Healthy seedlings - the key to a decent harvest in the future. This rule applies to tomatoes. The cultivation of tomato seedlings on the windowsill has its secrets, but even an inexperienced gardener is able to get quality shoots.
To this end, it is necessary to adhere to the recommendations regarding planting dates, conditions of detention and appropriate care.
In this article, which we offer to your attention, we will look at the agricultural practices of home cultivation of tomato seedlings from A to Z.
Advantages and disadvantages of a seedling method
Of course, growing seedlings on the windowsill has its drawbacks. Often there are problems with the placement of boxes and other containers, and significantly increases the humidity in the room. In addition, bacteria can appear in the air if the plants are sick. But The method has the following advantages:
- First, buy seeds and grow them cheaper than buying ready-made seedlings.
- Secondly, when growing independently, the gardener knows exactly which sort of tomato he is growing.
- Thirdly, care and disinfection will save plants from diseases, and when buying ready-made seedlings it is unclear what bacteria and infections can contain plants.
Growing methods
Practice soil and soilless sowing methods. The primer method includes group planting of seeds and individual.
Select the appropriate container: for group planting seeds suitable boxes or plastic containers.
Individual sowing means that each seed is placed in a separate cup or pot (disposable plastic cups or homemade paper).
Note. If a pick is planned during soil sowing, the thickening of the seedlings is allowed, otherwise the distance between the plants must be maintained. With a separate shoot growing, a pick will not be needed.
Groundless method includes the use of peat tabletswhich is convenient, but quite expensive. Since the tablets contain all the necessary substances for the development of the germ, at an early stage you can not worry about feeding. Planting occurs with a peat cushion, so the root system is not injured.
Also, the seeds are placed in snails, diapers, toilet paper. These methods imply a mandatory dive, since the layer of toilet paper on the film is thin and the root system will not develop properly in it.
Algorithm of actions:
- For such growing seedlings take long strips of film. A layer of toilet paper is applied along the entire length and moistened abundantly.
- Seeds spread with a distance of 1 cm.
- Then the entire strip of film is rolled up into a tube.
- The folded roll is placed vertically in a container for germination. After germination of the first true leaves, tomato seedlings require a dive.
Many gardeners do not approve of such methods without soil, since the seedlings are weak and elongated due to a lack of nutrients. It grows only due to the moisture and strength of the seed itself.
Some experienced gardeners use the low-spread method.. Its essence is that several healthy shoots are obtained from a single seed. This is especially true for expensive hybrid varieties.
When a young shoot grows to 20 cm, the top is cut above the first pair of true leaves. Cut the root in the powder and put it in the water, soon it will take root. The trimmed trunk will soon provide additional shoots from the internodes.
This method of one seed is grown up to 10 bushes., which, by the way, yield faster than those grown naturally.
Training
Place and container
Which window is better for planting, how to choose a place in the house for it? The best option for growing tomato seedlings is considered the southern window.. If the windows are on the west or east side, additional lighting will be required. It is desirable that the window sill is not obscured by trees.
The place where the seedlings will be should be warm. Favorable daytime temperatures are + 18- + 25⁰С, night temperatures are + 15⁰С.
For normal growth requires high humidity, recommend daily spraying and the use of humidifiers. What is better to grow seedlings? For containers for seeds fit any waterproof container with a minimum height of 15 cm. Gardeners use plastic containers for their seedlings from under the products, juice bags, wooden boxes and even flower pots. Preparation of the container is to create a drainage hole at the bottom and a convenient location on the windowsill.
Seeds
Preparation of sowing material is obligatory, since germination and future harvest depend on it. It consists of the following steps:
- Selection. Seeds are sifted and removed dark, small and gnarled. If you drop all the seeds in salted warm water, quality will sink, and unsuitable float to the surface. After a similar sort, they are rinsed with salt.
- Warming up. The germination of seed material depends on warming, although hybrid varieties do not have to be subjected to this procedure. The seed is wrapped in cloth and kept in warm water (in a thermos, on a battery) for at least 2 days.
- Disinfection. Prepare a cool solution of potassium permanganate, immerse the seeds in the liquid for 15 minutes. Longer processing times may damage them. In addition to manganese, phytosporin is used to fight infections.
Important! Processing is carried out immediately before landing. Disinfected material cannot be stored for a long time.
- Awakening. In order for the seeds to wake up and ascend more quickly, it is customary to put them in wet gauze for 24 hours Water should not be much, you need a moist environment. During the day, they must slip. This method of soaking is good to check the old seed, or causing doubts. If there are no changes in the seeds in a day, they are unlikely to ascend.
- Hardening. To make future seedlings tolerate temperature fluctuations, the mass will be placed in the refrigerator for a while.
The soil
The soil for seedlings for tomatoes buy in finished form or cook yourself. Purchased substrate taken on the basis of peat, the number of trace elements should not exceed 400 mg per liter.
Also prepare the soil with the addition of river sand and soil from the infield to the purchased substrate. All components take in equal quantities and mixed. If there is no desire to buy ready-made soil, the soil for the seedlings is prepared as follows: take sand, humus and soil from the garden in equal shares and mix.
The soil, especially when cooked on its own, needs treatment and disinfection. The main methods of disinfection:
- Roasting in the oven (15 minutes at a temperature of 180-200 ° C) and heating in a microwave oven (2 minutes at maximum power).
- Boiling water treatment (the earth, placed in a container for seedlings, is poured over boiling water in several passes) and potassium permanganate.
To achieve maximum disinfection combine several ways.
How to implement sowing: step by step instructions
- Clean and disinfectant-treated container is filled with primer.
