To achieve high production and quality in beef tomato hydroponics, it is important to start with seedlings. Begin by sowing beef tomato seeds in a media tray with a charcoal husk planting medium. Once the seedlings reach one week of age, transfer them to 10 cm x 10 cm polybags.
Water the growing medium with nutrient-free water daily for one week. Afterward, administer the plants with AB Mix nutrient solution at a concentration of 0.5 mS for two weeks. Then, transfer them to 30 cm x 30 cm polybags using the husk charcoal planting medium.
Additionally, when arranging the polybags in the greenhouse, ensure a distance of 60 cm x 40 cm between them. Once the plants reach a height of 1 meter, tie their stems vertically to a string to facilitate harvesting. The plant stems must be curved to support their height, which can reach 4-5 meters. Fruits will appear for the first time in the plant internodes after 1.5 months or about 40 days from the polybag. Each bunch will emerge 3 internodes apart.
It is crucial to note that pollination is essential and must be done manually by shaking the bunches with a foam-tipped stick to ensure the pollen falls on the stigma. The optimal time for manual pollination is between 9 am and 10 am when the petals are in full bloom.
Once the plants have fruit the size of marbles, select them to ensure optimal growth, prevent crushing, and promote uniformity. For beef tomatoes, leave only 4-5 fruits per bunch. Cherry tomatoes, on the other hand, do not require selection as they are spaced apart and their fruits do not overlap. A single bunch of cherry tomatoes can contain 20-25 fruits.
Hydroponic cultivation requires proper nutrition, which is typically delivered through a drip irrigation system. Nutrient flow should occur three times a day at a temperature of 26°C, and five times a day when the temperature reaches 31°C.
It is important to maintain a consistently moist growing medium. Before fruiting, the recommended nutrient concentration level ranges from 1-2 mS, increasing to 3-5 mS during fruiting. Using this method, beef tomato production can reach 3-4 kg per plant. This is a significant increase compared to the average production of tomatoes in the highlands, which is around 2-3 kg per plant, and in the lowlands, which is around 1-2 kg per plant.
