Balcony tomato planting steps

Step 1. Planting and raising seedlings

Prepare the soil: Put the prepared nutrient soil into the flowerpot, 3 to 4 cm away from the edge of the pot. Water thoroughly and sow seeds after the soil dries slightly.

Before planting, soak the seeds in warm water at 50~55℃ for 10~12 hours, take them out and sow them directly in the flowerpot. Sow one seed every 10 to 15 cm.

After sowing, cover the surface with 0.5 cm of soil and a layer of plastic film. Remove the film after the seedlings grow out.

Step 2. Enter the basin

When the tomato seedlings grow 3 to 4 leaves, they can be planted in pots.

First, wash the flower pot, block the small holes at the bottom of the pot, and then fill it with sand.

Dig out the seedlings, be careful not to damage the roots. Keep a small amount of soil at the roots of the seedlings, plant them directly in the flowerpot, straighten the plant, and water it until water seeps out of the holes in the pot.

Step 3. Daily management

Moisture Management

When planting tomatoes, water them once and thoroughly, and then water them once every 3 to 5 days. Control watering before fruiting, and keep the soil in the pot moist after fruiting.

Fertilization management

Fertilize and water once every 10 days after potting, and apply rotted chicken manure before flowering.

Pruning

The so-called interrupting is to appropriately remove the newly grown shoots to promote flowering and fruiting.

Pruning

After pruning, there are usually two states: single-stem branches or double-stem branches.

Single stem pruning

There is only one main trunk, cut off all other side branches. Such plants produce fewer but larger fruits.

Double trunk pruning

There are two main trunks, and all others have been removed. This can increase the number of fruits, but the nutrient supply of the plant must be guaranteed, otherwise the fruits will grow abnormally.

prune

When the plant is taller than 80 cm, it should be topped. Remove the top leaves.

When there are too many fruits, it is necessary to thin out the flowers and fruits in time. The stems of tomato plants are not made of wood and have limited load-bearing capacity. If there are too many fruits, they will be overwhelmed and fall over. To ensure the quality and shape of the fruits, the fruits and vegetables must be ripe.

Step 4. Flowering and fruiting

1) Normal inflorescence: The position of the flowering inflorescence is about 20 cm away from the top of the plant; above the flowering inflorescence there are budding inflorescences and developing inflorescences; the inflorescence grows compactly, with short and strong pedicels; the open flowers are large, with rich and bright colors. Leggy inflorescence: Blooms are irregular, often with very large floral organs and ovaries, and petals dark yellow. Aging inflorescence: delayed flowering, small floral organs, pale yellow petals, and small ovary. Normal flowers: Flowers bloom neatly in the same inflorescence, the florets are medium-sized, the petals are yellow, and the ovary is of moderate size.

Weak flowers: The flower buds are thin and the pedicels are thin, which is caused by high temperature, insufficient light, or lack of nutrition.

(2) The normal plant has a uniform and appropriate stem thickness, and the internode length gradually increases from bottom to top. The leaflets are large and slightly palm-shaped, with a large leaf body, clear veins, and pointed tips. After the fruit expansion period, the normal plant is tower-shaped; the growth point and the leaves that are developing and elongating below form an approximately equilateral triangle.

(3) The vegetative growth morphology of excessive vegetative growth is that the upper stem is thicker, the top young leaves are curved, the terminal bud and the new leaves below form an unequal triangle, and the petioles of the leaflets are longer.

(4) The extreme reproductive growth form has the flowering node moved up to near the top, the stem is thin and the leaves are small, and the top of the plant is horizontal. This is due to low temperature, dryness and lack of fertilizer.

(5) Inflorescence regreening morphology New leaves or new shoots grow on the top of the inflorescence due to high temperature, low temperature, dryness, or excessive nitrogen fertilizer.

Step 5. Fruit maturity

(1) Green fruit stage (green fruit stage) The fruit has fully grown, the volume of the fruit stops expanding, the number and volume of cells no longer increase, the physiological activities of the fruit are all material transformation, the color of the fruit changes from green to white, the seed development is basically completed, and it has the ability to germinate and produce. Generally, tomatoes that are shipped or stored over long distances should be harvested during this period. (2) During the color change period (red line period), the top of the fruit gradually turns colored, reaching 1/4 of the entire fruit. After harvesting, the entire fruit will be colored within 1-2 days at the appropriate temperature. Generally, the fruit should be harvested during this period when the distance from the place of production to the market is short.

(3) During the maturity period (edible period or commercial period), the fruit has already shown the unique color of the variety, has high nutritional value, good flavor, and is suitable for eating raw but not resistant to storage and transportation. Generally, the harvest can only be carried out during this period if it is picked and sold nearby.

(4) In the late-ripening period, the fruit turns completely red or yellow, the flesh becomes soft, and the sugar content is very high. It can be eaten raw, but it is not resistant to transportation and is difficult to sell as a commercial product. Generally, seeds are kept and can be harvested at this time.