What is the best way to grow tomato seedlings? How to grow tomato seedlings: growing at home, how to plant. Feed tomato seedlings twice

Tomatoes are a favorite vegetable on our table, with excellent taste and nutritional qualities. The variety of varieties allows it to be widely used both fresh and processed. They prefer to add fruits of some varieties to salads, and others to pickles and marinades.

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

Tomato seeds can be planted directly into the beds. And in order to get fresh tomatoes on the table as early as possible, you should use the seedling method of growing tomatoes.

Depending on how you plan to grow tomatoes in a permanent place, you should select the sowing time.

1. Seeds of greenhouse varieties are planted from February 15 to March 15.
2. The seedlings, the seeds of which were planted in the first two decades of March, are subsequently planted in open beds, for which it is necessary to build a shelter for the first time.
3. For plants that are planned to be planted in open ground without any shelter, seeds are planted from March 15 to March 31.

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

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

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

Table. How to grow tomato seedlings at home.

Soil preparation. Planting seeds

Some points in our step-by-step instructions require explanation. Let's look at them in more detail.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sowing rules

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

How to care for seedlings

In the first two weeks after sowing the seeds, the night temperature in the room where the boxes are installed should not exceed +15°C. During the day it should not be more than +20°C.

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

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

When the plants have two true leaves, it is recommended to thin out the seedlings. For further growth, it is necessary to maintain strong plants with thick stems and bright leaves, removing all weak seedlings within 5 centimeters of them.

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

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

How to care for seedlings

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

At this time, the plants will develop very intensively, so the seedlings require additional lighting. With a lack of light, it can stretch out. We recommend purchasing it to organize lighting. When using them, you need to take into account that seedlings should not be illuminated for more than 12 hours a day. If seedlings are grown without additional lighting, then the flow of natural light can be increased. To do this, the container with plants is placed at an angle to the window, the reverse side of which is covered with a light-reflecting cloth. A mirror or a layer of foil may be suitable for these purposes.

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

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

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

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

Tomatoes come from South America, so when growing tomato seedlings in the house you need relatively dry air, a lot of light and heat. In this article we will look in detail at how to properly plant and care for young seedlings.

