How to properly grow tomato seedlings from seeds?

How to grow strong tomato seedlings with your own hands

Tomatoes are from South America, so when growing tomato seedlings at home, you need relatively dry air, a lot of light and heat.

The correct choice of variety

Before you start growing tomato seedlings, you need to decide on the choice of varieties. Before planting seeds, you need to decide which varieties will be grown and where. It is fundamentally important to know whether tomatoes will grow outdoors or in a greenhouse. According to the method of growth, all varieties are divided into indeterminate, semi-determinant and determinant. This characteristic is indicated on the seed bag and is decisive for growing plants in open or protected ground.

1. Indeterminate tomatoes have unlimited growth and, if not pinched, can grow up to several meters. In the south, they can be grown in a greenhouse or outdoors on a trellis, or tied to high stakes. In the middle lane, Siberia, the Far East, these tomatoes are grown only in greenhouses, tying them vertically. Their first brush is laid after 9-10 leaves, the next ones - after 3 leaves. The fruiting period is long, but comes later than in other types.
2. Semi-determinant varieties and hybrids... Tomatoes stop growing after 9-12 inflorescences are laid. They tend to set a large number of fruits to the detriment of roots and leaves, and, when overloaded with crops, tomatoes may stop growing long before the formation of the 9th cluster. Flower brushes are laid through 2 leaves. In the south, they are grown mainly in open ground, in the middle lane, they can be planted both in a greenhouse and on the street.
3. Determinant tomatoes Are undersized plants. They are designed for planting in open ground. Their growth is limited, they lay 3-6 brushes, the tip of the shoot ends with a flower brush and the bush does not grow upward anymore. The first brush in this type is laid after 6-7 leaves. These are early ripening tomatoes, but their yield is lower than that of the indeterminate type. However, significant differences in the yield of varieties are noticeable only in the south.In the middle lane and to the north, the difference is minimal, since the indents do not have time to reveal their full potential.

Should I choose a hybrid or a variety?

Variety Are plants that are capable of retaining their characteristics for many generations when grown from seeds.

Hybrid Are plants obtained by special pollination. They retain their traits only in one generation; when grown from seeds, their traits are lost. Any plant hybrids are designated F1.

Sign	Varieties	Hybrids
Heredity	Varietal characteristics are passed on to subsequent generations	Traits are not transmitted and are a feature of one generation per growing season
Germination	75-85%	Excellent (95-100%)
Fruit size	Fruits are larger than those of hybrids, but can vary significantly in weight	Fruits are smaller, but aligned
Yield	May fluctuate from year to year	High yields with proper care. Usually higher than varieties
Disease resistance	Susceptible to various diseases, some of which can be inherited	More resistant, less affected by diseases
Weather	Better tolerate temperature changes	Temperature fluctuations tolerate much worse varieties. With sudden and strong changes in temperature, they may die
Conditions of detention	Less demanding on soil fertility and temperature	Requires more fertile soil and higher temperatures for fruiting
Top dressing	Needed regularly	For good fruiting, the dose should be higher than for varieties
Watering	Can tolerate short-term drought or waterlogging well	Very poorly tolerate both lack and excess of moisture
Taste	Each variety has its own flavor.	Less pronounced. To taste, all hybrids are inferior to varieties.

The cooler the summer in the region, the more difficult it is to grow hybrids. In these regions, varieties should be preferred. Also, if in the future there is a desire to grow a crop from their own seeds, then they make a choice in favor of the variety.

If the goal is to get the maximum amount of products, and the weather conditions in the region allow, then it is preferable to grow hybrids.

Dates of sowing seeds for seedlings

The timing of sowing seeds for seedlings depends on the early maturity. First of all, the timing of planting tomatoes in the ground is determined and the required number of days is counted from this date - the time for sowing seeds is obtained.

For mid-season varieties, the age of tomato seedlings before planting in the ground should be at least 65-75 days. You can plant them in a greenhouse at the end of May, and in open ground, when the threat of frost has passed, that is, in the first decade of June (for the middle lane). If we also add the period from sowing to germination (7-10 days), then sowing must be 70-80 days before planting in the ground. In the middle lane, the sowing period for mid-season varieties is the first decade of March. However, it is unprofitable to grow mid-season varieties in the northern and central regions: they will not have time to fully reveal their potential, and the harvest will be small. Mid-season and late tomatoes are suitable only for the southern regions of the country.

Seedlings of early ripe tomatoes are planted in the ground at the age of 60-65 days. Therefore, the seeds are sown after March 20. They are suitable for all regions of the country.

It is not necessary to sow tomatoes too early for seedlings. They are strongly stretched and weakened during early sowing in conditions of a lack of light. In poor light during the seedling period, flower clusters are laid later, and the yield becomes lower.

If the soil in the greenhouse has warmed up, then early-ripening tomatoes for greenhouses can be sown directly into the greenhouse in early May and grown without picking. When grown without seedlings, tomatoes begin to bear fruit 1-2 weeks earlier than seedlings.

Soil for growing tomato seedlings

For growing tomato seedlings, it is better to prepare the soil yourself.The soil should be loose, nutritious, water and air permeable, should not be crusty and compacted after watering, be free of pathogens, pests and weed seeds.

For seedlings, a mixture of peat and sand is made up in a ratio of 1: 0.5. For each bucket of land obtained, it is advisable to add a liter can of ash. Peat is acidic and tomatoes need a neutral environment to grow well. Ash just neutralizes excess acidity.

Another option for an earthen mixture is sod land, humus, sand in a ratio of 1: 2: 3, instead of sand, you can take high-moor peat.

After special processing, the garden soil can also be used for growing tomato seedlings, the main thing is that it does not contain the spores of diseases and wintering pests. But, since it is too compacted in containers, sand or peat is added to loosen it. They take land from under the plantings of legumes, melons, greens, siderates. Do not use the soil from greenhouses, after nightshades. If the earth is acidic in the country, then ash must be added (1 liter / bucket). Garden soil is best used for preparing soil mixtures.

Purchased soils contain a lot of fertilizers, which is not always good for seedlings. If there are no other options, then the store land is diluted with sand, garden or turf soil. Peat is not added to the purchased soil, since it itself, most often, consists only of peat. It is better to prepare the soil mixture in the fall.

If the moment is missed, and there is no place to take the soil, then you will have to buy several types of soil from different manufacturers and mix them in equal proportions, or add soil from flower pots to the purchased land. But this is the worst option when growing seedlings.

Soil treatment

After preparing the mixture, the land is compulsorily cultivated to destroy pests, diseases, and weed seeds. The soil can be processed using various methods:

• freezing;
• steaming;
• by calcining;
• disinfection.

Freezing... The finished soil is taken out into frost for several days, so that it freezes. Then they bring it into the house and let it thaw. The procedure is repeated several times. It is desirable that the outside frost be at least -8 -10 ° C at this time.

Steaming... The earth is heated for an hour in a boiling water bath. If the soil is purchased, then the sealed bag is placed in a bucket of hot water, covered with a lid and kept until the water cools.

