Tomato is one of the horticultural crops that have high economic value. Although tomatoes can be grown almost anywhere, that is warm and little damp, but how to grow tomatoes need to be intensified in order to provide optimal results.
As you know, the tomato is a multipurpose plant, in addition to functioning as a vegetable and a fruit, the tomato is also used as a base for cosmetics and medicines.
Based on the type of growth, tomato plants can be divided into two, namely determinate and indeterminate. Determinate types have short stature, bunches of flowers located on each side and at the end of the stem of the plant. While the indeterminate types have a high posture, bunches of flowers lies alternate between 2-3 sections. Indeterminate type of tomato plants usually have large fruit size.
Before you start planting tomatoes, you should consider a few things:
- Although tomato plants including shrubs, but the height can reach 3 meters, so provide adequate space for plants to grow well.
- Age of tomato short enough at around 4-5 months and will die after harvest.
- Tomatoes need sunlight in large quantities and environments that have high humidity levels. Lack of sunlight can cause tomato plants susceptible to disease, while too much water will cause root rot easily.
Some steps to grow tomatoes properly and correctly:
Preparation Stage
This stage includes seed selection and preparation of the land to be planted. Good tomato seedlings are intact, no defects, clean, and no wrinkles. Seeds can be easily obtained at the farm store, but if you can not find it, you can create your own.
Choose tomatoes that are large and ripe, and then take the seeds and dry it. How to dry it should not be directly exposed to sunlight. Just aerated enough. If the weather is good, the tomato seeds will be ready in 2-3 days.
As for the preparation of the land, you can plant tomatoes directly in the ground or in a polybag. Add compost in sufficient quantities. Tomatoes demand a growing medium rich in organic matter. Use polybag size 10 kg if you want to grow tomatoes in a polybag.
Seeding Stage
Before planting tomatoes in the media that has been determined, it is recommended to do seedbed to get the seedling of plants that strong and healthy. You can sow seeds on a tray size of 30x15x15 cm.
Put the seedbed media on location that get enough sunlight, but do not place directly in the sun. Lay it in the shade, as too much sun will also inhibit the growth of tomato seeds. After 6-8 weeks, the tomato seedlings ready to be planted in the media that has been prepared.
Planting Stage
Next is to move the tomato seedlings in seedbed media to the actual planting medium. Choose tomato seedlings that have a large enough size. Try to plant it deep enough so that the tomato plants are not easily collapse. After planting, watering tomatoes using enough water.
At the time of planting, make sure the tomato plants are given a wide enough range so that they can grow to its full potential. The recommended distance is 30x30cm. For planted in polybags you need not worry about the distance.
Next is to move the tomato seedlings in seedbed media to the actual planting medium. Choose tomato seedlings that have a large enough size. Try to plant it deep enough so that the tomato plants are not easily collapse. After planting, watering tomatoes using enough water.
At the time of planting, make sure the tomato plants are given a wide enough range so that they can grow to its full potential. The recommended distance is 30x30cm. For planted in polybags you need not worry about the distance.
Simply adjust it according to the size of the plant. For the first few weeks of planting, tomatoes should be avoided out of direct sunlight, especially during the daytime.
Treatment Stage
There are 6 important part of this stage:
Treatment Stage
There are 6 important part of this stage:
- Watering: should be done 2 times a day or when the planting media looks dry. Do not do too much watering, because it can make tomato plants susceptible to disease.
- Fertilizer application: just give 1 tablespoon of NPK fertilizer with a distance of about 10cm from the plant stem. Giving fertilizer every 2 weeks. Note the tomato plants need more P than of N elements, so adjust fertilizer that you use.
- Destroying weeds: as we know the weeds absorb the nutrients that should be reserved for tomato plants. You need to mow the weeds, or perform preventive steps by adding mulch to the surface of the planting medium.
- Setup Stake: tomato plants are fairly fragile and require cages / stake in order to grow well. Therefore, when the tomato plants have started to grow, you need to provide stake for support.
- Pest control: Pest of the most frequent attack tomato plants are small white insects called aphids. Aphid attack tomato plants by sucking nutrients on tomato plants, it makes tomato plants can not grow maximum. How to overcome it is by picking the leaves that was attacked, then burn it. Or if the insect has been attacked very badly, you can also use pesticides.
- Cutting Shoots: after the tomato plants begin to bear fruit, new shoots need to be cut so that the quality of the fruit could be better.
Harvest Stage
After the hard work you've been through, the most awaited moment finally comes the harvest time. Things to consider when harvesting: if you want to immediately consume it, picking tomatoes that are dark red. Meanwhile, if you want to save it and use it later, it is better to choose a less red tomatoes.
How to grow tomatoes is a bit tricky. However, if treated properly, the results will be good also.
After the hard work you've been through, the most awaited moment finally comes the harvest time. Things to consider when harvesting: if you want to immediately consume it, picking tomatoes that are dark red. Meanwhile, if you want to save it and use it later, it is better to choose a less red tomatoes.
How to grow tomatoes is a bit tricky. However, if treated properly, the results will be good also.
