Tomatoes - one of the most popular crops on each site. But not all gardeners manage to get big harvests from one bush.
In addition to the careful selection of high-yielding varieties, the method of planting tomatoes is of great importance for increasing the quantity and quality of fruits.
Growing tomatoes according to the Maslov method has worked well among gardeners. This method is very simple and does not require any special skills.
Description of the method
Story
Igor Mikhailovich Maslov - amateur breeder from the Moscow region. He developed a new method of planting, using which tomatoes of almost any variety give an increased yield.
Feature of the method - grown seedlings planted in the ground lying.
Igor Mikhailovich thought about the fact that tomatoes should not grow vertically. After all, the bushes are high, they need to be tied up, and there are no tendrils like grapes or cucumbers with which to catch. So logically Tomatoes must grow horizontally, that is, to climb along the ground.
The principle of the method is that it is necessary to fully utilize the potential of the plant, which in ordinary cultivation involves less than 50%. Additional roots that grow in tomatoes planted horizontally with rooting stepsons help in this.
On the stems of tomatoes there are bumps - the beginnings of the roots. This is additional evidence that a tomato must grow horizontally.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of the method are many:
- Significant increase in yield from one bush.
- Fruits grow low from the ground itself.
- A minimum of seed material is used.
- All non-buried stepchildren form the ovary.
But this method has drawbacks:
- Stunted tomatoes when deepening can rot.
- Due to the increase in the number of fruits, their volume may decrease (more typical for shrubs with medium-sized tomatoes).
- The distance between the bushes should be increased to one meter, which is not like the owners of small areas.
Why is there an increase in the yield of tomatoes by 8 or 10 times?
Yield when planting according to the method of Maslov increases significantly. Tomatoes have a weak root system, which cannot provide a big crop. Therefore, if a gardener gives tomatoes the opportunity to grow as nature intended, then the plant will take root actively, take on additional roots that will give more nutrition, increasing yields.
Low-growing tomatoes grown by the Maslov method increase yields by 300%, and tall ones - by about 8-10 times!
What varieties fit?
Best for growing according to the method of Maslov fit tall tomatoes, early or middle ripening. If they are planted by this method, the crop will be the best. If tomatoes grow in a heated greenhouse, you can get a long and rich harvest from late varieties.
The following tomato varieties are most suitable:
- Russian giant - medium late variety with yellow or reddish large fruits, which are suitable for fairly long storage. The variety has a strong stem and is disease resistant.
- Ukrainian giant - mid-season, with large, fleshy, pale red fruits that are well preserved.
- Giant - average ripening period with fleshy, flat-round, slightly ribbed fruits of bright red color, which are suitable both for canning and for fresh consumption.
The soil
From what soil is selected for seedlings, will depend on the quantity and quality of the crop. It should be loose and light, well pass water and air.
If tomatoes grow in the greenhouse, then it is good to settle the hens for the winter - they will make the earth loose and soft, free from insects and well fertilized.
To prepare the mixture for seedlings will need:
- 3 pieces of peat;
- 1 piece of turf;
- 1 part of sand;
- some sawdust and ash.
It is not enough to prepare the right mixture, it is also necessary to prepare it:
- Sift, so that the soil is saturated with air, get rid of large particles and become loose, so that the roots do not suffer during the pick.
- To freezeto destroy pathogens and larvae pests.
It is necessary to prepare not only the land with seedlings, but also the soil in the garden:
- To clear from mechanical and vegetable garbage.
- Thoroughly dig.
- Add compost, wood ash and fertilizer.
- 10 days before planting tomatoes, pour hot water over the beds and cover with foil.
- You can start landing.
Introducing organic or mineral fertilizers into the soil, as well as nutrients, you must carefully study the instructions, otherwise you can harm the plants - they will increase the green mass, and not waste your energy on setting fruit.
Seed preparation
According to Maslov from the time of sowing the seeds to fruiting, it takes from 75 to 90 days. It is necessary to make a careful selection of seeds, choosing the best. But still the crops from the bushes are different, but more than the traditional methods of planting.
If the summer period is short, then it is necessary to prepare the seeds of tomatoes for planting since winter.