Calcination... The earth is calcined in an oven preheated to 100 ° C for 40-50 minutes.

Disinfection... The earth is watered with a strong solution of potassium permanganate dissolved in hot water. Then cover with foil and leave for 2-3 days.

Preparing tomato seeds for sowing

If the bag says that the seeds are processed, then they do not need additional processing. The rest of the seed must be processed.

First of all, calibration is carried out. The seeds are dipped in a glass of water and wait 3-5 minutes until they get wet. Then the floating seeds are thrown away, they are unsuitable for sowing, since the embryo died, therefore they became lighter than water. The rest are soaked for 2 hours in a solution of potassium permanganate.

For processing, the seeds can be soaked in water heated to 53 ° C for 20 minutes. This temperature kills disease spores, but does not affect the embryo. Then the hot water is drained, the seeds are slightly dried and sown immediately.

For early germination, the seed is soaked. It is wrapped in a cotton cloth or paper towel, moistened with water, placed in a plastic bag and placed on a battery. You also need to soak the processed seeds. As practice shows, they sprout faster than without soaking, and the protective effect from processing remains quite high.

Many process planting material with growth stimulants. But in this case, all seeds sprout together, including weak ones. In the future, a large percentage of rejection of weak plants is obtained.Therefore, it is better to treat bad seeds with stimulants (those with an expiring shelf life, overdried, etc.), the rest are simply soaked in water.

Sowing seeds

When the seeds hatch, sowing is done. You should not wait for the seedling to be larger; when tightening with sowing, long shoots break off.

Tomatoes are sown in shallow boxes, filling them with soil by 3/4. The ground is slightly crushed. Seeds are laid out at a distance of 2 cm from each other. Sprinkle with dry earth on top. If the soil is not crushed or the crops are covered with moist soil, the seeds will go deep into the soil and will not germinate.

You can sow 2 seeds in separate containers, if both sprout, then they are planted when picking.

Varietal tomatoes and hybrids are sown in different containers, since they have different germination conditions.

The boxes are covered with foil or glass and placed on the battery until germination.

Seed germination timing

The timing of the emergence of seedlings depends on the temperature.

• Seeds of varieties germinate at a temperature of 24-26 ° С after 6-8 days
• At 20-23 ° C - after 7-10 days
• At 28-30 ° C - in 4-5 days.
• They can rise even at 18 ° C in 8-12 days.
• The optimum germination temperature for varietal tomatoes is 22-25 ° C.

The germination of hybrids is much better, but often they do not germinate well at home. For good germination, they need a temperature of + 28-30 ° C. + 24 ° С - it is COLD for them, they will germinate for a long time and not all will ascend.

Weak seeds emerge later than others; they usually have a seed coat on them. Therefore, seedlings that appeared later than 5 days after the main group are removed, they will not have a good harvest.

Tomato seedling care

To grow good tomato seedlings, it is imperative to maintain the following parameters:

• temperature;
• light;
• moisture.

Temperature... As soon as shoots appear, the film is removed and the boxes are placed in a bright and cool place with a temperature of + 14-16 ° С. In the first 10-14 days, the seedlings grow roots, and the aerial part practically does not develop. This is a peculiarity of tomatoes and you don't need to do anything here. After the allotted time, the seedlings will begin to grow. As soon as growth begins, the daytime temperature is increased to 20 ° С, and the nighttime temperature is maintained at the same level (15-17 ° С).

After germination, hybrids need a higher temperature (+ 18-19 °). If they are placed in the same conditions as varietal tomatoes, they will wither rather than grow. After 2 weeks, they also need to increase the daytime temperature to 20-22 ° C. If this is not possible, the hybrids will develop more slowly, the first flower cluster will appear later and the yield will be lower.

In general, for growing hybrids, you need to take the warmest windowsill, take care of them better than the rest of the seedlings, only then they will give a full harvest.

On warm days, the seedlings are taken out onto the balcony, and at night the vents are opened to reduce the temperature. Whoever has the opportunity, on sunny days, tomatoes are put in a greenhouse if the temperature there is not lower than + 15-17 ° С. Such temperatures harden the plants well, make them stronger, and, in the future, their yield is higher.

Lighting... Tomato seedlings must be highlighted, especially the late varieties that are sown earlier. The lighting period should be at least 14 hours a day. With a lack of light, the seedlings are strongly stretched, become long and fragile. In cloudy weather, the supplementary illumination of the plants is increased by 1-2 hours compared to sunny days, and the temperature is reduced to 13-14 ° C, otherwise the tomatoes are strongly stretched.

Watering. Water the tomatoes very sparingly. Watering is carried out as the soil dries up and only with settled water. Unsteady tap water forms a bacterial-calcareous coating on the soil, which tomatoes do not like very much. At the initial stage, each plant needs only 1 teaspoon of water, as it grows, watering is increased.

The soil in the seedling box should be neither too wet nor too dry.You need to water abundantly so that the soil is sufficiently saturated with moisture, and the next watering is carried out only after the earthen coma has dried. Usually tomatoes are watered no more than 1 time a week, but here they are guided by individual growing conditions. If the plants have wilted, then they need to be watered without waiting for a week to pass.

Waterlogging, combined with high temperature and poor lighting, causes a strong pulling of tomatoes.

Seedling picking

When 2-3 true leaves appear in tomato seedlings, a pick is carried out.

For picking, prepare pots with a volume of at least 1 liter, fill them with 3/4 of earth, watered and compacted. They make a deepening, dig up the seedling with a teaspoon and plant it in a pot. When picking, tomatoes are planted a little deeper than they grew earlier, sprinkling the stem with earth until the cotyledon leaves. Strongly elongated seedlings are covered up to the first true leaves. Seedlings are held by the leaves, if you hold it by a thin stalk, it will break.

Tomatoes tolerate picking well. If the sucking roots are damaged, they quickly recover and grow thicker. Do not allow the roots to bend upwards, otherwise the seedlings will develop poorly.

After picking, the ground is well watered, and the tomatoes themselves are shaded for 1-2 days so that the evaporation of water by leaves is less intense.

How to feed tomato seedlings

Top dressing is carried out 5-7 days after the pick. Previously, top dressing is not recommended, since the soil was filled with ash, which contains all the necessary elements for seed growth. If the seedlings are grown on a purchased soil mixture, then feeding is all the more unnecessary.

After 14-16 days from germination, tomatoes begin to actively grow leaves, and at this time they need to be fed. Top dressing should contain not only nitrogen, but also phosphorus and trace elements, so it is advisable to use a universal fertilizer. During this period, you can feed tomatoes with fertilizer for indoor plants. It gives excellent results.

You cannot feed tomato seedlings with nitrogen alone. First, it is difficult to calculate the required dose for relatively small plants. Secondly, nitrogen causes increased growth, which, with a limited volume of land and in conditions of a lack of light, leads to a strong stretching and thinning of plants.