We will grow seedlings like this Choosing the right variety Before you start growing tomato seedlings, you need to decide on the choice of varieties. Before planting seeds, you need to decide which varieties will be grown and where. It is fundamentally important to know whether there will be or. According to the method of growth, all varieties are divided into semi-determinate and determinate. This sign is indicated on the bag of seeds and is decisive for growing plants in open or protected ground. Indeterminate (tall) tomatoes What to choose - a hybrid or a variety? Variety- these are plants that can retain their characteristics for many generations when grown from seeds. Hybrid- these are plants obtained through special pollination. They retain their characteristics only in one generation; when growing tomatoes from collected seeds, their characteristics are lost. Hybrids of any plants are designated F1. Sign Varieties Hybrids Heredity Varietal characteristics are transmitted to subsequent generations Traits are not transmitted and are a feature of one generation for one growing season Germination 75-85% Excellent (95-100%) Fruit size The fruits are larger than those of hybrids, but can vary significantly in weight The fruits are smaller, but aligned Productivity May fluctuate from year to year High yield with proper care. Typically higher than varieties Disease resistance Susceptible to various diseases, some of which can be inherited More resilient, less susceptible to disease Weather Better tolerate temperature changes The varieties tolerate temperature fluctuations much worse. Sudden and severe temperature changes can cause death. Conditions of detention Less demanding on soil fertility and temperature Requires more fertile soils and higher temperatures for fruiting Feeding Regularly needed For good fruiting, the dose should be greater than for varieties Watering Can tolerate short-term drought or waterlogging well They tolerate both lack and excess moisture very poorly. Taste Each variety has its own taste. Less pronounced. All hybrids are inferior in taste to varieties The cooler the summer in a region, the more difficult it is to grow hybrids. In these regions, the varieties should be preferred. Also, if in the future there is a desire to grow a crop from your own seeds, then make a choice in favor of the variety. If the goal is to obtain the maximum amount of product, and weather conditions in the region allow it, then growing hybrids is preferable. Timing for sowing seeds for seedlings The timing of sowing seeds for seedlings depends on the early maturity. First of all, the timing of planting tomatoes in the ground is determined and the required number of days is counted from this date - the date for sowing the seeds is obtained. For mid-season varieties, the age of tomato seedlings before planting in the ground should be at least 65-75 days. They can be planted in a greenhouse at the end of May, and in open ground when the threat of frost has passed, that is, in the first ten days of June (for the middle zone). If we also add the period from sowing to the emergence of seedlings (7-10 days), then it is necessary to sow 70-80 days before planting in the ground. In the middle zone, the sowing time for mid-season varieties is the first ten days of March. However, growing mid-season varieties in the northern and central regions is unprofitable: they will not have time to fully develop their potential, and the harvest will be small. Mid-ripening and late-season tomatoes are suitable only for the southern regions of the country. Seedlings of early ripening tomatoes are planted in the ground at the age of 60-65 days. Consequently, seeds are sown after March 20. They are suitable for all regions of the country. There is no need to sow tomatoes for seedlings too early. When sown early in conditions of light deficiency, they become greatly elongated and weakened. In case of poor lighting during the seedling period, flower clusters are laid later, and the yield becomes lower. If the soil in the greenhouse has warmed up, then early-ripening tomatoes for indoor soil can be sown directly into the greenhouse in early May and grown without picking. When grown without seedlings, tomatoes begin to bear fruit 1-2 weeks earlier than seedlings. To grow tomato seedlings, it is better to prepare the soil yourself. The soil must be loose, nutritious, water- and air-permeable, must not crust over or become compacted after watering, and be clean from pathogens, pests and weed seeds. For seedlings, make up a mixture of peat and sand in a ratio of 1:0.5. For each bucket of obtained soil, it is advisable to add a liter jar of ash. Peat is acidic, and tomatoes need a neutral environment to grow well. Ash just neutralizes excess acidity. Another option for the earth mixture is turf soil, humus, sand in a ratio of 1:2:3; instead of sand, you can take high-moor peat. In garden soil, after special treatment, you can also grow healthy tomato seedlings, the main thing is that it does not contain spores of diseases and overwintering pests. But, since it becomes too compacted in containers, sand or peat is added to loosen it. They take soil from planting legumes, melons, greens, and green manure. You cannot use soil from greenhouses after nightshades. If the soil at the dacha is acidic, then be sure to add ash (1 liter/bucket). It is better to use garden soil for preparing soil mixtures. Purchased soils contain a lot of fertilizers, which is not always good for seedlings. If there are no other options, then store soil is diluted with sand, garden soil or turf soil. Peat is not added to purchased soil, since it itself, most often, consists only of peat. It is better to prepare the soil mixture in the fall. If the moment is missed and there is nowhere to get the soil, you will have to buy several types of soil from different manufacturers and mix them in equal proportions, or add soil from flower pots to the purchased soil. But this is the worst option when growing seedlings. After preparing the mixture, the land must be cultivated to destroy pests, diseases, and weed seeds. The soil can be treated using various methods: freezing; steaming; calcination; disinfection. Freezing. The finished soil is taken out into the cold for several days so that it freezes. Then they bring it into the house and let it thaw. The procedure is repeated several times. It is advisable that the frost outside at this time should not be lower than -8 -10°C. Steaming. The earth is heated for an hour in a boiling water bath. If the soil is purchased, then the sealed bag is placed in a bucket of hot water, covered with a lid and left until the water cools down. Calcination. The earth is calcined in an oven heated to 100°C for 40-50 minutes. Disinfection. The earth is watered with a strong solution of potassium permanganate dissolved in hot water. Then cover with film and leave for 2-3 days. Preparing tomato seeds for sowing If the bag says that the seeds have been processed, then they do not require additional processing. The rest of the seed must be processed. First of all, calibration is carried out. Place the seeds in a glass of water and wait 3-5 minutes until they get wet. Then the floating seeds are thrown away; they are unsuitable for sowing, since the embryo died, which is why they became lighter than water. The rest are soaked for 2 hours in a solution of potassium permanganate. For treatment, seeds can be soaked in water heated to 53 ° C for 20 minutes. This temperature kills disease spores but does not affect the embryo. Then the hot water is drained, the seeds are slightly dried and sown immediately. To speed up germination, the seed material is soaked. It is wrapped in cotton cloth or a paper napkin, moistened with water, placed in a plastic bag and placed on the battery. Treated seeds also need to be soaked. As practice shows, they sprout faster than without soaking, and the protective effect of the treatment remains quite high. Many people treat planting material with growth stimulants. But in this case, all the seeds, including the weak ones, germinate together. In the future, a large percentage of weak plants are rejected. Therefore, it is better to treat bad seeds (expiring, overdried, etc.) with stimulants; simply soak the rest in water. When the seeds hatch, sowing is done. You should not wait until the sprout is larger; if you delay sowing, long sprouts will break off. You can sow the seeds in separate containers, 2 seeds each, if both sprout, then they are planted when picking. Tomatoes are sown in shallow boxes, filling them 3/4 with soil. The earth is lightly crushed. The seeds are placed at a distance of 2 cm from each other. Sprinkle dry soil on top. If the soil is not crushed or the crops are covered with damp soil, the seeds will go deep into the soil and will not germinate. Varietal tomatoes and hybrids are sown in different containers, since their germination conditions are different. The boxes are covered with film or glass and placed on a radiator until germination. Seed germination time The timing of seedling emergence depends on temperature. Seeds of varieties germinate at a temperature of 24-26°C in 6-8 days At 20-23°C - after 7-10 days At 28-30°C - after 4-5 days. They can also sprout at 18°C ​​in 8-12 days. The optimal germination temperature for varietal tomatoes is 22-25°C. The germination rate of hybrids is much better, but often they do not germinate well at home. For good germination they need a temperature of +28-30°C. +24°C - COLD for them, they will take a long time to germinate and not all of them will sprout. Weak seeds germinate later than others; the seed coat usually remains on them. Therefore, shoots that appear later than 5 days after the main group are removed; they will not produce a good harvest. Caring for tomato seedlings To grow good tomato seedlings, you need to monitor the following parameters: temperature; light; moisture. Temperature As soon as the shoots appear, the film is removed and the boxes are placed in a bright and cool place with a temperature of +14-16°C. In the first 10-14 days, the roots of the seedlings grow, and the above-ground part practically does not develop. This is a feature of tomatoes and you don’t need to do anything here. After the allotted time, the seedlings will begin to grow. As soon as growth begins, the daytime temperature is increased to 20°C, and the night temperature is maintained at the same level (15-17°C). Hybrids after germination need a higher temperature (+18-19°). If they are placed in the same conditions as varietal tomatoes, they will wither rather than grow. After 2 weeks, they also need to increase the daytime temperature to 20-22°C. If this cannot be done, then the hybrids will develop more slowly, their first flower cluster will appear later and the yield will be lower. In general, you need to set aside the warmest window sill for growing hybrids, take better care of them than other seedlings, only then will they produce a full harvest. On warm days, the seedlings are taken out onto the balcony, and at night the windows are opened to reduce the temperature. Those who have the opportunity put tomatoes in a greenhouse on sunny days if the temperature there is not lower than +15-17°C. Such temperatures harden the plants well, make them stronger, and, in the future, their yield is higher. Lighting Tomato seedlings must be illuminated, especially late varieties that are sown earlier. The lighting period must be at least 14 hours a day. With a lack of light, the seedlings stretch out greatly, become long and fragile. In cloudy weather, additional lighting for plants is increased by 1-2 hours compared to sunny days, and the temperature is reduced to 13-14°C, otherwise the tomatoes will become very stretched. Watering Water tomatoes very sparingly. Watering is carried out as the soil dries and only with settled water. Unsettled tap water forms a bacterial-limescale deposit on the soil, which tomatoes really don’t like. At the initial stage, each plant needs only 1 teaspoon of water; as it grows, watering is increased. The soil in the seedling box should be neither too wet nor too dry. You need to water abundantly so that the soil is sufficiently saturated with moisture, and the next watering is carried out only after the earthen clod has dried. Usually tomatoes are watered no more than once a week, but here they focus on individual growing conditions. If the plants have wilted, they need to be watered without waiting for a week to pass. Overmoistening combined with high temperature and poor lighting causes the tomatoes to become very stretched. Picking seedlings When the tomato seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, pick them. For picking, prepare pots with a volume of at least 1 liter, fill them 3/4 with earth, water and compact. Make a hole, dig out the seedling with a teaspoon and plant it in a pot. When picking, the tomatoes are planted somewhat deeper than they grew previously, covering the stem with soil up to the cotyledon leaves. Strongly elongated seedlings are covered up to the first true leaves. The seedlings are held by the leaves; if you hold it by the thin stem, it will break. Tomatoes tolerate picking well. If the sucking roots are damaged, they quickly recover and grow thicker. The roots should not be allowed to bend upward, otherwise the seedlings will develop poorly. After picking, the ground is well watered, and the tomatoes themselves are shaded for 1-2 days so that the evaporation of water by the leaves is less intense. How to feed tomato seedlings Feeding is carried out 5-7 days after picking. Previously, fertilizing is not recommended, since the soil was filled with ash, which contains all the necessary elements for seed growth. If seedlings are grown on purchased soil mixture, then fertilizing is especially not needed. After 14-16 days from germination, tomatoes begin to actively grow leaves, and at this time they need to be fed. Fertilizer should contain not only nitrogen, but also phosphorus and microelements, so it is advisable to use a universal fertilizer. During this period, you can feed tomatoes with fertilizer for indoor plants. It gives excellent results. You cannot feed tomato seedlings with nitrogen alone. Firstly, for relatively small plants it is difficult to calculate the required dose. Secondly, nitrogen causes increased growth, which, with a limited amount of land and insufficient light, leads to severe elongation and thinning of plants. Subsequent feedings are carried out after 12-14 days. Seedlings of late and mid-season varieties are fed 3-4 times before planting in the ground. For early ripening varieties, 1 or maximum two feedings are enough. For hybrids, the amount of fertilizing is increased by 2 for each type of seedling. If the land is purchased, then it is sufficiently filled with fertilizers and fertilizing is not carried out when growing tomatoes on such soils. The exception is hybrids. They consume nutrients more intensively and before planting it is necessary to carry out 1-2 feedings, no matter in what soil they are grown. Caring for seedlings after picking After picking, the seedlings are placed on the windowsills as freely as possible. If she is cramped, then she develops poorly. In densely spaced seedlings, the illumination decreases and they stretch out. 2 weeks before planting tomatoes, they are hardened off To do this, seedlings are taken out to the balcony or open air even on cold days (temperature not lower than 11-12 °C) At night the temperature is reduced to 13-15°C. To harden hybrids, the temperature should be 2-3°C higher, it is gradually lowered. To harden, pots with hybrids are first placed next to the glass itself, where the temperature is always lower. After a few days, if the batteries are regulated, they are closed for a few hours; if they are not adjustable, then open a balcony or window. At the final stage of hardening, the hybrid seedlings are taken out to the balcony for the whole day. If the tomato seedlings cannot be taken out onto the balcony, then they are sprayed daily with cold water to harden them. Main reasons for failure Tomato seedlings are very stretched. There are several reasons: not enough light, early planting, excess nitrogen fertilizers. Seedlings always stretch out when there is insufficient light. It needs to be illuminated. If this is not possible, then place a mirror or foil behind the seedlings, then the illumination of the tomatoes increases greatly and they stretch less. There is no need for nitrogen, this causes rapid growth of the tops, and in conditions of insufficient lighting (and indoors there is always not enough light, no matter how much you light the seedlings) they become very elongated. Sowing seeds too early. Even normally developing seedlings stretch out when sown early. After 60-70 days, the plants become cramped in pots and containers, they need to develop further, and in conditions of limited food area and cramped conditions on the windowsill, they have one way out - to grow upwards. All these factors, both individually and together, cause the seedlings to stretch. Tomatoes stretch even more if excessive watering and high temperature of seedlings are added. The seeds don't germinate. If the seed is of good quality, then there are no seedlings due to low soil temperature. This is especially important for hybrids. They germinate at a temperature of 28-30°C. Therefore, to speed up the emergence of seedlings, containers with sown tomatoes are placed on a battery. Tomatoes don't grow well. They are too cold. For varietal tomatoes, a temperature of 18-20° is required for normal growth, for hybrids - 22-23°C. Hybrids can grow at 20°C, but more slowly and, accordingly, will begin to bear fruit later. Yellowing of leaves. Leaves of tomatoes grown in close quarters usually turn yellow. When the seedlings are large, there is not enough light on a cramped windowsill, and the plants shed excess leaves. In such conditions, all attention is paid to the top of the stem; the bushes try to outgrow their competitors in order to have more comfortable conditions. When the leaves turn yellow, the seedlings are spaced more freely and the air temperature is reduced. If the leaves are small, turn yellow, but the veins remain green or slightly reddish, this is a lack of nitrogen. Feed with complete mineral fertilizer. There is no need to feed nitrogen alone, otherwise the tomatoes will stretch. Limitation of power supply area. The tomatoes are already cramped in the container, the roots have entwined the entire earthen ball and further growth stops. Transplant the seedlings into a larger pot. Leaf curl. Sudden and significant changes in temperature. When growing tomatoes, you need to avoid sudden increases in air temperature. The feeding area of ​​the seedlings is limited, and the roots cannot support all the leaves in hot weather. The same thing happens during a sudden cold snap, but this is much less common at home. Blackleg.. Affects all types of plants. The disease spreads rapidly and can destroy entire seedlings in a short time. The stem at the soil level turns black, becomes thinner, dries out, and the plant falls and dies. Infected plants are immediately removed. The soil is watered with a pink solution of potassium permanganate, Fitosporin, Alirin. After this, the tomatoes do not need to be watered for a week; the soil should dry out. Growing seedlings at home is a troublesome task, but it will not be possible otherwise, especially in the northern regions and the middle zone.

