Growing tomato seedlings at home: when to plant tomato seeds and how to grow them. How to grow good tomato seedlings at home

Tomatoes are the most common crop grown all over the world. seedling method reproduction allows you to accelerate fruiting. In addition, it allows you to grow tomatoes in almost any climatic conditions.

Growing tomato seedlings does not require special skills, but sometimes novice gardeners make mistakes, after which they abandon this venture. To grow strong seedlings you need to know a few subtleties.

The main requirement for growing seedlings at home is good lighting in the room. The best place for a tomato is a window sill or loggia on the south side. In case of lack natural light special phytolamps are used.

Tomato seedlings need to be provided with the right temperature regime. The temperature during the day should be 18-25 degrees, at night - 13-16 degrees.

Young seedlings also need to be provided necessary quantity moisture. To do this, use a watering can without a nozzle, a spray bottle with warm water or an air humidifier. Watering is carried out once a week, spraying - daily.

Variety selection by region

Tomatoes can grow in many climatic zones, but most varieties are adapted to the characteristics of a certain area and in other conditions can simply die or give a poor harvest.

In accordance with the varietal characteristics, the planting time of the tomato is distributed by region.

• In the South of Russia, tomato seedlings are sown from February 20 to early April.
• In the Moscow region - from March 15 to April 10.
• In the Urals and Siberia - from 1 to 20 April.

Based on this, varieties are selected.

Varieties for the South

• bull heart- late-ripening determinant variety. The fruits ripen at 120-130 days after sowing. The bush reaches 1.5-1.9 meters in height. The fruits are red or pink, heart-shaped. Weight - 300-900 grams. The variety is popular throughout Russia.
• Yablonka Russia- late-ripening determinant variety. The height of the plant reaches a meter. Ripening period - 118-135 days. Fruits weighing 100 grams.
• Adeline- early high-yielding undersized variety. Tomato ripening period - 80 days. The fruits are oval. The coloring is red. The weight of a tomato is 60-100 grams. The variety is resistant to heat, diseases.
• Maestro is a productive heat-resistant variety. The fruits weigh 100 grams. The coloring is red. The disease resistance of the variety is high.
• Asterix- hybrid high-yielding variety. Cylindrical tomatoes. Weight - 85-100 grams. The taste is pleasant. The resistance of the variety to diseases and heat is high.

Also, in southern climatic conditions, you can grow such varieties and hybrids: Gazpacho, Babylon, Alcazar, Chelbas, Fantomas, Ramses, Portland, Verlioka plus and others.

Varieties for the Moscow region

• Abakan pink- large-fruited determinant grade of average term of maturing. Tomato ripening period - 109-120 days. Weight - 300-800 grams. The height of the plant in unprotected soil is 80 centimeters, in greenhouse conditions- 150 centimeters.
• Golden domes- determinant mid-season variety. The bush is tall, 0.9-1.5 meters high. Tomato ripening period is 100-115 days. Weight - 200-800 grams. The coloring is orange. The pulp is pleasant to the taste, fleshy, sweet.
• Eagle heart- large-fruited determinant variety of medium ripening. The weight of a tomato is 600-800 grams. The color is pinkish crimson. The pulp is tasty, sugary, sweet. In greenhouse conditions, the bush grows up to 1.7 meters, in unprotected ground - 1.5 meters.
• De Barao- late indeterminate variety. The ripening period of a tomato is 109-130 days from the date of planting. The height of the bush is 2 meters or more. The weight of a tomato is 100 grams. Cold-resistant, shade-tolerant and productive variety. It is grown in greenhouses, greenhouses and unprotected soil. The fruiting of the variety is stretched.
• eagle beak- semi-determinant mid-season variety. Tomato ripening period is 110-116 days. The height of the bush is 120-150 centimeters. Fruits weigh 200-800 grams. The pulp is sweetish in taste, dense, juicy.
• Cap of Monomakh- mid-early indeterminate variety. Fruiting occurs in 90-110 days. The weight of a tomato is 400-900 grams. The pulp is delicious.
• Iceberg- early cold-resistant high-yielding variety. The bush is not tall, up to 80 centimeters in height. The fruits are red. The weight of a tomato is 200 grams. The variety is resistant to cold, temperature changes.

Also here you can sow the following varieties: The Snow Queen, Penguin, Upstart, Snowdrop, Moskvich, Die Hard, Lapwing, Crimson Giant, Big Brother, Spasskaya Tower and others.

In greenhouse conditions, the following are most often grown: Snowfall, Perseus, Teremok, Viscount, Parrot, Dolphin, Ivanhoe, Druzhok, Farmer, Sprinter, Etude, Overture, Sweet Bunch.

Varieties for the Urals and Siberia

• Ultraearly- early variety. The bush is low, up to 50 centimeters high. The weight of a tomato is 100 grams. Fruiting occurs 1.5 months after sowing. The variety is grown in open ground and greenhouse conditions.
• Demidov- undersized variety, the height of which reaches 50 centimeters. The weight of a tomato is 200 grams. The taste is pleasant, sweet.
• Koenigsberg- indeterminate mid-season variety. The height of the bush is 2 meters. Fruiting begins 115 days after sowing. The average weight of a tomato is 280-350 grams. The variety is grown in open ground and in a greenhouse, a greenhouse.
• Heavyweight of Siberia- large-fruited variety grown in open ground. The height of the bush is 60-100 centimeters. Fruit weight - 400-900 grams.
• Wonder of the earth- greenhouse high-yielding variety. The bush reaches 2 meters. The average weight of a tomato is 500 grams. The coloring is pink.
• Altaic- indeterminate greenhouse hybrid. The bush is tall, 1.5 meters high. The variety begins to bear fruit at 110-115 days. Tomatoes are rounded and flattened. The pulp is fleshy. Weigh - 250-300 grams. The fruiting period is extended.
• Grandma's Secret- large-fruited variety. The weight of a tomato reaches 0.9-1 kg. The height of the bush is 1.5-1.7 meters.
  The variety is grown in greenhouse conditions, under film and unprotected soil. Fruiting occurs in 98-100 days.
• scarlet candles- simultaneously ripening variety. Fruits in 105-116 days. The bush is tall, up to 2 meters. The plant needs a garter. The fruits are elongated, weigh 100-120 grams.
• pink honey - greenhouse variety with pink fruits. The ripening period of a tomato is 109-115 days. The height of the bush reaches 70-120 centimeters. Tomatoes are sweet in taste. Fruit weight - 550-800 grams.

You can also grow varieties and hybrids such as: Coin, Intuition, Button, Nevsky, My Love and others.

How to plant tomato seeds for seedlings: step by step instructions

For sowing seedlings, you can use ready-made store-bought soil mixture or cook it yourself.

