Banana tomato cultivation tips and precautions

You may be surprised to know how to grow banana tomatoes. In fact, it is very common. Here is how to grow banana tomatoes:

(1) Cultivation method

Banana tomatoes can be cultivated in spring in Shandong Province in solar greenhouses, spring and autumn greenhouses, and large arch greenhouses. They can generally be sown and raised in the greenhouse in mid-December, and transplanted in mid-February to mid-March. For open-field cultivation, they can be sown and raised in sunny beds in late January to early February, and transplanted in the open field in mid-April.

(2) Seeding and seedling raising

① Preparation before sowing: Seedlings can be grown in 10 cm x 10 cm nutrient pots or in plots. The bed soil is prepared in a ratio of 7:3 between field soil and high-quality manure. After sieving, add 1.5 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer and 10 kg of plant ash to 1 cubic meter of bed soil. Mix well and fill in the seedbed or nutrient pots for sowing.

② Seed treatment: Soak the seeds in 55 degrees Celsius warm water for 15 minutes before sowing, then wrap them with clean wet gauze and place them in an environment of 25 - 30 degrees Celsius for germination. After most of the seeds turn white, they can be sown.

③ Sowing When sowing, water the seedbed or nutrient pots thoroughly. After the water seeps in, plant one seed in each pot, or divide the seedbed into 10 cm square blocks, plant one seed in the middle of the nutrient block, and then cover with 1.5 cm of soil. Before germination, the bed temperature should be 28-30 degrees Celsius during the day and 18-20 degrees Celsius at night. After germination, the seedbed temperature should be around 26 degrees Celsius during the day and 12-15 degrees Celsius at night. The greenhouse seedlings are raised for about 60 days, and the sunbed seedlings are raised for about 80 days. When the seedlings grow to the first inflorescence buds, they can be transplanted.

(3) Land preparation, fertilization, and planting at the right time

Banana tomatoes should be planted in loam with deep soil and rich organic matter. Before planting in protected areas, apply 5,000 kg of high-quality soil fertilizer, 100 kg of superphosphate, and 30 kg of potassium sulfate per mu. After fertilization, plow and harrow the soil, and then build ridges in rows of 70 cm x 50 cm to form small ridges 15 cm high and north-south. When planting, choose a sunny morning, plant at a spacing of 28 cm, and water the holes sufficiently to avoid pouring too much water to lower the ground temperature and affect the seedlings.

(4) Management after planting

① Frequent inter-cultivation should be carried out immediately after planting and seedling acclimatization. Inter-cultivation should be carried out from shallow to deep, and the topsoil should be hoeed and finely divided to store water, retain moisture, increase temperature, promote the deep rooting and luxuriant leaves of banana tomatoes, and enhance the plant's resistance to stress and fruit bearing capacity. Before the plant sets fruit, it is generally necessary to inter-cultivate 3-4 times.

② Plant adjustment Banana tomatoes have strong growth potential and are not prone to flower and fruit drop during production. Plant adjustment is necessary to adjust the balance between vegetative growth and reproductive growth and improve light and field microclimate conditions. Single stem pruning is adopted, that is, only the main stem is retained and all other side branches are removed. When cultivating in greenhouses and spring and autumn sheds, hanging vines are used for planting; support cultivation can be used in large arch sheds; when cultivated in the open field, no support cultivation is generally carried out, and the main stem is left with 2-3 ears of fruit before topping.

③ For protected planting to preserve flowers and fruits, the ground temperature is relatively low and the temperature changes relatively large, which affects the inflorescence and fruit setting. When the flowers first unfold, 15-20 mg/kg of 2,4-D or 25-30 mg/kg of anti-drop agent can be used to dip the flowers or apply to the flower stalks. For open-field cultivation of banana tomatoes, the concentration of applied plant hormones can be appropriately reduced.

④ Fertilizer and water management: In early spring, banana tomatoes need to be fertilized after they enter the fruiting period. After the first bunch of fruits are set, 15 kg of urea and 20 kg of compound fertilizer for fruit tomatoes can be applied per mu, followed by watering. After that, fertilizer can be applied once every three weeks, and the soil should be kept moist to promote fruit expansion.

⑤ Disease and Pest Control Common diseases of banana tomatoes are late blight and gray mold, which are very harmful to fruits and leaves. Control methods: (a) Strengthen field management and appropriately reduce the air humidity in the field; (b) Timely discover the central diseased plants and use special pesticides for control. Late blight can be controlled by 72% DuPont Clover WP 500 times liquid, once every 7 days, spray 2-3 times in a row. Gray mold can be controlled by spraying 25% Purifon WP 800-1000 times liquid, once every 7-10 days, and use it 3-4 times in a row.

⑥ Harvest at the right time. Banana tomatoes have a higher sugar content than ordinary tomatoes. They are slightly green when ripe and can be harvested when they are 90% ripe. Harvesting should be done in the afternoon. Most of them can be harvested and marketed in one go.