The cherry tomatoes we often refer to are generally cherry tomatoes. As cherry tomatoes become popular among people, more and more people are using their balconies and other idle areas at home to plant cherry tomatoes. However, the results are somewhat Not ideal. So, how to grow cherry tomatoes? How to choose seeds for planting cherry tomatoes and how much water should be poured? Let’s find out together.
How to grow small tomatoes
Requirements for environmental conditions:
Temperature: The adaptable range is 8-35℃, the optimum is 18-25℃; such as When the temperature drops below 3°C, you can move it into the bedroom or air-conditioned room and put it back on the balcony when the temperature rises.
Lighting: It can be placed on general balconies or indoor windows with good lighting
Humidity: Potted tomatoes do not have high requirements for humidity and can be placed indoors with good ventilation.
Moisture: The water requirement is moderately wet. Do not water too frequently, as excessive moisture will cause root rot. Generally, when the soil in the pot turns white or the leaves are soft and wilted, it is necessary to water it thoroughly. Avoid watering at noon.
Fertilizer: There is no need to fertilize before fruit setting in the early growth stage. After fruit setting, the amount of fertilizer needs to be gradually increased. Depending on the growth situation, high-potassium compound fertilizer should be selected. The concentration of liquid fertilizer is 1:100 times and applied to the pot surface. It can also be used in daily life. The discarded vegetable soup legs are placed in a rice bucket, covered and fermented for 7-10 days before being watered. It is not only effective but also environmentally friendly and safe. The fertilization cycle is generally about 7 days.
Pruning: pruning includes single trunk, double trunk, topping, etc. In addition to the above, all excess branches and leaves should be removed, and diseased and dead leaves should be cut off to facilitate ventilation. If you want to extend the harvesting or viewing, you should reserve 1-2 foot buds within a certain period of time. After the fruit branches in the original pot are harvested, they will be cut off and the next generation (foot buds) will be cultivated. From this, we can achieve year-round planting over and over again.
Common diseases and insect pest control: balcony and indoor potted tomatoes are highly resistant. Common diseases can be sprayed with 1000 times of thiophanate or 750 times of chlorothalonil with a small sprayer; pests: heart borers can be captured manually , Aphids and plant lice can be removed with a brush or waste toothbrush. If the number is large, medication will be used to remove it.
How to grow small tomatoes
1. Preparation before planting
Soil preparation If the soil is dug from flower beds or fields, you must first sift it , crush all the large particles. Then disinfect the soil, generally in three ways. The faster method is to wrap the soil, find an abandoned pot, and steam it for 30 minutes. The high temperature will remove the pathogens in the soil. Spread the soil into a thin layer and leave it in the sun for 5 to 10 days to achieve disinfection effect. If you are not in a hurry, you can wait until summer to wet the soil, seal it, and dry it in the sun. This will make the temperature in the soil extremely high and kill the microorganisms. Finally, the soil is mixed with fertilizer in a certain proportion.
The first step in the seedling cultivation stage is to sterilize the seeds. Soak the seeds in warm water at 55 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring constantly. The amount of water is about 5 times the volume of the seeds. After cooling to 28 degrees, maintain this temperature and soak for 12 to 24 hours, changing the water once or twice during this period. The second step is germination. Drain the sterilized seeds, wrap them in a wet towel, and place them in an environment of 28 to 30 degrees for 1 to 2 days. The seeds will germinate.
2. Planting
Dig a small hole 1 cm deep in the soil, put the germinated seeds in, cover it with 0.5 to 1 cm of loose soil, and maintain the temperature at Around 25 degrees. It is best to water the soil thoroughly the day before. Water the seedlings more before planting to keep the soil moist. After three to four days, the two cotyledons of the seed will emerge from the soil. Then the temperature remains unchanged during the day, and the temperature drops to about 20 degrees at night, until the number of leaves increases to four or five. When watering after that, you need to "see dryness and wetness", that is to say, water after the soil is dry, and water thoroughly. After each watering, you can use a small hook to penetrate about 5 cm into the soil to loosen the soil.
3. Transplanting
The seedlings can be transplanted after they have grown 4-5 leaves. Dig out the seedlings with soil from the original small pot, dig a hole in the large flower pot, put the entire small lump of soil in, and water it thoroughly. Transplanting allows the seedlings to cut off their roots and re-grow them, so the crops will grow better.
In principle, no watering or top-dressing is required after transplanting, but it should be based on actual conditions. If the soil is too dry, add some more.
4. Flowering and fruiting
About 15 days after transplanting, the tomato seedlings have begun to grow in the big pot. After the plants begin to bloom and bear fruit, water and top-dress the plants thoroughly. Then every 7 to 10 days, water and top-dress the plants, and loosen the soil. The temperature remains at 25 to 30 degrees during the day and 15 to 20 degrees at night. When the plant grows to about 40 centimeters, a support needs to be made to allow the plant to continue growing on the support to prevent lodging. It should be noted that the stent must follow the original growth direction and not be twisted.
Tomatoes are bisexual flowers and usually pollinate automatically. You can also gently tap the plant with a bamboo pole to promote pollination. In addition, when the branches of the plant grow to about 10 centimeters, they should be pruned in time to prevent the side branches from growing wildly and affecting the growth of the fruit.
It takes about 3 months from sowing to harvesting. After 90 days, you can taste the tomatoes you grew yourself.
Precautions for cultivating cherry tomatoes
Apply fertilizers: Pay attention to the quality of cherry tomatoes, pay attention to the application of organic fertilizers, and control the amount of nitrogen fertilizer. Apply 2,500 kilograms of decomposed manure per acre, or 2,000 kilograms of human and animal manure, or 100 kilograms of vegetable cakes, 30 kilograms of compound fertilizer, and 50 kilograms of superphosphate as base fertilizer, and regulate growth through water management. Before harvesting, apply liquid fertilizer 2-3 times per harvest of 2-3 pods of fruit, depending on the growth potential, but an appropriate amount of potassium fertilizer should be applied.
Watering points: Cherry tomatoes are vegetable crops that bloom and bear fruit continuously. After entering the flowering period, watering should follow the principle of seeing wet and dry (referring to watering thoroughly once when watering, and then waiting until the soil dries quickly. Water a second time when it is thoroughly watered. Its function is to prevent root rot caused by overwatering and diseases and insect pests caused by moisture). Do not water too much, and do not suffer from drought, otherwise it will cause flower and fruit drop and physiological fruit cracking.
Pruning tips: For varieties with limited growth, try to promote their growth. Always leave two strong side branches in the upper part to make them grow upward. Pay attention to the balance between the number of leaves and the number of fruits. If the growth is too weak, they can be removed. Some flower buds, unlimited growth types are not aimed at early maturity and can be pruned with double poles because the seeds are more expensive. But in production, many rows are pruned individually. In order to improve quality, enhance light, promote ventilation and prevent diseases, the old leaves below the ears after harvesting can be removed.