For this you need to take:

• piece of peat
• part of rotted humus or compost,
• part of sod or leaf land
• 0.5 parts of river sand.

For 10 liters of soil mixture, a glass of wood ash or crushed chalk and a tablespoon of complex mineral fertilizers are added. Everything is thoroughly mixed.

To disinfect the soil mixture, it warms up in the oven at a temperature of 100 degrees for 1 hour. The heated mixture is poured into containers for planting and spilled with a purple hot solution of potassium permanganate

The first thing to do when preparing seeds is to cull them. For this, a saline solution is used. 30 grams of salt is taken per liter of water, poured and stirred. Seeds are placed in the resulting solution for 15 minutes, all floating ones are removed.

The selected seed is then disinfected.

There are several options for this procedure:

• For half a glass of water, 1 gram of potassium permanganate is taken. The seeds dried on a napkin are poured into a bag of cloth or gauze and sent to the solution for 15 minutes.
• In a solution of Fitosporin, the seeds are soaked for 1-2 hours.
• Instead of potassium permanganate and Fitosporin, you can take a soda solution.
• For half a glass of water, 0.5 grams of soda is taken. Seeds are kept in solution for 1 day. Such a solution disinfects and accelerates the fruiting of tomatoes.
• Disinfection can be done with aloe juice. It is diluted 1:1 with water and seeds are placed in it for 12-24 hours. The solution also contributes to an increase in yield, improves the quality of fruits, and enhances plant immunity.

After disinfection, the seeds are soaked in a solution of boric acid (1 gram per liter of water) for 24 hours.

Then they are placed in a solution of any growth stimulator (for example, Epin, sodium humate, potassium humate, Virtana-micro).

For soaking the seeds, filtered or melt water is taken. tap water not suitable for this. Seeds are soaked for 1 day. After swelling, they go to the refrigerator for a day. After hardening, the seed bag is moistened and laid out on a saucer for germination.
After 4-5 days, the seeds begin to germinate, after which you can start sowing.

Landing

For planting, special boxes, containers or cassettes, pots, peat tablets, cups.

Planting containers are filled with soil mixture. Peat tablets are placed in a transparent container.

Furrows are made in boxes (containers) at a width of 3-5 centimeters from each other and at a depth of 1 centimeter. Recesses are made in cups, cassettes or pots. Seeds are laid out in the furrows at a distance of 1 centimeter from each other. 3-6 seeds are planted in pots, and 2-4 seeds go into each peat tablet. They sprinkle thin layer soil.

From above, the container with sown seeds is covered with a film or glass. For germination, the seeds need a temperature of 30 degrees, so the container is installed next to the heat source, but not on the battery. After the appearance of the first shoots, the protective cover is removed.

When shoots appear, the seedlings are transferred for a week to a cooler place, with an air temperature of 16 degrees. A week later, the seedlings return to the room, with a temperature of 20-25 degrees during the day and 16 degrees at night. Drafts are not allowed!

Watering

Tomato seedlings have very tender roots, and therefore, once a week, the plants are watered along the edge of the container from a watering can without a nozzle and sprayed with a spray bottle, an air humidifier. Spraying is carried out once a day, and at high air temperature - 2 times.

Backlight

Young seedlings need a lot of light. After they hatch, they are placed on a well-lit window sill, loggia. With a lack of light, a phytolamp is installed nearby. Light day should be 16 hours. From time to time, containers with plants need to be deployed so that the plants do not stretch in one direction.

If the seedlings grow in a heap, the first dive is carried out after the formation of the first true leaves, by about 10 days after sowing. Dive is carried out to a depth of 3-4 centimeters in pots, cups or boxes. The width between plants should be 5 by 5 or 7 by 7 centimeters (depending on the volume of the container).

A few weeks later, a second dive is carried out in separate 1-liter pots. Plants need to be transplanted earthy clod because plants have delicate roots. Sprouts in peat tablets are transplanted along with them.

What to do if tomato seedlings are stretched

2-2.5 weeks after the germination of the first shoots. Then top dressing is applied 1 time in 10 days. Diluted infusion of mullein can be used as fertilizer ( chicken manure), wood ash, crushed eggshell or complex mineral fertilizers with a mandatory nitrogen content, for example, nitrophoska (1 tablespoon per liter of water).

Top dressing is applied after watering in the evening or early morning.

Hardening of sprouts begins after the appearance of 3-4 true leaves on plants. Suitable temperature for hardening is 15-20 degrees.

You need to start hardening with a five-minute airing. Hardening time increases daily.
Hardened seedlings take root better.

Of the most common mistakes when growing tomato seedlings, the following can be distinguished:

• Incorrectly selected variety;
• unprepared or infected with pests, diseases soil for planting;
• too early sowing of seeds for seedlings;
• insufficient or vice versa excessive watering;
• non-compliance with the temperature regime of plants;
• overabundance or lack of lighting;
• untimely picking;
• lack or insufficient hardening;
• wrong choice of site for planting seedlings;
• planting tomatoes and cucumbers in the same greenhouse;
• wrong choice of film for the greenhouse;
• planting improperly permanent place growth;
• planting plants in unsuitable conditions for the variety;
• excessive watering of plants;
• lack of pinching and pinching.

When growing a large volume, a tomato is better to choose hybrid varieties which are highly resistant to diseases and negative impacts environment.

The soil during sowing and planting must be treated with disinfectants.

With early sowing of seeds, the plants outgrow before transplanting into the ground, which leads to poor rooting.

Tomatoes need to be watered as the soil dries up. Irrigation of seedlings is carried out daily.

The temperature of seedlings during the day should be 18-25 degrees, at night + 13-16 degrees.

Lack of light or round-the-clock coverage of plants weakens them.

Picking plants should be carried out when the first true leaves are formed.

Lack or insufficient hardening leads to weakening of plants after transplantation.

The site for planting a tomato should be well lit and be closed from gusty winds.

The neighborhood of tomatoes and cucumbers in the same greenhouse has a depressing effect on crops.

When choosing a film for a greenhouse or greenhouse, it is better to choose a hydrophilic one. It repels water and stays clear longer.

Plants should be planted in well-drained holes. Watering seedlings after planting is not worth it, as this affects the passage of air to the roots and makes it difficult for plants to take root in a new place.

Planting plants intended for greenhouses and, conversely, for open ground in inappropriate conditions leads to a decrease in yield, as the plants cannot form properly and gain strength.

The reasons for this: sudden changes in temperature, short growing season, poor pollination due to high humidity air in the greenhouse.

Tomatoes need to be watered no more than 1 time per week. Excessive watering leads to the development of phytophthora.

