Growing healthy tomato seedlings at home. Growing tomato seedlings at home
Dacha farming – good way provide yourself with tasty and fresh vegetables. Among them, tomatoes are one of the most popular crops. Growing them is a real art, and to obtain high-quality and bountiful harvest Growing tomatoes requires a lot of time, effort and labor. The process itself is divided into several stages, the first of which is working with seedlings. This determines how healthy and tasty tomatoes will be in the future. Therefore, if you are a beginner gardener, then you definitely need to learn how to plant tomatoes for seedlings correctly.
Before working with seeds, it is necessary to determine the timing of their planting for seedlings. Here you should pay attention to two things - how quickly the variety or hybrid of tomatoes you have chosen ripens, and in what area it will grow:
- for the Black Earth Region and southern regions, the appropriate time for sowing tomato seeds for seedlings will be the period from the last third of February to the second third of March inclusive;
- For Middle Strip and central regions - from mid-March to early April;
- in the northern regions, in the Urals and Siberia - the first and second ten days of April.
Early ripening varieties should be sown approximately 50-60 days before transferring seedlings to open ground, the rest - 65-80 days. More accurate dates can be obtained by carefully studying the characteristics of the tomatoes planned for planting.
Preparing tomato seeds for seedlings
Important! When making your own soil mixtures, do not add clay to it - it will worsen the properties of the soil and make it less permeable to water and air.
Above, in one of the sections of the article, we talked about how seeds for tomato seedlings were disinfected. The same measure must be carried out for the soil - without disinfection, the risk of young tomato sprouts being damaged by a fungus or some disease increases significantly. If you made the soil for seedlings yourself, disinfection is required. Concerning purchased land, then the summer resident must act at his own discretion. There are four ways to clean the soil for seedlings from microorganisms.
- Calcination. The oven is heated to a relatively low temperature (+70-90°C). Then soil for seedlings or a mixture prepared in advance is poured onto a metal baking sheet and distributed in an even layer, no more than 5 cm in thickness. The earth is calcined in the oven for no more than half an hour. After calcination and cooling, the soil is ready for planting seeds for seedlings.
- Cold disinfection. The soil, pre-packed in a bag, is placed in the freezer or taken outside (if it is winter) and left for several days under the influence of sub-zero temperatures. Then they bring it back into the heat for the same amount of time, and then repeat the operation a couple more times.
- Steaming– the soil for seedlings is placed in a colander and placed over a pan of boiling water for 7-8 minutes. In this case, two tasks are performed - the earth is saturated with moisture and freed from microorganisms, fungi and weed seeds.
- Etching– the soil is soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate, prepared in the same way as for disinfecting seeds. This operation should be performed only a few days before planting the seedlings.
Soil prices
soil for plants
Containers for planting tomatoes for seedlings
After seeds and soil for planting tomatoes for seedlings, containers should be prepared. They can be common to all tomato sprouts or individual, in the form of small pots or cassettes, divided by walls into separate cells. The second option is preferable due to the fact that you insure yourself against one-time damage to most of the tomato seedlings by the disease. Additionally, by using individual pots, you can distribute the nutrients for the tomato sprouts in the best possible way. You can see the main options for such containers in the table below.
Table. The main types of individual containers used for planting tomatoes for seedlings.
| Capacity type | Description |
|---|---|
| Small round and square containers made of plastic. They have holes at the bottom for drainage purposes. Glasses and pots are equipped with saucers in which excess moisture that has escaped from them through the holes mentioned earlier accumulates. |
| Large containers of square and rectangular shape. The internal space is divided into many equal square cells by walls, which can be either cast together with the product or removable. In the latter case, you have the opportunity to independently increase the size of individual cells of the pallet. At the bottom, the container has many holes created for the purpose of drainage. |
|
| Separate glasses and trays made not of plastic, but of natural peat. Tomato seedlings are planted in open ground, placed in a container, without being removed from it. Peat walls decompose and supply young plant some amount nutrients. |
| Containers, varying in size and shape, made from cardboard, thick paper, juice or milk cartons, or plastic bottles. Unlike previous options, they do not require purchase and are made independently. |
Peat tablets are another possible option.
Both homemade and purchased containers for tomato seedlings require mandatory disinfection using steam or cold.
Prices for peat tablets
Video - Sowing tomato seeds for seedlings
Planting tomato seeds for seedlings - step-by-step instructions
When the seeds, soil and containers are ready, proceed to the most important thing - planting tomatoes for seedlings. You will learn how to do this from step by step instructions presented below.
Step 1. Remove and prepare containers, soil and seeds for use. Check if everything is enough.
Step 2. Pour store-bought or your own soil into containers. There should be approximately 2.5-3 cm from the edge of the pots or tray to the ground level.
