Tips for starting a successful tomato growing business.
1.Seed selection
Before you begin your tomato harvest, it's a good idea to understand the different types of seeds so you can have an idea of what to expect and the side effects of each seed variety.
Tomatoes have seed varieties, so you should choose your seed based on the following criteria:
- quality of the fruit,
-adaptability and reliability,
-Disease resistance and Torelant
-Growth behavior of plants
- Market preference and planting time (due date).
It is very important to choose varieties of tomatoes based on the characteristics that are most important and convenient for you.
Hybrid seeds have the desirable characteristics mentioned above
2. Types of Tomatoes.
We have two main types of tomatoes which are definite and indefinite.
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TO DETERMINE
-The particular tomato variety is mostly healthy outdoors because it belongs to an outdoor variety
Certain tomatoes will also grow on shorter, bushier plants with a given growth limit.
During germination and fruiting they lay a good load of fruit and are then ready for harvest.
They also grow in smaller spaces and need little support.
Its fruits do not waste time in ripening, in fact they are one of the fastest ripening plants. In a short time they are ripe and ready to be picked, so it is also important to monitor the plant regularly to prevent some fruits from growing so poorly that they become unhealthy.
Finally, Determinate Tomatoes opens closer together.
B) INDEFINITE
Indeterminate tomatoes, which I call Ajebo tomatoes, are sometimes usually planted and grown in a greenhouse...they belong to the greenhouse variety.
And one of the peculiarities of the indeterminate is that they continue to form new vibrations and new fruits.
They also grow in size as the difference becomes very clear when we compare them to Determinate Tomatoes fruit and they do not have a natural size limit. Some can be extremely large and others medium-sized.
When it comes to maximizing, they need stakes or trellises that allow for good support for growth and also maximize their potential.
3. SOIL PREPARATION .
Every plant needs a good plant, the soil decides good growth or a bad harvest, when the soil is good everything else follows for a great production.
which means that good soil should be very fertile and well-draining, with good moisture-retaining soils.
PH levels between 6.2 and 6.8 are ideal for tomatoes
Make sure you check your soil by doing a proper soil test and get the results with recommendations. If your soil needs to be treated before planting, make sure you do so as it is extremely important.
5. Transplantation.
When it comes to transplanting tomato seeds, some calculations are required to have an expectation of when to transplant them.
You should start transplanting your seedlings when the tomatoes are 4-5 weeks old and have 4-5 true leaves.
Be sure to keep a reasonable distance of about 45cm - 60cm.
6. Trellis and crop support
The tomato trellis is simply a support system designed specifically for tomato plants to raise them off the ground and encourage free air circulation. Well, because it supports strong stems, prevents diseases that can be found on the soil surface and there is no risk of exposure to tomatoes, this way they are less susceptible, in short it facilitates access to the fruit.
Let's take a deeper look at a few different ways you can support your tomato plants with the trellis technique.
Whenever you build your trellis, try your best not to break or bend any of the branches connected to the vine against their will. This can kill the entire plant.
Growing tomatoes can lead to pruning, staking and tying if care is not taken. When done properly and efficiently, these operations help control the spread of disease as well as pest control.
As long as you make sure the structure you construct can stand the test of seasons.
If you take cuttings that aren't firmly rooted in the soil, the wind can easily blow them away, exposing tomato plants that can affect the condition of the plant.
Tutoring systems are the best and are designed for different types of tomato plants. Make sure you choose the best for your tomato.
For example, the ever-growing indeterminate variety outperforms the Florida weave system faster and more efficiently.
7. Fertilization/fertilizer application
Fertilizing your tomatoes depends on the soil, for example if the soil is poor and bad you can treat and fertilize it, but some growers use manure instead of fertilizer which is also a good alternative. the three numbers on the packaging that indicate the nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content.
Some growers also prefer a fertilizer with a high phosphorus content followed by a higher intermediate number. You can also keep things simple by only using a fertilizer specially formulated for tomatoes with a recommended ratio of 3-4-6 or 4-7-10.
Finally, don't over-fertilize. Too little fertilizer is always better than too much fertilizer because too much is bad, but too little is not.
8. Irrigation.
Irrigation is the supply of water to the land so that crops and plants have great growth.
Drip irrigation is one of the most efficient ways to provide water and nutrients to a tomato plant. The tomato plant is watered slowly using a small 3/4 inch diameter squeezable tube without wetting the foliage. Drip tape, sometimes 8 to 10 millimeters thick, is planted 1 to 2 inches deep.
9. Pests, Diseases and Disorders.
Tomatoes have many diseases and disorders caused by various insects and pests.
Some of the diseases include
Aphids, flea beetles, leaf miners and spider mites threaten young tomatoes in the garden bed. In the field flea beetles, aphids, leaf miners, bugs and caterpillars.
However, to create a solution that will prevent and treat some of the tomato diseases, you need to add a heaping tablespoon of baking soda, a teaspoon of vegetable oil, and a small amount of mild soap to a gallon of water and spray. the tomatoes with this solution.
Alternatively, in cases where crops are affected, ensure that all remains of the tomato crop are removed and completely destroyed or plowed deep into the ground to prevent spread to other plants and crops.
Plant only disease-free seeds and avoid overhead watering. Use a suitable fungicide if necessary.
10.Harvest and marketing.
You must be extremely careful when picking tomatoes, make sure the tomatoes are fully ripe and ready to be picked. I recommend harvesting your tomatoes with pruning shears, as ripping off the fruit can damage the plants or rip ripe fruit off the vines.
After planting the seedlings, it takes 60 to 85 days for the tomatoes to be ready for harvest. However, the timing may change depending on the climate, application and tomato variety you are growing. Planting certain tomatoes, be ready for a big harvest at once.
When it comes to marketing, you can sell most fresh hand-picked tomatoes on the open market, while all processed machine-picked tomatoes can be sold under contract, with only a percentage being sold on the open market.