Pickling tomato seedlings: terms and rules for transplanting

When growing tomatoes, in order for the seedlings to turn out to be strong and well-developed, it is imperative to carry out a timely pick of the seedlings. The very attitude and technique of performing this procedure among gardeners are different, therefore it is necessary to figure out what a picking of tomato seedlings is, when and how to carry it out correctly.

What is picking tomato seedlings and what is it for

Classic definition of a pick (dive) Is the removal of the final part of the taproot from a young seedling (in other words, shortening it by 1/3 or 1/4) in order to stimulate the branching of the root system (for tomatoes it is an absolute boon unlike cabbage, the same eggplants and peppers, for which picking is recommended, but traumatic).
But in general, usually under the dive it is understood the seating (transplanting) of grown seedlings from the general planting capacity into separate (individual) and large ones.

Note! For tomato seedlings, picking is vital, since the stronger the root system of young seedlings is, the greater the load of fruits it can withstand.

There are several main advantages of picking tomato seedlings, which leave no doubt about the need for it:

Generally, the essence of the pick in that the plant develops better, or rather, its root system grows, gradually mastering more and more volumes of soil.

• When transplanting, a natural selection of the strongest and most promising specimens can be carried out, while rejecting weak plants.
• Prevents root entanglement in seedlings growing in a common container.
• Due to the deepening of the seedlings to the cotyledons, active formation of adventitious (lateral) roots begins.

Thus, the further growth and development of tomato seedlings depends on the correctness of this procedure.

Video: why, when and how to dive tomato seedlings correctly

Is it possible to do without picking tomato seedlings

Some gardeners prefer to grow tomato seedlings without picking. To do this, at the initial stage of sowing, it is necessary to plant several seeds (2-3) in separate sufficiently large containers. And after the seedlings grow a little, leave the strongest and most promising seedling, and remove the rest. As the plants grow, you will need to gradually add soil to stimulate the development of the root system.

Important! If you are going to grow tomato seedlings without picking, then it is recommended to select the container so that in the end it will allow growing the root system of the growing seedlings, i.e. not less than 0.5 liters.

When to pick tomato seedlings

Picking tomato seedlings, like almost all other plants (for example, the same peppers or eggplant), must be carried out when plants form a pair (2 each) of these leaves.

By the way! In principle, a pick can be carried out when the seedlings the 2nd real leaf will just start to form (appear).

Important! There is no need to rush, as well as to delay, with picking tomatoes: if in the first case the plant is still too weak (in the cotyledon phase), then in the second, it will simply start to lack space and food (including light), which means the seedlings will stretch and wither.

As for the approximate timing of picking tomatoes, as a rule, it takes about 3-4 weeks for the seedlings to grow the necessary 2 true leaves from the moment of sowing the seeds.

Advice! It is not worth focusing on the age of the seedlings when choosing the time for picking. The main thing is to focus on the appearance, namely, on the number of real (not cotyledonous) leaves.

Video: when to dive tomato seedlings

Note! If you originally sowed tomatoes in cassettes with a volume of 0.2-0.3 litersthen picking seedlings using the transshipment method (more on this later) can be produced later, when she already has 3-4 real leaves. But you should not pull too much, the sprouts will simply begin to close (shade) each other.

How to prepare tomato seedlings for picking or transplanting by transshipment

To reduce the stress of plants due to picking, a day before or after (some even recommend doing this even earlier - 2-6 hours before or after the procedure), you can spray tomato seedlings with a solution of drugs "Epin" or "Zircon" (according to the instructions).

Also desirable 2 hours before the pick water the seedlings at the root, which will help to avoid damage to the root system in the process of removing the seedlings from the general container and preserving part of the earthen coma.However, if you are exactly overloading, then, on the contrary, you need to stop watering 1-2 days before transplanting.

Alternative opinion! In order for the seedlings to remain elastic and not break during the pick, on the contrary, it is advisable to slightly dry the soil before the procedure.

Useful tips and tricks to help you make the pick as correctly as possible:

• It is convenient to use a wooden stick, a teaspoon or a plastic fork for diving, which helps to gently remove the seedlings from the ground.
• You should not hold the seedling by the stem (this way you can break it), you need to hold it by the cotyledon leaves.
• It is better to bury tomato seedlings to the lower (cotyledon) leaves, which makes it possible to grow additional lateral roots.

• The soil must be decontaminateto exclude the development of fungal diseases and pests (more on this later).
• It is not recommended to select too large containers, 0.5 liter cups or pots will be enough (read below).

Preparation of soil mixture

The soil for picking tomatoes is exactly the same as when sowing seeds for seedlings, in other words, it should be loose, light and neutral in acidity (pH 6.5). Unless now it can be made a little more nutritious.

