How to care for tomatoes in July: 7 secrets of a rich harvest

In July, the time for the ripening of tomatoes comes. Many gardeners believe that all the work now comes down to harvesting and watering. But this is not the case. Plants need to be cared for as before. This will help prolong fruiting and reap a rich harvest. How to care for tomatoes in July - read on.

1. Forming a bush

In July, it is necessary to form a bush - to remove excess leaves and stepsons. This is done for two reasons:

• The energy of the plant should be directed to the full development of the fruits, so that they become larger.
• Autumn is approaching, the nights are getting colder and this can provoke the development of late blight, which most often appears on unventilated plantings.

In order for the bush to bear fruit well and not get sick, remove all new stepchildren, leave only small stumps up to 15 mm in size. Remove the bottom massive leaves at the base of the ripening brush. And also pick off the yellowing leaves.

2. Feeding tomatoes in July

The July (final) feeding of tomatoes is aimed at obtaining the maximum yield, and not at increasing the green mass. For this reason, the top dressing should contain a certain spectrum of organic matter, as well as micro and macro elements that are important during this period.

The composition of the optimal feeding for tomatoes in July:

• water (not chlorinated) - 10 liters;
• mullein - 1 liter;
• superphosphate - 20 grams;
• potassium sulfate - 20 grams;
• urea - 10 grams;
• lime - 10 grams;
• copper sulfate - 2 grams.

Watering the bushes with a solution of the above components should be every two weeks. Dosage: large bushes - 2 liters; undersized - 1.5 liters.

3. Watering and loosening the soil

Tomato bushes during fruiting require weekly watering at the rate of 5 liters of water per bush. If the weather is hot outside, you can water the tomatoes twice a week. Do not forget to loosen the soil once a week - the roots need air, and after watering, an airtight crust often forms on the surface.

Important! If your bushes are mulched, then the amount of watering can be reduced. The main thing is to check the moisture content of the soil before the next watering. If it is dry, water it; moist - set aside watering for a few days. During fruiting, tomatoes should not be watered abundantly; this will cause the fruits to crack!

4. Pest control

July is a good time for garden pests and plant diseases. At this time, it is necessary to carry out the prevention of plants from insects and fungi. But not all means are suitable, since fruits have already been formed on the bushes and chemistry will have to be abandoned. Popular methods will come to the rescue. Here is one of them: mix one liter of whey with three liters of water and spray the bushes with this solution. Re-treatment should be carried out after ten days or after the first rain.

If the tomato shows signs of late blight, remove the ripe fruits, remove the leaves affected by the fungus and treat the plant with preparations containing copper. For example: Barrier, Oxyhom or 1% Bordeaux fluid solution.

5. Hilling

Fruiting increases the total weight of the bush, and under the load of the fruit, it can break. Be sure to huddle in July. It is enough to heat 15–20 centimeters of soil on the stem of the bush while loosening the soil.

If the bush bears fruit abundantly, you can build a box of sawn timber around it, measuring 200 * 200 * 200 mm and fill it with soil. This method will give additional resistance to the plant.

6. Remove ripe fruits on time

Do not forget to remove ripe fruits in time so that they do not take away the plant's energy from still green tomatoes. If you have the opportunity to visit the garden only once a week, then ripening fruits should be removed and put on ripening.

7. Artificial pollination

In July, the massive flowering of tomatoes is already behind and therefore pollinating insects will bypass your garden. To extend the fruiting period until the end of summer and increase the yield, the process of tying tomatoes must be extended. This can be done with a weak sugar solution. For one liter of water (not chlorinated) it is enough to dilute 2 tablespoons of sugar and spray tomato bushes with this "syrup". This will attract the bees and the plants will continue to bear fruit.

In general, so that the pollination process does not stop, plant honey plants next to the tomatoes. Mustard will be the best neighbor to tomatoes - it is both a honey plant and a siderat at the same time.

How do you care for tomatoes in July? Write in the comments!

Friends, there are already more than 112 thousand of us! Like, subscribe to the channel, share the publication - we are workingso that you receive useful and relevant information!

Read also:

• All the "best" for children: a selection of harsh Russian slides.
• How to avoid cost overruns when building a private house: 3 tips.

Watch the video - TOP-5 popular questions about thermostats.