there is also such information from the breeder Lyubov Myazina:

• The first inflorescence is formed in the first 2-4 days of a tomato's life (and we see only the cotyledons)
• Another 10 days for early ripe tomatoes, and stamens and pistils will be laid, seedlings for 2 weeks!
• After 5 days, the first inflorescence will be fully formed, again, we will not see it at this time

It turns out that the lack of flowers speaks, most likely, of a mistake in the early days of cultivation.

When fattening, flower brushes can fall off or stepchildren grow from them. This phenomenon is also associated with overfeeding. This common word "overfeeding" was confusing for many, including me.

Is it possible to overfeed a tomato with vermicompost or humus

Most gardeners, and scientists, warn: you can't overfeed tomatoes, otherwise they will heal. And it is right. But!

Case study

There was a competition for the most productive bush of a certain hybrid. The second place was taken by a participant who put half a bucket (!) Of humus under her tomato bush. Nothing more from fertilizers. No fat content. By August 17, the bush gave more than 11 kg, despite the fact that the rest of the participants did not even wait for 4 kg from the bush of this hybrid.

A tomato grew next to her cucumber. Both the cucumber and the tomato were quite healthy. Space for one tomato was set aside about 1 m on a fairly wide bed (what I could see in the video). The bush spread over all available space and fell apart.

Advice

Experienced agronomists and breeders advise putting in the hole when planting seedlings in the ground from a glass to two handfuls of vermicompost. Their harvests are just as clear and pleasing to the eye, however, in weight they are much inferior to the amateur bush described above.

I also met a recommendation: 5 cm of vermicompost, if not a pity, as mulch. Here half a bucket is already resting :)

It turns out that vermicompost does not contribute to tomato fattening. Although the matter is dark, what is in it, and how much.

My experience

With two handfuls of vermicompost per hole in a warm bed, I got excellent yields up to 12 kg 911 g from an indeterminate bush.

Fatting often happens according to the second type, leaves curl, the harvest pleases all the same.

The very link that I discovered

I made a conclusion: for tomatoes there is a dangerously unbalanced, untimely nutrition, and with humus and vermicompost, they bear fruit perfectly. Do not fatten. Why?

I think the main reason is in microorganisms and humic substances that are able to retain excess nutrition.

There may be a risk if you get low-quality humus and vermicompost.

What will I do for the experiment

On my growing tomato seedlings, I'll show you clearly what happens. Start experiment here

I will add different amounts of vermicompost, 0%, 10%, 25% and 50% to the soil composition for my experimental 8 tomatoes. And together let's see the result.

Before that there was a maximum of 25% per seedling capacity. From these seedlings, a record harvest for me turned out. She planted her in a greenhouse by transshipment.

When planting, I will not spare compost. I'll also think about how best.

And how much vermicompost or humus do you add? Seedlings and when planting in the ground?

I would be grateful for your subscription and communication :)