Subsequent feeding is carried out in 12-14 days. Seedlings of late and mid-season varieties are fed 3-4 times before planting in the ground. Early ripening varieties are enough 1, maximum two dressings. For hybrids, the number of dressings is increased by 2 for each type of seedling.

If the land is purchased, then it is sufficiently filled with fertilizers and feeding when growing tomatoes on such soils is not carried out. The exception is hybrids. They consume nutrients more intensively and before planting it is necessary to carry out 1-2 additional fertilizing, in whatever soil they are grown.

Growing seedlings after picking

After picking, the seedlings are placed on the windowsills as freely as possible. If she is cramped, then she develops poorly. In densely spaced seedlings, the illumination decreases and it stretches.

2 weeks before planting tomatoes, they are hardened. For this, the seedlings are taken out on the balcony or in the open air even on cold days (the temperature is not lower than 11-12 ° C). At night, the temperature is lowered to 13-15 ° C. For hardening hybrids, the temperature should be 2-3 ° C higher, it is gradually lowered.

For tempering, pots with hybrids are first placed close to the glass itself, where the temperature is always lower. After a few days, if the batteries are regulated, they are closed for a few hours; if not regulated, then they open a balcony or a window. At the final stage of hardening, the seedlings of the hybrids are taken out to the balcony for the whole day.

If tomato seedlings cannot be taken out onto the balcony, then they are sprayed daily with cold water to harden them.

The main reasons for failure

1. Seedlings of tomatoes are strongly stretched. There are several reasons: not enough light, early planting, excess nitrogen fertilization.
   1. Seedlings are always pulled out when there is a lack of light. It needs to be supplemented. If this is not possible, then a mirror or foil is placed behind the seedlings, then the illumination of the tomatoes greatly increases, and they stretch less.
   2. There is no need to feed the tomatoes with nitrogen, this causes the rapid growth of tops, and in conditions of insufficient illumination (and there is always not enough light in the room, no matter how you light up the seedlings), they stretch out strongly.
   3. Sowing seeds too early. Even normally developing seedlings are stretched out with early sowing. After 60-70 days, the plants become cramped in pots and containers, they need to develop further, and in conditions of limited nutritional area and cramped space on the windowsill, they have one way out - to grow up.
   4. All these factors, both individually and together, cause the seedlings to stretch. Tomatoes stretch even more if excessive watering and a high temperature of the seedlings are added.
2. Seeds do not germinate. If the seed is of good quality, then there are no shoots due to the low temperature of the soil. This is especially important for hybrids. They germinate at a temperature of 28-30 ° C. Therefore, to accelerate the emergence of seedlings, containers with sown tomatoes are placed on a battery.
3. Tomatoes do not grow well. They are too cold. For varietal tomatoes for normal growth, a temperature of 18-20 ° is required, for hybrids - 22-23 ° C. Hybrids can grow at 20 ° C, but more slowly, and, accordingly, later enter fruiting.
4. Yellowing of the leaves.
   1. Usually, the leaves of tomatoes grown in crowded areas turn yellow. When the seedlings are large, they do not have enough light on a cramped windowsill, and the plants shed excess leaves. In such conditions, all attention is paid to the top of the stem, the bushes are trying to outgrow their competitors in order to have more comfortable conditions. When the leaves turn yellow, the seedlings are arranged more freely and the air temperature is reduced.
   2. If the leaves are small, turn yellow, and the veins remain green or slightly reddish, this is a lack of nitrogen. Top dressing is given with full mineral fertilizer. You do not need to feed with nitrogen alone, otherwise the tomatoes will stretch out.
   3. Limiting the area of ​​food. Tomatoes are already cramped in the container, the roots have braided the entire earthen lump and further growth stops. Transplant the seedlings into a larger pot.
5. Curly leaves... Sharp and significant changes in temperature. When growing tomato seedlings, a sharp increase in air temperature must be avoided. The seedling feeding area is limited and the roots cannot support all leaves in hot weather. The same thing happens with a sharp cold snap, but this is much less common at home.
6. Blackleg. Frequent disease of tomato seedlings. It affects all types of plants. The disease spreads rapidly and in a short time can destroy all seedlings. The stalk at the soil level turns black, becomes thinner, dries up, the plant falls and dies. Infected plants are removed immediately. The soil is watered with a pink solution of potassium permanganate, Fitosporin, Alirin. After that, the tomatoes do not need to be watered for a week, the soil should dry out.

Growing seedlings at home is a troublesome business, but otherwise it will not be possible to harvest a good harvest, especially in the northern regions and the middle lane.

Save article to:

Dear visitors of the "Dacha Plot", tireless gardeners, gardeners and flower growers. We offer you to pass the aptitude test and find out whether you can trust the shovel and let you into the garden with it.

Test - "What kind of summer resident I am"

Share this article with your friends:

Tomatoes are a favorite vegetable on our table with excellent taste and nutritional qualities. The variety of varieties allows it to be widely used both fresh and processed. Fruits of some varieties are preferred to be added to salads, while others - to pickles and marinades.

Growing tomato seedlings at home

To get a good harvest of tomatoes from your garden, you need to know and follow the rules for growing tomato seedlings. First, even in the fall, it is advisable to prepare a nutritious soil. Then you need to carefully select and prepare seeds, which should also be planted in the ground according to certain rules. And the seedlings must be properly monitored and looked after.

Seedlings of tomatoes

It is permissible to plant tomato seeds directly on the beds. And in order to get fresh tomatoes on the table as early as possible, you should use the seedling method of growing tomatoes.

Sowing and transferring seedlings

Depending on how you plan to grow tomatoes in a permanent place, sowing dates should be selected.

1. Greenhouse seeds are planted from 15 February to 15 March.
2. Seedlings, the seeds of which were planted in the first two decades of March, are later planted on open beds, for which it is required to build a shelter for the first time.
3. For plants that are planned to be planted in open ground without any shelters, seeds are planted from March 15 to March 31.

Timing of planting tomato seeds for seedlings

In other words, if the seedlings are intended for further cultivation before harvesting from the greenhouse, then the sowing of the seeds should be done approximately one and a half to two months before transplanting. If the seedlings are supposed to be transferred to open ground, then it is advisable to sow the seeds within a period of two to two and a half months from the planned date of planting.

Important! In climatic zones where there is a likelihood of late frosts in the spring, it is better to wait with planting seedlings until the risk of exposure to this negative factor is minimal.

Growing tomato seedlings (tomatoes)

Step-by-step instructions for growing tomato seedlings at home

Table. How to grow tomato seedlings at home.