Growing tomato seedlings at home is a process that requires a lot of time and attention. But later you will be rewarded with a generous harvest. Sowing tomatoes for seedlings begins in late winter or early spring, depending on the region.

Sowing seedlings

Tomatoes are supposed to be sown as seedlings, because they are southern heat-loving plants, and it is the seedling method of cultivation that allows you to get a harvest in a short summer. That’s why we plant tomatoes in the ground as seedlings, not seeds. Their further development and the harvest itself depend on how to plant tomato seedlings. An experienced vegetable grower who knows how to properly plant tomato seedlings first determines the sowing date, then skillfully selects and prepares planting material, as well as suitable dishes. After sowing, you need to grow tomato seedlings at home strong and healthy, so that when the time comes, you can plant tomato seedlings in open ground or in a greenhouse.

When to plant

Tomato seedlings are planted in open ground after 45–60 days of growth, when they have grown 20–30 cm, have 5–7 leaves and a flower vine. Knowing the weather conditions of the area, we can assume when in the spring the soil will warm up to +12...+15 °C and the threat of return frosts will disappear. From this time you need to subtract approximately 65 days - this will be the date when growing tomato seedlings is allowed.

In the southern regions of Russia and Ukraine, sowing begins in winter. In Central Russia, summer residents sow tomatoes for seedlings after March 15, and gardeners in Siberia and the Urals - in the first half of April. If you plan to plant tomato seedlings in the protected soil of a greenhouse, then tomato seedlings at home begin to be grown 20 days earlier. It is better to do sowing during the waxing moon, choosing the appropriate day in accordance with the lunar calendar.

Seed selection and preparation

Preparation of tomato seeds for sowing as seedlings begins several days before a certain date by heating the seeds and determining the degree of their germination. Wherever the seeds were stored before, they should be transferred to a warm room. Many summer residents prefer to keep a gauze bag of seeds near the radiator for a couple of days.

To determine how many seeds will be needed, it is advisable to know their germination percentage. To do this, take a certain number of seeds (the more, the more accurate the forecast will be), soak them in warm water, place them on cotton pads or a soft cloth moistened with water, and keep them near the radiator until sprouts appear. Then the percentage of sprouted seeds is calculated and the required amount of seed is determined, and additionally purchased if necessary.

Next, the seeds are culled by soaking them for a while: seeds that do not settle to the bottom can be thrown away. Usually this selection is carried out simultaneously with preparation, since it still involves soaking the seed. Some gardeners simply soak the seeds in warm, soft water for a day before sowing. This is enough for seeds purchased from a good manufacturer who has already disinfected them. If the seed material was taken from your own reserves or was purchased on the market (without certificates), then you should first hold it for 20–25 minutes in a saturated solution of potassium permanganate, and then slightly dry it. You can soak the seeds for a day in an aqueous solution of aloe juice (use equal amounts of water and juice), which will make future plants stronger and have a positive effect on the quality of the harvest. You can keep them for a day in a soda solution (2 g of soda per 1 glass of water), which promotes early fruiting.

Necessary conditions for cultivation

Don't know how to grow tomato seedlings? First of all, you need to prepare comfortable conditions for her: balance of heat and moisture, the right amount of light, fresh air without drafts, suitable dishes. How many days does it take for tomatoes to sprout? The best temperature for sprouting is from +26 to +30 °C; sprouts will appear in 3–5 days. At a temperature of +22...+25 °C, tomatoes will sprout in 7–9 days, at a lower temperature – longer.

Light will not be needed until the sprouts appear, which means the dishes can be stacked on top of each other and kept on the floor near the radiator. But first you need to prepare the soil in which you can plant the seeds. Tomato seedlings grow well in loose, nutritious soil that can retain the required amount of moisture. Humus and turf soil taken in equal parts is a good option, you just need to add sand or sawdust for looseness. You can take black soil, sand and garden soil, sand and high-moor peat, coconut substrate, peat tablets. The main requirement for soil is that the pH value should be 5.5–6.0.

It is advisable to sift the soil through a fine sieve so that its fractions correspond to the size of the seed, otherwise there will be air voids between the small roots and the ground. The soil must also be disinfected before use. To do this, pour it with a hot saturated solution of potassium permanganate, keep it for 30 minutes in an oven heated to 200 °C or a couple of minutes in the microwave at maximum power. After this, the soil is moistened and left for 2 weeks at room temperature.

