What are the tomato cultivation methods? An experienced grower sorts out 3 key practical tips
As tomato market prices keep rising, tomato planting areas have also “risen accordingly”. But while it is easy to get started, growing high-quality tomatoes still takes extra care. Below is a practical guide shared by an experienced large-scale tomato grower covering 3 major tomato cultivation methods, in the hope of giving interested friends a reference.
1. Choose the right tomato varieties
1. Choose varieties according to local conditions
When choosing tomato varieties, you must take local soil quality, climate and other conditions into comprehensive consideration, rather than starting to grow just because you heard a certain variety is good. Different tomato varieties have different requirements for the growing environment.
2. Recommended tomato varieties
Tomatoes can generally be divided into three major categories: large red tomatoes, large pink tomatoes and cherry tomatoes.
For large red tomatoes, 7845, Labi and Qidali are recommended; for large pink tomatoes, Sophia, Provence, Lola, Ginobili, Qiusheng, Ruixing Dabao and Tianci 575 are recommended; for cherry tomatoes, Qianxi, Fenbeibei, Summer Sun, Chuntao and Huangrong are recommended.
In addition, in recent years many specialty tomato varieties have also been bred, such as strawberry tomato, Thai Golden Lotus (a large golden-yellow tomato), Telado, Black Beauty, Huangmizhu, Zihua Baozhu, Hongcai and so on.
2. Sow tomatoes at the right time
1. Sowing period
When sowing tomatoes, on the one hand you need to consider the characteristics of the variety, and on the other hand you need to look at the local climate conditions. Only after comprehensive analysis should you determine the most suitable sowing date.
2. Sowing method
Germinate the tomato seeds, and sow after the sprouts turn white. Before sowing, carry out fertilizer and water management on the land, apply sufficient base fertilizer, and water thoroughly, then simply broadcast the tomato seeds.
3. Transplanting and management of tomatoes
1. Transplanting
When about 25 days have passed since sowing and the seedlings have grown into “strong seedlings” (15 cm tall, more than 0.4 cm thick), you can begin transplanting.
During transplanting, fertilize the planting plot again. It is recommended to apply high-quality organic fertilizer. Of course, you can also choose urea and a small amount of boron fertilizer.
2. Management after transplanting
About 1 week after transplanting, supplement fertilizer and water once. At this stage, you can apply diluted manure water.
During the fruit-swelling stage, apply additional fertilizer 3 times successively to improve the quality of the tomatoes.
3. Prevention and control of pests and diseases
Tomatoes are a vegetable relatively prone to pests and diseases. Improper management will leave them vulnerable to bacterial and viral diseases as well as pest attacks. Therefore, “prevention” is emphasized here. As for treatment, once a diagnosis is confirmed, just use the appropriate medicine.
For prevention, you must disinfect the soil before sowing, pay attention to regulating temperature, moisture and light at ordinary times, maintain ventilation and heat dissipation, and diligently remove weeds. With such careful care, tomato pests and diseases can be effectively prevented.