Nailing Spring for Kickass Tomato Yields
Few know that May can build more fruit mass than August.
Young plants, milder temperatures and strong sunlight make spring a turning point for your tomato production.
Learn to turn spring conditions into higher yield 👇
How to Know You're Missing Out ?
Thick Stem
A foot from the head, the stem should be the size of a AA battery. Thicker than that means you are sacrificing yields on an overkill stem.
Long Leaves
You want leaves the length of your lower arm. From fingertip to elbow. Bigger than that and you're wasting the energy your plants photosynthesized. Better use it to grow more tomatoes !
Suckers at Cluster Ends
In spring, when the fruit load is low, plant don't know what to do with the energy they produce. That makes them double down on suckers. You want to channel that energy into current fruits and new clusters instead.
Cluster Generation Below 1/Week
Clusters are tomorrow's yields. To get healthy harvest all season long, you want a constant generation of new clusters. Aim for 1 per week.
Kick-Starting Your Production
Stop Waiting, Harvest ASAP
First harvest should occur 8 weeks after transplanting. If that’s not the case, it's an opportunity to beef up your yields.
Start with a Solid Fruit Load
You won't get back the energy wasted in thickening stems and growing bigger leaves. Take advantage of spring to maximize cluster generation and fruit setting.
Increase Caliber
Growing thick stems and long leaves divert energy away from fruit production. This leads to a different type of yield loss: smaller fruits that takes 2 extra weeks to ripen.
Boost Flavor
A plant that does not prioritize fruits produce tomatoes like the ones at the grocery store : they taste nothing.
Re-allocate plant energy toward fruits and build yourself a solid reputation for the best tomatoes !
How to Do It ?
A Simple Trick
When you see the symptoms above, increase the temperature by up to 5°F. A warmer temperature sends the signal to grow new clusters rather than waste energy growing an overkill stem.
Keep an eye on your stem size. If you go too far, you'll see your plants get leggy. You don't want to exhaust them before the summer !
The Challenge
This tip adds on top of many other considerations :
- The cloudier, the cooler we want the tunnel
- The bigger the fruit load, the cooler again
- The longer the day, the warmer
- Night should be cooler
- Transition should be smooth
In practice, how can we maintain optimal conditions throughout the season ?
The Simple Way to a Good Climate
Imagine...
You hire a greenhouse consultant who
- Finds the perfect temperature
- Manages your roll-up sides
- Reacts instantly to wind and clouds
- Works around the clock, 24/7