Step 1. Preparing the soil	Prepare the soil and fill the seed boxes with it.
Step 2. Seed preparation	Immerse the seeds in a 5% salt solution for 10 minutes. Then, after rinsing thoroughly, leave in water until it swells. Alternatively, you can simply soak the seeds in water. To do this, they must be wrapped in a damp cotton rag or napkin and placed in a shallow plate. Cover the top with something to prevent moisture evaporation and keep it in a warm room for a day.
Step 3. Planting seeds	One of the methods. Sow seeds in grooves, the distance between which is about 5 cm. Pre-moisten the soil with a slightly warm solution in which the seeds were kept. The sowing depth should be 1 cm, and the distance between seeds should be no more than 2 cm. Do not water after planting. The top can be covered with foil to speed up the seed germination process.
Step 4. Pick	Transfer the sprouts to separate pots.
Step 5. Lighting arrangement	Tomatoes need a lot of light. After the first shoots appear, special lamps should be installed above them.
Step 6. Watering and hardening	Tomato seedlings are watered in the morning. The water temperature must be + 28 ° C. In sunny weather, you need to do this every day. It is preferable to use soft water such as thawed water. If there is no sun, watering is done when the soil dries up. Seedlings need to start hardening two weeks before transferring to the beds.
Step 7. Top dressing	To obtain a rich harvest, it is advisable to feed the seedlings with fertilizers. Top dressing is done during watering.

Picking tomato seedlings

Soil preparation. Planting seeds

Some points of our step-by-step instructions need explanation. Let's consider them in more detail.

Soil for tomato seedlings

It is best to use soil prepared in the fall for tomato seedlings. Vermicompost, sand and other additives are mixed into the soil, including peat, sod land and humus. The proportions of the constituent parts are selected depending on the incoming ingredients.Tomatoes love soil that absorbs moisture well, allows air to pass through, is not acidic and is quite nutritious.

Advice! We recommend preparing a mixture of 50% turf, 40% humus and 10% peat.

Sifting the earth through a sieve for tomato seedlings

If the seeds are supposed to be sown in boxes, then in the future it is necessary to dive. In this case, the seed boxes are filled with soil by two-thirds. Before actually sowing, it is recommended to moisten the seed pits. Nutrients can be added to the water.

Planting tomato seedlings

"Zircon"

It is advisable to grow tomato seedlings at home without further diving. The fact is that during the picking, the roots of plants are damaged. It takes about 7 days for tomatoes to settle down in a new place and restore the root system. Therefore, the fruits from such plants can be obtained a week later.

Tomato seedlings in separate paper cups

If you do not plan to grow tomatoes on an industrial scale, then sowing seeds is best done immediately in separate plastic or peat pots. In this case, when transferred to open ground or a greenhouse, the plants will immediately begin to grow and develop rapidly.

Sowing early tomatoes should be done only in cups or pots with a volume of at least 500 ml.

You can grow tomato seedlings at home using special seedling boxes if you plan to plant them in a greenhouse in the future. Then you can do without picking or sowing directly into pots. Seedlings grown in a similar way are transferred directly to the greenhouse.

Growing tomato seedlings

Sowing rules

1. Sowing in boxes is carried out with an interval of 5 cm between seeds. It is also necessary to make indents of 10 cm between the rows. Such measures are needed in order to avoid thinning the seedlings.
2. It is advisable to deepen the seeds by no more than 1.5 cm. Otherwise, you can get rare and weakened seedlings.
3. After sowing, the container must be covered with a film, after moistening the air under it with a spray bottle. Keep in a dark, warm room until sprouts appear. Seedlings can begin to appear after 3 days. When sowing in open ground or a greenhouse, it takes longer to wait for seedlings.

   Covering seedlings with foil

4. When the sprouts appear, the film must be removed and the boxes with the seedlings should be placed in the light. For example, on a well-lit windowsill.
5. After the cotyledon leaves open, it is necessary to reject not good enough sprouts, as well as those that have not gotten rid of the seed box.

   First tomato sprouts from seed

How to care for seedlings

In the first two weeks after sowing the seeds, the night temperature in the room where the boxes are installed should not exceed + 15 ° C. During the day, it should be no more than + 20 ° C.

Care of tomato seedlings

After two weeks, hardening is carried out, in which the temperature is maintained at no more than + 10 ° C at night, and no more than + 15 ° C during the day.

The air in the room should be humidified to 65%.

When the plants have two true leaves, it is recommended to thin out the seedlings. For further growth, it is required to maintain strong plants with a thick stem and bright leaves, removing all weak seedlings 5 ​​centimeters in diameter from them.

Seedlings in a box after the third thinning

A pick is made when the third true leaf begins to appear in the seedlings. To support the root system, which will inevitably suffer during this procedure, the plants are watered the night before with a solution of water and superphosphate at the rate of 2 granules per 1 sprout. When diving, the soil is taken the same that was used for sowing.

Pickling tomato seedlings

If you are late with the dive, then the yield indicators will decrease by about a quarter. When diving directly into the greenhouse, it is necessary to maintain an interval between plants of about 10 cm.

How to care for seedlings

Young seedlings require daily morning watering, as well as strict adherence to the permissible temperature regime. The room in which it will grow must be regularly ventilated to prevent disease.

At this time, the plants will develop very intensively, so the seedlings require additional lighting. With a lack of light, it can stretch. We recommend purchasing phytolamps for the organization of illumination. When using them, it must be borne in mind that seedlings should not be illuminated for more than 12 hours a day. If the seedlings are grown without additional lighting, the flow of natural light can be increased. To do this, the container with plants is installed at an angle to the window, the reverse side of which is covered with a light reflecting canvas. For these purposes, a mirror or a layer of foil may be suitable.

Illumination of tomato seedlings

Tomato seedlings under fluorescent lights

Advice! When the plants have 5 leaves, split off the first 2. In this case, the seedlings will grow more slowly upward.

When the daytime temperature reaches + 14 ° C and above outside the window, it is recommended to start taking the seedlings out into the fresh air. This is done so that she gets used to the sun. At first, leave it in the shade for half an hour, gradually increasing the time interval.

Seedlings of tomatoes on the loggia

In the morning, when watering, it is recommended to feed tomato seedlings. This significantly increases its quality and the volume of future harvests. Fertilize as follows.

1. The first feeding is carried out 10 days after the dive. For fertilization, a solution of 5 g of ammonium nitrate, 10 g of potassium sulfate, mixed with 15 g of superphosphate and diluted in 5 liters of water is taken. Watering with a lukewarm solution.
2. 7 days before transferring seedlings to open ground, they should be fed again. For seedlings of good quality with bright green leaves, a solution of 20 g of superphosphate and 12 g of potassium sulfate per 5 liters of water is prepared for fertilization.

Top dressing of seedlings

If there is a lack of nutrients, the seedlings will look bad. Their greens will be pale, and a purple tint may be noticeable on the stems.

In these circumstances, seedlings should be fed differently:

• for fertilization for the first time, you need to take 250 g of dung or cow dung, mix with 35 g of ash and dissolve in 5 liters of water;
• do the second feeding with the same solution;
• for the third, keep 500 g of droppings in 2 liters of water for 24 hours, then add 50 g of ash to the mixture. The proportion is based on 1 bush.

Why do tomatoes crack in a greenhouse

Large and aromatic tomatoes grown in our own greenhouse are a good source of vitamins and minerals for the home table, as well as an opportunity to earn additional income. However, quite often the appearance of a tomato is spoiled by deep cracks. Read more here.

