Tomato fertilizer requirements can be calculated if you know your soil type and have a good idea of the yield potential of your land and climate. These are basic norms and your specific microclimate and variety can have an influence on the total amount applied. These norms do not take top dressings into account, only…
Category: Tomatoes
Trellising and staking field grown tomatoes
Determinate variety tomatoes need to be trellised. Unlike processing tomatoes which are not trellised and in most very large commercial farms, harvested by mechanical means, which means processing tomatoes are only harvested once. Determinate fresh tomatoes ( such as the standard beefsteak tomato varieties) are harvested during a period of 90-120 days depending on the…
Planting time of field grown tomatoes
Harvesting field tomatoes
Harvesting field grown tomatoes is a labour intensive process. Unlike processing tomatoes which can be harvested mechanically, field grown trellised tomatoes has to be harvested by hand. The sorting can be done mechanically. Tomato fruit ripen according to temperature. The ripening process is initiated by the hormone ethylene. In long life tomatoes, ethylene release is…
Solving the mystery of the two main types of tomato plants
Solving the mystery of the two main types of tomato plants Indeterminate tomato varieties will grow ‘forever’. So they can grow over two seasons. Determinate varieties die after about 100 days. If you have a very short season to grow your tomato crop it is cheaper to buy a determinate variety, but if you want…
Field grown tomatoes – the basics
Basic horticulture of growing tomatoes The common tomato or scientifically classified as Solanaceae Lycopersicon lycopersicum (L) Karst. ex Farw. is one of the most popular vegetables planted both by commercial farmers, small scale farmers and home gardeners. It is actually a pleasure to grow tomatoes as there are so many varieties available today that marketing…