High-yield tomato growing is of huge economic importance to farmers all over the world, but it is not an easy task. Pest and disease problems can significantly reduce yields while driving up the per-acre production cost. To overcome these issues of tomato cultivation, farmers need to take cost-effective steps wherever possible, monitor the crops closely, and collect reliable data to predict correctly about the possibility of bad weather, disease outbreak, and so on. Profitable tomato farming requires both trained workforce and constant access to current insight about every crop-related issue, from soil fertility and watering to disease management and harvesting.

Table Of Contents

Classifications Of Tomato Plant Varieties

To begin narrowing down your options for tomato varieties to grow, you’ll need to decide whether they should be determinate or indeterminate. Both have the same tomato growth stages, still they vary in duration.

Determinate or bush varieties can grow up to 2 or 3 feet (60-90 cm) tall. In general, these kinds of varieties produce a rush of all the fruits of that type to ripeness at almost the same time. They have a fairly short fruiting cycle and an even shorter post-fruiting leaf maturation stage. They make the most towards the start of the growing season. Don’t cage or stake determinate tomatoes.

Indeterminate, or vining, varieties produce mid-season and late-season large, slicing fruits from early July until frost. They produce fruit at a constant rate because their leaves continue to expand throughout the growing season, which makes indeterminate varieties ideal for tomato production on a commercial level. Indeterminate plants must be staked to grow correctly.

Tomatoes’ days to harvest are the basis for another classification of the crop varieties. Here is a breakdown of these three groups.

Groups of tomato varieties based on their time to harvest

Variety Days to harvest

• Early Less than 70
• Mid-season 70 to 80
• Late-season More than 80

When choosing which varieties of tomatoes to grow, it is important to take into account the suitability of the growing conditions in the field to the requirements of the variety.

Growing Conditions For Tomatoes

Growers need to identify suitable growth conditions that will satisfy all the requirements for a tomato plant. Make sure the growing plants get abundant sunlight, steady warmth, ample moisture, and fertile soil.

Sunlight And Temperature

Tomatoes are warm- and sun-loving plants. It needs at least 8 hours a day of full sun to grow healthy crops. They also need a warm environment; an ideal tomato growing temperature between 71 and 84˚F (22 and 29˚C) will be great. Though they can endure cool weather, their development will be hindered. At the same time, frost might be a problem for unprotected tomato plants, which makes them perish.

Growing world-class crops requires an environment in which low and high temperatures are somewhat consistent. Low-quality fruit or fewer harvests are common results of growing in climates with large temperature swings.

When to grow tomatoes

The end of spring and start of summer, by most in the world is a period that heralds tomato growing season. In medium to cooler climates, prime planting season comprises all of spring and late winter; for example, seed starting period.

Field historical weather data

Apply field historical weather data using EOSDA Crop Monitoring in determining an optimal growing period during high-yielding.

Humidity

The ideal relative humidity for tomato growth falls within the range of 65 to 85%. Higher humidity has been associated with the development of foliar diseases and an increasing rate of blotchy, or uneven, ripening. Pollen release and distribution is also restricted by higher humidity, whereas lower humidity dries the pollen, causing undersized, misshapen, or hollow fruit.

Water

The amount of water required by the tomato plant is 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5mm) of moisture per week to grow and produce well. Variables like temperature and plant density influence the rate of evapotranspiration and, thus, the crop water needs.

Plants growing in sandy soil fields may require more watering than those in clay soil fields since the former drain faster. However, the root system of the plant is extensive, reaching a depth of up to 5 feet (1.5 m) in deep soils. As tomatoes grow, their root systems expand to draw water from further down in the soil and hence less susceptible to drought.

Soil

Tomato- They also respond pretty good growing to nearly every type soil as the exception is heavy clay, like other vegetables require. Growth is best in that is sandy loam-soil that drains well having the pH of 6.2 to 6.8. Soil on this site that will be used growing tomato should be rich phosphorous potassium, calcium, magnesium P, K, Ca Mg Soil temperature bare minimum :57°F (14 Cº) Optimum ; between 65 and 70°F (18 -21 Cº). However, we recommend to use potting mix for growing tomatoes. Manufacturers like Coirmedia offers the potting mix bag for maximum yield.

When and How to Plant Tomatoes

In most countries, seedlings for commercial tomato growing are planted in the middle to late stages of spring. Tomato planting can begin earlier in the year in regions with warmer-than-average temperatures. On the other hand, growers in the north typically transplant their seedlings in early summer. Before planting, farmers need to do several operations, including soil and seedling preparation.

Preparing The Soil

You should begin soil preparation for growing tomatoes about two weeks before you will plant the seedlings. Tilling to a depth of 23.6 inches or 60 cm, followed by removal of weeds and crop residues, farmers create improved drainage and aeration of the soil.