Growing tomatoes is very popular in almost every region of our state, regardless of its climatic features. This vegetable is not easy to enjoy in itself. taste qualities, but is used in the preparation of salads, hot and cold appetizers and other culinary masterpieces. That is why planting tomatoes must be approached competently.
An important criterion good result in growing any vegetable crops is selection of seed variety, preparing the container and substrate for planting. After all, it will depend on this whether it will be possible to grow good, healthy seedlings at home in order to get big harvest delicious, and most importantly, environmentally friendly tomatoes.
Seedlings grown in an apartment or private house are always cheaper than similar seedlings purchased on the market or in nurseries. In most cases she surpasses its purchased counterparts in terms of survival rate and quality planting material. Therefore, every gardener simply must try to grow tomato seedlings on their own, but for this you will need good seeds.
The first step in the process of selecting tomato seeds is to pay Special attention for landing in which climatic zone a specific variety is intended. In addition, you need to consider what technology is used to grow tomatoes in a particular region. Therefore, very often expensive seeds imported from abroad do not give the desired result in our climatic conditions.
I would like to note that at home you can simultaneously grow several varieties of tomatoes. In the future, the gardener himself will be able, using the experience gained, to determine which varieties of vegetable crops grow best in his garden. personal plot. At the same time, he will learn to choose suitable fruits for obtaining seeds, so that tomato seedlings grown in apartment conditions do not differ in quality from seedlings obtained from purchased seedlings.
Preparing a suitable substrate
Tomato seedlings growing in a house or apartment are undemanding to soil quality, which is a huge advantage of growing this vegetable. Tomato seedlings can grow in almost any soil, even having an acidic composition. The shoots can easily tolerate even drying out of the soil and will not die without the use of fertilizers. Although, with feeding, tomato seedlings at home will grow stronger and healthier.
In general, if possible, it is better to independently prepare a high-quality soil mixture for planting seeds, which will consist of the following components:
- wood soil - 1 part;
- humus – 1 part;
- compost – 1 part;
- sand or loam - 0.5 parts.
In this case, after preparing the mixture, it must be given heat treatment, having previously been steamed. If the disinfection procedure is neglected, this may subsequently lead to disease in the seedlings. Thus, the “black leg”, which is the number one enemy of tomato seedlings, can occur not only in untreated soil, but also at improper care for the last one. Therefore, in order to minimize the occurrence of any diseases in tomato seedlings grown at home, it is advisable to freeze the prepared soil in the cold. winter time of the year.
I would like to note that first feeding for seedlings Tomato can be added directly when preparing the mixture for planting soil. For these purposes, use potassium sulfate mixed with the substrate in the proportion indicated on the packaging of the drug.
When is the best time to sow seeds?
In most cases, planting seeds at home to grow seedlings is done from February to April. Everything will depend on the climatic characteristics of a particular region, as well as the temperature, humidity and lighting of the room intended for growing seedlings.
According to the advice of experienced gardeners in You can use the sowing date as a guide., recommended by seed manufacturers, which is indicated on the packaging along with a photo of tomatoes. At the same time, to obtain optimal timing When starting to grow, you can sow seeds in several stages:
- 7-10 days before the recommended date;
- exactly on time;
- for 7-10 days too late stated on the packaging.
However, it must be taken into account that in apartment conditions it is better to grow tomato seedlings a little later than what happens in greenhouses. This is due to the fact that in the living space the lighting and temperature regime differs from the created microclimate in the case of covered soil.
Preparation before sowing seeds
At this stage, the seeds are treated with drugs that will stimulate growth. seed material. However, this is completely optional and depends only on the preferences of the gardener. At the same time, there are organic-based preparations that not only increase seed germination, but also prepare the latter for transplantation into open ground.
You can also not resort to store-bought drugs, but use natural ingredients available at home. So, before planting, tomato seeds can be soak in water to which add aloe juice. To do this, seed material is placed in a piece of cloth or paper napkin and soaked in the prepared solution for a day.
Some gardeners use method of hardening seedlings, for which the moistened seeds are sent to the refrigerator for several days. As was determined experimentally, such hardening allows one to increase the percentage of seed germination. Also, to determine the quality of the seed, it is placed in a container with water; seeds that float to the surface are unsuitable for planting and it is better to get rid of them.
How to sow tomato seeds correctly?
Sowing planting material for growing tomato seedlings at home is carried out taking into account their preparation. Thus, seeds that are not subject to pre-germination buried in the ground to a depth of 15 mm. This method of planting is accompanied by wetting the soil after sowing is completed using a spray bottle.
