A Detailed Guide to the Latest Winter Management Practices for Greenhouse Tomatoes
The tomato is a rather special vegetable: it can be eaten raw and also stir-fried, and there is strong market demand for it. Tomatoes are grown very widely in China, and as greenhouse cultivation technology in China becomes more and more mature, they can now be planted in almost every season. Nowadays many people are also gradually growing winter tomatoes in greenhouses, so how should winter greenhouse tomato cultivation be managed? Let's take a look together below!
1. Temperature
Winter temperatures are relatively low and, strictly speaking, not suitable for tomato growth, but greenhouse cultivation can effectively control the temperature. Therefore, in winter, temperature is the primary management task; the temperature suitable for tomato growth is around 22°C. And in winter the temperature changes somewhat between morning and afternoon; for example, the morning temperature is around 25°C and must not exceed 33°C. In the afternoon it drops by about two degrees, and at night the temperature must not be lower than 15°C, keeping the day-night temperature difference at around 12°C. If the temperature is below 10°C, tomato growth will be affected; below 4°C growth stops, and in severe cases the whole plant suffers freeze damage.
2. Topdressing
Tomatoes have a relatively long growing period and high yields, with a large and comprehensive demand for nutrients. Therefore we must control the proportion of nutrients in the fertilizer and ensure it contains the nutrients tomatoes need. Before planting, apply enough base fertilizer, and to ensure healthy tomato growth, topdressing must also be done well during the growing period; tomato topdressing is mainly applied in small amounts but frequently. During the tomato seedling stage, foliar fertilizer should be sprayed appropriately, once a week, for two rounds, and then a water-soluble fertilizer should be applied once at the 4-true-leaf stage. In addition, after the seedlings have recovered, that is, during the fruit enlargement stage, topdressing should also be done in time to promote tomato growth and avoid nutrient deficiency.
3. Watering
Tomatoes have a very large water requirement; someone specifically conducted a survey and found that during the tomato fruit development stage, each plant needs to absorb at least 1 kilogram of water per day. Therefore when planting we should pay attention to watering well and keep the soil in a moist state; the watering method is small drip irrigation, watering whenever the soil looks dry and stopping when it looks moist. However, to avoid soil salinization, a heavy watering is needed about every 28 days to flush out excess salts from the soil. In winter, though, pay attention to the water temperature; the water temperature should be controlled at around 10°C. If the water temperature is below 8°C, a large number of hollow tomatoes will appear, reducing fruit quality.
4. Light
Tomatoes also have a relatively large light requirement, and their yield is directly related to the duration of light. During cultivation we should improve the permeability of the orchard, promptly remove side branches and prune old leaves, which not only increases the plant's light-receiving area but also reduces nutrient consumption and promotes healthy fruit growth. After tomatoes enter the white-ripe stage, all leaves below the fruit cluster should be pruned away to promote light absorption, which can also effectively reduce the incidence of pests and diseases. If natural light duration is insufficient, artificial supplementary lighting should be carried out when necessary to prevent tomato growth from being hindered.
The above is a brief introduction to winter management methods for greenhouse tomatoes. Tomato growth also has special requirements for carbon dioxide; if the carbon dioxide concentration in the orchard is insufficient, the tomatoes will die. Therefore in winter it is also necessary to do a good job of supplementing carbon dioxide, or to use an appropriate amount of enzyme bacteria bio-organic fertilizer in the base fertilizer. That is all for today's introduction; this article is for reference only. Thank you all for reading and supporting.