Sowing

Tomato seeds are planted in different containers. These can be cassettes, peat tablets or cups, individual pots or boxes. The good thing about peat tablets and cups is that you can do without picking; cassettes on a pallet are convenient for bottom watering; Most summer residents use wooden or plastic boxes to save space. It is enough to take boxes 10 cm high, fill them 2/3 with prepared soil, and moisten it with warm, clean and soft water. Grooves 1–1.5 cm deep are made in the soil at a distance of 3–4 cm from each other.

Prepared seeds are laid out in them and sprinkled with sand, earth or vermiculite. Cover the top of the crop with glass or transparent film and place it near a heat source. After how many days the seedlings sprout depends on the quality of the seed, temperature and humidity level, but immediately after this the glass is removed and the dishes are exposed to light.

Seedling care

How to grow tomato seedlings before planting tomatoes in open ground? It needs to be watered, provided with the right amount of light, sometimes loosen the rows, and regulate the air temperature. As soon as the seeds germinate, the air temperature is reduced to +16 °C for a week so that they do not stretch excessively. But they need to be provided with light around the clock for the first 3-4 days. Then they will need a 12-hour daylight hours, so they will have to supplement the light with a phytolamp, placing it above the box. A week after the first sprouts appear, the temperature regime is set with a daytime temperature of about +22 °C, and at night - +16...+18 °C. It is believed that until the first true leaf appears, seedlings do not need to be watered, but it is better to check the condition of the soil and water if necessary.

You can moisten the soil from above using a syringe (without a needle) or the narrow neck of a watering can so as not to wet the stems. The older the plants, the more moisture they will need. When 2–3 leaves appear, they are watered weekly, and when 5 leaves appear, every 3–4 days. The water should be clean, soft, warm (a couple of degrees warmer than the air).

After the first true leaf appears, the seedlings are thinned out so that the distance between plants is at least 5 cm. If there is a shortage of seedlings, they are carefully transplanted into empty spaces. If the seedlings look weak, they do not have enough nutrition, then you can feed them simultaneously with watering with a solution of “Agricola Vegeta” or another special preparation, but it is advisable to dilute it in a lower concentration than indicated on the package. After picking, you can water the plants with a solution of charcoal, calcium nitrate and urea, and strictly on the ground so as not to burn the greens.

Picking

When the plants have their third true leaf, they are collected in separate cups with a volume of at least 0.5 liters. The dishes are filled with the same soil as for sowing, moistened, a depression is made in the middle, and the plant is placed. Some vegetable growers shorten the central root, but others consider this unnecessary, since the root is still injured during transplantation.

So, everyone decides for themselves how to plant correctly. If there are a large number of seedlings, they are picked in groups of 2 plants, folded together, and tied tightly with synthetic thread. When they settle in a new place, they grow up to 15 cm in height, grow together with stems, and pinch off one tip. This creates a strong plant with a double root. Be that as it may, planting tomato seedlings in separate cups greatly weakens them, so the air temperature is increased for several days for easier survival.

Time for planting in the ground

When to plant tomatoes in open ground as seedlings depends on the region. The timing of planting seedlings in the ground varies from April in the south to early June in the north. For summer residents of the central regions of Russia, May is the best time to plant seedlings. It is better to coordinate the days for planting tomatoes in May with the lunar calendar, but you can plant tomatoes in the ground in May if the ground has warmed up and the threat of frost has passed. You can plant tomato seedlings in the ground if they have reached 30 cm in height, have 6–7 leaves and a flower vine. 2 weeks before the tomatoes are supposed to be planted, they begin to harden them by taking them outside. Walks begin for a short time: first they place them in the shade, then increase the time, and accustom them to direct sunlight.

How to plant correctly

Before planting tomatoes in the garden bed, it is loosened and moistened, although the main preparation took place in the fall. When planting tomatoes in the ground, the holes are often fertilized by mixing mineral fertilizers with the soil. Tomatoes are planted on a warm, cloudy day. It is even advisable to shade them for the first two days.

Water the seedlings generously to make it easier to remove them from the container. Place it in the prepared holes along with a lump of earth and deepen it to the cotyledon leaves. If the plants are too stretched out on the windowsill, you can plant them even deeper by tearing off a couple of lower leaves and placing them at an angle in the ground. Then new roots will grow from the stem.

Leave 30 cm between bushes of low-growing varieties, and 70 cm between rows. If the bushes grow tall and wide, then leave a gap of at least 60 cm between them, and at least 130 cm between the rows. The planted plants are pressed with earth, watered, and mulched with sawdust. , sand and peat.

Further care of bushes

If planting tomatoes was successful, it still takes several days for the planted seedlings to adapt to the new location.

Next, be sure to remove weeds and loosen the soil after watering. The first time is fertilized 10 days after planting, and then after 2 weeks, if the condition of the soil requires it. Tomatoes require even watering, but not excessive, so as not to provoke fungal diseases. It is necessary to plant the plants in time, and also to form bushes.

Video “Planting tomatoes in open ground”

From this video you will learn how to properly plant tomatoes in open ground.

Tomatoes are a favorite vegetable on our table, with excellent taste and nutritional qualities. The variety of varieties allows it to be widely used both fresh and processed. They prefer to add fruits of some varieties to salads, and others to pickles and marinades.

Growing tomato seedlings at home

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

Tomato seedlings

Tomato seeds can be planted directly into the beds. And in order to get fresh tomatoes on the table as early as possible, you should use the seedling method of growing tomatoes.

Timing of sowing and transfer of seedlings

Depending on how you plan to grow tomatoes in a permanent place, you should select the sowing time.

1. Seeds of greenhouse varieties are planted from February 15 to March 15.
2. The seedlings, the seeds of which were planted in the first two decades of March, are subsequently planted in open beds, for which it is necessary to build a shelter for the first time.
3. For plants that are planned to be planted in open ground without any shelter, seeds are planted from March 15 to March 31.

Timing for planting tomato seeds for seedlings

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

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

Growing tomato seedlings

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

Table. How to grow tomato seedlings at home.

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

Picking tomato seedlings

Soil preparation. Planting seeds

Some points in our step-by-step instructions require explanation. Let's look at them in more detail.

Soil for tomato seedlings

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

Sifting soil through a sieve for tomato seedlings

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

Planting tomatoes for seedlings

"Zircon"

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

Tomato seedlings in separate paper cups

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

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

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

Growing tomato seedlings

Sowing rules

How to care for seedlings

In the first two weeks after sowing the seeds, the night temperature in the room where the boxes are installed should not exceed +15°C. During the day it should not be more than +20°C.

Caring for tomato seedlings

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

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

When the plants have two true leaves, it is recommended to thin out the seedlings. For further growth, it is necessary to maintain strong plants with thick stems and bright leaves, removing all weak seedlings within 5 centimeters of them.

Seedlings in a box after the third thinning

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

Picking tomato seedlings

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

How to care for seedlings

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

At this time, the plants will develop very intensively, so the seedlings require additional lighting. With a lack of light, it can stretch out. We recommend purchasing a phytolamp to organize illumination. When using them, you need to take into account that seedlings should not be illuminated for more than 12 hours a day. If seedlings are grown without additional lighting, then the flow of natural light can be increased. To do this, the container with plants is placed at an angle to the window, the reverse side of which is covered with a light-reflecting cloth. A mirror or a layer of foil may be suitable for these purposes.

Illumination of tomato seedlings

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

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

Tomato seedlings on the loggia

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

Feeding seedlings

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

In these circumstances, seedlings should be fed differently:

• to fertilize for the first time, you need to take 250 g of manure or cow manure, mix with 35 g of ash and dissolve in 5 liters of water;
• Make the second feeding using the same solution;
• for the third, soak 500 g of litter in 2 liters of water for 24 hours, then add 50 g of ash to the mixture. The proportion is given per 1 bush.

