After planting, you now have the most assignments. Black tomatoes are mostly indeterminates, they are vining in nature. They require a higher input of maintenance than their determinate counterpart.
The Basic Maintenance for Black Tomato
Maintenance in this case is in three basic steps. One step is as important as the other, none can be overlooked. Check them out below:
Fertilizing
The
black tomato variety consumes a high dose of nutrients. So, augmenting the nutrients feed is a necessity. When selecting your fertilizer, avoid ones with high levels of nitrogen and focus more on potassium and phosphorus. Apply fertilizer away from the stem. Mulching will help keep your plants hydrated and at the same time enrich the soil around the plant. Apply your fertilizer at least 3 inches away from the plants and properly water it down to avoid splashing on the leaves.
Pruning
Pruning your black tomato plants will help you realize a higher and quality harvest yield. They get their burst of energy from the sun. It could be a bit difficult to prune if you are not familiar with the branches. There are main branches and sucker branches on your black tomato plants. So how do you identify the sucker branches for pruning?
Simply watch out for new branches growing out of the main ones and clip them off. Be careful not to over pruned as this will subject your plants to sunburn especially in hot weather.
Reasons Why You Should Prune Your Black Tomato Plants
Timely pruning can help prevent diseases and facilitates healthy and bigger fruits. It also enhances the colors of your black tomato variety, leaving them more original. So if you truly desire the rich dark black tomato variety, you have a secret there.
Supporting
The black tomato Variety is a large plant and requires a sturdy support for stability. There are basically two ways to achieve this:
I. Staking
It's easier to stake your plants while still young than waiting till they're big. Begin staking as soon as they measure up to 10 inches. Insert your stake deep enough into the soil beside the staked plant and tie carefully with a string. Leave enough space for future growth to avoid causing any damage to the tomatoes.
II. Caging
Caging is a more expensive method but less stressful. You can get a ready-made cone shaped cage or improvise with a wire mesh. However, just like in the case of staking, it is better to have the cage in place from the early stage to prevent causing root damage for the plants.
You Can Do It
If you're worried about whether or not you can get it done, then worry no more. You now have all the information at your fingertips. Feed your black tomato variety well enough for production sustainability. Give them room to breathe and prepare for you a large and healthy harvest. Finally give them the required support as they have the tendency to grow large. I guess this is prompting you to make a decision already. For more information visit
Tomato Mentor.