You can not neglect pinching and pinching. The yield of any variety depends on these procedures.

Tomato cultivation must be taken with responsibility. The entire future harvest depends on compliance with all factors that can harm plants.

Seedlings of tomatoes at home. Growing and diving tomatoes: video

How do I grow tomato seedlings: video

Growing seedlings of tomatoes, following all the recommendations is quite simple. Growing tomatoes in this way improves the survival of plants and increases yields. The quantity and quality of harvested fruits depend on strong and healthy seedlings.

As a rule, growing tomato seedlings is the first thing that every summer resident masters, who is just starting to comprehend the basics of vegetable cultivation. As practice shows, it is not at all difficult to grow tomato seedlings, especially if you have at least the simplest film greenhouse or tunnel-type greenhouse at your disposal. Check out the tips of experienced vegetable growers and try to put them into practice.

Growing seedlings of very early tomatoes in pots begins 65-70 days before planting in open ground. Sowing dates: in the steppe zone - February 10-15, in the forest-steppe zone - February 25-28, in Polesie - March 1-5. At the same time, the first fruits ripen already in mid-June, until August 1, 3-4 kg per 1 m2 can be harvested, and the total yield is 7-8 kg per 1 m2. At the same time, when planting potless seedlings on May 25, by August 1, tomatoes are just beginning to ripen. The total yield does not exceed 4-5 kg ​​per 1 m2. The key to a high early harvest is high-quality seedlings. early varieties, early planting date, application of at least 50 kg of humus per 1 m2.

Planting seedlings for growing tomatoes in early dates- 20-25 days ahead of mass deadlines - must be accompanied additional funds frost protection: smoke, sprinkling plantings, the use of paper caps, etc.

This article details how to properly grow tomato seedlings in order to get a good harvest.

Secrets of growing tomato seedlings: timing and agricultural technology

Planting tomato seeds for growing seedlings is carried out at a depth of 1.5-2 cm with row spacing of 3 cm. The distance between plants in a row is adjusted depending on the germination of seeds to ensure that 2200 seedlings are obtained from 1 m2. The sowing rate is 8-10 g per 1 m2.

The optimum temperature for seed germination of this crop is 23-25 ​​°C. Seedlings usually appear on the 4-5th day. More low temperatures delay the emergence of seedlings, and higher ones lead to their weakening. For hardening of seedlings, better rooting on the 4-7th day after the mass emergence of seedlings, the temperature during the day is maintained at 13-15 ° C, at night - 7-9 ° C. Later in sunny days it should be 21-23 ° C, and on cloudy days - 17-19 ° C for both seedlings and seedlings. An important condition for growing tomato seedlings is to maintain the optimum temperature at night throughout the entire period of growing seedlings at a level of 7-9 ° C. This contributes to the earliest laying of flower brushes and an increase in the number of flowers on them.

Seedlings dive at the age of 18-20 days into pots 10 x 10 cm in size, when 2-3 leaves are formed. Such seedlings take root better than 10-12-day-old ones at low temperatures. After picking, the temperature at night should be increased to 11-14 ° C, especially if seedlings are grown without soil heating. This contributes to a faster growth of leaves, acceleration of flowering and fruit formation.

One of the secrets of growing tomato seedlings is preparing the right nutrient mixture in pots. It should consist of 3 parts of high quality humus and 1 part of earth.

Seedlings are cultivated with moderate water supply with rare but plentiful watering (10-20 liters per 1 m2), necessarily with intensive ventilation of greenhouses in the morning.

In order for the care when growing seedlings of tomatoes to be correct, it needs to be fed 2-3 times. The first time - before the formation of 2-3 true leaves at the rate of 5 g ammonium nitrate, 40 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium sulfate per 10 l of water per 1 m2. With the second and third feeding, which is carried out every 10 days, the doses of fertilizers are doubled. Seedlings of early tomatoes are hardened in the same way as cabbage seedlings.

As a rule, it is possible to grow seedlings of early tomatoes without picking, by directly sowing seeds in the greenhouse soil. It is intended for planting in open ground 10 days before the onset of mass terms.

Agrotechnics for growing tomato seedlings, diet, irrigation, preplant preparation are basically the same as in the production of seedlings for mass planting dates. The difference is the age of the seedlings and the feeding area: they are aimed at obtaining early production.

The date of sowing seeds is due to the need to obtain a 50-day seedling. Seedlings of this age have a large supply of plastic substances.

In the forest-steppe zone for planting and further care when growing tomatoes on May 1-10, seeds are sown in a greenhouse on the 2nd-3rd five-day period of March, in Polesie - 5 days later, and in the steppe zone - 5-10 days earlier. There should be no more than 100-150 plants per 1 m2 of usable area.

It is necessary to strictly observe the temperature regime and remember that a change of 1 ° C is accompanied by an increase in the height of the stem by 5 cm, which can lead to overgrowth and obtaining poor-quality seedlings.

The best air temperature at night is 7-9 °С, during the day - 18-20 °С, on average per day - 13 °С.

Higher or lower temperatures lead to the production of non-standard seedlings and, as a result, a decrease in the early yield by 30-40%.

The best soil temperature when growing tomato seedlings in a greenhouse is 2-3 ° C higher than for early seedlings white cabbage- 13-14 °С in the morning and 16-18 °С in the afternoon, average daily - 17 °С. Our studies have shown that such a temperature (in comparison with higher ones - by 3-4 °C) contributes to obtaining more viable seedlings, in which the growth of the aerial part is inhibited without a decrease in root growth, the leaves thicken, the ratio of leaf mass to stem mass increases, and survival rate in the field, the early harvest increases by 30%. At soil temperatures below 12 ° C, plant growth decreases, since not only nutrients, but also water, the phenomenon of “physiological dryness” occurs - there is water, but it is not absorbed by plants.

After watching a video about growing tomato seedlings, you can better understand how all agricultural practices are performed:

When to sow seeds for growing tomato seedlings with and without picks

When to sow seeds for growing tomato seedlings depends on whether you will cultivate it with or without a pick. For planting in open ground in the conditions of the forest-steppe zone on May 10-15, seedlings at the age of 45-50 days are grown with picking of seedlings, for planting in open ground on May 15-20 at the age of 35-40 days - without picking. The combination of these two methods of growing seedlings contributes to the maximum use of film unheated greenhouses (with emergency heating in case of frost), avoids its overgrowth.

Proper cultivation of tomato seedlings with picking of seedlings involves sowing seeds in breeding greenhouses on March 15-20 in the forest-steppe zone, March 20-25 in Polissya and March 1-10 in the steppe zone. Seedlings feeding area - 3 x 1.5 cm, age - 15-20 days. The preparation of the substrate, the mode of growing seedlings are the same as for seedlings of early tomatoes.

