Tomato farming guide: nursery, transplanting, staking and disease

Nursery and transplanting

• Raise seedlings in a protected nursery/pro-tray with good seed.
• Transplant healthy 3–4 week seedlings into well-prepared, well-drained beds.
• Keep recommended spacing for airflow and easy care.

Support and watering

Stake or trellis the plants to keep fruit off the ground, reduce disease, and improve quality. Water evenly — irregular watering causes fruit cracking and blossom-end rot. Drip irrigation with mulching works well.

Common diseases and pests

• Early/late blight — manage with resistant varieties, spacing, and recommended sprays.
• Leaf curl virus (spread by whitefly) — control whitefly and remove infected plants early.
• Fruit borer — monitor and use recommended, safe control measures.

Harvest

Pick at the right ripeness for your market — firmer fruit travels better to distant mandis, riper fruit suits local sale. Handle gently to avoid bruising.