Why do tomatoes crack in a greenhouse?

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

Planting tomato seedlings in greenhouse soil

Video - Growing tomato seedlings at home

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

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

And it’s a completely different matter if you grow tomato seedlings yourself. This way you will know exactly which variety will soon settle in your garden, when the seedlings will be ready to be planted in open ground and how soon to expect the harvest.

Step 1. Decide when to sow tomato seeds

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

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

Typically, seed manufacturers indicate on the packaging exactly when to sow a particular variety. So, if you are not sure that you have calculated the sowing time correctly, you can always check the recommendations of specialists.

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

Dates for sowing tomato seeds for different regions

Step 2. Prepare the seeds for sowing

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

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

It is most convenient to place a napkin with seeds on a saucer or a small plastic plate. Place the saucer in a bag and place it in a warm place (for example, near a radiator). Do not forget to constantly moisten the napkin so that the seeds on it do not dry out.

Tomato seeds begin to germinate on the 3-5th day. Select all seeds that have hatched by this time for sowing. You should not sow ungerminated seeds - even if they sprout, the plants that grow from them will be weak and painful.

Step 3. Prepare the soil for seedlings

Soil for sowing tomato seeds can be purchased at a gardening store. Any universal soil is suitable for growing vegetable seedlings.

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

Step 4. Select suitable containers for seedlings

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

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

Step 5: Sow Tomato Seeds

In separate pots

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

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

Carefully spray the crops with a spray bottle. Cover the containers themselves with film and place them in a warm place.

IMPORTANT! After sowing the seeds and until the tomato seedlings become stronger, water them only with a spray bottle. If you water the crops with running water, the seeds will go deep into the ground and may not sprout. And if you water weak thread-like shoots from a watering can, they will “die.”

In general containers

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

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

Do not place tomato seeds too close to each other. Thickened crops are poorly ventilated, which can lead to the appearance of “black leg”.

Using a pencil or a special stick, gently press the seeds into the soil to a depth of about 1 cm. Then sprinkle them with soil. There is no need to water tomato crops anymore.

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

Remember that for good growth, seedlings need to be in the light for at least 12 hours a day. If you cannot organize this, you will have to purchase lamps for additional illumination.

Be careful with your crops; lack of light may cause the sprouts to stretch out. Before picking, you don’t need to feed them with anything; you just need to moisten them with a spray bottle in a timely manner.

Step 6. Pick up the seedlings

When the seedlings in the cups grow a little, they need to be thinned out (if several seeds have sprouted in one container). It is necessary to leave only one thing - the strongest plant. At the same time, you should not pull out the “extra” seedling from the ground, because this can damage the root system of the second plant. To remove a weaker specimen, you need to pinch it off just above the soil level.

Tomato seedlings from a common container can be plucked when the seedlings have 2 true leaves. Just don’t confuse them with cotyledons - this is a common mistake for beginning gardeners. The true leaves are the second pair of leaves.

Using a small stick or plastic spoon, carefully remove each seedling with a small lump of soil from the common box and transfer it to separate containers. Bury the plants in the soil almost to the cotyledon leaves.

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

If you are growing tomatoes of different varieties, do not forget to label the cups with their names so as not to confuse the seedlings.

10 days after picking, the seedlings begin to form a new root system, and their growth noticeably accelerates. With the appearance of the third true leaf, plants begin to especially urgently need light. But no less than this, they need the right feeding. Typically, tomato seedlings are fed 2 times:

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

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

7. Plant seedlings

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

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

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

How to grow strong tomato seedlings with your own hands

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

Choosing the right variety

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

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

What to choose - a hybrid or a variety?

Variety- these are plants that can retain their characteristics for many generations when grown from seeds.

Hybrid- these are plants obtained through special pollination. They retain their characteristics only in one generation; when grown from seeds, their characteristics are lost. Hybrids of any plants are designated F1.

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

If the goal is to obtain the maximum amount of product, and weather conditions in the region allow it, then growing hybrids is preferable.

Timing for sowing seeds for seedlings

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

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

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

There is no need to sow tomatoes for seedlings too early. When sown early in conditions of light deficiency, they become greatly elongated and weakened. In case of poor lighting during the seedling period, flower clusters are laid later, and the yield becomes lower.

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

Soil for growing tomato seedlings

To grow tomato seedlings, it is better to prepare the soil yourself. The soil must be loose, nutritious, water- and air-permeable, must not crust over or become compacted after watering, and be clean from pathogens, pests and weed seeds.

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

Another option for the earth mixture is turf soil, humus, sand in a ratio of 1:2:3; instead of sand, you can take high-moor peat.

After special treatment, garden soil can also be used for growing tomato seedlings, the main thing is that it does not contain disease spores and wintering pests. But, since it becomes too compacted in containers, sand or peat is added to loosen it. They take soil from planting legumes, melons, greens, and green manure. You cannot use soil from greenhouses after nightshades. If the soil at the dacha is acidic, then be sure to add ash (1 liter/bucket). It is better to use garden soil for preparing soil mixtures.

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

If the moment is missed and there is nowhere to get the soil, you will have to buy several types of soil from different manufacturers and mix them in equal proportions, or add soil from flower pots to the purchased soil. But this is the worst option when growing seedlings.

Soil treatment

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

• freezing;
• steaming;
• calcination;
• disinfection.

Freezing. The finished soil is taken out into the cold for several days so that it freezes. Then they bring it into the house and let it thaw. The procedure is repeated several times. It is advisable that the frost outside at this time should not be lower than -8 -10°C.

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

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

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

Preparing tomato seeds for sowing

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

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

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

To speed up germination, the seed material is soaked. It is wrapped in cotton cloth or a paper napkin, moistened with water, placed in a plastic bag and placed on the battery. Treated seeds also need to be soaked. As practice shows, they sprout faster than without soaking, and the protective effect of the treatment remains quite high.

Many people treat planting material with growth stimulants. But in this case, all the seeds, including the weak ones, germinate together. In the future, a large percentage of weak plants are rejected. Therefore, it is better to treat bad seeds (expiring, overdried, etc.) with stimulants; simply soak the rest in water.

Sowing seeds

When the seeds hatch, sowing is done. You should not wait until the sprout is larger; if you delay sowing, long sprouts will break off.

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

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

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

The boxes are covered with film or glass and placed on a radiator until germination.

Seed germination time

The timing of seedling emergence depends on temperature.

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

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

Weak seeds germinate later than others; the seed coat usually remains on them. Therefore, shoots that appear later than 5 days after the main group are removed; they will not produce a good harvest.

Caring for tomato seedlings

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

• temperature;
• light;
• moisture.

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

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

In general, you need to set aside the warmest window sill for growing hybrids, take better care of them than other seedlings, only then will they produce a full harvest.

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

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

Watering. Water tomatoes very sparingly. Watering is carried out as the soil dries and only with settled water. Unsettled tap water forms a bacterial-limescale deposit on the soil, which tomatoes really don’t like. At the initial stage, each plant needs only 1 teaspoon of water; as it grows, watering is increased.

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

Overmoistening combined with high temperature and poor lighting causes the tomatoes to become very stretched.

Picking seedlings

When the tomato seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, pick them.

For picking, prepare pots with a volume of at least 1 liter, fill them 3/4 with earth, water and compact. Make a hole, dig out the seedling with a teaspoon and plant it in a pot. When picking, the tomatoes are planted somewhat deeper than they grew previously, covering the stem with soil up to the cotyledon leaves. Strongly elongated seedlings are covered up to the first true leaves. The seedlings are held by the leaves; if you hold it by the thin stem, it will break.