A week before planting, farmers often apply pre-planting fertilization, such as aged manure or synthetic fertilizer. While it would be cheaper to spread the top dressing over the rows, application across the entire field may benefit the growth of the tomato plants. Till the soil to a depth of 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) before planting to stimulate a deeper root system.

One more step before you can plant tomatoes is soil solarization, especially in growing regions where the soil is cold during the planting season. This will keep the root zone around 70°F (21°C) and prevent weeds from germinating. To cover their rows, some farmers use green or black infrared-transmitting (IRT) polyethylene, while others just use standard 1–1.25 mil black plastic.

How to grow tomatoes

Preparing The Seedlings

Farmer can buy and set tomato transplants. Alternatively, you can buy seeds that would be your plants as grown from the seeds you buy. Growing from the seed will allow you full control over the material of transplants. Here are a few considerations.

It requires approximately 5–7 weeks for a quality transplant to be developed. A nighttime temperature over 60°F (15°C) allows for rapid growth. Transplants reach an average of 8 inches (20 cm), and each of them holds about 3–5 true leaves. Of course, seedlings don’t get ready to transplant unless they grow some true leaves. In this case we recommend to use tomato grow bag for good climate condition.

Usually, “hardening” or artificially stressing of seedlings is required for them to get fit to transplant. This process, which can include moving the seedlings outside for a controlled number of hours or other methods, is supposed to condition the tomato to the outdoor growing climate. In an effort to replicate drought, most growers gradually eliminate watering from their crops. They will normally turn off the water approximately 13–15 hours before beginning the transplanting process, and then resume turning it on when they are done.

Once all the preliminary operations are done, it is time for planting tomatoes. The farm workers either create marks on the plastic film or in the ground to represent where the seedlings would go. Later, after that, they prepare the holes and place the seedlings inside.

The tomato spacing should be 18 to 24 inches (45 to 61 cm) between plants and 48 to 72 inches (122 to 183 cm) between rows. Indeterminate plants tend to grow larger, so give them more room. There will be less chance of disease spreading if the tomato spacing allows each plant to grow in the light and air.

How deep to plant tomatoes It’s best to stick to 3–4 inches (8–10 cm) of tomato planting depth. Plants grow, mature, and produce fruit more quickly when planted at a depth at least equal to their cotyledons

How To Care For Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a delicate crop, and the harvest depends on the care of the farmer during the growth season. Making sure the plants have enough water, enriching the soil, combating diseases and pests are very important steps in the growth of tomato plants.

Watering

Prudent irrigation is crucial for healthy development and high harvests when growing tomatoes on a large scale. If you do not provide enough water to your crops, their leaves will curl up and become yellow. This is normal in midsummer when heat and a lack of rainfall cause heat stress in plants.

Remember these two principles for effective tomato plant watering:

Water should be concentrated on the plant’s roots. Take great care to avoid wetting leaves and stems. Wet leaves provide a perfect breeding ground for the bacteria and fungi that cause fruit rot. Watering of the root zone of the plant will help prevent this problem. Use drip irrigation, in which water is not lost by running off the plants but slowly drains into the soil.
Soak the soil deeply — to at least 10 inches (25 cm). When you water the soil deeply, the roots of the plant will grow deeper.

As a result, plants are able to establish themselves well and grow more robust in case of drought.
Tomato farmers will benefit from using the Soil moisture feature in EOSDA Crop Monitoring since it lets them constantly monitor the root and superficial zones’ moisture dynamics, subsequently watering the crops just to the right amount. Along with the proper forecast regarding the weather conditions, accurate information about the moisture state in your fields will be the thing that helps predict what its levels will be so how frequent watering of the tomato culture should be done to receive optimum results.

Weed Management

Weeds are the most serious threat to newly grafted plants during the first month of their growth in the fields. Growing strong tomato plant crops requires a holistic approach — the integrated weed management —, including proper crop rotation, cultivation, sanitation, irrigation, and application of herbicides. The latter exercise requires more caution since contact with herbicides can completely deform the leaves of plants. Be therefore cautious not to spray herbicides on crops unknowingly.

Fertilization

Tomato plant nutrient requirements are relatively wide. For vigorous growth, crops require the macronutrients N, P, and K, and the micronutrients Zn, Cu, Fe, and S. Nitrogen deficiency may be the cause if the plants are growing slower, while phosphorus deficiency may manifest as a bluish-green color on the leaves and poor plant development. However, excess macronutrients (especially N) can cause fertilizer burn, which shows up as yellowing or browning of the plant’s leaves.

Even before planting tomatoes, farmers can use EOSDA Crop Monitoring’s Zoning tool to analyze the field productivity. To do that, we use an algorithm which sorts areas based on their typical NDVI values extracted from the images of the previous years. A low NDVI represents a zone with low productivity and perhaps an additional dose of fertilizer would be required for the proper growing of tomato crops there, whereas a high NDVI represents zones with high productivity.

