Determine the appropriate time to plant tomatoes during the year

Maybe you don’t know, but an important thing to properly grow tomatoes is to determine the right season. We should have a clear planting plan, when is the time to sow seeds. From there, ensuring effective cultivation and high harvest productivity.

With the climatic conditions in Vietnam, gardeners can grow tomatoes in three main seasons. That is:

Winter – Spring crop: This is the period from late October to November. If we plant this crop, we will harvest it in January – February of the following year.
Spring – Summer crop: This is the first crop of the year. If you choose this crop, the gardener must first prepare in December. And the time to harvest agricultural products will fall around March – April.
Summer – Fall crop: Usually starts around June – July every calendar year. When planted, properly fertilized and supplemented with enough nutrients, we can harvest it around September – October.

Standards for selecting and mixing soil

Tomatoes are plants that need a lot of nutrients to grow and develop. Besides, the soil needs to have a certain porosity. Therefore, if you want the best conditions for plants, gardeners should choose soil containing a lot of humus, sandy soil or alluvial soil.

You can use Tropical premium soil for growing vegetables, fruits and vines specialized for growing vegetables and vines.

The soil for growing vegetables and climbing plants is supplemented with more fertilizer to help provide enough nutrients for the plants for about 4-6 months. Besides, the soil contains many elements of red basalt soil and coconut fiber pieces to help balance air permeability and water holding capacity.

The product is manufactured by Tropical Co., ldt and is confirmed for quality – safety and the best after-sales service.

Planting density

Two adjacent rows need to be at least 80cm apart. At the same time, each tree must be more than 60cm apart depending on the different variety.

Planting time

Choosing what time of day to plant trees is not a simple thing for even beginners to know. With gardening experience, I have found that the afternoon time when there is only a little sunlight left, around 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., is best for the Winter – Spring crop. If it is the Spring – Summer crop, this time should be moved later. Specifically, when the sky is late and there is no more sunshine.

If you have favorable conditions and have time, take advantage of the clear, cool days. Especially if it rains, the better. This will help plants develop comprehensively and outstandingly.

In particular, with the increasing demand for clean and safe strawberry products, ensuring consumer health, creating unique products of Moc Chau strawberries, growing strawberries using organic methods is important. This is a direction that Moc Chau Farmers Association is interested in developing. Here we would like to introduce to you the technique of growing Strawberries using organic methods that are being applied effectively in Moc Chau district, Son La province.

1. Choose a variety

Currently on the market there are many different strawberry varieties according to origin such as Korean, American, Japanese, New Zealand strawberries,… each type has its own characteristics. In Moc Chau district, the most popular strawberry variety currently grown is the Japanese Hanah strawberry variety. Although the fruit size is not as large as some strawberry varieties from the US, France, etc., Hanah strawberries have a fragrant, sweet taste, uniform fruit, and a beautiful bright red color when ripe and are popular with consumers.

Hanah strawberries are often propagated by people from seedlings. People can propagate them themselves or order them at strawberry seed production facilities in the area.
Criteria for seedlings to be planted: Choose plants that grow healthy, are pest-free, have fully developed root systems, are 8 – 12 cm tall, and have 3 – 4 leaves.

2. Prepare soil and raise beds

– Soil selection: Choose light, loose, dry, well-drained soil. In Moc Chau district, you should choose red, humus and loose soil areas to help plants grow well and yield higher yields than other types of soil. In organic farming, soil must be sampled and analyzed to ensure it meets the requirements and standards of organic agricultural production.
– Land preparation and fertilization: Plow the entire planting area, clean up plant residue; Fertilize with decomposed manure, fertilizer dosage is 45-48 tons/ha. Lime powder: 8 – 10 quintals/ha. Apply fertilizer 7 – 10 days before planting.
– Raise beds: width 45 – 50 cm, bed height 35 – 40 cm. Distance between beds 70 cm.