Greenhouses are covered with a film no later than 10-15 days before picking, leaving open ventilation openings (preferably side ones) to dry the soil.

And now watch the video "Growing tomato seedlings with and without a pick":

How to grow strong tomato seedlings in a greenhouse

To grow strong tomato seedlings as strong as possible, special attention is paid to the application of organic fertilizers.

In the spring, 27-30 kg of humus, or 9-10 kg of peat, or 1.2-1.5 kg of straw cutting, which is 30% in 10- cm layer, add mineral fertilizers. On humus-earth and peat-earth substrates, 15-20 g of ammonium nitrate, 80-100 g of superphosphate, 30-35 g of potassium sulfate are added. On a straw-earth substrate, the dose of ammonium nitrate is increased to 55-60 g to compensate for the absorption of nitrogen by microorganisms that are activated when straw is introduced.

Seedlings dive into film greenhouses with emergency heating: in the forest-steppe zone - April 10-15, in Polissya - 5 days later, in the steppe zone - 5-15 days earlier. In this period important condition growing seedlings of tomatoes is the correct temperature regime. Soil temperature at 8 o'clock in the morning in a film greenhouse at a depth of 5 cm is 12-14 °C. At this soil temperature, you can start picking, as the seedlings take root in the daytime, when the soil temperature reaches 17-20 ° C. AT sundial all vital processes of plants are activated, including the consumption of mineral nutrition elements, and the influence of night and morning temperatures, which are mainly below the biological value, is compensated.

As practice shows, to grow good seedlings tomatoes will turn out with a nutrition area of ​​​​7 × 7 cm, i.e. 200 pieces per 1 m2, or 8 × 8 cm, i.e. 150 pieces per 1 m2. To make it more convenient to loosen young crops, you can increase the row spacing to 12-16 cm, leaving the indicated number of plants per 1 m2.

The fight against overheating is one of the most crucial moments in the proper cultivation of tomato seedlings. To maintain the temperature no higher than 25 ° C, on some days it is necessary to remove up to 30% of the film cover. Special attention during the cultivation of tomato seedlings in film unheated greenhouses, protection of plants from frost should be given. The best means for this is emergency technical heating - heat generators, electric heaters, gas-burners. If there is no such heating, tomato seedlings can be saved from frosts down to -3 ... -4 ° C by watering the soil. In this case, a layer of moisture is formed on the surface of the film, which absorbs long-wave infrared radiation. In small areas, it is advisable to use a cover at night with a second layer of film.

And how to maintain the right humidity in order to grow good tomato seedlings? Optimum humidity air (60-65%) is easy to maintain by regular ventilation of the greenhouse. Seedlings are grown with moderate water supply, followed by intensive ventilation of greenhouses. The best time watering - morning. Watering is combined with two mineral top dressings in the same doses as for early tomato seedlings. Harden seedlings before planting, as described above.

Top dressing 1-2 days before sampling at the rate of 10 g of ammonium nitrate, 40 g of superphosphate, 80 g of potassium sulfate, diluted in 10 liters of water (per 1 m2), followed by bringing the humidity to 100% HB is effective technique increasing the resistance of plants against adverse conditions during transplantation. Top dressing during hardening significantly changes the direction of physiological and biochemical processes.

In plants, the concentration of cell sap, water-retaining capacity increases, the intensity of transpiration decreases, which contributes to their adaptation in conditions of disturbance. functional activities roots after sampling and an increase in early yield by 25%.

Growing tomato seedlings without picking is the most economical way to produce it, the success of which largely depends on the creation of a fertile loose substrate that is free from weeds.

To prepare seedlings for the second half of the terms of mass planting in open ground in the forest-steppe zone, tomato seeds are sown in the soil of the greenhouse on March 26 - April 1-2, in Polissya - April 2-5, in the steppe zone - March 15-20. It is advisable to warm the soil in greenhouses before sowing seeds, it is rational to use emergency heating.

To grow tomato seedlings without picking, the seeds are sown with row spacing of 12 cm, the seeding rate is 3-4 g of seeds. After sowing, the surface must be mulched with a film, as this contributes to an increase in soil temperature by 2-4 ° C at night and 4-8 ° C during the day, which is important for greenhouses without soil heating.

After the appearance of the first sprouts, the film is immediately removed.

With an average daily soil temperature of 13-15 ° C, mass yields of tomato with this method appear on the 12-13th day after sowing. After 3-7 days after the emergence of seedlings, they break through, leaving a distance between plants of 2.5-3 cm. 270-300 plants are grown per 1 m2.

Care for non-picked seedlings and preparation for planting them are the same as for dived ones. The temperature regime must be strictly observed, avoiding overheating.

To prevent drying and improve the survival of seedlings, do not forget to dip the roots of the seedlings after sampling in a clay mash solution, to which you can also add a little mullein or modern biological products.

Non-energy-intensive technologies for growing tomato seedlings in a greenhouse

When heat is in short supply, relevant non-energy intensive technologies growing tomato seedlings. Use the recommendations below to get strong seedlings.

