Plants grown under cover

Question 1

What is the botanical name for tomato?

Answer 1

Solanum lycopersicum

Question 2

How to grow tomatoes?

Answer 2

Clean seed tray
Sow Feb-March
Sow seeds thinly 2 cm apart and cover lightly with compost. 0.5cm. Germinate 17-18 degrees.
Water from beneath so as not to wash seeds away.
Prick out when seedlings have their true leaves, and pot onto 9cm pots.
Grow on at 18degrees c then 14-15 degrees c when 15cm.
Grow on in grow bags or 20L pots.
Final spacing 40cm apart trained up string. Or tied to canes.
Once 5-7 trusses pinch out tops.
Feed every 10-14 days tomato feed or liquid seaweed feed.
Remove side shoots.
Lower leaves can be removed for ventilation.
Relative humidity 70% optimum fruit set.

Question 3

Name 2 cultivars of tomatoes?

Answer 3

Moneymaker

Marmande

Question 4

2 Pests for tomatoes?

Answer 4

Red spider mite
Fine pale mottling on the leaves. Heavily damaged plants can be severely weakened and die.
Biological control with a predatory mite. Can also be reduced using soapy water with neem oil to wash spider mites off leaves. Use SB plant invigorator.
Greenhouse White fly
Easy to see, when a plant is disturbed a cloud of white tiny flies will fly up. Suck sap, and secrete honeydew. Cause leaves to die, and can reduce plants vigour or eventually kill. Spray with SB plant invigorator. Use Yellow sticky traps. Parasitic wasp.

Question 5

2 Diseases for tomatoes?

Answer 5

Tobacco mosaic virus
Mosaic pattern on leaves. Stunted growth and reduced yield.
control by buying virus free stock. Remove infected plants immediately so as not to infect others. Buy resistant varieties.
Botrytis
Grey mould or grey fuzzy growth on tips, white water spots on fruits. Control with good hygiene, reduce humidity, adequate spacing. Remove affected leaves/fruit and destroy.

Question 6

2 disorders for tomatoes

Answer 6

Blossom end rot
Tomatoes rot at the end of the blossom end. Caused by lack of calcium due to irregular watering. Control good irrigation technique or a calcium rich seaweed feed.
Splitting of fruits
Caused by long dry conditions followed by excessive watering. Control by improving water retention of growing media and regular irrigation avoiding water stress.