Planting tomato seedlings in greenhouse soil

Video - Growing tomato seedlings at home

High-quality seedlings are the key to a good harvest. How to sow tomato seeds correctly, grow healthy seedlings and cut them open? Read about this in our article.

When buying tomato seedlings, you never know for sure how high-quality they are and whether they are ready for planting in open ground. The fact is that the lush green mass does not at all mean that the plants will grow strong and healthy.

And it's a completely different matter if you grow tomato seedlings yourself. So you will know exactly which variety will soon settle in your garden, when the seedlings are ready for planting in open ground and how soon to wait for the harvest.

Step 1. Decide on the time of sowing tomato seeds

The time of sowing tomatoes for seedlings depends on which variety you are going to grow. When purchasing a bag of seeds, pay attention to the ripening period of tomatoes (the period from germination to harvest). Tomato varieties can be divided into three groups according to the ripening period: early ripening, mid-season and late ripening.

Varieties	Ripening period
Early ripening	90-100 days
Mid-season	110-120 days
Late ripening	up to 140 days

If you know which group your chosen tomato variety belongs to, you can easily calculate the planting time. For example, to get the first early ripening tomatoes, say, by July 15, you need to sow the seeds about 100 days before. By this time, you should also add 4-7 days for the emergence of seedlings and 3-5 days for the adaptation of seedlings after transplanting them into open ground. Thus, it turns out that tomatoes should be sown around March 26.

Usually, seed producers indicate on the packaging when it is worth sowing a particular variety. So, if you are not sure that you have correctly calculated the sowing time, you can always check with the recommendations of specialists.

When choosing tomato seeds, be sure to pay attention to their release date. The best germination will be in seeds produced no more than 2 years ago.

Sowing timing of tomato seeds for different regions

Culture	South and North Caucasian Federal District	Belarus, Volga Federal District	Central and Northwestern Federal District	Ural Federal District	Siberian and Far Eastern Federal District	Time from sowing to germination (days)
Greenhouse tomato	3rd decade of January	1st decade of March	2nd decade of March	3rd decade of March	3rd decade of March	7-8
Open field tomato	1st decade of February	2nd decade of March	3rd decade of March	1st decade of April	1st decade of April	7-8

Step 2. Prepare the seeds for sowing

Whatever tomato seeds you are going to sow - collected from your garden or bought in a store - you need to disinfectto destroy pathogens. To do this, wrap the seeds in cheesecloth and immerse them in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate (2.5 g per 1 tbsp. Water) for 20-30 minutes. Then rinse the seeds under running water and dry a little.

After disinfection, tomato seeds are recommended germinate - this will speed up the sprouting process. Take a paper towel, dampen it with water, and fold it in half. Place the pickled tomato seeds on one end of the napkin, and cover them with the other end.

It is most convenient to put a napkin with seeds on a saucer or a small plastic plate. Place the saucer in a bag and place it in a warm place (for example, near a radiator). Remember to keep the cloth moist at all times to keep the seeds from drying out.

Tomato seeds begin to germinate on the 3-5th day. Select all seeds that have hatched by this time for sowing. It is not worth sowing non-germinated seeds - even if they do sprout, the plants grown from them will be weak and painful.

Step 3. Prepare the seedling soil

You can purchase soil for planting tomato seeds at your gardening store. Any universal soil for growing vegetable seedlings is suitable.

This mixture can be "diluted" with garden soil. But keep in mind that the soil brought from the street needs preliminary processing. Bring it indoors for 3-5 days so that it has time to warm up before sowing the seeds. Then, for disinfection, spill the soil well with a pink solution of potassium permanganate and let it stand for another 1-2 days. After that, mix the purchased substrate with garden soil in equal parts and fill the seedling containers with it.

Step 4. Choose suitable seedling containers

You can sow tomato seeds in seedling boxes or separate containers. Today in the store you can find seedling boxes for every taste and budget. For single containers, plastic cups are the most practical option.

Sowing seeds in a container of each type differs only in that seedlings from a large container, when they reach a certain size, should be dived, and the sprouts from the cups can be transplanted directly into the open ground.

Step 5. Sow tomato seeds

In separate pots

Take plastic cups and punch drainage holes in the bottom of the cups. Then fill the bottom of the containers with drainage. It can be expanded clay, small pebbles or eggshells.Fill the cups with soil and pour well with warm water.

Make shallow holes (1-2 cm) in the ground and sow 2-3 tomato seeds in them. This is done in case not all seeds germinate.

Spray crops gently with a spray bottle. Cover the containers themselves with foil and put them in a warm place.

IMPORTANT! After sowing the seeds and until the tomato seedlings get stronger, water them only from a spray bottle. If you water the crops with running water, the seeds will go deep into the ground and may not sprout. And if you water the weak filamentous seedlings from the watering can, they will "fall".

In general containers

Choose containers for sowing tomatoes that are not too large. It is enough that plants of the same variety fit in them - so later it will be more convenient to navigate in the seedlings.

Fill a container with earth and spill well with water. Mark several rows at a distance of 4 cm from each other. Place tomato seeds in them every 2 cm.

Do not place tomato seeds too close together. Thickened crops are poorly ventilated, which can lead to a "black leg".

Using a pencil or a special stick, gently press the seeds into the soil to a depth of about 1 cm.Then sprinkle them with earth. It is no longer necessary to water the crops of tomatoes.

Cover the containers with plastic wrap or a special lid, if one was included. Place the containers close to the battery until the first shoots appear. This usually happens after 4-7 days. As soon as this happens, transfer the container to a bright place with a temperature not exceeding 18 ° C.

Remember that for good growth, seedlings need to be exposed to light for at least 12 hours a day. If this does not work out, you will have to purchase lamps for additional lighting.

Be attentive to the crops, from a lack of light, the sprouts may begin to stretch out. Before picking, they do not need to be fed with anything, it is enough only to moisten them in a timely manner from a spray bottle.

Step 6. Cut the seedlings

When the seedlings in the cups grow a little, they need to be thinned out (in the event that several seeds have sprouted in one container). It is necessary to leave only one thing - the strongest plant. In this case, do not pull out the "extra" seedling from the ground, because this can damage the root system and the second plant. To remove a weaker specimen, you need to pinch it off just above the soil level.

Tomato seedlings from the general container can be dived when the seedlings have 2 true leaves. Just do not confuse them with cotyledons - this is a common mistake of novice gardeners. Real leaves are the second pair of leaves.

Using a small stick or plastic spoon, carefully remove each seedling with a small clod of soil from the common box and transfer to separate containers. Bring the plants into the ground almost to the cotyledonous leaves.

The soil for transplanting seedlings can be taken the same as for sowing seeds. Only this time it is recommended to add complete mineral fertilizer to it at the rate of 1 tbsp. for 5 liters of substrate.

If you grow tomatoes of different varieties, do not forget to stick their names on the cups so as not to confuse the seedlings.

