When is the best time to plant tomatoes?

Mainly concentrated in January-March and July-August. In addition, for spring open-field cultivation, sowing and seedling raising in the Beijing area takes place from mid-February to early March; for autumn open-field cultivation, areas south of the Yangtze River such as Shanghai and Nanjing sow from late July to early August, while eastern Sichuan sows in early July. Therefore, the specific tomato planting time still needs to be determined according to local conditions.

Fertilization management for tomato cultivation:

1. According to the fertilizer requirements of tomatoes, on the premise of cultivating strong seedlings, tomato fertilization should be based mainly on base fertilizer, applying 5-7 tons of high-quality organic fertilizer per mu in combination with land preparation, together with 6-8 kg of phosphate fertilizer and 7-10 kg of potassium fertilizer.

2. 5-6 days after transplanting, tomatoes should be given a “seedling-promoting fertilizer”, applying 2-3 kg of nitrogen fertilizer (urea) per mu.

3. When the first fruit cluster of the tomato begins to swell, apply a “fruit-promoting fertilizer”, applying 3-4 kg of nitrogen (urea) per mu.

4. When tomatoes enter the full fruiting stage, as the first cluster of fruit turns white and the second and third clusters swell rapidly, topdressing should be applied 2-3 times, each time applying 3-4 kg of nitrogen (urea) per mu; the first application can be supplemented with 1.5-2 kg each of phosphorus and potassium to help improve fruit quality.

5. After tomatoes enter the full fruiting stage, the root system's ability to absorb fertilizer declines, so foliar spraying can be carried out, such as 0.3%-0.5% urea, 0.5% monopotassium phosphate, 0.1% borax, etc., to help delay senescence and extend the harvest period.

6. For tomato fertilization under protected cultivation, prevent salt-related disorders caused by excessive fertilization. When fertilizing, increase organic fertilizer input; chemical fertilizer use can be reduced by 20%-30% compared with open-field cultivation, and it should preferably be applied in small amounts multiple times, with timely irrigation to leach salts, so as to promote the growth and development of tomatoes.

To achieve high yield and high quality in tomatoes, proper fertilization management alone is not enough. Other aspects, including watering, pruning, flower retention and pest and disease control, are all indispensable.