Plan ahead… When do you want to market your product for the best monetary return? For hydroponic tomato growers in seasonal countries, get a better price in Winter – no field competition and little from greenhouses in northern latitudes. Alternative: grow year around to maintain stable, consistent market/shelf space. Tomatoes: 2 examples of crop scheduling
- Example 1: Passively cooled greenhouses (vents): No Summer harvesting. Seed first crop in early July in 1" (or 1.5") Rockwool cubes. Transplant in mid-July into 3" (or 4" with 2 holes) Rockwool blocks. Plant 1-month-old seedlings onto Rockwool slabs in August. Harvest from October until March – Top the plants in February, remove when second crop begins producing in March. Seed a second crop in early December as above. Transplant in mid-December as above. Interplant new 1 month old seedlings onto Rockwool slabs in January. Harvest from this new crop from March until July. Remove plants. Clean.
- Example 2: Actively cooled greenhouses (fan and pad): Year around harvesting. Seed, transplant and plant first and second crops as above, removing first crop as above in March. Continue second crop, harvesting from March until the next October. Seed, transplant and plant the third crop, as the first, in July/August. When third crop is ready to harvest in October, remove second crop. Continue the process for up to 5 years.
Note: Concentrate on the production end (growing the plants, harvesting, marketing, etc.)
and purchase 1 month old seedlings from a TRANSPLANT GROWER.
NOTE: Why 2 crops/year? Fruit size and quality go down over time.
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