And of course, without fail disinfect.

Advice! Effectively disinfect soil you can use steaming in the oven or microwave, or spilling with a solution of the drug "Fitosporin" (according to the instructions). Better yet, do both (first ignite, then cool, and then spill).

The easiest way is to use a ready-made special soil for growing tomato seedlings, which is also suitable for peppers and eggplants.

Of course, you can always prepare the soil mixture yourself. Here are some proven recipes:

• sod land, high peat, humus or compost, sphagnum moss or river coarse sand in a ratio of 1: 1: 2: 1;
• peat, compost, sawdust or sand in a ratio of 3: 5: 1;
• turf soil, humus or compost, sand in a ratio of 2: 3: 1;
• turf land, leaf land, humus or compost in equal proportions (1: 1: 1);

Advice! Do not forget to add to all potting mixes wood ash at the rate of 1 glass (100 grams) per 1 bucket of soil mixture.

Suitable container for picking

For picking tomato seedlings into separate containers, the same plastic cups with a volume of about 0.5 liters are suitable, 0.7 is possible, but not more than 1 liter (this is pointless and even harmful, the unrefined soil will simply sour).

In whatever container is convenient for you, dive into this one. Let it be cut plastic bottles, cardboard milk cartons, kefir, sour cream and mayonnaise jars. The main thing is that the container has a volume of at least 500 ml and a height of at least 8-10 cm.

So many dive in homemade polyethylene cups (similar to diapers), from which it is very convenient to get seedlingswhen landing in open ground or greenhouse.

Note! If you take a container of a smaller volume (0.2-0.3 liters), then after a while you will need to make another pick again, more precisely, a transplant by the transshipment method.

Also, the landing container must have drain holes, or You canlay out the drainage layer from expanded clay or pebbles (1-2 cm).

Methods for picking tomato seedlings

The picking of tomato seedlings can be done in two ways: the classic picking and the transshipment method.

The choice of method depends on how you initially sowed the seeds (in a common container or in individual cups).

Classic pick

Executed when you initially sown seeds in a common container... Although, if you really want to prune the taproot to stimulate the formation of lateral roots, then it is also used when transplanting from individual small containers.

Step-by-step instructions for picking tomato seedlings from a common container into separate cups:

• The prepared containers are not completely filled with soil (somewhere 3/4 or 2/3 of their volume, so that it is possible to water the plant normally and add soil as it grows).
• In the center of the container, make a small indentation with a finger or a spoon (stick) according to the size of the root system of the seedling.
• Spill with water so that the soil becomes only slightly damp.
• Carefully remove the seedling from the container, prying it from below with a stick (a teaspoon, more precisely, with its end). Then the plant is removed from the soil (you cannot hold it by the stem, only by the cotyledons).

By the way! Some gardeners advise, if possible, to save part of the land on the roots of seedlings when diving. At least a small layer.

• Now the seedling needs to shorten (trim) its main taproot by 1/3 (1/4), pinching its tip by 0.3-0.5 cm.
• Optionally, you can dip the roots in the solution to enrich the root system with beneficial bacteria. "Fitosporin" (against fungal diseases) and / or "Azotovita" or "Azofita" (both drugs are analogs providing nitrogen nutrition), "Phosphatovite"(Phosphorus nutrition). Prepare solutions only according to the instructions on the packaging.

Note! Solutions can be mixed, drugs do not suppress each other.

You can also add a drop to the resulting solution "Epina" (or "Zircon") or 1 h. l. yeast (culinary, beer) - so it will be even more effective.

• They put the seedling in the hole, deepening it almost to the cotyledonous leaves.

It is important that if the seedling is elongated, then it must also be buried almost to the cotyledons.

• Gently compact the soil at the base of the seedling.

• Then spill it with warm water so that the roots of the plant come into good contact with the soil.

If desired, watering can be done with a solution Fitosporin and Azofita (Azotovit).

• To prevent a dry crust from forming after watering, you can additionally sprinkle dry soil on top.

By the way! For prevention black leg and other fungal diseases, you can put a Glyocladin tablet in each container.

• At the end, the cut seedlings are placed in a place inaccessible to direct sunlight, for about a day or two. In other words, it is better to remove containers with seedlings from the window and put them on the table or somehow shade them directly on the windowsill. At the same time, shading does not mean placing in a deep shadow or even in a dark place. There should be light, but diffused.

The following videos show the classic picking process shown with the use of drugs Fitosporin and Azofit.

