WHAT IS COCO COIR:
Coco coir is the byproduct of coconut fiber. Between the outer husk and the actual coconut is a layer of fibrous threads.
CULTIVATION OF TOMATO:
SOWING:
Fill your pot or seed tray with coco coir up to a couple of centimeters beneath the rim. Scatter your seeds evenly and then cover with a thin layer of coco coir or compost around 3mm.
GERMINATION OF SEEDS:
Germination of tomato seeds approximately takes 6 to 8 days with an ideal temperature of 18 – 28C.
TRANSPLANTATION:
As seedlings grow well at room temperature, around 18–21C, you can give them a good start by growing indoors during the earliest stages. Seedlings can be transplanted 21days after germination. Be sure their seedlings got a good root system, and 6 to 10 inches plant height.
A good rule is to transplant when the height of your seedling is three times the diameter of its pot.
When deciding into which size container to plant seedlings, choose one that will accommodate the size of tomato being grown or you can grow in Dutch bucket system or Coco bags.
Fill the container with coco coir and compost, and transplant the seedlings. Instead of using N, P, K like in soil, using of nutrient solution of Maximum Cultivator along with coco coir helps in healthier growth of the plant.
IS COCO COIR GOOD INSTEAD OF SOIL?
Tomato plants prefer slightly Acidic, with an ideal pH of 6.0 – 6.8. Amazingly they are called as “THIRSTY PLANTS”.
The benefits of using coco coir include the ability to maintain the appropriate quantity of water while keeping air flowing through the root system. Growing tomatoes with coir also helps with nutrient storage and resists deterioration.
A water-retentive media that drains well, like coco peat, is ideal for tomato plants. Over-watering of seedlings can occur in ordinary soil, which leads to fungal disease or poor germination rates. Using coco coir retains moisture, help providing insulation for germinating seeds and further protects germinating seeds as it’s naturally sterile, discouraging disease and fungus.
Fungal disease like root rot,
It is important to keep the soil moist without drenching it to avoid root rot, while irregular watering may cause what is known as blossom end rot, which is difficult to detect as the symptoms show up not in the leaves or stems, but as rotten-looking areas in the blossom-end of the tomatoes. This problem arises when the plant is either grown in calcium-deficient soil or where the plant is receiving irregular watering, which can hinder the plant’s ability to absorb calcium.
Growing tomatoes with coir helps to maintain proper hydration.
HARVESTING:
Tomatoes require 60 to 80 days to reach harvest from transplanting. Once the first bloom of red appears on the skin of the tomato, harvest time for tomatoes. Grasp the fruit firmly, but gently, and pull from the plant by holding the stem with one hand and the fruit with the other, breaking the stalk just above the calyx that has formed to protect the bud.
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