Sowing tomato seedlings correctly at home: a step-by-step guide
Tomatoes are one of the favorite crops of all summer residents, therefore, with the onset of the new season, each of them begins to plan for sowing tomato seeds for seedlings. After all, it is very important to initially plant correctly, and then grow strong seedlings, which, after planting in open ground or a greenhouse, will be able to quickly gain strength and begin to bear fruit.
Content
How to pick a good tomato variety
Note! The site already has a number of detailed review articles on the most popular and best varieties of tomatoes:
How to plant tomatoes for seedlings: rules for sowing seeds
To get strong and healthy tomato seedlings, you need to follow a number of simple recommendations.
The sowing procedure must be carried out according to all the rules, but first:
- determine the sowing time:
- prepare a suitable soil, disinfect it;
- choose a suitable container (for initial sowing, for picking);
- process and germinate seeds;
- sow correctly.
When to Sow Seeds: Optimal Sowing Times
Note! The site already has a detailed article about how to correctly calculate the timing of sowing tomatoes for seedlings, including indicated favorable days for planting in 2020, according to the lunar calendar.
How to prepare seeds for planting seedlings
Advice! Read more about pre-sowing preparation and processing of tomato seeds You canin this article.
As a rule, the main activities for the preparation and processing of tomato seeds before sowing include the following:
- disinfect (pickle) in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes (an old-fashioned and not very effective method), and then rinse under water; or use a more modern and effective drug "Fitosporin";
Also tomato seeds can be pickled in chlorhexidine, brilliant green, garlic infusion and aloe juice.
- conduct soaking in a growth promoter type "Epin", "Zircon" (according to the instructions).
Alternatively, you can soak the seeds in the solution wood ash (1 tbsp. Spoon for 500 ml of water), in which you need to keep the seeds wrapped in a gauze bag for 4-5 hours.
- germinate in a cloth or on cotton pads.
Note! You also need to germinate correctly: if you just immerse the seeds in water, then no effect will follow, because oxygen is required to awaken them. Therefore, the seeds must be soaked in a damp cloth (precisely in a cloth or cotton pads, since they can grow roots into gauze) so that both moisture and air can be accessed. For example, putting them (seeds in cotton pads) on a saucer or in a jar, and covering the top with a plastic bag (cling film) so that it is moist inside. Then put it in a warm place, where the temperature is above +22 degrees, but not above +30, optimally + 24-28 degrees.
In what substrate to plant (preparation of the soil mixture)
In order to activate all the vitality of tomatoes, it is necessary to choose a suitable substrate.
The soil mixture itself should be loose, light and nutritious, and its acidity should be close to neutral (pH 6-6.5).
In garden stores, you can purchase ready-made special soil for tomato seedlings (it is also suitable for growing peppers and eggplants), in which all the necessary components are already balanced.
But if desired, the substrate for tomato seedlings can be prepared by yourself at home according to one of the following recipes:
Recipe number 1:
- sod land - 1 part;
- high-moor peat - 1 part;
- humus or compost - 2 parts;
- sphagnum moss or river coarse sand - 1 part.
- wood ash - 1 glass per bucket of soil mixture.
By the way! As a baking powder (i.e. instead of sand or moss) can also be used perlite.
Or here's another recipe:
- peat - 3 parts;
- compost - 5 parts;
- sawdust (necessarily rotted) or sand - 1 part;
- wood ash - 1 glass per bucket of soil mixture.
Another option:
- sod land - 2 parts;
- humus or compost - 3 parts;
- sand - 1 part;
- wood ash - 1 glass per bucket of soil mixture.
And one more recipe:
- sod land - 1 part;
- humus or compost - 1 part;
- leaf earth (baking powder, that is, you can use sand, perlite or moss) - 1 part;
- wood ash - 1 glass per bucket of soil mixture.
Important! One week before sowing tomato seeds, soil disinfection.
For this, the soil needssteam in the ovenas well as spill solution potassium permanganate deep pink. Or use a more powerful drug Fitosporin.