Pre-soaked and germinated seeds are placed in depressions in the ground up to 10 mm at a distance of 20 mm from each other. In this case, the soil must be moistened before the prepared seedlings are placed in it. After planting is completed, there is no need to water anything.
You can grow tomato seedlings at home either in special boxes or in disposable paper cups. In the latter case, no more than 3 tomato seeds can be planted in containers.
Seedling care
By germinating tomato seedlings in order to obtain seedlings in the shortest possible time, it is necessary to achieve a greenhouse effect. To do this, in the case of using paper cups, they covered with polyethylene film. If we look at the seedling boxes, they have a transparent plastic lid. It is important that the temperature when growing tomato seedlings at home is ranging from +20° C to +24° C. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that there is no condensation on the film or lid.
Tomato seedlings need to be watered as the surface layer of soil dries out. For watering, use a small watering can, or better yet, a spray bottle. It is better to direct the water flow not under the roots of the seedlings, but closer to the edge of the container. There is also no need to water heavily, otherwise rot will form on the seedlings. You can feed tomato shoots along with watering, when each seedling has at least 2 leaves. It is advisable to use organic-based preparations as fertilizer.
You can open the seedlings after more than 90% of shoots appear. In most cases, this happens 7–10 days after planting the seeds in the ground. Sprouts with this period no longer require high temperature, and it can be lowered to +18° C during the day and not less than +15° C at night.
Very important role lighting plays. To prevent seedlings standing on the windowsill from growing in one direction, they must constantly turn with different sides towards the light. Thanks to this, the seedlings will turn out beautiful with smooth and powerful stems.
Picking seedlings
Growing tomato seedlings in an apartment involves picking - transplanting the shoots into separate containers. You can plant tomato seedlings after appearance on seedlings of at least 3 full leaves. This takes about a month after the seeds have sprouted.
Disposable ones are used as a container for picking. plastic cups, in which a drainage hole is first made in the bottom. This is necessary to prevent stagnation of water in the soil, which can lead to fungal diseases.
After preparation required quantity glasses, they are filled with chernozem, which is slightly compacted. After that the sprout is carefully removed and before planting in a new container, its root must be pinched. It will take no more than 4 days to acclimatize the transplanted shoots.
In the future, to care for tomato seedlings grown at home, you will need to regularly water them and loosen the soil. So, tomato seedlings will grow at home until the middle of the last spring month. Usually planting tomatoes on permanent place growth is carried out in the second half of May.
Peat tablets - a modern way of growing tomatoes
To grow tomato seedlings, you can use a fairly new modern technology, which allows you to grow full-fledged seedlings in peat tablets without picking.
For this purpose, plastic disposable drainage cups are also used, which are half filled with soil, on top of which a pre-soaked peat tablet with germinated seeds of future seedlings is placed. As the seedlings grow, the container is gradually filled with soil so that the sprouts grow full and strong.
This innovative method allows avoid spreading shoots, which greatly simplifies the process of caring for seedlings and makes it more comfortable for the gardener.
The main mistakes made when growing tomato seedlings
As discussed earlier, the most important thing is don't water too often tomato seedlings. This vegetable crop tolerates drought more easily than excessive moisture. It also has a detrimental effect on tomato seedlings. low lighting and very heat. In addition, you should know other mistakes that gardeners often make:
- At home, it is not advisable to grow tomato varieties that stretch too quickly and rapidly increase in height;
- It is important to maintain the correct temperature conditions;
- You should not plant tomatoes early without good lighting;
- Before transplanting tomato seedlings into open ground they definitely need to be hardened.
As you can see, every amateur gardener can grow tomato seedlings at home independently. The main thing is to follow all the recommendations, water and loosen the soil on time, well, approach the matter with love.
Good day, dear readers. There probably isn't a person who doesn't like tomatoes. This is one of the favorite crops of all summer residents and gardeners. Tomatoes are considered difficult to grow. But from my experience I can say that it’s simpler than peppers and eggplants. Moreover, it is very important what quality the tomato seedlings turn out at home. Good harvest tomatoes can be obtained even if the seedlings are planted in open ground later than the recommended date. The main thing is to choose quality seeds and follow the growing rules.
Our tomatoes come from Peru, so they tolerate dry and even hot climates well.
If you decide to try growing them, keep in mind that this crop loves:
- Fertile soil, preferably neutral structure.
- Warm, but resistant to short-term drops in temperature.
- For favorable development it is necessary high doses phosphorus.
In general, if you do not use a solution of manure and acidic soils, you can get excellent seedlings.
In addition to all other advantages, homemade seedlings are cheaper than purchased ones. It produces high-quality plants, and they take root better. To raise a worthy planting material, first you need to purchase quality seeds.
Over time, you can get seeds from vegetables grown on the site. But it must be done correctly.
