We all love to grow tomatoes in a home garden. But, the problem that many people have is how to successfully grow tomatoes compared to other garden crops. How to save from insect damage, fungal diseases, etc. In some cases, there are various issues even during harvesting.
So, in this article, we bring you all the information related to tomato cultivation, from seed nursery to harvesting, with the best answers to all those issues.
Before planting tomato plants, we need to plant tomato seeds. After planting the tomato seeds in the nursery, we plant the plants that grow from them. So let’s see how to grow tomato seeds.
Tomato seed nursery | All related methods
Before starting a tomato plantation, we need to procure the necessary seeds for it.
For that, you can buy seeds from seed shops. For very little money, you can buy the tomato seeds you need at the market. Alternatively, you can take the seeds from a tomato you brought home and put them in the nursery to get seedlings.
Next, we have to prepare a suitable place for the seed nursery.
You can use any container or earth for that. If you use the earth for it, you can put it in some pots after sprouting. While preparing the soil, the soil should be dug well and organic fertilizers should be added to it. For that, you can use compost.
Next, we must sterilize the prepared nursery bed.
For us, the easiest way to sterilize the nursery bed is to sterilize it with sunlight. Here we must first add water to the nursery bed we have prepared. Thereafter, cover the watered nursery bed using a transparent polythene. Thus, sterilization is completed after 14 days of covering.
Now, the seeds should be sown in the sterilized soil.
When planting tomato seeds, we have to remove stones, roots, etc. from the sterilized soil. We do this because tomato seeds are very delicate. When planting seeds, it is better to use soil with stones or roots removed. Because the presence of these stones and roots causes some obstacles to the growth of plants.
We already know that tomato seeds are very delicate. So, when planting the seeds, it is enough to submerge the seeds in the soil for a maximum of two centimeters. When you plant tomato seeds, remember to plant them in rows. When planting seeds in rows, the plants can be separated easily.
- Now, cover the planted tomato seeds with the soil we prepared by removing stones and roots etc.
Next take a piece of cloth that will be removed from the house and cover the bed or pot where we planted the seeds.
Thus, a piece of cloth covers the planted seeds to prevent the seeds buried under the soil during irrigation from resurfacing. It is also important to maintain the balance of temperature and moisture required for seed germination.
- After 22–24 days of planting the tomato seeds, remove the sprouted tomato plants and plant them in a pot or in a place that is convenient for you to plant.
Important Facts
- After planting the seeds in the nursery, we should water them once a day.
- You can see how your tomato seeds have sprouted after 4–5 days of planting, and organic insect repellents should be added to those plants every 4 days from the day of germination.
(By adding organic insect repellents to the seedlings as scheduled from the day they germinate, we can prevent insect damage to the seedlings. When using organic insect repellents, it is perfect if you use a spray bottle to spray them well on the tomato plants).
Growing tomato plants in pots
Growing tomato plants in pots is an easy way for everyone.
When we plant tomato plants in pots, we need to prepare a soil mixture to fill them. While preparing the soil mixture, 02 parts of topsoil, 1 part of organic fertilizer and 01 part of sand should be added. After preparing the soil mixture like this, you need to fertilize it as well as before.
Simple steps for planting tomato plants in pots:
- First, get a suitable pot for planting the plants.
- Now, arrange the holes in the bottom of your chosen pot.
- Then, place a layer of pebbles at the base of the perforated pot.
After that, put a layer of sand on top of the pebble layer.
(By adding pebbles and sand, good drainage can be maintained in the pot).
- Now, fill the pot with composted soil.
Now plant the tomato plants in the pot filled with soil.
(Until a few days after planting, we need to provide shade to these plants).
- From the day of planting, apply insect repellents every four days, as mentioned earlier.
- Tomato plants should be apply supported so that plants do not bend to the ground during their gradual growth.
- From the day of planting, add organic fertilizers to the plants once every 14 days.
About 30 days after planting, you can see the flowers in bloom. One of the problems that many tomato growers have is how long it takes for tomatoes to grow. Usually, after about 40 days, we can see the raw tomatoes. After exactly 70 days, you can harvest your tomato crop.
So, by using the above methods, you can harvest a good crop of very clean, poison-free tomatoes with little time and effort. Those who are engaged in gardening, as well as those who are expecting to do gardening, try it at least once. You will definitely experience successful results!
