Tomato production: technical guidelines
Practical Action
Preparing the Land
Land should be prepared as soon as the seed is sown in the seedbed to allow decomposition of
organic matter: late land preparation wilI lead to seedlings over-staying at nursery level, making
them over grow and in worst cases, flowering takes place in the nursery bed.
Plough the land or dig with a hoe up to 20 cm deep. Apply well decomposed organic manure at 10
to 20t/hectare 3 weeks before transplanting and mix well with the soil.
Manure buiIds soil structure by gluing the soil particles.
Manure is cheaper
Apply Compound Cor S at 400kg/hectare when making planting stations. If irrigation is to be used
construct furrows/ridges spaced at 1m apart. If irrigation is to be done using watering cans, make
long raised flat beds with a width of 1m.
Beds are raised to ensure good drainage and aeration especially in the rainy season. Water the
furrows or beds thoroughly.
Transplanting
Transplant seedlings when they are 4-6 weeks from emergence approximately 10-12cm tall. Select
healthy seedlings only. Transplant during the morning or evening when it is cool or on a cloudy day.
Other factors to consider when transplanti ng tomato seedlings are:
Do not leave roots exposed (ensure that some soil is kept on the roots) or put them in a sack so
that the roots are in damp soiI.
Ensure that there is firm contact between the soiI and the roots
Do not plant the tomatoes in the furrow irrigation is to be used
Apply wood ash after transplanting to protect transplants against ants and termites. It also acts as
fertiIiser supplying potash, which is responsible for fruit quality.
Trasplant during the morning or
evening when it is cool or on a
cloudy day,
Watering
Water immediately after planting and every 4-5 days after that. When plants are fully established
water once every seven days but increase watering from flowering onwards. The amount of water
can be scheduled as follows:
Transplanting to establishment-up to a depth of 6cm per every 4 day
After establishment, increase to 8cm depth per week tiII maturity.
Step IV Top Dressing
Apply ammonium nitrate at first stage of
flowering at rate of 100kg/ha when fruits
are marble size, at every three weeks
interval. Place the fertilizer 5cm from the
plant. Water the crop to allow this fertilizer
to dissolve.
N.B. Do not place the fertiliser on the
plant because it will kill the plant.
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