When is the best time to plant cherry tomatoes?

Cherry tomatoes , also called small tomatoes, small tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, are a very popular fruit that many people want to grow. So when is the best time to plant cherry tomatoes? Let’s learn more about it below.

When is the best time to plant cherry tomatoes?

The planting time of cherry tomatoes should be determined according to the planting method and season. Generally, spring sowing in northern regions is from April to June, and autumn sowing is from August to September. In the southern region, spring sowing is generally from February to June, and autumn sowing is from August to October. Field planting can be done from August to February of the following year.

How to grow cherry tomatoes

1. Site selection and land preparation

Choose a place where Solanaceae crops have not been planted before, with a pH value of 6.8-7.0, good ventilation and light transmission, deep soil layer, and fertile loam for planting. When preparing the land, it is necessary to plow and harrow three times. The base fertilizer should be mainly organic fertilizer . Generally, 2500-3000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure is applied per acre of land, and 30-40 kg of superphosphate is added.

2. Germination and sowing

Use 20 grams of seeds per mu, soak them in 1000 times potassium permanganate solution for 10 minutes, rinse with clean water and soak them in warm water for six hours, shake off the water after washing, keep them moist with wet gauze, germinate at about 25℃, and sow after the seeds turn white. The seeds are required to be sown in separate pieces and covered with 0.5 cm of nutrient soil. Maintain the temperature before germination, and pay attention to ventilation after germination to avoid excessive growth. When the seedlings have two leaves and one heart, healthy and disease-free seedlings should be transplanted with fertilizer, medicine and soil in the evening of a sunny day. The transplanting bed should be the same as the nursery bed, and water should be poured after transplanting to help the seeds take root.

3. Water and fertilizer management

The growing period of cherry tomatoes is about half a year, and the fruit is relatively large, so a large amount of fertilizer is required. If necessary, appropriate top dressing can be applied. In the early stages of growth, you don't need to water too much, just keep the soil moist. After more than ten days of planting, you can start watering and fertilizing, and you should also follow the principle of applying small amounts of fertilizer frequently. When entering the peak production period, water and fertilize once every ten days, and pay attention to the prevention and control of diseases and pests. After the flowering period, you should follow the principle of watering when the soil is wet and watering when the soil is dry. Do not water too much or allow the soil to dry out, as this will easily cause flowers and fruits to fall and physiological fruit cracking.

4. Pruning

Cherry tomatoes are limited-growth varieties. In order to promote their growth, you can leave two strong side branches on the upper part to promote upward growth. Pay attention to the balance between the number of leaves and the number of fruits. If the growth is too weak, the flower buds can be removed. The indeterminate growth type does not aim for early maturity and can be pruned with double poles.

That’s it