3. Season and planting method

– Planting season: Planting time is from September to November.
– How to plant: Distance between plants is 35 – 40 cm, rows are 30 – 35 cm apart, each bed is planted in 2 rows, staggered, 10 cm from the edge of the bed. Tear off the gourd shell, use your hands to create a hole measuring 10 x 10 x 10 cm, place the plant straight in the center of the hole, fill the soil across the top of the bulb, avoid filling the root collar, affecting the leaf and branching process of the plant. . Water the plants sufficiently after planting.

4. Care

– Watering: Water used for irrigation for organic farming must be analyzed to ensure it meets standard requirements in organic farming. For large strawberry gardens, mist and drip irrigation systems should be designed along the beds to facilitate the care process.

From after planting to before flowering, water once every other day (can be watered in the early morning or late afternoon) to ensure humidity of 70 – 80%. When the tree begins to flower (2.5 months after planting) until harvest, water every 3 days, humidity 40 – 60%/time. In addition, during the cultivation process, in the winter, when the weather is cold, frost and frost may appear, causing the water layer on the leaf surface to freeze. In case of frost or frost, watering should be done early in the morning.
– Fertilization: Use protein sources from soybeans and fish to fertilize plants after planting.
+ Soybeans: dosage for 1 hectare is 200 kg of soybeans soaked in 800 liters of water, mixed with EM product (250 g), soaked for 2 months, then strained to get the solution. When fertilizing, mix soybean solution with water at a ratio of 400 liters of solution mixed with 1,600 liters of clean water. Time to fertilize: 1st fertilizer 10 days after planting, then periodically fertilize every 15 days until the plants flower, then stop.
+ Protein from fish: can use finished fish solution sold on the market. Dosage: 1 dose of 10 liters/ha. When fertilizing, mix 10 liters of fish solution with 1,000 liters of clean water, apply according to the drip irrigation system to avoid loss and waste. Fertilize periodically every 15 days from flowering until harvest.
– Covering and covering the surface: To prevent weeds during cultivation, it is necessary to use covering measures for strawberries when planting. You can use plastic mulch or straw to cover the beds. If using plastic film, cover the entire field area immediately after fertilizing and raising beds. If using straw: use straw to spread evenly, covering the entire surface of the bed and around the base of the tree. Mulching is done 30 days after planting.

When making a pergola made of nylon, the pergola should be designed high and dry to ensure ventilation to help plants grow well and limit diseases.

What are organic vegetables?

Organic vegetables are vegetables grown and produced using the methods and standards of organic agriculture. The common characteristic of organic food is that it always aims to promote ecological balance, diversity and biodiversity conservation.

Organic vegetables need to meet the following criteria:

• No chemical fertilizers
• No pesticides or herbicides
• No genetically modified substances
• No growth stimulants

This means that organic vegetables are grown in a completely natural environment, without the intervention of toxic chemicals in all stages of cultivation (soil, irrigation water, seeds, pest prevention, etc.). weed treatment) to packaging or preservation.

Steps to build an organic vegetable garden

To create an organic vegetable garden, requires careful preparation in each step, especially for those without experience. Below are the steps to build a standard organic vegetable garden

Determine the goals of the organic vegetable garden

To build an organic vegetable garden is not simply just sowing seeds, watering and harvesting. Therefore, before starting and building a garden, make sure you have a clear goal for your organic vegetable garden.

The goal needs to be close to reality, you need to take the time to thoroughly understand the steps and processes and should start with the smallest, simplest models that are not beyond your control before planning to go further. than.

Choose soil and plant varieties

Choosing soil and plant varieties are important steps that determine the plant’s development from seeding.

How to choose the best soil so your vegetables can grow best? Which soil has enough nutrients and ventilation for plant roots to grow best? To grow clean and organic vegetables, soil quality is the top factor you need to consider.

Faced with the need to protect the environment and the health of agricultural consumers, many organic production models have been formed, creating a new start-up investment opportunity for many businesses, although many immediate challenges must be overcome. awake. Mango is also an important product that needs to change production methods towards organic to increase the value of goods, serve consumer needs and protect the environment.