When to plant seedlings
You need to decide in advance when to sow tomatoes for seedlings. Approximately, they should be sown 60-65 days before planting the seedlings on the site.
The seeds hatch after sowing on days 6-9, sometimes on days 3-4. It is necessary to determine the timing correctly so that the sprouts do not stand on the windowsill. This will provoke oppression of the tall bush.
You can focus on specific deadlines:
- For the southern regions, seeds can be planted from late February to mid-March, and planting in the ground is carried out from mid-April to May.
- In the central regions, seeds are sown from mid-March to April, and planting in open ground from May to June.
- For the northern regions, it is typical to plant in April, and move to the garden from late May to June.
If you move the grown seedlings to the greenhouse, then sowing will take place several weeks earlier.
You can focus on moon calendar tomato seedlings. In 2017 better days in February – 23,27,28, and in March – 2-4, 7-8, 21-22.
You can also look at the seed packaging for sowing dates. When too early sowing additional lighting will be needed.
Video - Chinese way of growing tomato seedlings
Tomato seeds for seedlings
Having chosen the planting time, you can decide on the seeds. If the seeds are from your own plot, then you need to cull them. This must be done to select healthy seeds.
Dip the grains into salt water, and the empty seeds will float to the surface. If you decide to disinfect the seeds with a manganese solution, keep in mind that in this way they can be seriously burned.
Besides, strong solution will only worsen seed germination.
If the seeds have been stored for several years, you will need to soak them. A couple of days before planting, the seeds are placed in warm water and kept in it for about 20 hours. Then they need to be pulled out and dried with a paper towel.
It is believed that hardening improves seed germination. In this case, after soaking, the grains are placed in a damp cloth and placed in the refrigerator for 20 hours. After this, the seeds can be planted immediately.
High-quality purchased seeds do not require special preparation. They can be briefly placed in a solution of a growth stimulator, which increases the germination of seedlings and increases their resistance to various diseases.
Very useful video - preparing and planting tomato seeds
How to grow tomato seedlings at home? Today we will answer all your questions.
To learn how to grow strong seedlings, you need to become familiar with the intricacies of preparing the soil for planting and the features of caring for seedlings.
Before you start planting tomatoes, consider the following points:
- Poor ventilation and neglected seedlings have a negative impact on productivity.
- If the temperature value is more than 35 degrees, then pollination does not occur.
- Excessive soil moisture and significant dosages have a negative effect on seedlings. mineral supplements and uneven watering.
Do not use seedlings in a greenhouse small size, since low greenhouses contribute to deterioration of growth and fruiting.
Land for seedlings: how best to make it
It is better to grow seeds in a homemade soil mixture. You can mix sand, peat and ash. Just keep in mind that it is better to add ash if the soil is acidic.
Alternatively, you can purchase ready-made soil and mix it with some soil from your own plot. Take your land in greater proportion.
This is necessary for better adaptation of the crop so that the seedlings do not experience shock when transplanted. Ready-made peat-based soil promotes better seed germination, as it is softer.
You can do the first fertilizing at the soil preparation stage. IN soil mixture add potassium sulfate or superphosphate.
When deciding what is best to grow tomato seedlings in, you should choose containers small sizes. They should be filled with soil mixture.
Compact the soil on top a little, and distribute the seeds at intervals of 1*1 cm. Then they need to be lightly sprinkled with earth and compacted further. Cover the container with polyethylene or a sheet of glass and take it to a warm room.
When sowing seeds, it is better to use a spray bottle to moisten the soil. Apply a slightly pink solution of manganese and moisten the soil before and after placing the seeds in it.
At a temperature of 26-32 degrees, seedlings form within a few days. If the temperature is about 20 degrees, the sprouts will appear in about ten days.
How to water?
- Water infrequently. The water must be settled.
- Periodically water with water containing mineral components that contain phosphorus. To determine whether there is enough moisture, you need to stick your finger all the way near the wall of the container.
- If the tip of your finger is wet, then watering does not need to be done for two days. If dry, then there is a lack of moisture. In this case, you need to immediately water the seedlings. Lumps of earth sticking to your finger indicate normal humidity.
How to feed seedlings
When visible shoots form, move the container to a lighted and slightly cool place. You should not place it close to the glass, where the plant will not absorb food. With phosphorus starvation, a purple tint appears on the underside of the leaf.
After a week, the temperature needs to be raised a few degrees.
As soon as the cotyledon leaves of the tomato seedlings appear, the seedlings need to be fed. You can use a weak solution of azofoska.
Two weeks after picking, you need to fertilize. Potassium nitrate or urea solution is used. After another two weeks, fertilizing with Nitrophoska is carried out.
