Tomatoes should be looked after in July in the same way as in previous months. Watering, fertilizing, hilling the space between rows from weeds, removing side shoots on already formed bushes, mulching and carrying out preventive measures.
Watering tomatoes
During this period, tomato bushes have a very large load of fruits, especially early ripening varieties that yield intensively. Therefore, they must be watered.
At very high air temperatures, they are watered once a week, at the rate of 5-6 liters of water per bush under the root.
The best option for gardeners is drip irrigation, it will provide timely water supply under the bush and protect plants from drops falling on the leaves, which can provoke disease.
Loosening the soil
The next day after abundant watering, you need to loosen the top layer of soil. It would also be good to cover it with mulch.
Further formation of the tomato bush
Usually, at this period, the bush has already formed into one or two stems. Therefore, now it is necessary to remove new stepsons in time, remove the lower leaves to the first cluster of fruits and carry out further tying of fruits and the stem of the plant to the trellis.
Some gardeners pinch the main stem of the plant above the 5th cluster of fruits at the end of July.
This is done in order to direct all the nutrients to the ripening of the remaining harvest on the bush. But September is not always warm, so this procedure can be carried out at the end of August.
Fertilizing tomatoes
Fertilize tomatoes in July every 12-14 days with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, superphosphate and wood ash, or you can use potassium humate.
Dilute 2 tablespoons of superphosphate in 2 liters of hot water, add 8 liters of clean water, add 2 tablespoons of potassium humate and mix this solution well.
The watering rate is 2-3 liters of solution per bush. Wood ash is scattered on the soil surface under the plants before loosening.
If there is a calcium deficiency, tomatoes should be fed with the following solution: dilute 2 tablespoons of calcium nitrate in 10 liters of water. This solution is enough to water 1 square meter of the plot area.
Protection from disease
With sharp changes in temperature and high humidity, which often occurs in July, tomato plants begin to suffer from fungal diseases.
This type of infection especially quickly appears in an unkempt area: high density, thickets of stepchildren, watering on leaves and stems.
To prevent plant infection, it is necessary to carry out disease and pest prevention in a timely manner throughout the growing season. Bordeaux mixture or phytosporin are used against diseases, and garlic infusion is used against pests.
To do this, take 2 large heads of garlic, chop them and leave them in a liter of water for 24 hours. Then dilute the infusion in ten liters of water and treat the plants on the leaves.
Harvesting tomatoes
To get a rich harvest of tomatoes from one bush, it is recommended to pick the fruits at the beginning of the characteristic color, this will speed up the ripening of the next fruits on the bush. But the sweetest, most delicious tomato is still the one that is fully ripe on the bush.