Tomatoes tolerate picking well. If the sucking roots are damaged, they quickly recover and grow thicker. The roots should not be allowed to bend upward, otherwise the seedlings will develop poorly.

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

How to feed tomato seedlings

Feeding is carried out 5-7 days after picking. Previously, fertilizing is not recommended, since the soil was filled with ash, which contains all the necessary elements for seed growth. If seedlings are grown on purchased soil mixture, then fertilizing is especially not needed.

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

You cannot feed tomato seedlings with nitrogen alone. Firstly, for relatively small plants it is difficult to calculate the required dose. Secondly, nitrogen causes increased growth, which, with a limited amount of land and insufficient light, leads to severe elongation and thinning of plants.

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

If the land is purchased, then it is sufficiently filled with fertilizers and fertilizing is not carried out when growing tomatoes on such soils. The exception is hybrids. They consume nutrients more intensively and before planting it is necessary to carry out 1-2 feedings, no matter in what soil they are grown.

Growing seedlings after picking

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

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

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

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

Main reasons for failure

1. Tomato seedlings are very stretched. There are several reasons: not enough light, early planting, excess nitrogen fertilizers.
   1. Seedlings always stretch out when there is insufficient light. It needs to be illuminated. If this is not possible, then place a mirror or foil behind the seedlings, then the illumination of the tomatoes increases greatly and they stretch less.
   2. There is no need to feed tomatoes with nitrogen, this causes rapid growth of the tops, and in low light conditions (and indoors there is always not enough light, no matter how you light the seedlings) they become very elongated.
   3. Sowing seeds too early. Even normally developing seedlings stretch out when sown early. After 60-70 days, the plants become cramped in pots and containers, they need to develop further, and in conditions of limited food area and cramped conditions on the windowsill, they have one way out - to grow upwards.
   4. All these factors, both individually and together, cause the seedlings to stretch. Tomatoes stretch even more if excessive watering and high temperature of seedlings are added.
2. The seeds don't germinate. If the seed is of good quality, then there are no seedlings due to low soil temperature. This is especially important for hybrids. They germinate at a temperature of 28-30°C. Therefore, to speed up the emergence of seedlings, containers with sown tomatoes are placed on a battery.
3. Tomatoes don't grow well. They are too cold. For varietal tomatoes, a temperature of 18-20° is required for normal growth, for hybrids - 22-23°C. Hybrids can grow at 20°C, but more slowly and, accordingly, will begin to bear fruit later.
4. Yellowing of leaves.
   1. Leaves of tomatoes grown in close quarters usually turn yellow. When the seedlings are large, there is not enough light on a cramped windowsill, and the plants shed excess leaves. In such conditions, all attention is paid to the top of the stem; the bushes try to outgrow their competitors in order to have more comfortable conditions. When the leaves turn yellow, the seedlings are spaced more freely and the air temperature is reduced.
   2. If the leaves are small, turn yellow, but the veins remain green or slightly reddish, this is a lack of nitrogen. Feed with complete mineral fertilizer. There is no need to feed nitrogen alone, otherwise the tomatoes will stretch.
   3. Limitation of power supply area. The tomatoes are already cramped in the container, the roots have entwined the entire earthen ball and further growth stops. Transplant the seedlings into a larger pot.
5. Leaf curl. Sudden and significant changes in temperature. When growing tomato seedlings, you need to avoid sudden increases in air temperature. The feeding area of ​​the seedlings is limited, and the roots cannot support all the leaves in hot weather. The same thing happens during a sudden cold snap, but this is much less common at home.
6. Blackleg. A common disease of tomato seedlings. Affects all types of plants. The disease spreads rapidly and can destroy entire seedlings in a short time. The stem at the soil level turns black, becomes thinner, dries out, and the plant falls and dies. Infected plants are immediately removed. The soil is watered with a pink solution of potassium permanganate, Fitosporin, Alirin. After this, the tomatoes do not need to be watered for a week; the soil should dry out.

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

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Healthy tomato seedlings guarantee a bountiful tomato harvest. The mistakes that novice gardeners make at the stage of sowing seeds and growing seedlings will certainly affect the fruiting of an adult plant. There can be no trifles in this matter! Let's try to understand all the stages of growing tomato seedlings, starting with determining the timing of sowing and ending with planting the bushes in open ground (in boxes - if growing on the balcony is planned).

When to sow tomatoes for seedlings?

Approximately, tomato seeds should be sown 55-65 days before planting seedlings in open ground or a greenhouse. The seeds germinate quite quickly - 5-10 days after sowing. Therefore, the average period for keeping seedlings on the windowsill (from emergence) is 45-60 days.

It is important to determine the timing correctly so as not to overexpose the seedlings on the windowsill. This is fraught with inhibition of the growth of an adult bush and a decrease in yield.

Average sowing time for tomatoes:

• in the southern regions of Russia and Ukraine - from the 20th of February to March 15 (landing in the OG - from April 15 to May 20);
• in the central regions of Russia - from March 15 to April 1 (landing in the OG - from May 10 to the first days of June);
• in the northern regions (Siberia, Ural) - from April 1 to 15 (landing in the OG - from May 25 to June 15).

To accurately answer the question of when to plant tomato seedlings, you need to know about the end date of spring frosts in your region. By counting 55-65 days back from this date, you can accurately determine the date of your desired planting.

If you plan to plant tomato seedlings not in open ground, but in a greenhouse or on a glassed-in balcony, then sowing work can begin 2-3 weeks earlier.

Conditions for growing tomato seedlings

When growing tomato seedlings on a windowsill, create conditions for the seedlings with:

• a large amount of light - it is desirable that the windows face south and are not shaded by trees (if there is a lack of natural light, artificial additional lighting with lamps is required);
• high humidity - spray tomato seedlings 1-2 times a day, use air humidifiers, etc.;
• warm – during the day the optimal temperature for tomato seedlings is 18-25°C, at night – 12-15°C.

Tomato seedlings: growing at home

Step 1. Preparatory work

Preparatory work may include:

• seed disinfection;
• soil preparation and disinfection.

Packaged seeds from well-known manufacturers do not require additional pre-sowing treatment. They have already undergone the necessary disinfection at the enterprise. It’s a completely different matter if the tomato seeds used were collected with your own hands or purchased in bulk at the market. Such material can be infected with pathogens of various bacterial, viral and fungal diseases.

To eliminate the infection, use one of the following disinfecting solutions:

• 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 100 ml of water). Wrap the seeds in gauze and soak in this solution for 15-20 minutes. It is not recommended to keep it longer - the germination of seeds is reduced. After processing, rinse the seeds with water.
• 0.5% soda solution (0.5 g per 100 ml of water). Soak tomato seeds in it for 24 hours. In addition to disinfection, soda solution promotes earlier fruiting.
• Aloe juice solution (1:1). Ready-made aloe juice can be purchased at a pharmacy or squeezed from the leaves yourself (previously, they are kept in the refrigerator for 5-6 days). Soak the seeds in aloe juice diluted in water for 12-24 hours. Tomatoes from seeds that have undergone this treatment are characterized by increased immunity, improved yield and quality of fruits.
• Fitosporin solution. When using liquid Fitosporin (in a bottle), prepare the solution as follows: dilute 1 drop of liquid in 100 ml of water. Prepare a solution of Fitosporin powder in the amount of 0.5 tsp. per 100 ml of water. Soak the seeds in the solution for 1-2 hours.