The following recommendations will tell you how to properly feed seedlings:
- If the leaves are too light, this indicates a lack of nitrogen. A urea solution is suitable for this.
- If the leaves curl into a tube, this indicates a lack of potassium. In this case, potassium nitrate is suitable.
- Marbled coloring on the leaves occurs due to magnesium deficiency. To correct the situation, use magnesium nitrate.
It is better to apply fertilizers in the morning to moist soil. The prepared solution should not get on the leaves.
Picking tomato seedlings: is it necessary?
Many novice agronomists are interested in the question: is it possible to grow seedlings without picking. In general, it is possible; with proper care, the seedlings will turn out very good.
But if you have time, then it’s better to do it. Because this process promotes better development root system, and also allows you to remove weak shoots.
Picking is best done on the tenth day after germination. Two days before transplanting, the seedlings need to be watered.
You can remove the sprouts using a teaspoon. The plant is moved into the prepared container up to the cotyledon leaves. The soil is then compacted and watered.
Diseases of tomato seedlings
To get healthy seedlings, you must know what diseases the plant needs to be protected from. Tomatoes are more likely to suffer from the following types diseases:
- Darkening in the lower part of the seedling and its fall indicates the appearance of a black leg. This is a disease of fungal origin that appears when the soil is very waterlogged. Affected sprouts must be removed and the soil sprinkled with ash.
- The appearance of black spots signals late blight. This is a mushroom that lives in the ground. For prevention, the soil layer can be watered with fertilizer containing copper before planting. In case of significant infection, the affected leaves are removed, and the rest are sprayed with a 1% calcium chloride composition.
- Leaf mold can be identified by yellowish marks on the foliage. If the disease has just begun, you need to stop watering and sprinkle the soil with ash.
- White and gray mold manifests itself as rotten spots on vegetables. Most often, the plant has to be completely dug up and thrown away.
Always remember about tomato pests. The whitefly is considered especially dangerous. They only help against her chemical compositions. After their use, you cannot harvest for 20 days.
When to plant tomato seedlings in the ground
- Timely planted seedlings open ground is a guarantee that the seedlings will feel great in the open ground. The time for transplantation has come when the stems have reached a height of 30 cm and 6-7 leaves have appeared.
- To replant, dig holes into which you place a spoonful of superphosphate. Then several liters are poured into each recess warm water. When the liquid is absorbed, plant the seedlings.
- In the southern regions, you can grow tomatoes without seedlings, but you need to determine the appropriate planting time.
- IN northern regions seedlings are planted in the ground after late summer frosts, rock teeth. They are available until June 13th.
- If the seedlings are already “asking” to be planted, make temporary shelters in the beds. In this case, place the plants on their sides when planting, and not vertically. When the threat of frost has passed, the cover can be removed and the plant tied to a stake.
If you do not have a greenhouse, then you should not sow the seeds too early, as the seedlings will sit on the windowsill, which is not very good for the seedlings.
- If fertilization does not occur, the reason may be high humidity.
- Ovaries fall off when used large quantity manure or nitrogen.
- If the ovaries develop slowly, this may be due to lack of lighting and prolonged cold weather.
- When planting in greenhouses, they must be opened until eight in the morning, since at this time the temperature difference in the greenhouse and outside is minimal. The plant reacts poorly to rapid changes in temperature, which causes the development process to stop.
Video - how to grow tomato seedlings
If you can provide good conditions cultivation, you will get a rich harvest as a result. If you follow the recommendations, you will grow excellent tomato seedlings at home. I hope my experience and advice will be of great benefit to you. I will be glad to see your comments, I would like to know about your experience in growing tomatoes. See you soon.
The quality and quantity of the harvest of any crop is influenced by many factors: the climate and weather conditions of the area, the composition and level of acidity of the soil, the quality of implementation and timeliness of care activities and, of course, the timing of sowing the seeds and planting the seedlings in the beds.
From our article you will learn:
- on what days is it best to sow tomato seeds for seedlings in 2020;
- in what substrate do tomato seedlings develop best?
- how to grow seedlings in tablets and how to sow tomatoes in greenhouse beds;
- how to care for growing seedlings;
- how to choose seedlings at the market;
- when to plant seedlings in the garden.
Tomatoes are one of the most popular garden crops which is usually grown seedling method. Healthy seedlings are the key successful harvest tomatoes, therefore it is necessary to treat the process of growing it with full responsibility, and there are no trifles in this matter. We will tell you when tomato seeds are planted, how to grow tomato seedlings at home, and when tomato seedlings are planted in the garden.
