In part 1 of the Tomato Farming in 2021 [How to grow tomatoes step by step] we had looked at step 1 in Tomato Farming and other important things to note about Tomato.
This is a continuation from where we stopped.
Step 2: Transplant the tomato plants to the farm
After preparing your tomato seedlings in the nursery, now it is time to transplant them outdoors.
But one problem that you may have is that the conditions outside the nursery are harsh.
Everything from the desiccating winds, to the heat of the sun, and armies of bugs and diseases can destroy your young tomato plants.
To prevent this from happening, there are two things you must do before going about transplanting the tomato seedlings in the outdoors.
The first thing to do is what farmers call “hardening off” while the other one is “land preparation.”
Hardening off tomato seedlings
The term “hardening off” tomato seedlings describes the gradual introduction of the seedlings to the outdoors.
This should typically happen over a 10-day period.
The essence of this process is to acclimate the tomato seedlings to outdoor conditions.
It is a gradual process and will require plenty of patience and hand-holding.
Here are the steps to follow for hardening off tomato seedlings;
You need a place with shelter outside where the seedlings can sit in filtered sunlight and out of the wind. One option is to string a shade cloth overhead and on the side wind blows from.
The next step is to take your tomato seedlings outside and leave them in this shelter for a few hours on the first day.
After day one, bring back the tomato seedlings inside.
On day two, leave them outdoors for a little longer than the previous day.
Continue taking them back and forth each day, leaving them out a little longer each time and slowly increasing their sun exposure by taking them out of the shade gradually.
After five or six days of going back and forth, leave the seedlings out overnight for the remaining four or five days. While doing this, keep an eye on the weather and bring them in if there is any danger of heavy rain or frost.
Site selection and soil preparation for tomato farming
When it comes to site selection for tomatoes farming, select a site with full sun.
This is because the warmer the soil is the faster the tomatoes will grow.
So, ensure that your tomato farm receives at least 6 hours of daily sunlight.
As for the suitable soil type for growing tomatoes, tomatoes will grow in many different soil types.
However, the soil needs to be well-drained and not waterlogged.
Waterlogging will prevent the soil from warming up quickly especially in rainy season and then affect the tomato growth.
In addition, ensure that the soil for growing the tomatoes is slightly acidic with a pH of 6.2 to 6.8.
While you are still hardening off the tomato plants, you can as well start preparing the soil from day one.
Here’s how to prepare the soil for growing tomatoes;
Loosen the soil to a depth of at least 8 inches. How you loosen the soil will depend on the size of the tomato farm. You can use a digging fork or a rototiller for a small garden while a large tomato farm will need a tractor.
While tilling, incorporate and thoroughly mix compost into the soil.
After that, create a low mound with the loose soil. The mound should be about 4 feet wide.
If you are going to use a drip irrigation system, now is the time to lay the drip tapes.
Finally, it’s time to transplant the tomato seedlings.
How to transplant tomato seedlings
After selecting the best site and completing the land preparation process, transplant the tomato seedlings to the land.
Ensure that the seedlings are mature enough for transplanting.
You will know that your tomatoes are ready for transplanting into the garden when the seedlings are 3 to 4 inches tall.
Also, ensure that the nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees.
With all of these in check, here’s how to transplant tomato seedlings to the garden.
Dig a hole in the middle of your tomato bed that is at least a few inches deeper than the depth of the pot the seedlings are in. If you are using a drip irrigation system, make sure the hole is close to the water nipple. As for the spacing, check the seed package for the recommended spacing between tomato seedlings for each variety you are planting. Spacing is based on the mature size of the plant and may range from 30 to 60 inches. Avoid overcrowding the tomato plant stands as this will lead to the spread of diseases.
Next step is to remove each seedling from its container and loosen the roots very gently.
After that, plant the seedlings deep and leave only the topmost leaves above the ground. This technique helps the tomatoes to improve drought tolerance, root establishment and wind resistance.
Finally, press the soil firmly around the seedlings with your hands and then give them their first watering.
Tips for growing tomatoes successfully
While growing tomatoes may be very easy to do, many things can go wrong in the short life of a tomato plant.
To prevent them from happening, take a few extra steps to give your seedlings the best chance for success.
The following tips will help you to become successful in tomato farming;
1. Ensure that the soil condition for planting tomatoes is slightly acidic.
The ideal pH for growing tomatoes is between 6 and 6.8.
To be sure of the soil pH level, you can test your soil pH with a kit available at most farming centers/local extension service.
If the soil is too acidic soil then you can adjust it by adding lime.
On the other hand, you can amend an alkaline soil by adding sulfur to lower the pH.
Note that it will takes a few months for the pH of the soil to adjust.
Because of that, ensure that you do these amendments months before planting time.
2. Avoid planting tomatoes on the same piece of land every year.
This is common practice with most other crops.
Soil borne pathogens and diseases remain in the soil after harvesting the tomatoes.
Therefore, planting on the same land piece of land will expose the plant to these pathogens
As a result, you will experience losses and low yield in your tomato farm.
The best way to prevent this from happening is by planting on a different portion of land every year.
3. Keep the soil warm by covering it with a black plastic
After preparing beds for tomatoes, covering the soil with black plastic for a few weeks prior to planting is one way to get it warm.
Besides getting it warm, the plastic traps enough heat to kill insect larvae and diseases in the soil.
In cool climates with a short growing season, you can leave the plastic for the first few weeks after planting, putting the seedlings in the ground via a small slit.
The black plastic sheet will absorb the heat of the sun and transfer it to the soil.
As a result it helps to maintain temperatures above 60⁰F which the tomato plants love.
4. Use a healthy dressing of compost at planting time for the tomatoes
While it is important to incorporate compost into the soil during land preparation, it is also necessary to dress the tomato plant with a healthy amount of compost.
Also, adding some fertilizer ensures the plants get off to a strong start.
One method of adding fertilizer is by digging a trench down the middle of the bed.
The trench should be a couple of inches below the depth where the roots will be planted.
Once the digging is completed, spread a band of fertilizer for the tomatoes to grow into.
For the purpose of root establishment, use a bone meal-based fertilizer, which is high in phosphorus.
A few weeks after planting, apply a fertilizer with a higher nitrogen content on the surface of the beds to support lush vegetative growth.
5. Water your tomato seedlings
In a situation where heat is too much and water evaporates easily, you may need to water tomatoes daily.
Water the tomatoes whenever the soil dries out an inch or two below the surface.
After three or four weeks of growth, mulch the beds with a thick layer of straw to conserve moisture and keep the weeds down.
More steps will be published in our subsequent articles.
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