Some serious bumper-crops can be delivered out of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, but only if the right techniques are used. Tomato plants sometimes fail to deliver the exact results we’re looking for though, even if they’re nurtured with the biggest willpower in the world, so it helps to have a look at what commercial greenhouses do to keep their crops growing, and healthy.
Instead of throwing the towel in completely and shelving your hopes of tasty, ripe, red tomatoes, there are a few changes you can effect. Such as implementing Scynce LED lights to help facilitate that necessary growth, however, this is only one area to look into as there are many others that will be of benefit during this season of growing. Grow bag retailer Compost Direct shares with us the three issues which could be hindering the growth of your tomatoes in your greenhouse.
Have you chosen the right varieties?
There are many tomato varieties out there, most of which can be categories into field, greenhouse and garden varieties. If the growth of the tomatoes you’ve planted disappoints you, the issue could very well be that you’re not growing the right variety in the growing environments best suited to it (field or garden tomato in a greenhouse). Each of these has different requirements to those which are suited to growing in a greenhouse and so they may not be getting the right amount of nutrients or sunlight supplied to them.
Have you allowed for air movement?
If you plant your tomatoes too close together, some problems with their foliage may become apparent. Early blight, grey mould and leaf spot are quite common, so too dying or yellowing of the leaves. Many of these foliar diseases are caused by a build-up of humidity due to a lack of air circulation.
Too much water stagnation can cause mould build-up and unwanted weed growth too; it’s also important to ensure that the plants get optimum natural light. The use of a black and white poly film (https://shrinkwrapcontainments.com/t-panda-premium.aspx) could prove helpful in taking care of both requirements. It can be set up to control the amount of sunlight, direct run-offs to a drainage, and for other humidity control applications that can aid the growth of your plants, even during the winter season.
Ensure to space them out correctly when planting. Fewer plants will inevitably fit into the space, but ultimately the plants that do grow will be stronger and more fruitful, resulting in a greater net yield. Reduced maintenance also comes with fewer plants, something which will come in very handy if you’re splitting your time across numerous vegetables.
Have you rotated your plants?
It’s important to rotate your crops after each growing season. If you’ve not changed your tomatoes’ location from the previous year, they may not be getting enough nutrients. Since different plants need more or less nutrients than others, rotation reduces the chances of deficiencies in the soil.
This issue can be avoided altogether by using grow bags in your greenhouse, which will ensure the right amount of nutrients are delivered to your tomatoes.
Never give up hope on your tomatoes. Getting savvy in the garden and following these tips can have you enjoying tasty crops this year.