The soil can also be contaminated, especially if it is dug up from the garden. Soil purchased prepackaged in flower shops is safer. But even here, unpleasant “surprises” can occur, so the best way to protect yourself (and seedlings!) from surprises is to till the soil yourself.

The most popular methods of disinfecting soil for seedlings:

• calcination in the oven (10-15 minutes at 180-200°C);
• heating in the microwave (1-2 minutes at power 850);
• disinfection with boiling water (place soil in a pot with drainage holes and pour small portions of boiling water over it);
• disinfection with potassium permanganate (spill the soil with a strong solution of potassium permanganate).

Disinfection of tomato seeds in potassium permanganate

All these methods can be combined with each other to obtain the most sterile and safe soil for seedlings.

You should not start planting tomatoes for seedlings immediately after preparing the soil! Moisten it and keep it at above-zero temperatures for 10-12 days. During this time, bacteria beneficial to plants will begin to multiply in the sterile soil. Only after this can sowing begin.

Step 2. Sowing tomatoes for seedlings

Fill containers (cassettes, peat pots, plastic cups, cottage cheese boxes, shallow boxes) with prepared moist soil and make grooves in it about 1 cm deep. The spacing between grooves is 3-4 cm. Place seeds in them at a distance of 1-2 cm, more is possible. The less often the seeds are sown, the longer it will be possible to keep the seedlings in a seedling container without replanting them. Sprinkle the grooves with soil.

Tomato seeds are sown in the ground to a depth of 1 cm

You can make it even simpler: place the seeds on the prepared soil and cover them with a centimeter layer of soil.

Cover the top with film or glass to provide the seedlings with a constant microclimate with a humidity of about 80-90%. In order for the seeds to germinate, their temperature should be 25-30°C. Therefore, place the seedling boxes near a radiator or other heat source.

Check the soil moisture every day. When dry, spray it generously with a spray bottle. If there is excessive humidity, open the film (glass) and wait for it to dry. Sometimes high humidity leads to the formation of mold on the soil surface. Then carefully remove the top infected layer and spill the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate or an antifungal drug (Fundazol, Fitosporin).

The first tomato shoots appear after 3-4 days at a surface air temperature of 25-28°C, at 20-25°C - after 5-6 days, at 10-12°C - 12-15 or more days after sowing.

Cotyledon leaves of tomato seedlings emerging from the ground

More details about when to sow tomatoes for seedlings, how to choose tomato seeds and sow them correctly in the ground are shown in the video:

Step 3. Caring for tomato seedlings

Lighting

Growing tomato seedlings is impossible without good lighting! Therefore, after germination, place the pots with seedlings on the brightest windowsill. In February and early March, there will not be enough light for the seedlings in any case, so, if possible, use additional lighting with fluorescent lamps.

There is a version (author - Tugarova T.Yu.) that better development of tomato seedlings can be achieved if the seedlings are illuminated around the clock for the first 2-3 days after germination. After this, you can switch to the usual additional lighting mode - 16 hours a day (total daylight hours).

Tomato seedlings under fluorescent lamps

Humidity and watering

Young shoots should be kept at high, almost extreme humidity; drying is unacceptable. Therefore, do not rush to immediately remove the film (glass) from the seedling container. Open it a little every day so that the seedlings get used to the fresh air, but at the same time remain in the “greenhouse”. After 1-2 weeks, the cover can be completely removed.

Tomato seedlings growing under a film at home may not need watering for a long time. Look at the condition of the soil: do not create a swamp, but at the same time, do not allow the top layer to dry out (while the roots of the sprouts are still small and are in the top layer of soil, so drying it out will mean drying out of the roots). Tomato seedlings should be watered carefully, under the stem. To avoid damaging the sprouts, you can use a syringe (without a needle) or a pipette.

After removing the film, the frequency of watering tomato seedlings should be proportional to the amount of heat and light. With increasing temperatures and lengthening daylight hours, tomatoes begin to grow and quickly “drink” moisture from the soil. Accordingly, the soil dries out faster and watering is required more often.

It is important not to dry out young tomatoes. Often, inexperienced gardeners encounter the following problem: when they come home from work in the evening, they notice their seedlings are completely wilted, although they still looked quite normal in the morning. You need to check the seedlings in the morning, when there is no hot sun yet. If you notice that the sprouts are a little sluggish, water them immediately. Otherwise, at noon, the rays of the sun can dry out the still weak young seedlings.

Bays can also be dangerous. It’s bad that flooded and dried tomato seedlings can look the same: the stems lose turgor, the leaves wither. When you see these symptoms, pay attention to the soil. If it is wet, do not add water under any circumstances - you will ruin the seedlings. Place the seedling container in a place protected from direct sunlight, do not water until the soil dries out. In the future, adjust the amount of watering.

Cold window sills combined with damp soil are especially destructive for young tomato sprouts. Therefore, watering in the evening (February-April) is not recommended. At night, the temperature can drop significantly, the sprouts will freeze and begin to hurt.

Fresh air

As soon as it’s a warm, windless day, take the seedlings out into the fresh air: onto the balcony, outside, or just open the window. Even in March, on a sunny day, on an open balcony the temperature can reach 15-20°C! If such a day coincides with the emergence of seedlings, it is a great success! Take the sprouts out to bask in the sun. The fact is that tomato sprouts on the first day after germination are protected from UV rays, which prevents them from burning. Such sprouts will be heat-resistant, hardened from infancy and can be “walked” in the sun regularly.

If you did not have time to expose the seedlings to the sun on the first day, then you can no longer do this after 1-2 days - the innate hardening has disappeared. In this case, you will have to gradually accustom the sprouts to the sun. The first day – 5 minutes is enough. Then, every day you can increase the duration of your walks by another 5 minutes.

Tomato seedlings, which were placed every day on an open sunny balcony (in the courtyard), by the time they are planted for permanent residence, quickly catch up in growth with those seedlings that were sown a month earlier, but kept on a windowsill behind glass and without lighting.

Feeding

Tomato seedlings need feeding 2-3 weeks after the first shoots. In the future, fertilizers will have to be applied every week. It is best to use natural organic fertilizers, such as manure or grass. Good store-bought fertilizers include specialized guano-based fertilizers, humic fertilizers, vermicompost, etc. Use half the dose indicated for a specific fertilizer to fertilize seedlings.

Step 3. Picking (transplanting into large cups, pots)

The first true leaves of tomato sprouts appear on days 7-10. At this age, if the seeds were sown too crowded in one container, you can pick the seedlings into separate cups. Despite the fact that tomatoes tolerate transplantation well, this must be done carefully. Replant the sprouts with a clod of soil on the roots. Some gardeners advise pinching the central root of tomato seedlings when picking. However, we do not recommend doing this - the roots in any case, even with the most careful transplantation, are still damaged. There is no need to further injure the plant. Moreover, it can be harmful: pinching up to 1/3 of the root will delay the development of seedlings by 1 week.

When picking tomato seedlings, a lump of earth on the roots should remain

The first transplant is carried out in small cups of 200 ml.

After 2-3 weeks, the seedlings can be planted a second time - into larger pots. If the seeds were initially sown in individual containers (cups, cassettes), then this transplant will be the first. It is not recommended to use pots smaller than 0.5-1 liters. Professional gardeners prefer even larger volumes - 3-5 liters per plant. But, you must admit, not every window sill can withstand such seedling plantations, especially in a city apartment. Yes, this is not necessary: ​​1 liter of soil for 1 plant is enough!

