Agriculture Greenhouse Tomato Production 2015-01-23

Yard Dart · Jan 23, 2015

Yard Dart submitted a new resource:

Greenhouse Tomato Production - Article discusses how to provide the proper greenhouse environment for tomato's.

Development of large, smooth fruit requires successful completion of the sexual process within the tomato flower. Successful transfer of viable pollen from the anthers (male flower parts) to the stigma (part of the female organs) and subsequent fertilization of the ovules and development of the fruit are affected by the plant’s environment and by inherited characteristics of the flower parts
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Dunerunner · Jan 24, 2015

Growing Tomatoes Anytime in the Greenhouse

Growing Tomatoes Anytime in the Greenhouse
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Most gardeners will tell you that few things can beat the outstanding, fresh taste of home-grown tomatoes in the summer. Luckily, with a greenhouse you are not limited to the summer months; you can grow delicious tomatoes whenever you want. Tomatoes can be picky plants, but with a little bit of practice anyone should be able to produce their own supply of these mouth-watering delights year-round.

Starting Out

In order to grow the best tomatoes possible, it is important that you give your plants a healthy start. Begin by purchasing seeds developed especially for greenhouse use (readily available in seed catalogs,) which will help you to avoid some common greenhouse problems. Start the seeds in warm conditions, preferably under grow lights and on heat mats, and allow them to develop for a couple weeks before transplanting. Eventually, you’ll want the plants to be in very large containers (at least ten gallons in size) so that they will have adequate room to grow. Be sure that any containers you use have been sanitized with a mild bleach solution to prevent the spread of disease. Also, use fresh soil instead of last year’s, which could possibly pass diseases to your plants. One common problem with greenhouse tomatoes is Blossom End-Rot, a condition that is caused by a calcium deficiency. To compensate for this, be sure to add an additional calcium source to your soil such as bone meal.

Choosing a Location

Tomatoes should only be placed in a greenhouse that is already healthy. If you notice any pre-existing problems with disease or pests, treat these problems before exposing your tomato plants to them. Tomatoes are prone to bugs such as white fly, which can ultimately lead to their detriment. You can minimize these problems by simultaneously planting herbs such as basil and lavender in the greenhouse that will help to deter these pests. Be sure that your tomato plants are placed in a sunny spot that will be near a heat source during cold weather.

Lighting

Often times the reason that tomatoes will not grow during the winter is that they do not have enough natural light. Because of this, supplemental lighting is almost always required throughout winter months. High-pressure sodium lights should be used for tomatoes because they encourage flowering and fruiting. For best results with tomatoes, lights should be used up to 16-18 hours per day. Make sure to use a light that is the proper wattage for the area you wish to use it in.

Heating

If the proper temperature is not maintained within the greenhouse, the tomatoes will fail to produce. You should plan on keeping the greenhouse above 60°F, but below 90°F. In most areas, this will require some heating during cold weather. It is important to get a heater that puts out the proper amount of BTUs for your greenhouse so that the temperature will stay in the proper range. You can use our online heater calculator to find a heater that will suit your needs.
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Dunerunner · Jan 24, 2015

Growing Tomatoes In a Greenhouse: Some Practical Considerations

Growing Tomatoes in a Greenhouse
Some Practical Considerations

So, you’re dreaming of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse... a worthy dream! Tomatoes are one of the most expensive fresh foods you can buy in the store, and even then they are never a match for the taste of homegrown tomatoes.

I’m going to presume that you’re dreaming about growing tomatoes in a greenhouse in the wintertime, and provide information to help you decide if that will be cost-effective. It's so hard to put our vegetable gardening on hold through the winter months, and I have often dreamed about having a wintertime greenhouse garden myself, bursting with tomatoes, fresh lettuce, and maybe some carrots, too!

Growing tomatoes in greenhouse settings is not as simple as growing tomatoes outside in the summer. There are a number of factors to consider that outdoor gardeners don’t usually think about, including warmth, light, airflow, and water.

Warmth
For many, the dream of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse in the winter seems like heaven, and the first thought is of warmth. A relatively clear-panel greenhouse traps heat because the incoming short-wave radiation from the sun passes through and enters the ground, which warms up and then radiates longer-wave radiation (heat) back out. This longer-wave radiation cannot pass through the glass or polycarbonate as easily, and the heat is effectively trapped inside, warming things up inside.

But how much things warm up inside is relative to how cold it is outside. If it’s 30°F outside, the inside of the greenhouse is going to be a lot warmer than if it is -10°F outside. In almost all wintertime settings, the heat radiated by retained sunshine will not be sufficient by itself for growing tomatoes in a greenhouse.

For tomatoes to begin ripening and turn red on the vine, they need temperatures of at least 68°F, so chances are you will need to provide auxilliary heat. Be sure to include the costs of a heater, installation and fuel in your cost projections.

Light
Light would seem to be a no-brainer when considering the feasibility of growing tomatoes in greenhouse settings. But believe it or not, there may not be sufficient natural light in the winter months for tomatoes to grow. This is a matter of latitude, or how far north or south you are. Not only are the days shorter, but the sun does not rise as high in the sky in the winter, and so the amount of light is not as great.

If you live in the southern tier of the US and just want to keep tomatoes above ambient temperatures, you may be able to succeed without supplemental lighting. But if you live in the northern tier, you will also have to factor in the cost of lighting to successfully grow tomatoes in a greenhouse in the wintertime.

Water and Airflow
Plants "breathe", but in the reverse way that we do. They "breathe" in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen, which means that they need some fresh air exchange. They also need air circulation to prevent localized oxygen buildup, which is never a problem outside in nature. Air circulation is also important in greenhouses to decrease the incidence of fungal diseases, which can otherwise be problematic. If you do not have fans in your greenhouse already, you will have to factor in the cost of fans as well.

The final consideration is water. Tomatoes are thirsty plants, and in the winter you will need an unfrozen in-greenhouse supply of water. Schlepping water in buckets from the house gets old pretty quickly when you are watering plants! Depending on your frost depth, you may need to install a deep, subsurface water line into your greenhouse.

Overall Cost Effectiveness
None of these considerations is insurmountable, but together they may mean that it might not be cost effective to try growing tomatoes in a greenhouse in the wintertime. Warmth, light, water and airflow are real requirements for growing tomatoes, so the realistic cost of supplying them should be considered before embarking on a dream of wintertime greenhouse tomatoes.

Growing greens in a greenhouse in the wintertime is a more do-able adventure for most people, as greens have much lower temperature and light requirements than tomatoes.
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