10 days after the pick, a new root system begins to form in the seedlings, and their growth is noticeably accelerated. With the appearance of the third true leaf, plants begin to need light especially badly. But no less than that, they need the right feeding. Usually, tomato seedlings are fed 2 times:

1. 10 days after the pick (5 g of urea, 35 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium sulfate per 10 L of water);
2. 2 weeks after the first feeding (10 g of urea, 60 g of superphosphate, 20 g of potassium sulfate per 10 l of water).

You can also feed tomato seedlings with ready-made complex fertilizers. If the plants are grown correctly, then by the time they are planted in the ground, the thickness of the stems should reach 1 cm, and the height of the plants should be about 30 cm. By this time, they should have 8-9 leaves and one flower cluster.

7.Plant seedlings

The timing of planting tomato seedlings may vary depending on the region.

Culture	South and North Caucasian Federal District	Belarus, Volga Federal District	Central and Northwestern Federal District	Ural Federal District	Siberian and Far Eastern Federal District	Time from sowing to germination (days)
Greenhouse tomato	3rd decade of March	1st decade of May	2nd decade of May	2nd decade of May	3rd decade of May	45-50
Open field tomato	2nd decade of April	3rd decade of May	1st decade of June	1st decade of June	1st decade of June	45-50

Plants ready for transplanting should have a strong and thick stem, a healthy appearance and 6-8 true leaves. The height of the plant, as a rule, depends on the variety, so it is difficult to orientate on it.

Growing tomato seedlings is very easy if you follow all the recommendations outlined above. In spring, growing tomatoes on the window will compete with the home flower garden. And how the seedlings smell after watering! Try to grow it yourself - and you will definitely succeed!

In almost all climatic regions of our country, tomatoes are grown through seedlings. Some summer residents do this in a greenhouse; in not the most northern regions, cold greenhouses are also suitable, but most often in the spring the window sills of city apartments are cluttered with boxes and pots. Compared to some other crops, growing tomato seedlings is relatively easy, so gardeners try to do it on their own.

Planting seeds for seedlings

It takes a lot of time from sowing seeds to harvesting tomatoes, so direct sowing of seeds in a garden is possible only in the southern regions. In the Krasnodar Territory, seedlings are not needed, they are grown there only if you want to get very early harvests. In the middle lane, one cannot do without seedlings, but, fortunately, the temperature conditions of a city apartment are ideal for growing it.

By the beginning of spring, everything should be ready for sowing seeds for seedlings: they found their cherished or bought new seeds, prepared containers or bought peat pots, prepared components of the soil mixture, or bought ready-made soil for seedlings in a store.

The timing of planting tomatoes for seedlings

The timing of sowing seeds at home slightly depends on the variety of tomatoes and on where they are supposed to be grown further: in a greenhouse or in the open field. If you sow seeds too early (early spring), it may turn out that the bushes are already overgrown, and it is still cold outside. Therefore, one should not rush to this event, tomatoes are sown later than eggplants and peppers.

Calculating the time of sowing seeds follows from the fact that tomatoes need to spend about two months in the seedling stage, and they can be planted in a garden without shelter only after passing the threat of frost. Of course, it happens that in not too northern regions, frosts also occur in June, but, mainly, in the middle lane or regions similar in climate, planting of seedlings is possible at the end of May. Therefore, the time for sowing seeds for seedlings falls on the second half of March. For greenhouse cultivation, you can sow the seeds a couple of weeks earlier.

As for the variety, as a rule, the late-ripening varieties are sown first, the early ones are the last. Some super-early hybrids in two months in pots manage not only to bloom, but also to set fruits, and this is already superfluous. Therefore, the earliest ripe tomatoes can be sown at the very beginning of April.

Selection and preparation of soil and containers

Usually, tomato seeds are first sown in any small box or box, and then the seedlings are planted in separate cups or just in a larger box. It all depends on the preferences of the gardener, the number of bushes grown and the availability of free space in the apartment.

For the first stage, from sowing seeds to picking, there is nothing more convenient than cardboard boxes of juice or milk with a capacity from a liter to two liters. Cut off one of the large sides, make several drainage holes in the opposite one - and you're done.The volume is just suitable for sowing seeds of 1-2 varieties, and for two weeks the strength of this cardboard is quite enough.

For picking, ideally, you should buy medium-sized peat pots. But they take up a lot of space, and they cost money. Therefore, thrifty owners collect all kinds of cups from sour cream, cottage cheese, etc. for the year. For most varieties of tomatoes, a volume of 300-500 ml is enough, for especially giant ones - up to a liter. Well, if there is very little space in the house, we take any wooden boxes of a suitable size and plant the seedlings in this hostel. Only the boxes should not be too small: the height should be at least 8 cm.

Tomato seedlings can grow in almost any soil, as long as it is fertile and not infected. You can just buy a bag of potting mix at the store: all-purpose potting mix or especially for tomatoes. But for growing a large number of seedlings it will be a little expensive. When self-compiling a mixture, the ideal composition is peat, humus and sod land (equally divided). If something is not there, we use what is at hand, but the compiled soil should be light, moisture-absorbing and breathable.

The easiest way out of nothing is ordinary earth and sand (2: 1), but such a mixture must be fertilized at least with ash, or better with compost or humus.

Any soil must be disinfected. Steaming in the oven is not very pleasant for the body, so the simplest thing is to pour the prepared mixture with a warm pink solution of potassium permanganate. This is done a few days before sowing the seeds.

Seed preparation

The preparation of seeds for sowing depends on their origin. For many crops, planting hybrids (F1) is much more profitable.

In my humble opinion, this postulate does not always apply to tomatoes. Of course, there are hybrids with higher yields and higher quality fruit. But there are so many old, well-deserved varieties that we do not seek to say goodbye to them. Indeed, you can easily take seeds from varietal tomatoes and be always with your own, proven ones.

If the seeds are purchased at a store, you must carefully read the instructions. Perhaps they are already prepared for sowing. Modern preparation technologies sometimes lead to the fact that seeds germinate longer, but stronger bushes grow out of them. Carrying out any independent preparation of such seeds, you can spoil everything that the manufacturer did with them before the sale. Such seeds can be sown immediately, dry. Well, or at most - soaked.

You need to prepare your seeds for sowing. The disinfection procedure can be combined with seed rejection. For this, a strong, dark purple solution of potassium permanganate is prepared. When dissolving, make sure that all the crystals have dispersed. In a jar with such a solution, the seeds are kept for 20-25 minutes, but after five minutes, with vigorous shaking, the best seeds will drown, and after another five, only those that are not worth sowing will remain on the surface. Maybe they will sprout, but the plants will be much weaker than the rest.

For seed treatment, a strong solution of potassium permanganate is required (left), for disinfecting the soil - a weak solution (right)

The pickled seeds are filtered through a strainer, washed well with clean water and placed in a damp cloth. After keeping them warm for a couple of days, they are placed in this rag in any small dish (better, if there is a Petri dish), covered with a lid and sent to the refrigerator. Hardening consists of moving seeds from the refrigerator to the outside at intervals of 8-12 hours for three days. The seeds are then ready for sowing.

