When is the latest planting time for cherry tomatoes?
Cherry tomatoes have high nutritional value and a unique flavor, offering both edible and ornamental benefits. They are not only brightly colored and beautifully shaped, but also taste pleasant and are rich in nutrients. In addition to containing all the nutrients found in regular tomatoes, their vitamin content is 1.7 times that of ordinary tomatoes, giving them extremely high cultivation value. Let's take a look below at when the planting time for cherry tomatoes is!
Cherry Tomato Planting Time
The suitable temperature for the growth and development of cherry tomatoes is 23-28°C, with a night temperature of 15-18°C. They like plenty of sunlight, and the soil moisture requirement is 60-80%. A slightly acidic soil with deep, loose, and fertile layers and a pH of 6-6.5 is ideal. They have strong adaptability, and through different sowing periods and different facility cultivation, four-season production and year-round supply can be achieved. Usually in the north, spring sowing is from April to June or autumn sowing is from August to September; in the south, spring sowing is from February to June or autumn sowing is from August to October. In open-field cultivation, planting can be done from August to February of the following year.
Cherry Tomato Sowing and Seedling Raising
Before sowing cherry tomatoes, the seeds must be disinfected. To prevent tomato early blight, first soak the seeds in warm clean water for 3-4 hours, then soak them in a 100-fold dilution of 40% formalin. After 20 minutes, remove them and keep them sealed for 2-3 hours, and finally rinse them clean with water. To prevent tomato viral disease, likewise first soak in clean water for 3-4 hours, then transfer to a 10% trisodium phosphate or 2% sodium hydroxide aqueous solution, soak for 20 minutes, remove, and rinse several times with clean water until the pH tests neutral. When sowing, first water the seedbed thoroughly, mix the seeds with fine sand or crushed soil, spread them evenly on the seedbed, and cover with 0.5 cm of loose soil. When the seedlings grow 2-3 true leaves, thinning should be carried out, and they can be transplanted at 5-6 true leaves.
Cherry Tomato Land Preparation and Transplanting
For the cherry tomato planting site, choose a field where Solanaceae plants have not been planted in the previous crop and where drainage and irrigation are convenient. After plowing and harrowing the land, open planting furrows according to the row spacing, apply base fertilizer, and then form high beds. The beds should run north-south in principle, with a bed width of 1.4-1.7 m (including ditches), a plant spacing of 45-55 cm, and 1600-2000 plants per mu. Select strong, healthy seedlings for transplanting, and irrigate immediately after transplanting.
Cherry Tomato Field Management
1. Reasonable fertilization: Cherry tomatoes have well-developed root systems and vigorous growth. Fertilizer should be mainly organic fertilizer, combined with compound fertilizer. Apply 2500 kg of decomposed manure or barnyard manure, or 2000 kg of human and livestock manure, or 100 kg of rapeseed cake, 30 kg of compound fertilizer, and 50 kg of superphosphate per mu as base fertilizer. Regulate growth through water management. Before harvesting the fruit, for every 2-3 clusters of fruit harvested, apply liquid fertilizer 2-3 times according to the strength of growth, but appropriately increase potassium fertilizer.
2. Reasonable irrigation: Cherry tomatoes are a vegetable crop that flowers and fruits continuously. After entering the flowering stage, watering should follow the principle of see wet, see dry (meaning water thoroughly at one time, then wait until the soil is almost dry before watering the second time; the purpose is to prevent root rot caused by overwatering and pests and diseases caused by dampness). Do not water too much, and do not let them dry out, otherwise it will cause flower and fruit drop and physiological fruit cracking.
3. Staking and vine tying: After transplanting and seedling recovery, stake and tie the vines in time. For early-maturing self-topping varieties, the trellis height is below 1 m; for tall trellis varieties, the trellis height is above 1.5 m. Generally, A-frame trellises and vertical trellises are used, and the stakes should be strong and firm to prevent lodging. Tie the stem to the trellis from above the first fruit cluster, and then tie once every 2-3 leaves. Pay attention to tightness when tying vines: tie tighter when the plant is growing vigorously, and tie looser when growth is weak.
3. Pruning and sucker removal: According to the growth of cherry tomatoes, there are two methods: single-stem pruning and double-stem pruning. Single-stem pruning keeps only the main stem and removes all side buds. Double-stem pruning, in addition to the main stem, keeps only one side branch growing from the leaf axil below the first inflorescence, and all other side buds are removed. Pay attention to removing buds early, preferably on sunny days. Keep the wound dry to avoid pathogen infection. If done on rainy days, spray pesticide immediately after the operation to prevent disease.
4. Timely harvesting: Cherry tomatoes should be harvested immediately when they reach commercial fruit maturity according to the characteristics of different varieties. Overripe harvesting is not conducive to storage and transportation.