• First of all, we carefully level the soil surface of the greenhouse so that there are no depressions in which water accumulates and the soil ripens for a long time. The surface should be flat, like a table, with a slight slope for water flow, so that the soil dries out at the same time and is ready for processing as soon as possible.
• To improve the heating of the soil of the greenhouse, increase the nutritional value, improve the structure, we introduce an increased amount of organic matter up to 50% by volume in a 10-cm layer, adding 15-20 g of ammonium nitrate, 80-100 g of superphosphate, 30-35 g of potassium sulfate per 1 m2 .
• Before sowing, we loosen the soil several times, always in a state of physical ripeness, for better warming. We start sowing when in the morning the soil at a depth of 10-15 cm warms up to 12 ° C; during the day, and even under the film, its temperature will be 20-25 ° C. This usually happens in early April.
• Before sowing, we form beds across the greenhouse through 1.6-1.8 m across the entire width, excluding the central path.
• Along the bed, after 24 cm, with a chopper we make grooves 6-10 cm deep with a slight slope from the center of the groove to the sides so that water does not stagnate. Now everything is ready for sowing.
• But the sowing here is special - in which tomato seeds sprout together on the 2-3rd day, and not after 10-15 days, as it can be in the same unheated greenhouses. Sowing here is liquid - with water, and germinated seeds are in the water.
• Preparation of seeds for sowing includes methods: dressing in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, soaking in a solution of macro- and microelements, and then germinating in a warm room between two layers of film (seed layer thickness 1 cm, no more), the appearance of seedlings 1 cm long -2 mm. Seeds can be sparged until sprouts appear. Then, for 1-2 days, the seeds are placed in a refrigerator for hardening at a temperature of 0-1 °C.
• Sowing, as already mentioned, is liquid, along with water, then the sprouts will not break. The task is to ensure that for 1 running. m grooves to accommodate 80 seeds. Approximate consumption water for this amount of seeds - 0.75 liters. For 1 m2 4 rows - 3 liters of water and 320 seeds. It is convenient to use the kettle, but you have to stir the water with the seeds all the time. First you need to practice. "Sow" a row twice on one and the other side of the track. After sowing, the seeds are sprinkled with a layer of earth 0.5-1 cm, shifted from the groove from the side of the track.
• Immediately after sowing, we cover each bed with a film. It looks like greenhouses in a greenhouse. After 2-3 days shoots appear. We keep the film over the seedlings for no more than two weeks, depending on the temperature. During the day, we shoot earlier in order to prevent the temperature from exceeding 20-25 ° C.
• To grow tomato seedlings in a greenhouse as experienced gardeners advise, you must follow the following features care. When 3-4 true leaves appear, we fill the groove with the earth that was taken out of it. This additional bedding of plants promotes the formation of new roots. And this is done very simply - with a chopper during loosening. We loosen often to kill weeds, give air to the roots, fill in the grooves, cut the roots for better growth and prevent the stem from stretching. It is convenient to loosen - the row spacing is 24 cm. Tridents are especially good for this purpose. Previously, there was an idea that seedlings should be grown according to a square pattern of 6 × 6 or 7 × 7 cm. Indeed, in the first period with a square pattern, the plants are better lit, but in the last, when the leaves have already closed with a square placement, this is not yet the case on wide-row crops. occurs and the plants win in terms of light. We water rarely, we try so that moisture does not get on the plants, especially when it is cold, in order to prevent the appearance of fungal diseases.
• To combat frost, we use the second layer of the film, watering the soil along the aisles, it is better to make grooves in the aisles for this purpose. Try to sprinkle the surface of the greenhouse, set the nozzles so that they spray water onto the film.
• We harden the seedlings as usual.

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, window sills of city apartments are filled with boxes and pots. Compared to some other crops, growing tomato seedlings is relatively easy, so gardeners tend to do it themselves.

Planting seeds for seedlings

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

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

Terms of planting tomatoes for seedlings

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

The time for sowing seeds should be calculated 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 the threat of frost has passed. Of course, it happens that in not too northern regions, frosts also occur in June, but, basically, in the middle lane or regions similar in climate, planting seedlings is possible at the end of May. Therefore, the term for sowing seeds for seedlings falls on the second half of March. For greenhouse cultivation, you can sow seeds a couple of weeks earlier.

As for the variety, as a rule, late-ripening varieties are sown first, and early ones are 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 simply 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 carton boxes from under juice or milk with a capacity of from a liter to two. We cut off one of the large sides, make several holes for drainage in the opposite side - and you're done. The volume is just right for sowing seeds of 1-2 varieties, and for two weeks the strength of this cardboard is enough.

For picking, ideally, peat pots should be purchased medium size. But they take up a lot of space, and they cost money. Therefore, economical 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 gigantic 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 in the store: universal or specifically for tomatoes. But for growing a large number of seedlings, it will be a little expensive. With self-compilation of the mixture, the ideal composition is peat, humus and sod land(totally equal). If something is missing, we use what is at hand, but the composed soil should be light, moisture-absorbing and breathable.

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

Any soil must be decontaminated. 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. Do this 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 that are more productive and yield higher quality fruits. But there are so many old well-deserved varieties that we do not seek to say goodbye to them. Indeed, from varietal tomatoes, you can easily take seeds and always be with your own, proven ones.

If the seeds are bought in a store, you must carefully read the instructions. Perhaps they are already prepared for sowing. Modern technologies preparations sometimes lead to the fact that the seeds germinate longer, but stronger bushes grow out of them. Conducting any self-training such seeds, you can spoil everything that the manufacturer did with them before selling them. Such seeds can be sown immediately, dry. Well, or maximum - soaked.

Prepare your seeds for sowing. The disinfection procedure can be combined with the rejection of seeds. To do this, prepare a strong, dark purple solution of potassium permanganate. When dissolving, you need to 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 should not be sown will remain on the surface. Maybe they will sprout, but the plants will be much weaker than the rest.
For dressing seeds, a strong solution of potassium permanganate is needed (left), for soil disinfection - a weak one (right)

The pickled seeds are filtered through a strainer, washed well clean water and put in a damp cloth. After keeping them warm for a couple of days, they are placed in this rag in any small cup (preferably, 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 during three days. After that, the seeds are 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, you need to do this ). Is it possible to not process your seeds at all? Of course, it is possible, but only if the bushes did not get sick at all in the past and if there is a guarantee that the plants will not fall under severe cold in the future.

How to sow tomatoes for seedlings

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

1. We outline with any suitable tool small grooves 1–1.5 cm deep at distances of 4–5 cm from each other.
   Grooves can be made not very deep
2. We lay out the prepared seeds at distances of 2.5-3 cm from each other.
   Tomato seeds are not too small, they can be spread out one at a time
3. Sprinkle the seeds with soil, from above, if the snow has not yet melted, put it in a layer of 3-4 cm. If you can’t find it already, carefully water the crops, eroding the soil. In the absence of snow (and it is very useful for future shoots!) You can water even before the seeds are laid out, along the grooves.
   Snow for seeds - the best watering
4. We cover the box with glass or film and put it in a warm place, the optimum temperature is 23-25 ​​o C. Light is desirable before emergence, but not required.
   The film perfectly creates a greenhouse effect
5. After 4–7 days (depending on the variety and temperature), you can expect tomato “loops” to peck. We transfer the box to the 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 to 15–16 °С at night.
   Ideal seedlings, even at the first stage, should look stocky

How to plant tomatoes for seedlings

Described sowing in a common box - traditional reception in growing tomato seedlings. After 10-12 days, we will dive the plant into separate cups or large boxes. But in recent times other, non-traditional approaches to sowing seeds for seedlings are becoming commonplace.

The use of peat pots

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

• when planting in a garden, 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 pick them up once again: put them in a suitable tray and keep them there until planting in the garden. In addition, with a dense arrangement, the roots of one plant grow into an adjacent pot, this must be monitored.
Seedlings in peat pots are very comfortable, but they take up a lot of space.

Peat pots are especially good for crops that do not require picking. Tomatoes do not belong to those, but, nevertheless, some gardeners sow tomato seeds in pots and grow seedlings in them to the end. The sowing technique does not differ from that in the case of the box.

