Growing of tomatoes in a greenhouse can be fulfilling and profitable. In spite of how lucrative greenhouse farming of tomatoes is, there can be some problems which can make the venture unfulfilling and problematic.
The problems can be diseases, pests and climatic problem etc.
Problems with Growing Tomatoes in a Greenhouse
The following are the problems of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse:
- High or Low Temperature
- High Humidity
- Poor Pollination
- Problems with Irrigation
- Planting the Wrong Tomato Variety
- Poor Plant Spacing
- Pests and Diseases
High or Low Temperature
Too high temperature can cause problems for tomato plants in a greenhouse. When the temperature is too high, the flowers may drop. Also, the tomato plants’ may not fruit when the temperature is above 28 Celsius.
Low temperature can also negatively impact the growth of tomato plants. It can lead to poor fruiting and low yield.
High Humidity
High humidity can mess up the flowers of tomato plants in a greenhouse. When the humidity is too high, the tomato plants will not produce fruits. High humidity can also increase the risk of fungal diseases on tomato plants.
Low humidity can also lead to flower abortion and poor fruiting in tomato plants.
Poor Pollination
Due to the closed nature of greenhouses, bees may not be able to access the greenhouse; this can lead to poor pollination or no pollination at all.
Poor pollination can lead to a low crop yield in greenhouse tomato farming.
Problems with Irrigation
Problems with water supply or irrigation can negatively impact the growth of tomato plants in a greenhouse. The sealed nature of greenhouses does not allow rains to get to the tomato plants.
A good irrigation system like drip irrigation system can be used to address this problem.
Planting the Wrong Tomato Variety
Planting the wrong greenhouse tomato variety can spell doom to your hopes of getting a good yield in greenhouse tomato farming.
Hybrid indeterminate tomato varieties are the most suitable types of tomato specie that should be planted in greenhouses. This is due to the fact that they are high yielding and can be harvested for a long period of time.
Poor Plant Spacing
Tomato plants are usually planted in a tight manner in order to accommodate more tomato plants in the greenhouse. The intra-row spacing can be as low as 20cm. This can turn to a problem for the tomato plants.
Poor spacing can increase the humidity in the greenhouse, increase the risk of diseases and also increase the likelihood of easy transmission of diseases.
Pests and Diseases
The incidences of diseases and pests are usually higher in greenhouses used for tomato farming. It is not uncommon to see a lot of fungal diseases and pests in greenhouses. This can lead to poor health for the tomato plants and low yield.
Some of the diseases include:
- Tomato Bacterial Wilt
- Fusarium Wilt
- Bacterial Spot Disease
- Early Blight
- Crown Rot
- Bacterial Stem Rot
- Bacterial Speck
- Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus
Do you grow practice farming using a greenhouse and tomato cultivation? If yes, why not share the problems you experience in your greenhouse with us in the comments’ section.