- The substrate is leveled, lightly tamped and moistened. The soil should not be cold.
- Usually tomatoes are sown in rows. Grooves do not deeper than 1 cm, the distance between the rows is from 3 to 5 cm. If the seeds are planted in separate containers, the depth of the hole is the same.
- Seeds are placed at a distance of 2-3 cm. In the wells put one seed seed.
- Seeds are sprinkled with a thin layer of earth (not more than 1 cm).
- After disembarking, the container is covered with a film in order to retain moisture and heat.
- Since the light does not matter before the seedlings appear, you can put the box to any place.
- If the seeds are high-quality seedlings will rise no later than 5 days.
The less often the seeds are placed, the longer the dive is not needed.. Some people prefer to grow seedlings according to the 5X5 scheme, when the distance between rows and sprouts is at least 5 cm, while 2 seeds are placed in the recesses of the row. In the allotted time, the landing is carried out directly in open ground. Planting two bushes at once, it is possible to avoid unnecessary damage to the roots.
Below you can watch a video on how to sow tomato seeds at home for seedlings:
When to sow?
Oriented when sowing on the date of the lunar calendar and instructions from seed packages. The vegetation period before planting in greenhouses or open ground is one and a half two months.
In order not to be mistaken with the terms, they take into account the peculiarities of the variety, and the region where they grow.
- Tall tomatoes sown in late February - early March.
- Early and mid-season varieties - From the middle to the end of March.
- Late varieties - in the third decade of February.
For self-calculation of the time of sowing, you should know how long it takes from the moment the sprouts appear and before the harvest.
If you focus on the climatic features of different regions, then:
- In the south of Russia, sowing is carried out from February 20 to March 15 (planted on the street from April 15 to May 20).
- In the central part of the country, tomatoes are sown from March 15 to April 1 (planted in open ground from March 15 to April 1).
- In the northern regions (Siberia, the Urals) - from April 1 to 15 (planted in the ground or greenhouses from May 25 to June 15).
Note. Time is chosen, considering, when the last frosts usually occur, sowing begins two months before.
Rules for the care of young tomatoes at home
Care for young tomatoes includes:
- Lighting. Immediately after germination, sprouts need good lighting. Therefore, they are put on the lightest window sill. If the light is low, use lamps.
- Watering. Seedlings need high humidity, so the film is not removed immediately after germination, but gradually. Watering should be provided in such a way that the top layer of the earth does not dry out, but there should not be any swampiness either. In order not to wash out the weak roots that are under the surface, watered carefully, right under the root.
- Ventilation. On warm days it is necessary to make seedlings for fresh air. At a temperature of 15 degrees, the shoots will receive the necessary hardening and resistance to sunlight.
- Top dressing. The first fertilizer is applied in 2-3 weeks after germination. And in the future every week. It is recommended not to resort to chemicals, but to use organic fertilizers (manure, grass) or biohumus.
How to get good sprouts quickly?
For rapid germination and growth of tomatoes using growth promoters (natural - lye and wood ash, and chemical - Epin, Zircon, etc.). The soil is prepared such that it is loose, nutritious and well breathable.
Bubbling is used to make the seeds wake up and sprout quickly. This means the removal of essential oils from the seed. To do this, the seeds are immersed in water for 12 hours and constantly stirred so that the water is saturated with oxygen. To achieve a constant enrichment of oxygen is difficult, for this use an aquarium compressor.
How to get chunky healthy shoots?
In order for the seedlings to be strong and stocky, they strictly follow the rules of sowing, soil selection and care. In the substrate, it is desirable to add land from the gardenso that when planting plants do not experience stress. Seeds choose proven and quality.
Withstand temperature and watering rules. For a start, a spray gun will do, and only after strengthening the root system is a watering can (only warm water is taken). To the plant did not stretch up and did not weaken, it is important to conduct a dive in a timely manner.
Tips for beginners
- To protect future plants from most infections, it is recommended to treat them with garlic tincture or copper sulfate (solution 0.15%). It is believed that such a procedure is an excellent prevention of late blight.
- Additional illumination will help to speed up the growth of seedlings. In the first days after germination, the lamp is turned on for 16 hours.
- Mandatory hardening is carried out a few days before transplanting into open ground. First, the plants are taken out to fresh air for an hour or two, in a couple of days - for 6-8 hours. After hardening, the plants quickly acclimatize to a new place.
- At the time of planting, tomatoes should have 8-10 true leaves and a height of more than 25 cm.
A photo
Check out photos of healthy strong tomato seedlings:
Picks
In case of thick sowing, picking is carried out as early as 7-10 days after shoot. For transshipment, the sprout is removed from the wetted soil directly with a clod of soil. The plant is placed in a separate container (plastic cups of 200 g are suitable). After this, the shoots are fed with nitrogenous fertilizers.
Then you can watch a video on how to pick a seedling:
When to transplant?
After 45-60 days from the moment of germination, seedlings begin to throw flowers. By this time it is necessary to plant the plants in the greenhouse or open ground.
- The soil is prepared in advance, loosened, fertilized, disinfected.
- Holes for bushes do at a distance of 30 -40 cm.
- When transplanting the land watered, the stem is buried a couple of centimeters or to the first leaves. Additional roots will soon appear on the stepped portion of the stem.
- The plant is sprinkled with earth, compacted and watered with warm water.
The technology of growing tomatoes at home is not difficult. If you perform all the activities in a timely manner and provide the proper conditions, even a novice gardener will be able to get high-quality and healthy seedlings on the windowsill.