When to plant tomatoes for seedlings in 2020
Growing seedlings begins with determining correct timing sowing When to sow tomatoes for seedlings in 2020? The lunar sowing calendar will tell you about this:
| Mon | VT | SR | Thu | PT | SB | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | PL | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | NL | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Mon | VT | SR | Thu | PT | SB | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | PL |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | NL |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| Mon | VT | SR | Thu | PT | SB | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| PL | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | NL | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 |
| Mon | VT | SR | Thu | PT | SB | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | PL | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | NL | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Mon | VT | SR | Thu | PT | SB | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | PL | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | NL | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Do not sow tomatoes for seedlings during the new moon or full moon, as during these lunar phases plant juices collect either in the upper part, or, conversely, in the roots and tubers, which interferes with normal development. If you sow seeds during the waxing moon, that is, after the new moon, the growth activity of the ground part increases, and in plants sown on the waning moon, after the full moon, the root system intensively develops. It follows from this that grains should be planted in the waxing phase of the moon, and root crops in the waning phase. As for tomatoes, then culture is demanding, Therefore, it is very important that sowing of tomatoes for seedlings is carried out on favorable days.
Growing tomato seedlings at home
Soil for tomato seedlings
The main component of soil for tomato seedlings is a mixture of humus and turf land V equal parts. To give this mixture looseness, sawdust or peat is added to it. You can purchase ready-made soil for seedlings in the store.
Often, to grow seedlings, a mixture of black soil, sand and soil in equal proportions is used, but a little vermiculite must be added to this composition. Excellent results showed the cultivation of tomato seedlings in a mixture of sand and deoxidized high peat in a ratio of 1:3. Good tomato seedlings are also obtained on coconut substrate - they have a healthy and strong root system, and besides, the seedlings are different high quality and rapid growth.
However, whatever soil composition you prefer for growing tomato seedlings, its pH value should be in the range of 5.5-6.0 pH, in addition, the soil must be disinfected before sowing.
You can do this in several ways:
- calcine the soil mixture in the oven for 10-15 minutes at a temperature of 180-200 ºC;
- spill boiling water on the soil;
- heat for a couple of minutes in the microwave at full power;
- spill the composition with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate.
The soil is disinfected using any of the above methods, moistened if it is dry, and left warm for a couple of weeks, so that during this time bacteria beneficial to tomatoes multiply in it.
In the photo: Germinating tomato seedlings
Seedlings are also grown in peat tablets.
Planting tomatoes for seedlings at home
If you bought tomato seeds for seedlings from reliable producers, then you do not need to disinfect them before sowing - the seeds are already prepared for planting. Seeds collected with your own hands or purchased at the market must be disinfected before sowing, as they may be contaminated with fungal, viral or bacterial infections.
There are several ways to disinfect seed material:
- Tomato seeds are soaked for a day or two in an aqueous solution of aloe juice (1:1), purchased at a pharmacy or squeezed from the leaves of the plant with your own hands and kept in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. Tomatoes from seeds processed in this way are distinguished by good immunity, productivity and high quality fruits;
- the seed is soaked for a day in a solution of one gram of soda in 200 ml of water - this treatment stimulates the early onset of fruiting;
- Soaking seeds in a solution of Fitosporin is effective: a drop of the drug is diluted in 100 ml of water and the seed is immersed in this liquid for 1-2 hours;
- the seeds are wrapped in gauze and placed for 15-20 minutes in a one percent solution of potassium permanganate.
Sowing tomato seeds for seedlings is carried out in this way: a container for sowing with drainage holes fill with moist soil, make grooves in it no more than 1 cm deep at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other, lay out seeds in them in increments of 2-3 cm and sprinkle with soil. Then the container is covered with glass or film and placed close to the heat source, since optimal temperature for seed germination 25-30 ºC.
How to grow seedlings in tablets
Growing tomato seedlings in peat tablets makes it possible to do without picking the seedlings, which in any case leads to their stress. To grow tomatoes, you need tablets with a diameter of 4 cm, which are first filled with water to swell. room temperature, and after the excess water has drained, they are placed in cells slightly larger in diameter than the tablets and placed in a transparent box at least 10 cm high.
From two to four seeds are sown in one such tablet, but if you are confident in the quality of the seed, you can sow one at a time - later you will not have to thin out the seedlings.
Make a hole 1-1.5 cm deep in the center of each tablet and place a seed there, and sprinkle it with soil or vermiculite on top. Cover the box with the seeds with a transparent lid, glass or polyethylene and place in the conditions necessary for seed germination. With the emergence of seedlings, the covering is removed from the crops.
In the photo: Grown tomato seedlings
Growing tomato seedlings in cassettes
Many gardeners prefer to use cassettes with a tray for growing tomato seedlings.
