Side Green - Tomato Cultivation Technical Guide - Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) is a plant original from Central and South America. These plants are ideally grown in the temperature range 20-27oC with rainfall of about 750-1250 mg per year. In general, tomatoes can grow well at altitude 0-1500 m asl.
Today there are more than 400 varieties of tomatoes are grown globally. There are only suitable varieties in the highlands such as diamonds, pearls, and kada. There are suitable in the lowlands such as varieties of diamond, Charles, and CLN. There also can be grown in both high and low plains, like the GH2 and GH4.
Choosing tomato seeds
To select the type of tomatoes that will be planted should be adjusted to the characteristics of the location in advance. If your garden is located on a plateau choose varieties that are suitable for the high plains and vice versa.
Tomato seeds can be obtained easily in various stores saprotan provider. If you are difficult to find or too expensive, we can make it yourself. You do this by selecting the best tomatoes in terms of size (large) and shape (not disabled).
Langahnya as follows, choose tomatoes that will be used as seed. Then let the tomatoes ripen on the tree. Once old enough to take the seeds and clear of mucus that covers it with water. After that, soak in water, select seeds sink. Then do the selection once again for tomato seeds, select the shape is perfect (no defects or wrinkles). After it dried in the sun and store in a dry and sterile containers.
Today there are more than 400 varieties of tomatoes are grown globally. There are only suitable varieties in the highlands such as diamonds, pearls, and kada. There are suitable in the lowlands such as varieties of diamond, Charles, and CLN. There also can be grown in both high and low plains, like the GH2 and GH4.
Choosing tomato seeds
To select the type of tomatoes that will be planted should be adjusted to the characteristics of the location in advance. If your garden is located on a plateau choose varieties that are suitable for the high plains and vice versa.
Tomato seeds can be obtained easily in various stores saprotan provider. If you are difficult to find or too expensive, we can make it yourself. You do this by selecting the best tomatoes in terms of size (large) and shape (not disabled).
Langahnya as follows, choose tomatoes that will be used as seed. Then let the tomatoes ripen on the tree. Once old enough to take the seeds and clear of mucus that covers it with water. After that, soak in water, select seeds sink. Then do the selection once again for tomato seeds, select the shape is perfect (no defects or wrinkles). After it dried in the sun and store in a dry and sterile containers.
Seeding tomatoes
Before planted widely, tomato seeds should be sown in advance to have the leaves and stems are strong enough. Seeding should be done on separate media with mass plantings. See how to create a media hotbed for horticultural crops.
For the cultivation of tomatoes, you should select media seedbed with ploybag. This is to reduce the risk of crop stress when moved. But this polybag nursery they are relatively expensive. If you choose the nursery beds, should be careful when removing and transferring seedlings. The duration of seeding until the plants are ready to remove about 35-40 days.
Tips for nursery beds, create an array (line) above the media seedbed lines spaced 5 cm and a depth of 1 cm array. Then sprinkle the seeds in the bolt, do not let piles, preferably 2-3 cm distance between seeds. Then close the bolt with the soil and water to taste. Methods pemindahanbisa done in two ways. First with the revocation, before the seeds removed flush with water to dissolve the media so that the roots do not break when pulled. Secondly, the way the play that took the plant with the surrounding soil.
Tips for nursery polybag / pot, after seedbed media created a surface holes as deep as 1 cm. Then dab of tomato seeds one item for each poly bag, cover with planting medium. How to move is by ripping or removing polybag / pot. Then enter the plant and the soil contained in polybag / pot into the planting hole.
Soil tillage
Tomatoes grow well in soil acidity pH 5.5 to 7. If the soil is too acidic (<5.5), add dolomite or agricultural lime. Benefits of calcification in addition to raising the pH of the soil is also to improve soil structure. The dose should be adjusted to the pH level of the soil respectively.
Plow or hoe the ground up loose and form of beds with a height of 30 cm, a width of 1 meter and display contour. Create the distance between beds 30-40 cm wide. Then the land set aside approximately one week.
After that, give the basic fertilizer in the form of organic fertilizers such as manure or compost as much as 20 tons per hectare. Stir until evenly over the beds. To enrich the content of TSP fertilizer phosphorus can be added to taste (approximately 5 grams per plant). For the cultivation of organic tomatoes, do not add chemical fertilizers but basic fertilizer should be more, approximately 30-40 tons per hectare.
Then cover the beds with plastic mulch, mulch closure with very useful especially during the dry season. Handy plastic mulch to retain soil moisture, control weeds and keep it clean so that tomatoes do not touch the ground. Let the back ground for one week before planting.
Planting tomato seedlings
First create the mulch planting hole with a diameter of 5-7 cm. In the beds there are two lanes planting hole, the distance between rows of 70-80 cm and the distance between holes in a row 40-50 cm, depth of the planting hole approximately 5-7 cm.
Then enter the seedlings ready for planting. For sowing seeds in a plastic bag, or pot, remove the container first and then enter all the planting medium without uproot plants. Then cover and align with surrounding soil. For seed planted in the nursery beds, enter the plant and then piled with soil excavated hole. Flatten and flush with water to maintain moisture.
Maintenance and care
Tomato plants are sensitive enough and need intensive care. This plant is very susceptible to pests and diseases, especially those grown in the lowlands. After harvesting, the risk of damage to tomatoes still high at about 20-50%. Here are some important treatment if we want to do the cultivation of tomatoes.