Picking tomato sprouts into peat pots

You can learn how to grow tomato sprouts and plant seedlings by watching the video:

Step 4. Preparation for planting for permanent residence (in a greenhouse, on a balcony, in a greenhouse)

At the age of 1.5 months, tomato seedlings at home expel the first flower clusters. As soon as you notice them, know that after 10-15 days the seedlings need to be planted for permanent residence - in a greenhouse, on a balcony or in a greenhouse. You cannot delay replanting, otherwise it will lead to a decrease in yield.

If you decide to keep tomato seedlings on the windowsill for more than 45-60 days, then they should be provided with at least 1 liter of soil per plant. If you keep tomatoes in relatively small containers even 10 days longer than they should and allow them to bloom, they will stop their vegetative growth and will forever remain “undergrown.” Even in exhaust gas they will no longer be able to accelerate and will never turn into full-fledged plants. Accordingly, you won’t have to expect a full harvest from them either!

This problem can be partially solved by removing the first flower brush. The next cluster will appear only in a week, that is, it will be possible to delay planting seedlings for permanent residence for a week.

Before planting, good tomato seedlings should have thick stems, large leaves, a strong root system and developed buds.

Characteristics of healthy tomato seedlings: powerful bush, large juicy leaves, thick stems, developed root system

Step 5. Planting tomato seedlings in the ground

The distance between tomatoes in a greenhouse or greenhouse should be 30-40 cm. If you decide to grow garden plantations on the balcony, then for each tomato bush you need to allocate 4-12 liters of land. 4-5 liters will be enough for low-growing “balcony” varieties: “Balcony Miracle”, “Dwarf”, “Hummingbird”, etc. Large garden varieties suitable for OG (“Sashenka”, “Sunrise”, etc.) are grown in containers of 10-12 liters.

For tomatoes, fertile garden soil (chernozem) mixed with “Universal” or “For vegetables” peat soil in a 1:1 ratio is good.

It is best to plant tomato seedlings for permanent residence on a cool, windless and cloudy day. Plant the seedlings, deepening the central stem a couple of centimeters. After a few days, additional roots will begin to form along the buried stem. Overall, the root system will become more powerful and stronger.

After planting, water the tomato seedlings with warm water and wait for the harvest!

Planting tomato seedlings in a balcony box for permanent residence

And, finally, in order to better understand the intricacies of growing tomato seedlings and transplanting them for permanent residence in open ground, a greenhouse or on a balcony, we suggest watching a short video posted below:

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

When growing seedlings at home, you must adhere to basic recommendations. By following them, you can get strong, hardened plants that are not afraid of acclimatization after transplantation 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. First of all , corresponding to the place of cultivation(open ground, heated greenhouse, covered bed). The selection of seed material must correspond to the climate zone.

Take care of a high-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 formulations are sold for a variety of plant species.

Determine the place where the seedlings will be grown. It should be not too sunny, but not a shaded place either. When planting early, during short daylight hours, it is necessary to purchase special lamps for illumination. Otherwise, the plants will stretch due to lack of light. He will tell you about beekeeping for beginners.

Prepare fertilizers for feeding in advance. This can be ordinary ash or special compositions.

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 small tophohumus pots. In this case, sowing is done one at a time. This is quite convenient when transplanting seedlings into a larger container, so they are less injured. It is also necessary to take care of the cups for picking plants.

When to plant tomato seedlings

Time to plant tomato seeds for seedlings depends on the ripening period of tomatoes, the area where it is planned to plant in a permanent place(greenhouse, covered bed, open ground) and climatic zone.

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

Exists Several options for preparing nutritional mixtures:

• three measures of peat, two - turf soil, four - humus or compost, one - old sawdust or river sand, to make the soil loose;
• humus, turf soil, sawdust or sand - taken in equal proportions;
• For 5 parts compost, take part sawdust and 3 parts 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, it must be disinfected before seeds are planted in it. Most often, the soil is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate, hot water with the addition of copper sulfate, or steamed in a water bath. A good result is obtained by heating nutritious earth mixtures in the oven, scattering them on a baking sheet or placing them in the microwave for a minute at full power.

After this, the soil should be shed with warm, settled water and left for 10-12 days for microorganisms to develop in it. Some people prefer to buy ready-made soil primers in specialized stores. They are already completely ready for sowing seeds. The prepared soil is laid out in prepared boxes, lightly compacted, watered with warm water, and sowing begins.

The rules for planting tomatoes are not complicated:

• shallow grooves are made at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other (from 0.5 cm);
• the seeds are placed 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 by grade are covered with glass or film on top and placed in a warm place.

Shoots should appear in a few days, depending on the tomato variety. At this time, the boxes should be kept warm, the temperature maintained at no higher than 25 degrees.

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

How to water

Periodically, as the soil dries out, it is moistened with a spray bottle, but without fanaticism, otherwise the seedlings may get sick. plants need to be well-settled. You can take melted snow. Water with warm water in the morning, trying not to wet the seedlings. As the seedlings grow, they need to be fed with nutrient solutions. This can be done in combination with watering.

It is better to apply fertilizer correctly in a simple way: first water it with a little warm water, then add the fertilizer mixture, then water it 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 to keep them strong

For feeding For unpicked seedlings, you can prepare a weak solution of Kemira-Lux. This is a universal fertilizer, suitable for all types of plants and indoor flowers, so you can apply it without fear of not being able to use it up.

The solution lasts for a long time.

Seedlings respond well to feeding with infused ash. Take a tablespoon per liter and leave for 4-7 days. After this, the infusion is added to the water for irrigation at a ratio of 1:1.

If the seedlings are strongly stretched, watering is reduced or stopped altogether., the ambient temperature is reduced to 10-12 degrees.

Picking tomato seedlings: is it necessary?

After two true leaves appear, tomatoes must be dispensed into separate containers. This will give them more space 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 picking, water the seedlings, this will make it easier to transplant and they will more easily withstand the procedure.

The picking process can be carried out like this:

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

You need to carefully separate the plant from the others by removing it from the box, trying not to damage the roots, with a small lump of earth. You need to fill it with soil up 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, undamaged seedlings. At this time, the plant is completely visible - both its roots and the above-ground part.

After transplantation, seedlings should be periodically inspected for diseases and fungal infections. All diseases are divided into two main groups: excess or lack of fertilizers and resulting infections. By balancing feeding, you can avoid both underdevelopment of seedlings and fattening of plants. Late blight appears in the form of dark spots with a light frame on the leaves and stripes on the stems. The disease can be prevented by disinfecting the planting soil and spraying the seedlings with Bordeaux mixture.

White spotting first affects the lower leaves. They darken, black spots appear on them, then the leaves dry out and fall off. It can be cured in the same way as for late blight. If this is not a rare variety, then it is better to destroy the 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 central Russia it will be the end of April-beginning of May. In simple glass or polycarbonate greenhouses - in late May-early June.

To cover beds and It is better to move tomatoes into open ground after the threat of return frosts. This is usually early to mid June. Depending on the climate zone and current weather, the timing may vary in one direction or another.

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 according to all the rules of agricultural technology. The distance between planted tomatoes should be at least 35-40 cm. Two rows are usually made on the ridge. For better lighting, it is recommended to plant tomatoes 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 into a ring in a hole. This must be done extremely carefully, as the plant can be broken.

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

For the first few days (about a week), the plants should be left alone to acclimatize. They should not be watered, much less fed or loosened the soil near the bushes. Growing strong, healthy and hardened seedlings is certainly not easy, but by following all the recommendations and rules of agricultural technology, it is quite possible to provide yourself with tasty fruits for summer salads and winter preparations.