- Firstly, in this case, the procedure for moistening the soil is greatly simplified, since the method of bottom watering is used - through a pan.
- Secondly, the same cassettes can be used repeatedly - they are made from high-quality polystyrene, they are easy to clean and wash.
- Third, Cassettes save space - all seedlings can fit on one windowsill.
- Fourthly, By growing seedlings in cassettes, you save yourself and the seedlings from the grueling picking procedure, which often damages root system seedlings.
On sale you can find cassettes with parameters 18x13.5x6 cm into 4 cells, the size of each of which is 8x6 cm and the volume is 240 ml. You can purchase a cassette of the same size with a larger number of cells of smaller capacity - 6x5.5 cm and a capacity of 155 ml. There are cassettes for nine and twelve plants, but for tomato seedlings it is better to choose a cassette with larger cells. The most convenient type of cassettes is in a box: the tray in such a box is made of dark plastic, and the lid is made of transparent. The lid protects the substrate from moisture evaporation and creates Greenhouse effect and transmits light well.
How to grow tomato seedlings in cassettes? The use of cassettes as a container for seedlings has its own characteristics: due to the small volume of the cells, the soil in them quickly dries out and is deprived of nutrients, so a mixture of agroperlite with high-moor peat in a ratio of 1:3 is more suitable for growing in cassettes. The peat is pre-deoxidized by mixing 10 buckets with 1 kg of chalk and adding to the mixture 50 g of ammonium nitrate, 30 g of magnesium sulfate, 100 g of potassium nitrate and 150 g of superphosphate. Do not forget to disinfect the soil mixture before adding fertilizers to it.
Disposable cassettes do not require sterilization, and those that have already been used must be disinfected. After disinfection, place the cassette on a pallet, fill the cells with prepared wet soil, compact it, make holes in it 1-1.5 cm deep, place the seeds that have undergone pre-sowing treatment in them, and fill the holes.
In the photo: Just hatched seedlings
But it is much simpler and more convenient to use peat tablets for growing seedlings in cassettes - after swelling in water, they are laid out in cells and seeds are sown in them in the way that we have already described.
Tomato seedlings in a greenhouse
Our website has already posted an article on how to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse, but we will tell you how to grow tomato seedlings in protected ground now, especially since this is the most reliable and effective method obtaining strong, healthy tomato seedlings.
After preparing the soil in a heated greenhouse, make furrows 3-5 cm deep in the bed at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other and water these furrows well. Dry disinfected seeds are sown in increments of 1-2 cm, after which the furrows are sealed with damp sand or peat.
The seedlings are thinned out when they develop the first pair of true leaves, leaving a distance of 5-7 cm between the seedlings. After the procedure, water the soil well to eliminate the formed leaves. air jams. In the development phase of seedlings with three pairs of leaves, a second thinning is carried out in increments of 12-15 cm. After the second procedure, to develop the root system of the seedlings, you need to add a layer of soil 3-6 cm thick to the bed, and mulch the row spacing with sand, sawdust or peat.
Is it worth it to buy tomato seedlings?
If for some reason you did not have time or were unable to grow tomato seedlings yourself, you, of course, will have to buy them, and it is better to contact a well-established nursery for this - they are unlikely to deceive you by foisting another instead of one variety, and will try answer all your questions. But anything can happen in the market.
But if you still decide to purchase seedlings at the market, listen to our advice:
- choose seedlings that are no more than 45-60 days old: their height should not exceed 30 cm, for seedlings that are short and early varieties there should be 6-8 leaves, and tall ones should have 11-12 leaves;
- seedlings must be strong, with a stem as thick as a pencil, rich green leaves and a well-formed root system without mechanical damage;
- Carefully inspect the undersides of the leaves for pests or their eggs. If seedlings have wrinkled or otherwise deformed leaves, this may be a symptom infectious disease. Pay attention to the stems of the seedlings - whether there are brown or black spots on them. Do not buy seedlings from the seller if you find signs of disease or presence harmful insects at least on one plant;
- If the seedlings look healthy, but the edges of their bright green leaves curl down under the leaf, this may indicate that the seller has grown the seedlings in an accelerated manner by overfeeding them nitrogen fertilizers– such seedlings are not worth buying;
- seedlings must be fresh and sold in boxes with soil.
And yet, even if you manage to purchase good seedlings, homemade tomato seedlings that you grew yourself are still better.
In the photo: Tomato seedlings with the first true leaves
The germination time of seeds depends on the quality of the seed, the conditions under which the crops are kept and the variety of tomatoes. If you follow the recommended temperature (25-30 ºC), the seeds will germinate in 3-4 days. At a temperature of 20-25 ºC, seedlings will begin to emerge in 5-6 days, and if the room temperature is 10-12 ºC, then sprouts will appear no earlier than in two weeks.
