Tips to start a successful Tomato farming business.
1.Seeds Selection
Before start a tomatoes farming you should an idea of the various types of seed to enable you have an idea of what to expect and the side effect for varieties of seeds.
Tomatoes have Varieties of seed hence you should Select your seed based on the following:
-Fruit quality,
-Adaptability and reliability,
-Disease resistance and Torelant
-Plant growth habit
-Market preference and planting time (date of maturity).
it is very important to Choose the tomato varieties based on the qualities that are most important and convenient for you.
Hybrid seeds posses the above desirable characteristics
2. TYPES OF TOMATOES.
We majorly have two types of Tomatoes which are the determinate and indeterminate.
Also read Best Ailments for Tomatoes
A) DETERMINATE
-The Determinate type of tomatoes is Mostly healthy in an open field area as it belongs to an open field variety
The Determinate tomatoes also Grows into shorter and bushy plants with a predetermined growth limit.
During germination and fruit bearing they Set one good load of fruit and then they are ready for harvest.
They also Grows in smaller spaces and need little sticking and support .
Their fruit doesn't waste time to get ripened at all, as a matter of fact they are one of the fastest ripened plants. In no short time they are ripened and ready for pluck that is why it is also important to monitor the plant regularly to avoid some of the fruits growing bad to a point that they become unhealthy to eat.
Finally, the Determinate Tomatoes ends to open more closely together.
B) INDETERMINATE
The Indeterminate tomatoes which I call th ajebo tomatoes sometimes is usually planted and grown in a green house...they belong to the green house variety.
And one of the uniqueness of the Indeterminate is that they Keep forming new vibes and new fruits.
They also Grow larger in size as the difference is very clear when comparing them with the Determinate Tomatoes fruits and have no Natural size limit, Some can be extremely big and others can be of a medium size.
When it comes to Maximazation they require staking or trellising which will enable a good support for growth and also to maximize their potential.
3.SOIL PREPARATION .
Every plant needs a good plant, the soil is what determines a great growth or a poor harvest, when the soil is good then every other thing follows for great production.
which means a Good soil should be well fertile and well drained with nice moisture retentive soils.
PH between 6.2 -6.8 are ideal for tomatoes
Ensure to Check your soil by getting a proper soil test and have the results with recommendation and if the soil requires treatment before planting make sure you do so as it is extremely important.
5. Transplanting.
When it comes to transplanting of tomatoes seeds it requires some calculations so as to have an expectation of when to transplant them.
You should start your Transplant seedlings when the tomatoes are 4-5weeks old and have 4-5 true leaves.
Make sure you Maintain proper spacing of 45cm - 60 cm approximately.
6.Trellising and Crop support
Trellis of tomatoes is simply a support system which is specifically made for the tomato plants to lift them off the ground and promote free air circulation trellising can also be done to some other vegetables plant that usually spread However Trellising is very important for the tomatoes plant as well because it supports strong stems, prevents disease which can be found from the surface of the ground and no risk exposure to the tomatoes, this way they are less vulnerable, lastly it makes it easier to access the fruit.
Let's take a deeper look at some few different ways to support your Tomatoes plants using Trellising process.
Whenever you are building your trellis,try as much as possible not to break or bend any of the branches connected to the vine against its will. This might kill the whole plant.
Tutoring tomatoes can result to pruning, staking and stringing if care is not taken. These operations if done adequately and effiently it will help control the spread of diseases and also control pests as well.
As long as you ensure that the structure you are putting in place can stand the test of seasons.
When you build stakes that are not firmly root in the soil, wind can blow it them easily thereby creating an exposure to your tomato plants which might harsh the conditions of the plant.
Tutoring systems are best and are meant for different types of tomato plants. Make sure you Choose the most suitable one for your tomato.
Take For instance, the ever-climbing indeterminate variety outgrow the Florida weave syste faster and effiently.
7.Fertilisation/Fertilizer application
The fertilisation of your tomatoes will depend on the soil, if for instance the soil is poor and bad then you can treat and apply fertilizer but some growers use manures instead of fertilizer which is also a good alternative But the most important this to Pay close attention to the three numbers on the package, which indicate the levels of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K).
Some growers also prefer to use a high-phosphorus fertilizer, which is followed by a larger middle number. You can as well keep things simple with just a fertilizer especially formulated for tomatoes recommended with a ratio of 3-4-6 or 4-7-10.
Finally, don’t over-fertilize. Too little fertilizer is always better than too much Fertilizer, like the saying too much everything is bad but too less of everything isn't.
8.Irrigation.
Irrigation is the supply of water to land to the crops and plants have a great growth.
Drip irrigation is one of the most efficient method of delivering water and nutrients to a tomatoes plant. The Tomatoes Plant are watered slowly using a small, ¾-inch-diameter collapsible tube without wetting the foliage. Drip tape, sometimes 8 to 10 millimeters thick, is planted 1 to 2 inches deep.
9.Pest, diseases and disorders.
Tomatoes has a lot of diseases and disorders caused by various insects and pest.
Some of the diseases includes
Aphids, flea beetles, leafminers, and spider mites threaten young plant-bed tomatoes. In the field, flea beetles, aphids, leafminers, stink bugs, and fruitworms.
However, to create a solution that will prevents and treat some of the tomatoes disease, you need to add a heaping tablespoon of baking soda, a single tea teaspoon of vegetable oil, and a small amount of mild soap to a gallon of water and spray the tomato plants with this solution.
Alternatively, in cases were the plants are affected Ensure all the tomatoes crop debris is removed and destroyed completely or plowed deep into soil to avoid spreading to other plants and crops.
plant only disease-free seeds and avoid overhead irrigation. Apply appropriate fungicide if necessary.
10.Harvesting and marketing.
When harvesting tomatoes you have to be extremely careful, make sure you allow the tomatoes to be fully ripe and ready to be plucked. I recommend that harvest your tomatoes using garden snips because pulling on the fruits can damage the plants or knock still-ripening fruits from the vines.
It takes 60-85 days for tomatoes to be ready for harvest after planting seedlings, Nonetheless, Timing can change depending on your climate, Application and the variety of tomatoes you are growing. If you are planting determinate tomatoes, be ready for a large harvest all at once.
When it comes to Marketing, You can sell the majority of the fresh tomatoes which are handpicked on the open market, while all processed tomatoes which are mechanically harvested can be sold under contract, with only a percent sold on the open market.
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