Principles of organic mango production

The overall organic mango production management strategy should reflect the following principles of organic agricultural production:

Soil health largely determines plant health. Pay attention to the soil first, not just the plants

Organic systems are biological, ecologically balanced systems

The organic system combines traditional and modern practices

The organic system combines technical elements and links the production-consumption chain, harmonizing the interests of the parties involved in the link.

Organic farms should operate as many closed systems as possible

A comprehensive approach ensures good integration of management practices.

Many good practices developed from traditional mango production can be applied in organic mango production conditions such as: Economical and effective watering methods, wind protection measures, erosion control and other aspects of Integrated pest management (IPM) or integrated weed management (IWM) can be adapted to organic production systems. Quality control management systems, preferably incorporating HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) systems, can be used to support the management and assessment of quality control. accept organic production.

Apply organic fertilizer

Soil and plant sample tests are important for verifying nutritional requirements. The general approach to correcting any deficiency is through the soil, rather than applying it directly to the plant (leaves). Of course, during the early years of conversion, some foliar applications may be required while soil imbalances are corrected. Growers need to demonstrate that measures are being taken to improve the soil. Care must be taken to use materials that benefit soil biological processes and comply with organic certification standards.

Some certified organic input nutrients (e.g. OMRI, ControlUnion…) may cost more than conventional products. However, the quantity of nutrients applied can be small to reduce costs. The table below lists important nutrient sources in organic production.

Protein (Nitrogen): Acceptable product sources are as follows: Legumes and soil cover, pelleted livestock and poultry manure, animal blood, fish emulsion of all kinds, compost …

Phosphorus: Sources: Phosphate rock, organic fertilizer, bone meal…

Potassium (Potassium): Sources: Sulpomage (natural potassium), potassium sulfate, seaweed, organic fertilizer…

Calcium: Sources: agricultural lime (limestone), dolomite, lime sand, trace lime.

Magnesium: (Magnesium): Sources: Dolomite, magnesium, magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt or kieserite)…

Sulfur: Sources: Gypsum, potassium sulfate or other sulfates, elemental sulfur on a limited basis.

Micronutrients: Natural sulfates, e.g. zinc, iron, copper, manganese; natural oxides – less available in the short term; borate or boric acid; organic fertilizer (compost); seagrass; fish emulsion; natural chelates, e.g. ligno sulphonates, citric acid, maleic acid, amino acids and other di or tri acids; Attention: nitrates and chlorides are not allowed; Synthetic chelates, e.g. EDTA and HEDTA are not allowed.

Plants have available some of the organic nutrient sources listed above which may differ from highly soluble inorganic products. The lead time required from first application of inputs until useful amounts are available to the crop must be carefully considered – especially during the transition to organic.

The technique of growing clean vegetables in Styrofoam boxes is very easy to do. You just need to put in a little effort and time to wait. The clean vegetables grown by yourself are guaranteed to be safe and will come to harvest.

To grow clean vegetables at home, planting them in foam pots is the simplest and easiest to do. In addition, you can make use of old brass, baskets, pots, etc. To make vegetable growing items, be sure to create drainage holes for these items.

Use simple household items to create plant pots: Styrofoam boxes, seeds, soil, organic fertilizer, bricks.

With foam pots, you need to cut drainage holes, usually 6 to 8 holes per pot, do not make too big, it will cause the soil to float away. If planting plants that need quick drainage, you can use wire mesh or plastic mesh to cover them. Holes are cut in the box to ensure water drainage and prevent soil from washing away.

With old brasses, pots, and baskets, you should choose plastic for durability and ease of cleaning. You also need to make holes like a Styrofoam box to drain water. With baskets that already have holes, you can nest 2 together to make 1 pot for planting, it will be durable and avoid losing soil. All types of pots for planting should avoid direct contact with the ground by raising the 4 corners for balance to help plants circulate freely.

Note: Bricks should be placed to avoid holes at the bottom of the box

Do not sow too many seeds in one container to avoid the situation where the plants will grow too thick and yield will not be high. You can grow herbs such as mint, basil, etc. in the same container, but plants such as peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. should be grown separately in different containers. After sowing the seeds, cover them with a thin cloth to keep them warm and stimulate the seeds to germinate quickly.