Video: land for tomato seedlings
Planting containers
There are several common types of tomato seedling containers. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, and therefore any gardener selects exactly those that he likes best, and also based on his capabilities.
The main thing is that there are drainage holes in the planting tank to drain excess water. Or it is worth pouring a drainage layer (for example, from expanded clay) on the bottom of the container.
- Wooden or plastic boxes used for growing seedlings for a long time. They are distinguished by their ease of use. Sowing seeds is carried out with their further picking. They do not require special devices for further transportation. Help save money as you can do it yourself. Of the minuses: a box filled with earth is very heavy, and when transplanting tomatoes to a permanent place, there is a high probability of significant damage to the roots.
- Plastic cassettes are stitched together cells of the same size. Different lengths and widths can be purchased if required. Often, a pallet for them is purchased separately or they come up with their own options for collecting excess water. The advantage is that they are lightweight, detachable with scissors, easy to use, have ready-made drainage holes, and the seedlings are easily removed from the cassette cell. Their disadvantages: short-lived, not very convenient for transportation.
- Peat cups. This type of container is very popular among gardeners, as it is made of environmentally friendly materials. But experts recommend using peat cups already when picking tomatoes. Their advantages: durable, safe (eco), do not require plant transplantation, as they dissolve perfectly in the soil, serve as additional nutrition for plants. Cons: moisture evaporates very quickly in them, so the seedlings will have to be watered more often.
- Peat tablets are compressed peat with nutrients, placed in a special mesh. Before sowing, soak in water for swelling. Their advantages: easy to use, contribute to the development of a strong root system, quickly dissolve in the soil during transplantation. Their disadvantages: they have a high cost, an additional pallet is required, they dry out quickly.
- Plastic cups are considered the most common types of containers for sowing tomatoes for seedlings. You can use two types of containers: 100 and 200 ml for sowing seeds and 500 ml for further picking. Their advantages: ease of use, the seedling is easily removed during transplantation, reusable, low price. Cons: the drainage holes must be done by yourself, an additional pallet is required, additional devices are needed during transportation.
In addition to the main types, many gardeners use improvised containers: yogurt cups, cardboard boxes for dairy products, plastic buckets for pickles or preserves (jams), and others.
Landing scheme
For the correct cultivation of seedlings, a certain distance between the seeds should be observed, since the seedlings will need some space during the growth process
Important! When the seedlings are thickened, tomato seedlings will begin to stretch, and the risk of developing fungal diseases will also increase.
When sowing in a common container, it is recommended to spread tomato seeds in shallow (1 cm) grooves with a mandatory distance of 1-2 cm.And between the rows (grooves) themselves, it is required to leave a distance of 3-4 cm.
Naturally, the less often tomato seeds are planted, the longer the seedlings can stay in the seedling container. However, you still have to dive them, so there is no point in making too great a distance between the seeds.
Naturally, with a single planting in individual containers, you need to sow 1 seed in each, although for more confidence, especially if you do not germinate seeds, it is better to sow 2 in order to leave the most powerful plant in the future.
Actually, with this method of sowing, you can grow without picking, you just need to immediately take 0.5 liter containers.
Algorithm for direct sowing of seeds
Step-by-step instructions for planting tomato seeds for seedlings:
- Fill seedling containers disinfected substrate 3/4 of the volume.
- Spill the soil abundantly (with warm water) and allow the moisture to be absorbed and the soil to settle.
- Make grooves 1 cm deep with a distance of 3-4 cm between them.
- Spread the tomato seeds at a distance of 1-2 cm.
- Sprinkle with earth and moisten the surface with a spray bottle.
- Cover containers with glass or film (bag) to create a greenhouse effect (so that the inside is warm and humid).
- Put in a dark and warm place at a temperature of + 22-28 degrees until friendly shoots appear.
Video: sowing tomato seeds for seedlings
Caring for tomato seedlings after sowing: basic rules
The further development of seedlings depends entirely on proper care.
In order for the seedlings to grow strong, it is worth taking into account the basic conditions of their maintenance and the rules of care.
Note! The site already has a detailed detailed article about the rules for growing tomato seedlings at home.
