AGRO SOLUTIONS

What are the guiding steps for successful tomato farming? Abubakar A A, Gombe, Gombe State One thing you must put in mind as a first time tomato farmer is that growing tomatoes is not difficult. You just need to make sure that certain conditions are in place to support the growth of the crop.  You […]

What are the guiding steps for successful tomato farming?

Abubakar A A, Gombe, Gombe State

One thing you must put in mind as a first time tomato farmer is that growing tomatoes is not difficult. You just need to make sure that certain conditions are in place to support the growth of the crop. 

You must ensure that the time of planting is right and you are using the right variety of seeds. With these, success is almost certain. 

The following steps will guide you:

Plant disease-resistant varieties: Adding disease-resistant crops to your garden can help you avoid problems. Jasper cherry tomatoes are known to be resistant to early and late blight. 

Space properly: Tomato needs good airflow to prevent diseases. Follow the recommended spacing instructions that come with crops to make sure you are giving them room to breathe. 

Water properly: Water is the key to a crop’s survival. Too much and too little water can negatively affect your crops. Know how much moisture your crops need and be consistent. Water at ground level to avoid moisture gathering on leaves.

Add mulch: Diseases can spread when soil or water exposed to an infected crop makes contact with a healthy one. Mulch can help to prevent this from happening.

Rotate crops: Shaking things up every year can help prevent diseases and pests. Moving crops around helps to keep the soil healthy and protects it from previously infected soil. 

Trim crops: Pruning your crops can help keep them healthy. Over time, crops near the bottom of the stem have a higher chance of developing diseases. Trimming them can help prevent problems. Make sure to remove any damaged leaves you find to help keep diseases or pests from spreading. 

Check for pests: Take time to examine your crops for pests like aphids, mealybugs and scale insects. Pests can weaken crops, making them more susceptible to diseases. If you spot pests, use a crop-based insecticide spray like the 3-in-1 garden spray to help protect your plants from hungry pests.

Tomato diseases 

As your tomato plants grow, watch for diseases, such as wilt, which can manifest as fungi, bacteria or viruses. When autumn comes, if you have had any tomato disease (or pests) at all, extract the entire crop. You should rotate tomatoes so that they are growing in the same patches of ground every four years or so (many tomato diseases and pests reside in the soil!).

Hammed Ojo, an Osogbo-based tomato farmer