Video: picking tomatoes, peppers, eggplants - simple rules

Video: how to properly dive tomato seedlings into glasses

Transfer (transfer with a clod of earth)

Only performed if you the seeds were originally sown in individual containers (cups or cassettes).

Step-by-step instructions for transshipment (transplantation with an earthen clod) tomato seedlings:

Note! Most of the actions are carried out in the same way as a pick, with the exception of the following:

• For a successful transshipment, it is necessary to stop watering the plants 1-2 days before transplanting, so that you can easily get the seedling along with the earthy clod without damaging it (it will not fall apart).
• Pour some soil into the container. Leave a place with the expectation that you will put a seedling with an earthen lump there.
• Carefully remove the seedling from the container along with a clod of earth.
• Place the seedling in the center of the container and fill the voids formed on the side with the prepared substrate.

Advantage! With this method, the roots are not damaged and they do not need an adaptation period. Therefore, in the case of transshipment, the transplanted seedlings may not be placed at all in a shaded place or placed for only 12-24 hours.

Video: picking tomatoes by transshipment from cassettes

Care of tomato seedlings after picking

Next, you continue to care for tomato seedlings in a similar way:

Slowing down the growth of seedlings after picking is a normal phenomenon, since the plants must survive stress and recover - to take root in a new place.

• Support temperature regime... The temperature of the content should be as follows: during the day - +22 .. + 26 degrees, and at night it should drop to + 14-18 degrees. Temperature drops contribute to the hardening of plants, in other words, they have a favorable effect on the development of seedlings.
• Light mode... For full growth and development of tomato seedlings, 11-12 hours of daylight hours are required. The most suitable place for planting seedlings will be the southern windowsill. An east or west window sill is also suitable, but it's better if it is a southeast or southwest window.

Advice!Periodically, containers with seedlings should be turned with the other side to the window so that the plants do not tilt to one side.

• In a timely manner wateringyou grow as the top layer of the earth dries up. At the same time, it is necessary to water abundantly so that the entire earthen lump has time to soak (excess benefits should come out of the pot from the drainage holes). The water should be warm or at least room temperature, pre-separated or filtered.
• If there is a need, then start feed (more on this later).

Video: tomato seedlings - from picking to planting in the ground

Top dressing

If you properly prepare the soil, then the seedlings of tomatoes can not be fed at all, especially before the pick. But if initially used poor soil, then you cannot do without fertilizers. Especially if the appearance of the seedlings clearly hints that the plant lacks some macro- or microelements. In this case feeding is simply necessary.

By the way! More about feeding tomato seedlings read in this article.

For example, if you see thatthe stems and the underside of the tomato leaves turned purplethen they need phosphorus... Top dressing can be done with superphosphate (dilute according to instructions).

If started cotyledon leaves turn yellow and fall off, then, most likely, plants lack nitrogen... If so, then the seedlings should be fed with any nitrogen-containing fertilizers, for example, urea or ammonium nitrate.

Advice! For feeding tomato seedlings, it is best to use complex mineral fertilizers containing equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (such as nitroammofoska). Moreover it is desirable to prepare 2-3 times less concentrated solutionsthan the manufacturer recommends.

Or you can prepare such a universal solution of mineral fertilizers (for 10 liters of water):

• ammonium nitrate - 10-15 grams;
• potassium sulfate (potassium sulfate) - 20-25 grams;
• superphosphate - 30-40 grams (there cannot be an overdose of phosphorus, so there is no point in making a less concentrated solution).

Advice! If you proponent of organic farming, then as nitrogen fertilization can use herbal infusion (for example, nettle), bird droppings or mullein (prepare all solutions according to the attached instructions). Potassium and phosphorus contained in wood ash (1-2 tablespoons or 10-20 grams per 1 liter of water).

As for the frequency of feeding tomato seedlings, as a rule, it is recommended to do this once every 10-14 days (for the first time - 10-14 days after the pick), although experienced gardeners advise feeding with each watering, but in a lower concentration ( 3-4 times).

Video: when and how to feed tomato seedlings

Repeated transfer (transshipment)

After 3-4 weeks after the first pick, if necessary, you can second picktomatoes.

It is carried out by a purely transshipment method and does not require shortening the main root.

Re-picking can be carried out if:

By the way! Double picking is often used when growing tall (indeterminate) tomato varieties.

• you deliberately dived into small containers;
• the seedlings have outgrown their containers, but the weather conditions do not allow to plant the seedlings in the ground.

Video: second pick of tall tomatoes

Thus, picking tomatoes is an important stage in growing seedlings, which gives an additional impetus to the development of plants. Follow this procedure in accordance with all the rules and recommendations, and your seedlings will become strong and healthy.

Video: picking tomatoes - how to plant tomatoes