Tomato production: technical guidelines
Practical Action
Sterilization of the soil
This soil should be sterilized to kill pests and diseases that affect the crop. You can sterilize your
soils by burning stalks inside the seedbed before planting. This should reduce nematodes and other
soil borne diseases of tomatoes.
Making the seedbed
Peg the area first then dig the area and thoroughly level it. Make ridges so that water wont flow out
when watering.
Fertilizing the seedbed
You can add manure or fertilizer. Mix manure with top soil. You can broadcast about 3 kg of
compound D in your nursery bed and mix. Water the bed.
Sowing the Seeds
Planting
Mark furrows of 1 cm deep and plant seeds every 4 cm in the row. Leave about 7 to 10 cm
distance between rows cover the seed with fine sand. Approximately 120-170g of seeds wiII be
enough for one hectare. This should give approximately 14,000 plants per hectare when
transplanted.
Watering
Water the nursery twice a day Iightly for the first week in the morning and afternoon. Then once a
day in second week and once every two days in third week until transplanting this will harden the
seedlings before transplanting.
Mulching
Cover the seedbed with grass to retain water and also prevent excessive burning of seed by the sun.
Weeding
Pluck out weeds in the nursery bed by hand.
Step III Transplanting the Seedlings
Tomato grows well in a variety of soils provided they are deep, well drained and fertile. Avoid
growing tomatoes after egg plants, tobacco and related crops. It is susceptible to frost so grow it in
warm areas during winter.
Best soils to use are deep fertile black, red or brown clay loam, sandy clay or sandy loam on gentle
slope. Avoid grey or white sandy soils in veils and on steep slope.
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