Locating low-productivity zones in your field will save you money in two ways:

Soil testing. Instead of taking soil samples from the entire field, focus on low-productivity areas.
Precise fertilizing. Before planting crops and periodically while they are growing, amend the soil with the lacking nutrients only where needed, and thus optimize yields.
field productivity map
Determining the potential yield of different field zones with productivity maps.

Mulching

Mulch an organic 2-inch (5-cm) layer over the root zone of the plant to maintain soil moisture sufficient for the growth of plants. Possible alternatives of mulch that can be used for growing tomatoes include shredded bark and grass clippings. Since it acts as an insulator, mulch will also prevent extreme changes in the temperature of the soil. Also, mulch avoids loss of water due to evaporation and controls weeds.

Pruning

If you want your plants to put all of their resources into growing fruit instead of leaves, you should prune them. Removing suckers and low-hanging branches benefits larger fruit, improved air flow, and less disease susceptibility.

The best time to begin pruning in your tomato farm is when you see the flowers beginning to open. June or July is a typical time range for this. Continue the light pruning one-to-two times every two weeks until the end of the growing season to avoid stressing the plants by removing too much foliage at once. The following guidelines will teach you how to prune a tomato plant:

Find the suckers growing in the “V” formed by the plant’s branches and stem.
Using clean pruners, trim the suckers, disinfect them, and move on to the next plant so that disease does not proliferate.
Remove any low-hanging branches because they easily get infected and spread the disease throughout the plant.
pruning tomato plant

Pest And Disease Management

The prevalence of tomato plant diseases is a major barrier to increasing the productivity of commercial growing. More than two hundred different pathogenic fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes can infect growing plants. Under favorable conditions, these diseases quickly spread from one plant to another.

Among the most serious crop diseases include wilts and blights (Fusarium wilt, southern blight, gray mold), foliar diseases (early blight, Septoria leaf spot, gray leaf spot, late blight), fruit rots (anthracnose), and soil rots (buckeye rot, Pythium rot, Rhizoctonia soil rot). Late blight is especially damaging because it can lead to an economic loss of 20–70%.

Fortunately, farmers can now fight these threats with technological tools. The Disease risk feature in EOSDA Crop Monitoring leaps ahead in disease prevention and management. By combining plant growth stage data with hyper-local weather forecasts, our algorithm computes disease risk probabilities for two weeks in advance. Knowledgeable growers about which fields are which risk will optimise using chemical treatments towards more agricultural resiliency and sustainability.

Disease risk detection feature for tomatoes

Hornworms, flea beetles, cabbage loopers, aphids, and cutworms can seriously damage the crop in its early stages of growth. Later in the growing season, stink bugs and tomato fruitworms are just a couple of examples of insects that feed on the fruit. The fruitworm is one of the most economically important pests of tomatoes because of its high potential to cause damage and its wide range of hosts. Plant onions and other natural repellents for insects as companion crops with tomato might be part of sustainable pest management.

To check for tomato plant disease and pest infestations in your fields, make use of the Scouting feature of EOSDA Crop Monitoring. Managers can use this feature to send scouts to different parts of a field depending on the condition and density of vegetation there and then immediately receive in-site photos and reports. And scouts, especially in remote, no-service locations, will appreciate the convenience of the Scouting app’s offline mode.

Scouting feature

This scouting feature finds hotspots where the pest or disease is most likely to be found, saving scouts from having to scan the entire field.

You will achieve more when it comes to crop health and yields because of the new Disease risk feature in EOSDA Crop Monitoring. It will allow you to identify early signs of potential health issues in your crops so that you’ll have enough time to provide preventative measures.

How Long Do Tomatoes Take To Mature?

It usually depends on the tomato’s growing variety, while the small determinate variety would mature earlier compared to a beefsteak and some varieties of heirloom. Most tomatoes are harvested 60 to 100 days from the transplanting of the seedlings, and for direct planting of seeds in a row, it will take between 100 and 120 days. There are some cultivars that will be harvested just within 50 days since their transplantation.

When and How to Harvest Tomatoes

The best time to harvest tomatoes depends on the region in which they are grown. In regions where growing conditions are unusual, such as areas of California and the Pacific Northwest, the earliest fruits ripen in late spring and continue through summer. Late spring to early summer is the best time for fruit to be harvested in the Mid-Atlantic. Fruits in the Northeast and Midwest growing regions begin ripening in July and continue through the first fall frost. Meanwhile, heatwaves usually put an end to the tomato harvest time in the South and Southwest by the first of June.

Select the harvesting method on the basis of the product’s ultimate use. In this respect, manual methods are preferable for direct eating or for canning tomatoes whole. Mechanical harvesting is tolerated for the production of tomato sauces and concentrates. Mechanized harvests use self-propelled machines designed to clear cut plants and separate the gathered fruits from plant residues.

High yield performance means extensive planning and pinpoint execution on tomato commercial farming. You will realize profitability and sustainability in your business farming by growing the proper varieties, keeping soil health and fertility intact, pest and diseases in control, and, finally, best practices around the whole production cycle.