Tomatoes can self-pollinate by themselves for each flower has its stamens and pistils. With the help of wind, it can sufficiently ventilated, no artificial pollination required. But if you plant them indoor, it can only promote the pollination by shaking the rocker. The best time to do it is before 9:00am every morning.
Someone say that tomatoes are easily to grow, but others say, no, it's difficult. The plant can survive even cuttings, cut side branches, and the branches can grow roots in water for a few days. From this side, it's truly and easily to plant. But yes, it's also hard. Tomatoes are greatly affected by virus. If you are a novice, it is recommended to use new grow bags, new soil. Thus the chance of being contaminated by virus will be much smaller.
There are two reasons to be considered if tomatoes grow unhealthily.
The first: photosynthesis. Tomatoes like plenty of light and are fear of high temperature, high humidity and cold.About 30 degrees, they germinate, during 10-30 degrees, they grow, among 18-32 degrees, they yield fruits.But the growth will stop if there is no sunlight. The photosynthesis of the plants can supply the nutrients needed. Don't be afraid of sun exposure. After germination, be sure to let them absorb enough sunlight.
The second, virus. Here I'd like to share with you my experience. My tomatoes were ill and I doubted that it was affected by virus. The virus were from the new peat I bought because I found there are many grasses developed.Then I use another new soil and transplant, they grow healthily and strong now.
Planting the same plant in the same land discontinuously, if planted continuously, it is easy to get sick and grow bad.
Three ways to sterilize the soil
First, moisturize the soil, put in black bags, and then tie bags up. The inside is airless and hot, when the temperature exceeds 35 degrees, it can kill most bacteria and viruses.
Second, if the soil is dry, the outside is very hot, and the inside is cold, you can put a little bit of slaked lime (most plants soil can, except for blueberries) to improved alkalinity of soil. In an alkaline environment, viruses are not easy to propagate.
Third, you can add food waste to mix but it will be very smelly.
After the soil is disinfected, the bottom fertilizer can be reused.
When tomatoes grow four leaves, they can be transplanted. I usually wait for the plants to be more then 10 centimeters before planting in a large pot. I am afraid that if the seedlings are too small. they will not be able to bear the fertilizer.
Before transplant, I prepare the soil. For the soil and fertilizer distribution, I used this proportion. Soil + perlite(3:1) + fertilizer at the bottom.
Here are the ratio in different size pots:
1 gallon: 3.8 litre soil + 80 gram organic fertilizer + 20 gram bacteria manure
2 gallon: 7.6 litre soil + 160 gram organic fertilizer + 40 gram bacteria manure
3 gallon: 11.4 litre soil + 240 gram organic fertilizer + 60 gram bacteria manure
5 gallon: 19 litre soil + 400 gram organic fertilizer + 100 bacteria manure
7 gallon: 26.6 litre soil + 560 gram organic fertilizer + 140 gram bacteria manure
10 gallon: 38 litre soil + 800 gram organic fertilizer + 200 gram bacteria manure
15 gallon: 57 litre soil + 1200 gram organic fertilizer + 300 bacteria manure
20 gallon: 76 litre soil + 1600 gram organic fertilizer + 400 bacteria manure
25 gallon: 92 litre soil + 2000 gram organic fertilizer + 500 bacteria manure
30 gallon: 114 litre soil + 2400 gram organic fertilizer + 600 bacteria manure
It’s good that the ratio of bacteria manure is less, because the more the manure is, the more damages to seedlings are.
I try a new distribution this year:
Four 4.5 kg Coco coir brick (put bricks into a large bucket, water hot water above 40 degrees, put upright after 2-3 hours, do not sun it, just drain a day. The bricks with humidity are better to mix with fertilizer)
10 litre perlite
50 pounds fermented earthworm feces
20 pounds fermented chicken feces
Mixed all those elements, then you can use.
For the perlite, it is recommended that do not open the bag firstly. Watering from bag’s outside, and then opening, you won’t be irritated by those dusts.
There two reasons of dropping fruits:
- Loss of nutrients. This is from plant’s self-protection. When the pots are not bigger enough or the soil and nutrients are not sufficient.
- Continuous cloudy days, less photosynthesis, and insufficient nutrient supply. Then add some calcium fertilizer and organic fertilizer.
There are two types or tomatoes: sprawling growth and determinate growth.
1. Amateur tomato, determinate growth. It can grow 0.9m height, no need to trim lateral branches. Plant it in 2 gallon bags.
2. Garnet tomato, sprawling growth. Height is 2m, it needs to trim lateral branches. Plant it in 5 gallon pots.
3. Black Cherry tomatoes, sprawling growth. 2m high, it needs to trim the lateral branches. Plant it in 5 gallon pots.
4. Golden Jubilee tomato, sprawling growth. More 2m high, it needs to cut the lateral branches. Plant it in 7 gallon.
Several tomato diseases:
1. Blossom-end rot. It is caused by the shortage of calcium or boron, and the imbalance of water supply.
2. I don’t know what it called. But the disease won’t affect their fruits. If the leaves are oily, it may be caused by abundant fertilizer they absorb.
That's all my experience about planting tomatoes. Then what kind of problems have you met in this process? And what kind of them? Feel free to share your experience, we are here.
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