Sowing in peat tablets

Peat tablets are ideal for crops that do not like picking. But, like peat pots, some hobbyists insist on using them when growing tomato seedlings, as it is exceptionally convenient. Tablets are made from pressed peat, to which nutrients and various growth stimulants are added. The optimal diameter of the tablets for tomato seedlings is 7 cm.

The tablets are placed in a tray and gradually filled with water. At the same time, 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 recess in which a seed is placed. After that, lightly close up the seeds and water a little again. Tablets with crops in the pan are covered and kept in a warm, bright place, periodically adding water. After the emergence of shoots, the cover is removed. Water the tablets by simply pouring water into the box. It is not necessary to feed seedlings in tablets.
The tablets have everything for seedlings: you don’t even need to feed it

Toilet paper application

Often at the first stage of growing seedlings (up to picking) they do without land at all, using it as a substrate toilet paper. This is an example of so-called hydroponics, but to bring tomato seedlings without land until transplanting into the garden is difficult. One example of the use of paper simulates the sowing of seeds in a common 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 layers of paper, 2–3 cm apart.
3. Spray the paper with water, and then wrap the half of the bottle with a film.
4. They put this "box" in a warm place and wait for shoots.
5. When shoots appear, the temperature is reduced in the same way as in the case of the earth, and after a few days it is increased.
6. Up 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”, twisting it into a roll, having previously spread it over a dense film.
In a snail, seedlings live only until picking

seedling care

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

Growing conditions (light, 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, they can be thrown away after a couple of days. They instantly stretch out, especially if there is not enough light. The rest of the time for seedlings of tomatoes, the daytime temperature should be about 20–22 ° C (18 is also suitable, but 25 is already a bit too much). It should be a few degrees colder at night.

There is no need to specially lengthen daylight hours; in March-April it is sufficient, but the lighting should be bright. There is enough natural sunlight only on the southern window sill (on the western and eastern windowsill it is already not enough, on the northern one it is decidedly not enough). In any case, the seedlings should be positioned so that they are as close as possible to the glass, but do not touch it. Various reflective devices help: mirrors, food foil, etc. Such home-made screens are placed so that sunlight enters them and reflects from them onto seedlings.
The light must be cold so as not to burn the leaves.

However, one cannot do without artificial lighting on semi-dark window sills or on tables. 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

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

Seedlings are watered only with warm water (25–30 ° C) and in case of obvious drying of the surface layer of the soil. They don't do it 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 feeding is desirable when a real leaf appears, but if the seedlings develop normally, it can be postponed, because 1-2 days after this (in the 2-leaf phase) the tomatoes will have to dive. Therefore, a real top dressing is given 10-12 days after picking. Use any complete mineral fertilizer according to the instructions for it. If soil mix was originally well fertilized, just an infusion of wood ash may be sufficient.

The need for subsequent top dressing 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 top dressing, this can be done 10–12 days before planting. If the plants develop slowly, it is better to use azofoska. The point in top dressing is not to get half a meter bushes by the end of spring, but to make the seedlings strong and stocky.

Video: from sowing seeds to picking tomato seedlings

For seedlings of tomatoes, picking in its classical sense is considered mandatory. Of course, tomatoes will grow without it, but transplanting seedlings into a spacious dwelling with pinching 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. Frankly, 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 seedlings grow good roots, and real leaves at this time are just 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 entire seedling is freely placed in a new place.

Picking a tomato, of course, is best done in separate cups with a capacity of at least 300 ml, but this is only possible 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 picking, seedlings live in a hostel - large wooden boxes. We make them according to the size of the window sills. And tomatoes tolerate planting in the garden quite normally and with some damage to the roots, so you don’t have to worry about having to dig seedlings out of the box.

A few hours before picking, seedlings should be generously watered. Dig up 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 a dug seedling in a new place with an old pencil (after all, it resembles a pike, here you have a pick!). The central spine is pinched so that it can easily be placed in a new place. Sometimes you have to tear off even half, but more is not necessary. When transplanting, seedlings are deepened so that the cotyledon leaves remain only 5–10 mm from the soil surface. In a common box, seedlings are transplanted according to the scheme no thicker than 10 x 7 cm.
Picking - jewelry occupation

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

hardening

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

Diseases and pests of seedlings at home

If the seedlings are properly cared for, and the seeds and soil have been disinfected, diseases at home attack very rarely: the causes of seedling diseases must be sought in their actions. Some of the diseases are successfully treated, others are fatal.

• The black leg is the most dangerous disease, the reason is most often the waterlogging of the soil, watering cold water and too dense landing. The fungus infects seedlings near the soil itself, the stem darkens, thins out, the plant dies. Saving diseased specimens is impossible. They must be removed, watered with potassium permanganate and sprinkled with dry sand. But it is best to immediately transplant the surviving plants into clean soil.
  Black leg - a deadly disease
• Septoria (white spotting) is a fungus that covers the leaves with small light spots that turn brown over time. Diseases on initial stages treated by spraying seedlings with fungicides ( Bordeaux mixture, Ridomil Gold).
  Septoria is treated only in the initial stage
• Fusarium wilt is a fungus that infects the stems of plants that darken, wither and lose their elasticity. The leaves lighten, curl and fall off. The missing plants are removed, and the neighboring ones are sprayed with Trichodermin or Fitosporin-M.
  With Fusarium, seedlings can only be saved if specimens that have not begun to wilt can be saved.
• Mosaic of tomatoes - viral disease, manifested by the characteristic unevenness of the color of the leaves. Spots of various colors and any shape appear on them. Over time, the leaf dries up and dies. Diseased plants should be removed, the remaining ones should be sprayed with a 3% solution of urea.

Very often, tomato seeds are immediately planted in open ground, and sometimes the seedling method is used. To get at home healthy seedlings, it is necessary to adhere to the rules for caring for it and take into account a considerable number of factors.

Quality seedlings will give a quick and plentiful harvest.

Growing conditions

Preparatory work plays an important role in obtaining strong seedling. It is important to create optimal conditions for seed germination, to provide them at home with sufficient humidity, heat and light. Seeds and soil are pre-prepared and disinfected. It is advised to choose high-quality soil and proven vegetable varieties.

At home, the seeds are planted later than in the greenhouse.

If it is planned to transplant seedlings into open ground, then they are sown no earlier than two months in advance, and if in a greenhouse, then one and a half months. Seeds are sprinkled with a layer of soil, watered and covered with a film. Best Temperature for seedlings is 20 degrees Celsius.

It is very important to make a good soil mixture for seedlings.

