Mulching tomatoes in the greenhouse and open ground: how and what is right

Mulching tomatoes in a greenhouse and in open ground is one of the basic and mandatory requirements for caring for tomatoes. It is necessary to do it to increase the quantity and quality of the crop. Not every gardener knows what mulching is and how to properly mulch tomatoes so that they bear fruit abundantly.

Mulching tomatoes in the open field is different from mulching in a greenhouse. It is necessary to study how tomatoes are mulched in the greenhouse and in open space. Various materials are suitable for mulching, which serve well as protection against various diseases, drying out of the soil, direct sunlight, and weed growth.

The essence of this process

Mulching for tomatoes is the process of covering the soil around plants with various materials. Mulch is a layer of fine material that sits on top of the soil. The effect of this process is very beneficial to the crop.

Main mulching functions:

• Decorative - that is, used as a coating to decorate the beds, make them better, more beautiful;
• Maintaining the right level of moisture and acidity;
• Protective function - protects from cold, rain, weeds, pollution;
• The ground under the mulch should be loosened less often, as it hardens less. As a result, more oxygen is supplied to the roots;
• The material used for mulching can later be used as fertilizer, making the soil fertile for tomatoes.

The essence of this process is quite simple: choose the appropriate material, grind it, put the tomato bushes around the top above the soil. Anything can be used as mulch: moss, stones, hay, bark, paper and even film.

What material can be used

The type of matter that can be used for the mulching process is divided into organic and inorganic. The choice of material depends on the means of the summer resident, imagination, on the availability of improvised items and what grows next to the site.

Organic matter is natural, natural matter, under which the soil will breathe better, then it can still be used as fertilizer. Not everyone knows what types of organic mulch are allowed to be used for tomatoes, whether it is possible to mulch tomatoes with sawdust, needles, bark, foliage.

Each material has its own advantage over cultivated plants. Sawdust protects against pests, saturates the soil with oxygen, nutrients get to the root system more easily. Hay and straw prevents harmful insects from settling, keeps heat and moisture, which tomatoes love. Peat protects well from overheating, rain, wind.

You need to be careful with materials such as pine needles, foliage, grass. Although they are an excellent affordable item, they increase the acidity of the soil, they can rot, propagate harmful insects. Moss or sphagnum is often used to mulch tomatoes. Moss perfectly retains moisture, protects against weeds, and also looks very beautiful on the beds.

Inorganic substances mainly have a decorative function. There are beautiful photos on sites where mulch is used specifically for design purposes. It can be cardboard, paper, stones, shells, crushed stone, expanded clay, film.They are used mainly on open soils, rarely for tomatoes. Sometimes they put a film, but pests will easily get under it, there will be severe overheating, the air will not pass well. But inorganic mulch does not allow weeds to grow, keeps moisture and heat.

General rules and requirements for mulching

There are some important mulching rules to follow in order to have a bountiful harvest.

1. The soil is mulched when it is sufficiently warmed up by the spring sun, it is worth waiting for the frost to end.
2. The soil, before mulching, must be well loosened, dug, watered, and weeds removed from it.
3. The thickness of the flooring should be approximately 3-6 centimeters. Mulch is placed under the tomatoes, stepping back a little from the stem and leaves.

1. Full cleaning of mulch is carried out in the fall. But if these are organic matter, then you can dig up the soil with them and use them as humus. This is usually moss, husk, hay.
2. So that the soil does not strongly oxidize from mulch items, lime or chalk can be poured onto the top layer.
3. It is not recommended to use a transparent film, under it the earth is very hot from the sun, air exchange is disturbed, the roots may die.

There is a description of how to properly mulch in a greenhouse and in open beds for tomatoes.

How to do it right in a greenhouse

The question of how to mulch tomato bushes in greenhouses exists among many beginner gardeners. It is very important to wait for the soil to warm up. You can do it at the beginning of summer.If the greenhouse is heated, then mulching can be done immediately after planting the seedlings. Before mulching tomatoes in a greenhouse, you need to prepare the ground.

It is loosened, weeds are removed. Then layers of crushed substances are placed on it.

Mulched artificial materials are laid on the beds and sprinkled lightly with earth. Cardboard, paper and film are stacked in one layer. The film must be dark. It should sometimes be opened to ventilate the plants.

Among organic substances, moss is perfect for greenhouses, bark, sawdust, peat, dry straw. They allow the root system to breathe and improve soil fertility. Mulching will significantly increase yields, allow you to forget about watering for a while, and reduce the threat of fungal diseases.

Open ground

Mulching tomatoes outdoors is similar to how they do it in greenhouses. This is the best option to protect tomatoes from exposure to wind, rain, sun and pollution. But here it is important to wait until mid-June, when the earth warms up well, when night temperatures become normal, and there will be no frosts.

From artificial materials, dark film, cardboard or paper are mainly used. Spunbond is a more breathable covering material that allows air to pass through, keeps heat, and protects against weed growth.

From organic matter, moss, small sawdust, dry straw are better suited. It is laid in an even layer of 5 centimeters, retreating from the stem. Husk, dirt, peel should not be used, as they do not contain the required amount of nutrients. The bark of coniferous trees and needles are not suitable for the composition of the tomato.

It is important to remember that organic materials are laid out after planting seedlings, and inorganic materials are laid out before.

Mulching the soil is a process that requires a careful and reasonable approach. It is necessary to figure out how to mulch tomatoes in a greenhouse, how to do it in the open field, what to use as a material for mulch, at what time it needs to be done. Done right, the tomatoes will respond with a bountiful harvest and rich flavor.

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