Bush tomato Fruit vegetables

Lycopersicon esculentum

Belongs to the nightshade family. Native to Central and South America. Plants grow up to 2m tall, covered with fine hairs. Leaves are deeply serrated, pinnate. The inflorescence is a cyme with three to twenty bisexual flowers of yellow color. The fruit is a berry, or tomato. Bush or indeterminate tomato varieties are grown, producing red, yellow, orange, pink, and even white fruits.

Besides being very healthy, they also have their specific taste. Their use in culinary preparations is manifold. They contain vitamins C, E, A, potassium, iron, carotene, and a large amount of fiber. They support blood formation and benefit skin, hair, and nails. They strengthen the organism. Plants can, besides the traditional way of growing in the garden, also be grown in containers, for example on a terrace or balcony!

How to grow tomatoes

• They require a sunny and sheltered location. Ideal temperature conditions for growing are between 21 and 24 °C. Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse or polytunnel is also a possible option, however, we must keep in mind that at temperatures above 27 degrees Celsius tomatoes do not grow. Higher temperatures even cause them to dry out. Abundant watering is also necessary. We avoid watering the leaves, as plants could be attacked by mildew. We regularly pinch off side shoots to support fruit growth. For indeterminate tomatoes and tomatoes that grow to larger sizes, it is essential to place support and tie them up so the plants do not break.

• We sow tomatoes at the earliest in mid-February, but better at the beginning of March into substrate for sowing and propagation. After 1 – 2 weeks, we must prick out the plants into seed trays - the substrate is the same. After 3 – 4 weeks, we transplant the plants into pots of at least 8×8cm with horticultural substrate. Low temperature and moderate watering are suitable for growing tomatoes. For plants in pots, a temperature up to 15°C is sufficient. We harden off the plants very early - by ventilating or placing them outside during the day. We plant out in the polytunnel in April, and in open ground in May after the last frosts.

• Plants are demanding in organic matter and nutrients, therefore it is necessary to additionally mix manure into the growing substrate. It is suitable to use granulated - we add 300 – 400 g per plant to the substrate.

  Tomatoes grown in beds require soil preparation before planting. On good and humus-rich soils, it is not necessary to apply manure or compost. On poor soils, we work in 2-4 kg per m2 of well-rotted compost or manure already in autumn.

• We regularly fertilize the plants. Application in the form of liquid fertilizer with Kristalon Start or Fruit and Flower fertilizers is suitable. We fertilize with Kristalon START mainly at the beginning of plant growth, once the plants start to flower, we can start using Kristalon FRUIT and FLOWER. We prepare doses according to the instructions on the product packaging.

• The most common disease in tomatoes is tomato blight (potato blight). It can be recognized by characteristic brown spots on leaves, stems, and fruits. This disease needs to be tackled preventively. If we expect rainy weather, we treat plants with Acrobat, Alliete, Ridomil, Kuprikol, etc.

  Blossom end rot in tomatoes is a nutritional disorder - calcium deficiency. It affects the fruits which then become deformed and a black spot appears at the tip of the fruit. We fertilize plants regularly. If the disorder appears, we treat plants with calcium nutrition products, such as InCa.

  Sucking pests such as aphids or spider mites attack tomatoes very often. It is suitable to use Agro NATURA Symfonie 3 in 1 product against both fungal diseases and sucking pests.

  DITHANE is a suitable product for tomato blight. Bioton and Bioan products are suitable for organic farming.

• We harvest bush tomato varieties approximately 8 weeks after planting. Indeterminate types are harvested from the 10th to 12th week. We always follow the appearance of the harvested fruit. Tomatoes should be red, firm, not overripe.