How to care for seedlings

Usually, the full germination of seeds takes about a month and depends not only on the quality of the seeds themselves, but also on the ambient temperature. After 5-7 days, when they sprout, the container is transferred to a cool and well-lit place.

The first three weeks, the sprouts develop slowly, and their active growth is observed for the next two weeks.

Temperature

The first seven days it is necessary to maintain a temperature of at least 19 degrees, and at night not less than 15. To do this, open a balcony or window, trying to protect the seeds from drafts and wind. After their germination, the temperature in the room is maintained at 20-24 degrees Celsius. When a large number of seedlings appear, the temperature can be lowered to 18 degrees during the day and 15 at night.

Tomato seedlings grow slowly at first

To provide air to the roots of the plant, containers with them are placed on stands and small holes are first made in the bottoms.

It is necessary to spray tomatoes daily and, if possible, use room humidifier air.

Watering and feeding

Watering is carried out as the top layer of the earth dries. To moisten the soil at home, it is convenient to use a small watering can or a spray bottle. It is better to direct a jet of water closer to the edges of the container, and not under the roots of the sprouts, the water should be at room temperature.

Excessive watering can lead to the formation of diseases: rot and black leg.

Seedlings should not be waterlogged, as this will cause the appearance of a black leg.

Before the first leaf appears, seedlings can be lightly sprinkled only in case of very dry soil. Usually the first time watering is not plentiful. After a week, if each sprout already has two or three leaves, you can add the first top dressing to watering. The third time is watered a few hours before picking.

Top dressing stimulates the growth of plants and strengthens them. Usually seedlings are fed starting from the tenth day after germination.

To determine when a plant needs useful material, you need to pay attention to the color of the sprouts.

• Dark green leaves and strong purple stem they say that feeding is enough.
• If the lower leaves of tomatoes turn yellow and fall off, nitrogen fertilizers must be used.
• Yellowing of all leaves means an excess of nitrogen.
• The purple color of the seedlings indicates an insufficient amount of phosphorus.
• Tomatoes that are constantly lit need iron.

The purple color of seedlings indicates a lack of phosphorus.

It is recommended to use organic matter as a fertilizer. If it is not possible to fertilize with manure or droppings at home, you can use humic supplements and other natural ingredients. Fertilizers are mixed with water and each bush is watered with a syringe or pipette, the earth is loosened a little.

Lighting

Caring for tomato seedlings also includes providing optimal lighting. This vegetable loves a lot of light, so the seedlings are additionally highlighted at home. In the first three days, this should be done around the clock, and then from thirteen to fifteen hours a day.

Without additional lighting, seedlings will stretch

Containers with sprouts must be constantly turned in a circle towards the light.

picking

Tomatoes, like many other vegetable crops, need picking. AT without fail it must be carried out in the following cases:

• many seeds sprouted;
• diseased leaves appeared;
• it is necessary to suspend the growth of seedlings so that it does not outgrow;
• for a healthy root system.

It is recommended to prepare individual containers in advance: peat pots or plastic glasses with a volume of half a liter. The sprouts are planted separately when they already have three full leaves. During a pick, sick and weak seedlings are disposed of. The containers are filled with soil and slightly compacted by watering with a weak solution of manganese. Before you put a sprout there, you need to pinch the root. This promotes the development of the root system.

Seedling picking is done when the plant has 2-3 true leaves.

If the seedlings are stretched out, they are transplanted a little deeper.

After picking, cultivation should be continued at a higher temperature. You can put seedlings closer to heat sources for three or four days. Then the temperature regime must be left the same and regularly watered, as well as loosen the soil. Weekly, the earth is watered abundantly and does not allow it to dry out.

The use of peat tablets eliminates the need for picking sprouts and makes growing seedlings at home comfortable.

The container is gradually filled with soil as the seeds grow, which are planted in another container, without separating them from peat tablets. The prepared cups are half filled with soil and the soaked tablet with the germinated seedling is placed. It should be about four centimeters in diameter. Two to four seeds are planted in it.

hardening

A couple of weeks before planting, it is important to harden off the seedlings. To do this, the air temperature is lowered to fifteen degrees and five days before landing it is taken out into the open air. This will help the tomatoes become resistant to new weather conditions.

To harden off tomato seedlings, it must be taken out on Fresh air and the sun

Common Growing Mistakes

It is important for beginners to avoid many mistakes when growing seedlings at home, namely:

• Do not allow excess or lack of water, as well as too low or high temperature air.
• Do not leave leaves with symptoms of the disease. They must be cut off, and in mid-August, all foliage is removed.
• Too early planting of seeds contributes to the growth of thin and fragile stems.
• It is necessary to feed and treat the plant in time in case of yellowness.
• You can not neglect the rules of illumination.
• Sometimes inexperienced gardeners encounter problems such as spots on the leaves, very elongated seedlings, complete stunting. If she is very stretched out, a pick can help. Sometimes you have to use special growth regulators sold in stores.

Lack of light and excess of nutrients

One of the common problems of growing tomatoes at home is slowing down the growth of seedlings or stopping them altogether. In this case, it is necessary to identify the cause. It could be:

• insufficient or excessive amount of fertilizers;
• poor quality soil;
• the earth is too flooded or too dry;
• incorrect picking;
• seedling diseases.

To solve this problem, you need to eliminate the cause, and you can also use growth stimulants. A solution of sodium humate is suitable at the rate of one glass of it per bush.

Changing the color of the leaves and the appearance of spots indicates too in large numbers fertilizer or drying out of the soil. Sometimes a transplant to a new land with washing the roots saves.

If the seedling has overgrown, it is necessary to slow down its growth before planting in the ground. This can be done by re-picking. If the climate allows, the plants are immediately planted in the ground. It is impossible to cut or put seedlings in a cold dark place.

Planting seedlings in the ground is carried out in early May

To get a decent crop of tomatoes, you need to make a lot of effort and know how to care for tomato seedlings. Following all the recommendations will help turn the growing process into a rather interesting activity and save money on purchased seedlings.

Tomatoes are one of the favorite crops that summer residents grow in their plots. From what seedlings are planted in a permanent place, whether it be a heated greenhouse, a small pranichok or open garden, depends on the amount of future harvest.

When growing seedlings at home, you must follow the basic recommendations. Observing them, you can get strong, hardened plants that are not afraid of acclimatization after transplanting to a permanent place and minor temperature changes.

Tomato seedlings at home - growing conditions

In order to grow good seedlings, you must follow a number of rules. Primarily , corresponding to the place of cultivation(open ground, heated greenhouse, covering bed). The selection of seed material must correspond to the climatic zone.

Take care of a quality soil mixture for seedlings. You can prepare it yourself in advance or purchase it at a specialized gardening store. At the end of winter, many compositions are sold for various kinds plants.