Temperature and light conditions
After the appearance of the first shoots and removal of the shelter, it is necessary to reduce the temperature of the seedlings to a mark of + 14-18 degrees during the day and + 10-14 at night for 5-7 days.
Such a measure will reduce the active growth of the green mass (seedlings will not stretch) and will allow the roots to develop.
In the future, for the normal growth of tomato seedlings, it will be necessary to create a temperature difference - in the daytime - + 22-26 degrees, at night - + 14-18 degrees.
Temperature changes contribute to the hardening of plants.
For full growth and development of tomato seedlings, 11-12 hours of daylight hours are required.
The most suitable place for placement of seedlings will be the southern windowsill. The east or west is also suitable, and even better if it is southeast or southwest.
If you only have a northern window sill, or you often have cloudy weather, then you will definitely need supplement the seedlings with special phytolamps.
Watering
Watering tomato seedlings should be carried out as the substrate dries up, avoiding overflow and drying out of the roots. Moisten should be done carefully, especially the soil, avoiding moisture on the foliage. At the same time, it is necessary to water abundantly so that the entire earthy clod has time to soak. The water should be warm or at least room temperature, previously separated.
Note! Waterlogging of the soil in combination with insufficient illumination and increased temperature leads to a strong elongation of plant stems.
Video: caring for tomato seedlings from germination to picking
Picking
Seedlings of tomatoes (unlike peppers and eggplants) tolerate picking well.
By the way! More details about the timing and the very procedure for picking tomato seedlings read in this article!
Seedling care after picking
Further care for tomato seedlings is similar: you need to continue to maintain temperature and light conditions, as well as irrigate on time and start feeding, if necessary.
Top dressing
If you properly prepare the soil, then the seedlings can not be fed at all, especially before the pick. But if initially poor soil was used, then top dressing is recommended even before the pick. Moreover, 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!If your seedlings need extra food, then the site also has a detailed article about feeding tomato seedlings.
Hardening of seedlings before planting in a permanent place in the ground
10-14 days before planting tomato seedlings in a permanent place, hardening of seedlings should be started.
This is necessary in order for the seedlings to adapt to more severe outdoor conditions, because before that they grew up in a comfortable home environment.
It is quite simple to do this: you need to gradually begin to take out the seedlings to the greenhouse or to the balcony (loggia), where the temperature is lower (both daytime and night), first for 1-2 hours in the afternoon, and at the end for a whole day.
Video: tomato seedlings - from picking to planting
Problems and diseases of tomato seedlings
Growing tomato seedlings is painstaking work, the result of which can be jeopardized by trivial mistakes in caring for young seedlings. There are a number of problems and diseases of seedlings that can negate all the efforts of the gardener:
- Blackleg manifested by a dried stem at the base of the seedling; develops with high humidity, thickening of crops against the background of a lack of light, as well as when planting seeds in contaminated soil.
More about what is black leg and how to avoid it (than shedding soil for prevention), readin this article.
- Pulling seedlings... Lack of light, high temperature and waterlogging of the soil are the main reasons for pulling out tomato seedlings (however, like any other).
- Yellowing of leaves seedlings.
By the way! About, what to do if tomato seedlings start to turn yellowand you cannot define the disease, read in this detailed article.
- The leaves and stems of the seedlings may turn purple.
Advice! The site has a separate material about why the leaves of tomatoes turned purple.
When to plant tomato seedlings in open ground and a greenhouse
As for the timing, the planting of tomato seedlings is carried out only when the threat of the last spring frosts passes, and the soil warms up enough.
Note! The site already has 2 materials about when and how to properly plant tomato seedlingsand also about the rules for its further cultivation:
Thus, taking into account all the recommendations for the preparation and sowing of tomato seeds, as well as observing the basic rules for caring for seedlings, you will definitely be able to achieve the desired results and get a generous harvest.
Video: when and how to plant tomatoes - detailed instructions from sowing to harvesting
Thank you very much ! I learned a lot for myself.
Hello, good article, in detail, step by step everything is told, I still use the spraying method. Once a week I spray them with Baikal or Slox.