True, some gardeners also use seed treatment with growth stimulants (Epin-extra, honey, aloe juice, etc.), but it seems that this is not necessary for tomatoes (but, for example, for eggplants, which are much more capricious, this should be done ).Is it possible not to process your seeds at all? Of course, it is possible, but only if the bushes in the past did not hurt at all and if there is a guarantee that the plants in the future will not fall under severe cold.

How to sow tomatoes for seedlings correctly

There are crops for which picking is undesirable, there are those for which it is unacceptable. For tomatoes, it is useful, so they should not be sown on seedlings immediately in separate cups. For sowing, take a small box or box and fill the prepared soil with a layer of 5–6 cm, level it and slightly compact it. If we sow several varieties in one container, divide or simply sign the crops in any way. The rest is simple.

1. We mark with any suitable tool small grooves 1–1.5 cm deep at a distance of 4–5 cm from each other.The grooves can be made not very deep
2. We spread the prepared seeds at a distance of 2.5–3 cm from each other.Tomato seeds are not too small, they can be laid out one at a time
3. Sprinkle the seeds with soil, on top, if the snow has not melted yet, put it in a layer of 3-4 cm. If you cannot find it, gently water the crops, eroding the soil. In the absence of snow (and it is very useful for future seedlings!), You can water it even before the seeds are laid out, along the grooves.Snow for seeds is the best watering
4. We cover the box with glass or foil and put it in a warm place, the optimum temperature is 23–25 ° C. Before emergence, light is desirable but not required.The film perfectly creates a greenhouse effect
5. After 4–7 days (depending on the variety and temperature), you can expect the tomato “loops” to emerge. We transfer the box to a windowsill with an open window. For 5-6 days, a temperature of 16-18 ° C is required during the day, and a little lower at night. Then we gradually increase it to 18–20 ° С during the day and up to 15–16 ° С at night.Ideal seedlings, even in the first stage, should look stocky

Ways of planting tomatoes for seedlings

The described sowing in a common box is a traditional technique in growing tomato seedlings. In 10-12 days we will dive the plants into separate cups or large boxes. But recently, other, non-traditional approaches to sowing seeds for seedlings have become common.

Application of peat pots

Disposable peat pots are made from peat pressed into pots of various shapes and sizes. Peat is often treated with fertilizers and growth stimulants. The advantages of peat pots over any others are as follows:

• when planting in a garden bed, seedlings are planted together with a pot;
• with such a transplant, the roots remain intact;
• the peat from which the pots are made is also a fertilizer.

Tomatoes need medium-sized pots. Some inconvenience of peat pots is that they get very wet from watering, so it's better not to take them in your hands once again: put them in a suitable pallet and keep them there until they are planted in the garden. In addition, with a dense arrangement, the roots of one plant germinate into an adjacent pot, this must be monitored.

The seedlings are very comfortable in peat pots, but they will take up a lot of space.

Peat pots are especially good for crops that do not require picking. Tomatoes are not one of those, but, nevertheless, some gardeners sow tomato seeds in pots and grow seedlings in them to the end. The seeding technique is the same as in the case of the box.

Sowing in peat tablets

Peat tablets are ideal for crops that don't like picking. But, like peat pots, some amateurs persistently use them when growing tomato seedlings, since it is extremely convenient. Tablets are made from pressed peat, to which nutrients and various growth stimulants are added. The optimum diameter of tablets for tomato seedlings is 7 cm.

The tablets are placed in a tray and gradually filled with water. Moreover, their height grows several times.In one of the ends of the tablets (you need to find it and place the tablet with this end up) there is a small depression in which the seed is placed. After that, lightly cover the seeds and water a little again. Tablets with crops in a tray are covered and kept in a warm, bright place, periodically adding water. After emergence, the cover is removed. Pills are poured by simply pouring water into the box. It is not necessary to feed the seedlings in tablets.

The pills have everything for the seedlings: you don't even need to feed it

Applying toilet paper

Often, at the first stage of growing seedlings (up to picking), they do without land at all, using toilet paper as a substrate. This is an example of the so-called hydroponics, but it is difficult to bring tomato seedlings without soil to the very transplant into the garden. One example of using paper simulates sowing seeds in a shared box:

1. Cut a plastic one and a half liter bottle in half lengthwise and put several layers of toilet paper on the bottom of one of the halves.
2. Prepared tomato seeds are placed between the layers of paper, 2-3 cm apart.
3. Spray the paper with water, then wrap the half of the bottle with a film.
4. They put this "box" in a warm place and wait for the shoots.
5. When seedlings appear, they lower the temperature in the same way as in the case of the ground, and after a few days they increase it.
6. Until the dive they do nothing with the bottle, then they disassemble the structure and dive the seedlings into cups with soil.

In another version, toilet paper is used in the form of a "snail", rolling it into a roll, having previously spread it over a thick film.

In a snail, seedlings live only until the dive

Seedling care

In an apartment, the best place for seedlings is a sunny window sill, but gardeners force it to do everything they can, and therefore they have to come up with a design for additional lighting: even on the table next to the window it can be a little dark.

Growing conditions (lighting, temperature)

From the point of view of temperature, the first few days after germination are critical: if the seedlings are left at temperatures above 20 ° C, after a couple of days they can be thrown away. They instantly stretch, especially if there is also not enough light. The rest of the time for tomato seedlings, the daytime temperature should be about 20-22 ° C (18 will do, but 25 is already a bit too much). It should be a few degrees colder at night.

Daylight hours do not need to be specially lengthened, in March-April it is sufficient, but the lighting should be bright. There is enough natural sunlight only on the southern windowsill (on the western and eastern windows it is already not enough, on the northern one there is absolutely little). In any case, the seedlings must be positioned so that it is as close as possible to the glass, but does not touch it. Various reflective devices help: mirrors, food foil, etc. Such homemade screens are placed so that sunlight gets into them, and from them is reflected on the seedlings.

The light should be cold so as not to burn the leaves

However, artificial lighting on semi-dark window sills or tables is indispensable. It is undesirable to use incandescent lamps for this: they heat the air too much. The best options are cold light fluorescent lamps or diode lamps, the best is special phytolamps for seedlings.

Watering

Everything is simple with the rules for watering seedlings, only inexperienced gardeners manage to break them. Seedlings do not need extra water! It is especially scary at the first stage and in combination with cloudy cool weather. The slightest waterlogging of the soil, and even in the common box, is guaranteed to lead to the disease of the seedlings with a black leg and the death of most of it.

Water the seedlings only with warm water (25–30 ° C) and in the case of obvious drying of the surface layer of the soil.This is not done every day; daily watering may be required only in the last stages of development, when the seedlings are already very large, and there is little space in pots or boxes.

Top dressing

The first top dressing is desirable when a real leaf appears, but if the seedlings are developing normally, it can be postponed, because after 1-2 days (in the 2-leaf phase) the tomatoes will have to dive. Therefore, the real top dressing is given 10-12 days after the pick. Use any complete mineral fertilizer according to the instructions for it. If the soil mixture was initially well fertilized, an infusion of wood ash may be sufficient.