1. Stitching
Stitching function to replace plants that fail to grow, either sick or fall because of the weather. Stitching is done after a week of tomatoes grown. Unplug plants look unhealthy (yellow / wilt) or die. Replace with the rest of the seed seeding.
b. Weeding
Weeding in tomato cultivation is usually performed 3-4 times during the growing season. In the closed mulch planting areas can be less frequent weeding again. Weeding aims to lift the existing weeds in the planting area. Weed growth will disturb the plants, because plants must compete in nutrition. In addition, weeds also invite pests and diseases that can attack the main crop.
c. Pruning
Pruning tomato plants is done every week. Pruning shoots that grow in axillary must immediately so as not to grow into the stem. Pruning young shoots can be done by hand. However, if the stem is too hard, you should use a knife or scissors. To adjust the height of tomato plants, the tip of the plant can be cut. Cutting is done after the end of the crop looks amount dompolan about 5-7 pieces of fruit.
d. Additional fertilization
In the cultivation of organic tomatoes, spray a liquid organic fertilizer that has a high potassium content when the plants will flower and fruit (generative phase). Spraying can be done every week. It should be noted, liquid organic fertilizer must be diluted prior, 1 liter of liquid fertilizer with 100 liters of water. It is important to note, the concentration of organic manure should not exceed 2%. In addition, we can add manure or compost after 2-3 weeks old plants with a dose of one hand, cell per plant.
For the cultivation of non-organic tomatoes, at the age of one week to give a mixture of urea and KCl in the ratio of 1: 1 as much as 1-2 grams per plant. Then after 2-3 weeks of age urea and KCl give back as much as 5 grams per plant. When at the age of more than 4 weeks the plants still look malnourished give urea and KCl by 7 garm per plant. Note, urea and KCl not until about the plant because it could hurt the plant. Give a distance of 5-7 cm from the plant.
e. Watering and irrigation
Not too much tomato plants need water, but do not let lack. Excess water in the cultivation of tomatoes make vegetative growth (leaves and stems) are fertile but will inhibit the generative phase. In contrast, prolonged kekuranga water can cause cracking in tomatoes produced.
Prolonged drought can cause loss of flowers. Watering should be adapted to the weather conditions. When rainfall is relatively no longer need watering. Indeed, it must be fixed is the drainage so that water does not stagnate around areat plants. In the dry season, watering can be done in the morning. Prevent lest cracked soil drought.
f. Installation of the supporting plant (stakes)
Installation stakes aimed as a plant tie against buckling. Stakes are made of bamboo along plugged 1.5-2 meters at a distance of about 10-20 cm from the plant. Stakes can be left upright independently or other end tied to the adjacent stakes. Binding handy tip to strengthen the position of stakes.
Installation stakes should be as early as possible to prevent injury to the roots of plants due to embedding. Young plant roots do not spread everywhere so that the possibility of a small embedded. Injuries to the root of a puncture caused stakes could inhibit the growth and invite disease.
Installation stakes done after the plant ranges from 10-15 cm high. Tie a tomato plant with a plastic strap on stakes. Bond model should form a figure 8 that the tomato stems not hurt because rubbing against the pole stakes. Ties should not be too strong so as not to impede the enlargement of the stem. After that, every plant growing to 20 cm tall plant stems tied with plastic straps on the stakes.
Pest and disease control
Several types of pests and diseases that often affect the cultivation of tomatoes, among others, fruit worms, aphids thrips, white flies, fruit flies, mites, nematodes, diseases wilt, leaf spot, leaf mold disease, brown spots, blight and fruit rot. If the attack craze, pests and diseases can be sprayed with pesticides. The use of pesticides must be wise, adjust to the environment (other farmers), a history of spraying and follow the instructions / dose use. If the tomatoes are to be produced aimed at the organic market, should use natural pesticides. Please see how to make organic pesticides.
Pests and diseases of tomato cultivation can not be eradicated by simply relying on pesticides alone. Because the benefits of pesticides only temporary and short-term. The rest of pests and diseases will still come and likely to be more resistant. Raising the dose of pesticide use may be effective but will lead to poor environmental effects and also increase the cost of production. If one must use pesticides should be alternated brand with different active ingredients.
To combat pests and diseases as a whole using the principles of integrated pest management (IPM). IPM should be done on an ongoing basis. The variables that must be considered include the selection of superior seeds or varieties suitable, disease-free seed, giving a balanced fertilizer, crop rotation, utilizing natural predators, use the plant midges and last pesticide spraying both synthetic and natural chemicals.
Harvesting the cultivation of tomatoes
Raising new tomatoes can be harvested 60-100 days after planting, depending on the variety. The timing of the harvest based on the age of the plant sometimes ineffective. We recommend using physical observations of the plant. Tomato plants are already said to be ready to harvest when the skin of the fruit turns from green to yellowish, the edges of the leaves turn yellow and dry up the trunk.
Picking should be done in the morning or evening because during the day the plants still carry out photosynthesis. In such circumstances are steeper-high evaporation so that tomatoes are picked will quickly wither. Harvesting can be done every 2-3 days. In Indonesia tomato plant productivity on average reached 15.84 tons per hectare. However, for certain varieties and the area-specific region could reach 25-30 tonnes per hectare.