First, the seeds must be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per liter of water) - placed for 15 minutes, then washed with water.
After seed treatment, they should be soaked in one of the proposed nutrient solutions (per liter of water):
- A teaspoon of wood ash.
- A teaspoon without slides nitrofoski or nitroammofoski.
- Half pill trace element.
- Quarter teaspoon of sodium humate.
Seeds fall into one of the solutions for 12 hours, and, without washing, are placed in water for 24 hours and put in a warm place. Then seeds hardened in the refrigerator at a temperature of + 1-2 degrees during the day, sprinkling with water so as not to dry out. After the hardening procedure, the seeds are immediately sown in the soil.
Features of the preparation and care of seedlings
When growing seedlings must comply with the following conditions:
- Provide an adequate amount of light, with a lack of natural lighting - to illuminate with fluorescent lights.
- Use humidifiers or spray 1-2 times a day.
- Provide the optimum temperature, during the day + 18-25 degrees, at night + 12-15 degrees.
The first 2-3 days after germination, seedlings are better to highlight around the clock, so that it develops well.
According to Maslov seedlings need a little overwork so that it is strong, developed a powerful root system and had a thick stem.
Picking
Maslov noted that the cultivation of seedlings requires the same picking as in the traditional cultivation of tomatoes. During growth, seedlings spike at least 3 times.
Step by step picking instructions:
- Holding the seedling for cotyledon leaves, separate it with a spatula and remove it from the ground.
- Gently (best manicure scissors) cut a third of the root.
- Make a recess in the pot, and deepen the seedlings at the growth point.
- Sprinkle with earth and squeeze it a little.
- Moderately pour over settled water.
- Protect from sunlight for 2-3 days.
After each picking, the bottom leaves are removed., and the tomato is sunk in order to develop a powerful root system.
Step by step landing instructions
- Prepare a furrow for planting seedlings with a depth of 10-12 cm (it should go from north to south).
- Remove leaves from the lower third of the plant.
- Put the root and the lower third of the plant in the hole (the root is from the south, the tip is from the north).
- Prikatat soil to a depth of 10-12 cm.
The above-ground part of the tomato will tend to the south, and as it grows it will be located vertically. The prikopanny stalk soon forms an additional root system.which will feed the plant and the goal will be achieved.
If the tomatoes are already planted in the traditional way, then you can not wait for the new season for planting according to the Maslov method, the author of the method claims that these plants tolerate the transplant well, and another one will benefit them.
After the appearance of the first stepsons, do not remove them, but let them grow and prikopat 10-12 cm. They will also give roots that are often stronger and more initial, which will significantly increase the yield.
Further care
Caring for plants planted according to the Maslov method is the same as for the bushes planted by the traditional method:
- Fertilize with growth and development.
- To increase the yield to feed a liquid mullein or nettle extract.
- Water under the root or aryk way (through the grooves, dug along the bushes).
- No need for pasynkovanie.
- Periodically remove damaged leaves.
- Do not overdo it with watering.
- If the plants have grown tall, they must be tied up.
Do not remove stepchildren, as the plant, instead of spending energy on fruiting, will heal wounds.
What result to expect?
When planted according to the Maslov method of stunted tomatoes, the harvest from one bush will increase about three times. If mid-ripening tall or late-ripening tomatoes were planted in a greenhouse, the yield per bush can increase by about 5-6 times, and in some gardeners an increase in yield by 10 times has been noticed.
Record harvesting, using this method, was in the amount of 100 tomatoes from one bush, it is about 20 kg of fruits.
Common mistakes
- Gardeners often plant bushes too close, which negatively affects the yield. The distance between the bushes should be at least 90 cm.
- Underestimation of the need for garters - bushes under the weight of the fruit can break.
- Cultivation of late-ripening varieties in the open field - the plants do not have time for cold snaps to reach their full potential. They should be planted in the greenhouse.
The main feature of the Maslov method is horizontal planting of tomatoes.. It allows you to fully provide nutrition to the plant, so that it realizes its potential at 100%. This method had time to test a lot of gardeners, and were convinced of its effectiveness and reliability.
