Tomato

Indeterminate varieties need wider spacing than determinate ones. Excess nitrogen leads to vegetative growth at the expense of fruit formation. Also requires phosphorus in an easily assimilable form.

Fertilisation#

Incorporate good quality compost as base fertilisation. Avoid excess nitrogen.

Weed control#

Mulching with organic materials or plastic avoids weed competition, prevents fruit contact with soil, and helps retain moisture.

Staking#

Essential for indeterminate varieties. Keeps plant upright, prevents leaves and fruit touching the ground, improves sun exposure, airflow and ease of harvest.

Pruning#

Important for indeterminate varieties. Perform 15-20 days after transplant when first lateral shoots appear. Remove lateral shoots and define number of arms per plant.

Green operations#

Regularly remove old leaves and those showing disease. Remove axillary shoots. Fruit thinning can be done to remove misshapen, undersized, or diseased fruits.

Pest control#

Spider mites: biological control with predatory mites. Aphids: moderate nitrogen fertilisation, natural limitation with hedgerows, biological control with parasitoid hymenoptera and predators. Cutworms: avoid fresh manure, use bran + molasses + Bacillus thuringiensis bait on soil, Bacillus thuringiensis spray, biological control with Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes. Tomato caterpillar: Bacillus thuringiensis biological treatment. Tuta absoluta: sexual traps to reduce population, biological control with mirids, Bacillus thuringiensis. Leaf miners: natural limitation with hedgerows and melliferous plants, biological control with parasitoid hymenoptera. Whitefly: moderate nitrogen fertilisation, do not transplant infested plants, yellow sticky traps, biological control with parasitoid hymenoptera, predatory mites and mirid insects. Thrips: border plants favourable to anthocorid predators (marigolds and other composites), biological control with predatory mites and anthocorids.

Disease control#

Root rot: avoid waterlogging, ensure good drainage. Blight: drip irrigation, wide spacing, good airflow.

Harvest#

Staggered harvest as fruits ripen. If selling, can be harvested before full ripeness as it is a climacteric fruit.

Post-harvest#

Store at low temperatures with 90-95% relative humidity.