How to plant tomatoes
Answer questions for netizens on how to plant tomatoes and share experience on green plant maintenance related to tomato cultivation techniques. Let's learn about it together.
Compared with cucumbers, peppers, and eggplants, planting tomatoes is the most labor-intensive. After planting tomatoes, there are many tasks to be done, such as pruning, removing side branches, tying strings, watering, fertilizing, spraying pesticides, pollinating, and harvesting. Even with the development of mechanized agriculture, many aspects of tomato cultivation cannot be replaced by machines, making it a very labor-intensive task. With the increase in labor costs, the price of tomatoes will not be too low and will only increase.
Among these tasks, tomato string tying, pruning, removing side branches, and even defoliation in the later growth stage may seem simple, but there are many nuances. Incorrect or unsuitable operations can lead to tomato plants growing too tall or not growing at all, getting sick, increasing pests and diseases, resulting in fewer fruits, poor fruit quality, and low yield. When planting tomatoes, we need to prune and remove side branches according to our actual situation.
I. Timing for string tying and removing side branches after tomato planting depends on the plant growth
Tomatoes are usually planted with seedlings, and it is best to choose strong seedlings with a height of about 15cm, 7-8 leaves, and just showing buds. Tomatoes have a strong rooting ability and can easily survive after planting. If the temperature is suitable and the soil moisture is sufficient, the seedlings will grow quickly. Greenhouse tomatoes are usually planted in two seasons, spring and autumn, and the timing for string tying and removing side branches is different for each season.
(1) Spring tomatoes
Mostly planted in March, when the temperature in the greenhouse is relatively low and the plant growth is slow. In this case, we can tie strings and remove side branches early to promote plant growth. Generally, strings are tied when the plant reaches about 30cm to encourage upward growth, and side branches are removed when they are about 10cm long. It is important to remove side branches on sunny days and when there is no dew on the plants, otherwise the wounds will not heal easily and can easily become infected with diseases such as tomato virus, blight, gray mold, and leaf spots.
(2) Autumn tomatoes
Mostly planted in August or September when the temperature in the greenhouse is high and the plants grow vigorously and quickly. To prevent the plants from growing too tall, we will delay string tying and removing side branches to help weigh down the plants. We can tie strings after flowering and remove side branches when the fruits start to set. It is important to note that if the plants do not bloom for a long time, the side branches should not be allowed to grow longer than 30cm, otherwise, the large wounds can damage the plant.
(3) Pinching the top
For short-season cultivation of tomatoes with two seasons, usually pinch the top after leaving four fruit clusters to inhibit the plant's vertical growth and direct more nutrients to the fruit.
In addition, the timing for removing side branches and tying strings should also consider the size of the tomato seedlings planted. If the seedlings are too small, remove side branches early to promote growth; if the seedlings are too large, remove side branches slightly later to inhibit growth.
The side branches we remove from tomatoes can also develop into strong stems and bear fruit. Therefore, if the main stem of the tomato plant is not doing well, we can leave a strong side branch to continue growing as the main stem.
How to plant tomatoes
II. How to defoliate tomatoes without affecting growth
In greenhouse tomato cultivation, defoliation is usually necessary, especially to remove old, diseased, and damaged leaves. On one hand, tomato leaf diseases are severe, and defoliation can effectively reduce plant diseases. On the other hand, it can reduce the consumption of nutrients by the plant, ensuring the nutrient needs of the upper fruits for growth and expansion in the later stages of fruiting.
(1) Defoliation of tomatoes should be done at least in three stages and not all at once
If there are too few leaves, it will affect photosynthesis, thus affecting the growth and yield of tomatoes. A normal, strong tomato plant starts to produce the first fruit cluster after growing about 7-8 leaves, and then produces one fruit cluster every two leaves. We have found in practice that after defoliation, at least two leaves are needed to supply one fruit cluster to avoid affecting plant growth.
(2) Timing for defoliation
Usually, when the first fruit cluster is turning color and ready to ripen, start defoliating by removing the bottom 3-4 leaves, which increases ventilation and light in the field, allowing tomatoes to turn color better. When the first fruit cluster is red and ready to harvest, all leaves above and below the cluster can be removed. If the leaves are in good condition, the leaves above the first fruit cluster can be left, and a couple of leaves below can also be left. When the second fruit cluster is ready to harvest, remove the leaves below the second cluster. That's about all the defoliation needed; do not remove more.
It is important to use disinfected scissors for pruning or defoliating to ensure the wounds are as small as possible and heal well.
Compared to eggplants and peppers, tomatoes are more prone to pests and diseases, so extra care must be taken to avoid infection during pruning and removing side branches. This is also one of the reasons why tomatoes grown outdoors often do not do well, as various pests can damage the plants, and wind, rain, or bites can cause wounds that lead to severe diseases. Therefore, outdoor tomatoes usually do not grow well and are lucky to produce 2-3 fruit clusters.
The above introduction (Green Plant Enthusiast Network) on how to plant tomatoes and detailed explanation of related tomato cultivation techniques are for reference only!