Decide where the seedlings will be grown. It should be not too sunny, but not shaded either. When landing early, during a short daylight hours, it is necessary to purchase special lamps for illumination. Otherwise, the plants will stretch due to lack of light.

Prepare fertilizer in advance for top dressing. It can be ordinary ash or special formulations.

For sowing seeds, boxes or special containers with drainage holes in the bottom are prepared.

It is better to take separate dishes for each variety or prepare markers with the name of the variety if all the seeds are sown in one container.

Perhaps someone prefers to sow in ready-made peat tablets or in small peat pots. In this case, sowing is done one at a time. This is quite convenient when transplanting seedlings into a more spacious dish, so they are less injured. It is necessary to take care of the cups for picking plants.

When to plant tomato seedlings

Planting time for tomato seedlings depends on the ripening period of tomatoes, the area where it is planned to plant in a permanent place(greenhouse, shelter bed, open ground) and climate zone.

By mid-February, all the necessary materials should be prepared: seeds, boxes, soil, fertilizers.

Exist several options for formulating nutrient mixtures:

• three measures of peat, two - soddy land, four - humus or compost, one - old sawdust or river sand, to loosen the soil;
• humus, soddy land, sawdust or sand - are taken in equal proportions;
• for 5 parts of compost take part of sawdust and 3 parts of peat.

When preparing, all components must be mixed well, adding a handful of wood ash for each measure of soil composition. If the mixture has not been frozen, then it must be decontaminated before seeds are planted in it. Most often, the soil is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate, hot water with addition blue vitriol or steamed in a water bath. Good result obtained by heating nutrient earth mixtures in the oven, scattering them on a baking sheet or placing them for a minute at full power in the microwave.

After that, the soil should be shed with warm settled water and left for 10-12 days for the development of microorganisms in it. Some people prefer to buy ready-made soil soil compositions in specialized stores. They are already completely ready for sowing seeds. The prepared soil is laid out in prepared boxes, lightly tamped, poured with warm water, and proceed to sowing.

The rules for planting tomatoes are not complicated:

• at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other, shallow grooves are made (from 0.5 cm);
• the seeds are laid out in grooves with tweezers at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other;
• sprinkle with earth on top, pressing lightly so that the seeds do not wash out when watering;
• boxes or containers marked according to grades are covered with glass or film on top and placed in a warm place.

Shoots should appear in a few days, depending on the variety of tomato. At this time, the boxes should be warm, the maintained temperature should not exceed 25 degrees.

After the appearance of the first seedlings, the film or glass is removed, the seedlings are transferred to a well-lit place, the ambient temperature drops to 18 degrees.

How to water

Periodically, as the earth dries up, it is moistened from the sprayer, but without fanaticism, otherwise the seedlings may get sick. plants need to be taken well defended. You can take melted snow. Watered with warm water in the morning, trying not to wet the seedlings. As the seedlings grow, they need to be fed with nutrient solutions. You can do this by combining with watering.

It is better to fertilize correctly in a simple way: first, water a little with warm water, then feed mixture is applied, then water again with warm water. This is done in order to wash off the fertilizer, and not burn the seedling or its roots.

How to feed seedlings

For top dressing not pickled seedlings, you can prepare a weak solution of "Kemira-Lux". This is universal fertilizer, suitable for both all types of plants and indoor flowers, so you can direct it without fear that you won’t be able to use it up.

The solution is stored for a long time.

Seedlings respond well to fertilizing with infused ash. A tablespoon is taken per liter, infused for 4-7 days. After that, the infusion is added to the water for irrigation, at the rate of 1:1.

With strong elongation of seedlings, watering is reduced or stopped altogether., the ambient temperature is reduced to 10-12 degrees.

Picking tomato seedlings: is it necessary?

After the appearance of two true leaves, tomatoes must be put into separate containers. So they will have more room for root formation, which means they will grow and develop faster. The seedlings will have enough space and light, which means they will stretch less. The composition of the soil mixture can be taken the same as for sowing seeds. On the eve of the picking, the seedlings are watered, so it will be easier to transplant and it will be easier to endure the procedure.

The picking process can be done like this:

• the glass is half filled with soil, lightly compacted;
• sprout, removed from the box with a fork or stick;
• placed in a cup and sprinkled with earth, gently rammed.

Separate the plant from others, removing it from the box, you need to carefully, trying not to damage the roots, with a small lump of earth. It is necessary to fall asleep with soil to the real leaves. After transplantation, all plants are watered with warm water and placed in a shaded place for 2-3 days.

Diseases of tomato seedlings

When picking for further cultivation, you need to take only healthy, intact seedlings. At this time, the plant is fully visible - both its roots and the aerial part.

After transplanting, seedlings should be periodically inspected for diseases and fungal infections. All diseases are divided into two main groups: excess or lack of fertilizers and infections. By balancing top dressing, both underdevelopment of seedlings and fattening of plants can be avoided. Late blight manifests itself in the form dark spots with a light frame on the leaves and stripes on the stems. You can prevent the disease by disinfecting the planting ground, the seedlings are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture.

White spotting first affects the lower leaves. They darken, black dots appear on them, then the leaves dry out and fall off. You can cure it in the same way as with phytophthora. If this is not a rare variety, then it is better to destroy diseased plants.

When to plant tomato seedlings in the ground

Seedlings are planted in a heated greenhouse in accordance with the climate of the region. So for middle lane Russia it will be the end of April-beginning of May. In simple glass or polycarbonate greenhouses- at the end of May-beginning of June.

For shelter beds and It is better to transfer tomatoes to open ground after the threat of return frosts. Usually it is early to mid June. Depending on the climate zone and current weather dates may vary one way or the other.

By this time the seedlings are usually reaches a height of about 30-35 cm, depending on the variety. It should be a well-developed and leafy strong plant, if the cultivation was carried out in accordance with all the rules of agricultural technology. The distance between the planted tomatoes should be at least 35-40 cm. Two rows are usually made on the ridge. For better lighting tomatoes are recommended to be planted in a checkerboard pattern.

It is better to transplant seedlings to a permanent place in open ground in the afternoon or in cloudy weather. Overgrown seedlings are planted obliquely or twisting the stem with a ring in the hole. This must be done very carefully, as the plant can be broken.

It is better to tie tall tomatoes immediately to a peg installed in a dug hole.

The first few days (about a week) the plants should be left alone for acclimatization. They should not be watered, and even more so feed or loosen the soil near the bushes. It is certainly not easy to grow strong, healthy and hardened seedlings, but following all the recommendations and rules of agricultural technology, it is quite possible to provide yourself with delicious fruits for summer salads and winter preparations.