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Growing guide

How to grow tomatoes

The highest-demand vegetable: two seasons in the north-west, strong returns in good years, sharp price swings in bad ones.

At a glance

Planting window: Autumn crop: nursery July, transplant August · Spring crop: nursery November, transplant February after frost
Duration: 60–70 days to first picking after transplanting; 4–5 months in all
Climate: 20–27 °C; nights above 15 °C for fruit set
Soil: Well-drained sandy loam to loam, rich in organic matter; pH 6–7.5
Water need: Moderate · about 450–650 mm a season
Seed: Hybrids about 60–80 g, open-pollinated about 160–200 g of seed per acre
Spacing: 75 × 45 cm (paired rows 90 cm apart for staked hybrids)
Yield: 160–240 quintals per acre for staked hybrids.

Dates assume planting around 10 Feb. Change the plan to shift them.

4–5 weeks before — Sow the nursery: Pro-trays with cocopeat under insect net. For the spring crop, raise seedlings in November under protection.
1–2 weeks before — Prepare raised beds: FYM, basal fertilizer, drip laterals and mulch.
Day 0 — Transplant in the evening: Autumn crop in August, spring crop in February once frost has passed; irrigate right after.
Days 15–25 — Stake and tie: Bamboo and wire, or string trellis.
Months 2–3 — Scout twice a week: Whitefly, fruit borer, early blight on lower leaves.
Months 1–2 — Top-dress or fertigate: Nitrogen and potash through fruiting.
Months 2–4 — Pick every 3–4 days: At breaker stage for distant markets, red for local.
Months 2–4 — Grade and sell: Graded crates fetch more; watch mandi rates daily.

Buy certified seed or planting material from an authorised source.

Arka Rakshak — ICAR-IIHR hybrid with resistance to leaf curl virus, bacterial wilt and early blight.
Pusa Rohini · Pusa Ruby — IARI open-pollinated varieties.
Hisar Arun — CCS HAU variety for Haryana.

Light, regular irrigation every 5–7 days in autumn, 3–4 days in summer — never let beds swing from dry to soaked.
Never let it go short at: Transplant establishment · Flowering · Fruit enlargement
Uneven watering causes fruit cracking and blossom-end rot.
Drip irrigation suits this crop.

Calcium and boron sprays reduce blossom-end rot and cracking.

Dose: Hybrids: about 150 kg N, 100 kg P₂O₅, 100 kg K₂O per hectare (open-pollinated about 100 : 60 : 60)
Before transplanting: all P, half K, a third of N with 8–10 t FYM per acre.
At 30 days: a third of N and the rest of K.
At 50–60 days (fruiting): final N — or split it all through drip.
Organic base: Well-rotted FYM or vermicompost at bed preparation improves fruit set and water holding.

Prevent first; spray only when needed, with a product registered for the crop, at label dose.

Tomato prices swing from ₹3 to ₹40 a kg within a year. Plan on a conservative price; staggered planting spreads the risk.

ICAR / state university general recommendation A typical range for irrigated conditions. Your soil test decides the final dose.
Common grower practice in north India Widely followed by farmers; confirm with your KVK for your block.
Agriculture Novel indicative estimate A planning number, not a quote. Replace it with your own costs and your mandi’s price.