How to Care for Tomato Plants
Caring for tomato plants is easier than caring for other
fruit plants. However, we must have knowledge about these tomatoes so that
tomato plants can be taken care of properly. What is especially important to
understand is the lack of tomato plants, among others;
- Tomatoes do not grow optimally outside the weather between 22°C - 29°C.
- Tomatoes require high light intensity, at least 10-12 hours per day.
- It's easy to get sick when the weather doesn't suit you
- Tomato plants are really prone to the risk of oxygen deficiency
- Not strong in puddles
In addition to these important factors, it is important to
pay attention to the treatment because it will determine the level of
production and the production age of tomato plants. Following are the
activities of caring for tomato plants:
Stitching
Replanting plays a role in replacing plants that fail to grow,
either sick or collapsed because of the weather. Stitching is done after one
week of implanted tomatoes. remove plants that look unhealthy (yellow/withered)
or die. exchange with the remaining seeds of seeding.
Weeding
Weeding in tomato cultivation is generally carried out 3-4
times throughout the growing season. in planting areas that are covered with
mulch weeding can be more and more rare. weeding has the aim of carrying weeds
in the planting area. weed development will disturb the plants, because the
plants have to compete in obtaining nutrients. besides that weeds invite pests
and diseases that can attack certain plants
Cutting
Cutting the tomato plants is carried out every week. Cutting
shoots that grow in the axils of leaves must be done immediately so they don't
grow into stalks. Cutting young shoots can be done by hand. but if the stalk is
too hard, you should use a knife or scissors. To adjust the height of the
tomato plants, the ends of the plants can be cut. Pruning the tip of the plant
is done after the number of clusters of fruit around 5-7 is visible.
Additional Fertilization
In organic tomato cultivation, spray liquid organic
fertilizer that has a high potassium content when the plants are about to
flower and bear fruit (generative stage). Spraying can be carried out every
week. must be a concern, liquid organic fertilizer must be diluted first, 1
liter of liquid fertilizer with 100 liters of water. it is important to note,
the focus of liquid organic fertilizer should not exceed 2%. In addition, we
can add manure or compost after the plants are 2-3 weeks old with a handful per
plant.
Placement Of Stakes/Sticks
The placement of stakes has a purpose as a place to tie
plants so they don't collapse. stakes are made of bamboo 1-1.5 meters away.
stakes are stuck at a distance of about 10-20 cm from the plant. The stake can
be left standing upright independently or the ends can be tied with other
fringes set aside. end binding is useful for strengthening the stake position.
Stake placement should be as early as possible to prevent
injury to plant roots due to manufacture. small plants have roots that have not
spread anywhere so that the possibility of embedded roots can be minimized. if
there is injury to the root caused by a needle stick it can hinder development
and cause disease.
Stake placement is carried out after the plant height is
about 10-15 cm. tie the tomato plants with plastic straps on the lenght. The
bonding pattern should be in the form of a number 8 so that the tomato stalks
are not injured due to contact with the stake. the bond should not be too
strong so as not to hinder the enlargement of the stalk. Then, each plant grows
20 cm tall. Tie the plant stems with plastic rope to the stake.
Control Of Pests And Diseases
Control of pests and diseases as one of the special aspects
in the cultivation of tomato plants. Pest and disease attacks can reduce crop productivity
or even result in plant death. some pests that often attack tomato plants. The
types can be in the form of caterpillars, fleas and flies. and tomato plant
diseases can take the form of wilting, rot, bacterial and viral attacks.
Pests and diseases in tomato cultivation cannot be
eradicated by relying on pesticides alone. because the benefits of pesticides
are only temporary and short term. the rest of the attacks of pests and
diseases are still coming and are likely to become more resistant. increasing
the amount of pesticides used may be efficient but will cause adverse
environmental effects and increase production costs. if you have to use
pesticides, you should change the brand with different active ingredients.