The need for subsequent fertilizing depends on how the seedlings develop and how much time remains before they are planted in the ground. If there are fears that the seedlings will outgrow, nitrogen should not be given, and it makes sense to repeat the ash feeding, this can be done 10-12 days before planting. If the plants are not growing well, it is better to use Azophoska. The point in top dressing is not to get half-meter bushes by the end of spring, but to keep the seedlings strong and stocky.

Video: from sowing seeds to picking tomato seedlings

Picking

For tomato seedlings, picking in its classical sense is considered mandatory. Of course, tomatoes will grow without it, but transplanting seedlings into a spacious dwelling with pinching of the central root significantly improves the condition of the root system and leads to a stronger plant.

Most gardeners pick when 2-3 true leaves appear. Honestly, personal experience has shown that it is easier to do this earlier. If the soil is nutritious, then after 7–8 days in the correct temperature conditions, the seedlings grow quite good roots, and the real leaves at this time are still only hatching. If you wait longer, the roots can grow so large that it will be difficult to understand which of them is the main one, and it will be difficult to make a hole so that the whole seedling can be freely located in a new place.

Tomato picking, of course, is best done in separate cups with a capacity of at least 300 ml, but this is possible only when growing 10–20 bushes. We never plant less than 150, it is unrealistic to place so many cups in an apartment. Therefore, even after the pick, the seedlings live in a hostel - in large wooden boxes. We make them according to the size of the window sills. And tomatoes perfectly tolerate planting in the garden and with some damage to the roots, so there is no need to worry about having to dig out the seedlings from the box.

A few hours before the pick, the seedlings should be watered generously. Dig up the seedlings with a toy scoop or with a fork, spoon - whatever is at hand. It is convenient to make a hole in the size of the dug seedling in a new place with an old pencil (after all, it resembles a pike, here's a pick for you!). The central spine is pinched so that it easily fits in a new place. Sometimes you have to tear off half of it, but more is not necessary. When transplanting, the seedlings are buried so that the cotyledon leaves remain only 5-10 mm from the soil surface. Seedlings are transplanted into a common box according to a scheme no thicker than 10 x 7 cm.

Picking is a jewelry occupation

Gently squeezing the roots with your fingers, water the seedlings with warm water and remove for 2-3 days in partial shade at room temperature. Plants that have taken root in a new place will then quickly continue their growth. Already on the second day, it will be seen how they are drawn to the light: it means that everything is in order. The boxes are turned from time to time with one side or the other towards the sun so that the seedlings develop evenly.

Hardening

Two weeks before planting in the garden, the seedlings are accustomed to fresh air. First they open the windows, then take them out onto the balcony. Of course, the temperature should not be lower than 10–12 ° C, and the walking time should be increased gradually: from 20 minutes to a full day.In addition, at this time, tomatoes also accustom to a lack of moisture, reducing the amount of watering. If at the same time the leaves droop, it's okay: you just need to know when to stop, not to bring the plants to death.

Video: tips for growing tomato seedlings

Diseases and pests of seedlings at home

If the seedlings are looked after correctly, and the seeds and soil have been disinfected, illnesses at home are very rarely attacked: the causes of seedling diseases must be sought in our actions. Some of the diseases are successfully treated, others are fatal.

• Black leg is the most dangerous disease, the reason is most often in waterlogging of the soil, watering with cold water and too dense planting. The fungus infects seedlings at the very soil, the stem darkens, becomes thinner, the plant dies. It is impossible to save diseased specimens. They must be removed, the soil should be watered with potassium permanganate and sprinkled with dry sand. But it is best to immediately transplant the surviving plants into clean soil.Black leg is a fatal disease
• Septoria (white spot) is a fungus that covers the leaves with small light spots that turn brown over time. Diseases in the initial stages are treated by spraying seedlings with fungicides (Bordeaux mixture, Ridomil Gold).Septoria is treated only at the initial stage.
• Fusarium wilting is a fungus that affects plant stems, which darken, wilt and lose their elasticity. The leaves brighten, curl and fall off. Lost plants are removed, and neighboring plants are sprayed with Trichodermin or Fitosporin-M.With fusarium seedlings, only specimens that have not begun to wither can be saved
• Tomato mosaic is a viral disease, manifested by the characteristic uneven color of the leaves. Spots of various colors and any shape appear on them. Over time, the leaf dries up and dies off. Diseased plants must be removed, the remaining ones should be sprayed with a 3% urea solution.The mosaic looks harmless, but this disease is very dangerous
• Brown spot appears in the form of small yellow spots on the leaves, and soon the leaves die off. In the initial stages, the disease can be cured with any copper-containing preparations, such as Hom or Bordeaux liquid.If the brown spot is caught in time, the seedlings can be saved.

There is practically no place for pests in a city apartment to come from, if they have not remained in the soil, so such a misfortune also rarely attacks. The most famous pests of tomato seedlings are as follows.

Other pests of tomatoes that infect bushes in the garden (whitefly, bear, sprout fly, garden scoop, etc.) are practically not found on seedlings at home.

Possible problems when growing seedlings

Growing tomato seedlings in an apartment is much easier than growing pepper or cabbage seedlings. But an inexperienced gardener can face failures.

The first problem with growing seedlings lies in wait for the owner in the very first days after germination. If you do not quickly lower the temperature and increase the illumination, the sprouts will quickly stretch out.... If you had time to catch yourself, the hypocotal knee was not more than 3-4 cm long in a couple of days, you can simply add soil and correct the temperature and light conditions. Otherwise, you will have to reseed.

A situation is possible when well-sprung seedlings suddenly fall en masse. This often happens from too thick sowing. We urgently need to thin them out, leaving the strongest. It is better not to pull out the plants, but to cut them off with scissors at the very surface of the soil. Another reason - the black leg - is discussed above.

If the seedlings look strong but are not growing, they may be just cold. This situation is even not bad: in the cool, the seedlings only become stronger, but you should not delay the harsh temperature regime for more than a week.... If everything is in order with the heat, most likely, the tomatoes simply do not have enough nutrition, they should be fed as soon as possible.

Yellowing of leaves is a common problem. This is often due to a lack of light or nitrogen starvation.These two factors are easy to fix, but if that doesn't work, you can try replanting the tomatoes in larger containers with clean, fertile soil.

It so happens that in the midst of complete well-being, plants begin to wither and die abruptly. The reasons are so varied that it is difficult to predict them. These can be not only problems with a lack or excess of moisture, but even overfeeding with fertilizers. If a problem is found, it can be solved and some of the plants saved.

Growing tomato seedlings is available to any summer resident who has basic skills in working with plants, free time and a place for placing boxes in an apartment. Therefore, most gardeners grow seedlings on their own, because at the same time you know exactly what you sowed and what you are going to get. You don't have to depend on the sellers in the market, but you have to put in your work.

Rate the article:

(0 votes, average: 0 out of 5)