CropNeeds attention
Tomato
Lycopersicon esculentum M.
Temperature
20°C to 27°C
Rainfall
528mm to 1505mm per season
Conditions
What it needs
Soil
Well-drained sandy loam, pH around 6.0 to 6.8. Will not tolerate waterlogging.
Water
Needs steady water. Irregular watering causes blossom end rot and split fruit, so this is a hard crop without irrigation.
What you will need
Tick what you already have; Grow carries the rest into the cost working.
Grow holds no supplier listings and no local prices, so it cannot tell you where to buy these or what they cost near you. Ask at your nearest agrodealer or extension office, then put those figures into the planner.
Through the season
Stages
- 01
Nursery
28 days- Sow in seedbed or trays
- Water gently
- Harden off before transplanting
- 02
Transplanting
3 days- Transplant in the cool of the day
- Water in well
- 03
Vegetative growth
30 days- Stake plants
- First fertiliser side-dress
- Mulch
- 04
Flowering and fruit set
25 days- Keep watering even
- Scout for blight and Tuta
- 05
Harvest
40 days- Pick every two to three days
- Handle carefully to avoid bruising
Watch for
Common problems
Late blight
- What you will see
- Dark water-soaked patches on leaves and stems, white mould underneath in damp weather, fruit rot.
- What to do
- Spreads fast in cool wet conditions. Improve spacing and airflow, remove affected plants, avoid overhead watering. Seek local advice on approved fungicides.
Bacterial wilt
- What you will see
- Sudden wilting with leaves still green, brown discolouration inside the stem.
- What to do
- No cure. Rotate out of tomato, pepper and potato for several seasons and use grafted or resistant varieties.
Tuta absoluta
- What you will see
- Winding mines inside leaves, holes bored into fruit.
- What to do
- Use pheromone traps, remove affected leaves and fruit, and rotate. Ask an extension officer before spraying.
Follow the label for doses, and ask an extension officer or vet before using a chemical you have not used before.