Why Are Tomatoes Hollow? Detailed Explanation of Causes and Control Methods
Tomato is a vegetable rich in water with a sweet and sour taste. It is very useful and can replenish the body's water and strengthen resistance. Its uses are also very broad; it can be eaten and also used as feed, etc. Many farmers find during cultivation that hollow tomatoes often appear. So what exactly causes hollow tomatoes? How should hollow tomatoes be addressed? Let us take a look below.
1. Sudden temperature drop
Although tomato is a vegetable that does not like high temperatures, excessively low temperatures can also cause hollow tomatoes. For example, when watering, the water used for tomatoes is generally cold water. If the cold water temperature is too low, it causes the roots to expand and contract with heat and cold, and the vitality of the fibrous roots declines. If this happens right during the tomato's ripening and swelling stage, water shortage can lead to hollow fruit. At this time, we should increase the water temperature when watering; a water temperature above 12°C is best. The water can also be stored in the shed to let it rise to room temperature.
2. Too many fruits retained
Too many fruits will also affect the development of tomatoes. The fruits on each plant will compete with each other for nutrients. Because nutrients are transported from the roots upward, the lower fruits will begin to swell and ripen early. However, the nutrients are basically absorbed completely by the lower fruits, causing poor nutrition in the upper fruits and resulting in hollow fruit. The solution is not to retain too many fruits on one plant. According to the principle of keeping the large and removing the lower ones, and keeping the lower and removing the upper ones, control the number of fruits on each plant to 3-5.
3. Overdense planting
Many farmer friends, in order to save money or increase yield, plant far more tomatoes in one mu of land than the land can support. Overdense planting causes the tomato leaves to cover each other after growing, the lower fruits cannot receive light, and the permeability in the field becomes poor, resulting in uneven fruit growth and poor development, forming hollow fruit. Control the planting density to a spacing of 20*20cm per plant, mainly depending on the variety and area. Increase the tomato's light duration and the permeability in the field, so that each tomato plant can carry out good respiration and photosynthesis.
4. Insufficient water and fertilizer
Tomatoes need large amounts of fertilizer and water at every stage from sowing to maturity. The nutrients contained in the soil are also an important factor for good tomato development. If the water and fertilizer for tomato growth are not sufficient, it will lead to poor development of tomatoes, insufficient nutrient supply, and internal imbalance, so the fruit cannot swell normally and hollow fruit occurs. Be sure to supplement tomatoes with large amounts of fertilizers such as phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to ensure the nutritional needs of tomatoes. Also keep the soil in the field fully moist, and finally water according to factors such as weather conditions and tomato growth.
Hollow tomatoes are very damaging to farmers' own interests, because hollow tomatoes seriously affect the quality and yield of tomatoes, lose competitive advantage, and cannot enter the market. Therefore, I have compiled the above four causes of hollow fruit and control methods for everyone, hoping to be helpful to you.