Tomato fiorentino
Tomato fiorentino
Tomato cultivation needs enough sunshine to grow and give us delicious juicy tomatoes. We choose sunny spots in our garden and avoid shady spots or spots near trees. When planting the tomato, we incorporate enough organic matter into the planting pits, in the form of compost and well-digested manure, as well as organic fertilizer rich in potassium. In this way, we enrich the soil with nutrients and at the same time make it fluffier with better drainage for water. In loose soil, the roots of the tomato plant go further into the soil and have greater growth. Thus, the plant has better support and richer vegetation lays the foundations for higher and better quality production during cultivation. We plant the tomato plants at the appropriate planting distances, depending on the variety of tomato, the soil and the climatic conditions. We avoid dense plantings and prefer to plant relatively sparsely for better production and healthier plants. The bush tomato varieties are planted at distances of 0.70 – 1 meter between the plants and 1.5-2 meters between the planting lines, to ensure the best ventilation and lighting of the plants. Climbing varieties of tomatoes are planted closer, at distances of half a meter. We can use geotextile ground cover to limit the growth of unwanted weeds during cultivation and help the plants.
Proper watering is very important to ensure good growth and abundant production of delicious tomatoes. We must note that tomatoes have different water needs depending on the growth stage. Be careful not to overwater the tomato plants, especially in the early stages, as this will create a weak surface root system and will not develop properly. During flowering, tomato plants need relatively small amounts of water. Excessive watering at this stage can cause the flowers to drop. Usually, in the spring season we water our tomato plants 2 times a week while in the tomato fruiting season, in the summer season, our tomato plants need more water and we water them every 2 days. In the southern regions of Greece, during the hot season, watering our tomato plants should even become daily. Installing a system for automatic drip irrigation is ideal for tomato cultivation, as the plants are watered better, using the right amount of water on each plant, while saving valuable personal time.