As soon as the first shoots appear, the temperature is lowered for a week to 14-16 ºC to avoid stretching the seedlings. The crops are placed in the brightest place, but natural lighting may not be enough, and you will need to organize additional artificial lighting for the growing seedlings.
Ventilate the crops daily and remove condensation from the covering, otherwise mold may form on the surface of the soil. When massive seed germination begins, the covering of the crops is removed, the daytime temperature is raised to 20-22 ºC, and the night temperature to 16-18 ºC. By adjusting the room temperature, protect seedlings from drafts.
Watering tomato seedlings
Tomato seedlings must be moistened with great care, as they can easily rot. If the substrate holds moisture well, then do not water the soil from the moment of sowing until the seedlings have their first true leaf. If the soil dries out, it is better to moisten it with a spray bottle, being careful not to wet the stems of the seedlings. In the future, watering is carried out once a week, and at the stage of development of seedlings with five true leaves, the soil begins to be moistened once every 3-4 days.
For watering and spraying, use settled or filtered water two to three degrees warmer than room temperature.
Feeding tomato seedlings
You can determine whether your seedlings need feeding by their appearance: seedlings with strong, thick stems and lush green leaves do not need fertilizer. But if appearance your seedlings inspires you with the suspicion that they are not receiving enough nutrition, add fertilizer to the soil.
How to feed tomato seedlings, and when is the best time to do it? Add a solution of 1 teaspoon of Agricola Vegeta and the same amount of Cornerost in 1 liter of water to the soil at the stage of development of seedlings with 1-2 leaves, and when the seedlings have a third leaf, a solution of one tablespoon of Effecton-O per liter will be a good feed for them water. Water the soil with nutrient solutions carefully, trying to ensure that the liquid does not get on the leaves and stems of the seedlings.
In the photo: Planted tomato seedlings
Illumination of tomato seedlings
Tomatoes are very demanding on lighting. Due to lack of light, seedlings stretch out and grow weak and frail. The duration of daylight for tomato seedlings should be at least 12 hours, so you will need an additional light source, and in the first 2-5 days after emergence, artificial lighting should work around the clock.
To organize lighting, it is better to purchase fluorescent lamp or a phytolamp, and place it above the seedlings at a height of 20-25 cm.
Picking tomato seedlings
If you grow seedlings in a common box or container, at the stage of development the seedlings have three true leaves, they are planted in separate half-liter pots or cups with drainage holes. If you transplant the seedlings into smaller containers, you will have to pick one more time, and this is unreasonable. The cups are filled with wet soil, compacted, and a depression is made in it. The seedling is carefully removed from the soil, pinch its main root to a third of its length, then transplant the plant into a cup and squeeze the soil around its stem. For the first 3-4 days after picking, the temperature in the room is increased by 2-3 degrees, and as soon as the seedlings take root, it is lowered to the previous level.
Pinching tomato seedlings
There is another way to transplant seedlings after picking - two in one pot. When the seedlings take root and stretch up to 10-15 cm, their stems are tightly tied to each other with nylon thread. After complete fusion, the thread is removed, and the top of the weaker seedling is pinched. As a result, you will have a strong seedling with a powerful root system.
In the photo: Tomato seedlings in peat pots
Diseases of tomato seedlings and their treatment
Tomato seedlings turn yellow
Tomato seedlings are rotting
Most common cause Rotting of seedlings is caused by excessive soil moisture, especially if there is no drainage. Do not make such mistakes, and if you find signs of rotting, remove the affected plants, loosen the soil and sprinkle wood ash on top. And, of course, reconsider your attitude towards watering. Seedlings also rot due to diseases.
Diseases of tomato seedlings
Most frequent illnesses afflicting tomatoes at the seedling stage are black leg, white and brown leaf spots, black bacterial spot, bacterial canker, streak, late blight and mosaic.
Blackleg – fungal disease, transmitted through the soil, and its activity is provoked by high air temperature and high humidity. The base of the stem of the affected plant darkens and then turns black, a constriction forms on it and, as a result, the seedling lies down and its roots rot.
The level of danger can be reduced by adding wood ash to the soil. As a preventative measure, do not neglect sterilization of soil mixture and seeds before sowing and control soil moisture.
Affected plants must be removed.
In the photo: Grown tomato seedlings in individual pots
White leaf spot appears as off-white spots with black dots and a dark border on lower leaves, which gradually turn brown, dry out and fall off. The infection penetrates from contaminated soil. At the first signs of the disease, all affected seedlings must be removed, the soil should be spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate and powdered with wood ash, and healthy plants should be treated with Bordeaux mixture or other copper-containing fungicide.
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