Tomato support TORNADO

Lycopersicon esculentum - Tornado

Belongs to the nightshade family. Originally from Central and South America. Plants grow up to 2m tall, covered with fine hairs. Leaves are deeply lobed and pinnate. The inflorescence is a cyme with three to twenty bisexual flowers of yellow color. The fruit is a berry, also known as a tomato. Both staked and bush varieties of tomatoes are grown, producing fruits in red, yellow, orange, pink, and white colors.

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 large amounts of fiber. They support blood formation and benefit the skin, hair, and nails. They strengthen the organism. Plants can be grown not only in the traditional garden way, but also in containers, for example on a terrace or balcony!

How to Grow Tomatoes

• They require a sunny and sheltered location. Ideal temperature conditions for cultivation are between 21 and 24°C. Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse or polytunnel is also a possible option, however, we must be aware that at temperatures above 27 degrees Celsius, tomatoes stop growing. Higher temperatures even cause them to dry out. Generous watering is also necessary. We avoid watering the leaves, as mold could attack the plants. We regularly pinch off side shoots to promote fruit growth. For staked tomatoes and tomatoes that grow to higher dimensions, it is essential to place support and tie them up so the plants don't 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 dimensions with horticultural substrate. For growing tomatoes, low temperature and weaker watering are suitable. For plants in pots, a temperature up to 15°C is sufficient. We harden the plants very early - we ventilate or place them outside during the day. We plant them in polytunnels in April, and in open ground in May after the last frosts.

• Plants are demanding in organic matter and nutrients, so it is necessary to additionally mix manure into the growing substrate. It is suitable to use granulated manure - we add 300-400g 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 incorporate 2-4 kg per m2 of well-rotted compost or manure into the ground 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, as soon as 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 is 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 preparations, etc.

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

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

  For tomato blight, DITHANE preparation is suitable. For organic farming, Bioton and Bioan preparations are suitable.

• Bush varieties of tomatoes are harvested approximately 8 weeks from planting. Staked 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.