Tomato seedlings can be easily bought on the market. Many summer residents who need to plant only a couple of dozen bushes do just that. Those who buy and grow tomatoes from seeds themselves notice that their seedlings are always accepted better, grow he althier, and produce more fruits. Yes and no, all those varieties that you want to have on your site are on sale. Therefore, of course, it is much more profitable to do everything yourself. Many are interested in how to grow tomato seedlings on their windowsill so that they turn out strong and he althy. There is nothing difficult in this. All you need is to follow some rules of agricultural technology, which we will discuss in detail in our article.
Seed Selection
Growing any plants begins with the acquisition of seeds. When choosing which tomatoes to plant, you need to pay attention to the timing of their ripening, as well as whether they are intended for greenhouses or for open ground. Residents of the northern regions need to focus only on early ripe varieties for cultivation.on the plot or on varieties that need to be planted in a greenhouse. Another important selection criterion is the dependence on various factors:
- illness;
- low temperatures;
- drought;
- storage.
Preparation of tomato seeds largely depends on the quality of the product purchased. In specialized stores, as a rule, they sell seeds already treated for many fungal infections. But such seeds are always quite expensive. If they are prepared for planting, and even elite ones, only a dozen of them cost the same as grandmothers in the market have a whole spoonful of hand-picked ones. It is clear that the germination, yield, and disease resistance of high-quality seeds are much higher.
What else do you need to pay attention to? The size of the bushes of adult plants. If you have chosen tall tomatoes, after planting in a permanent place, they will definitely need to be tied up. Seedlings of such varieties will always be more elongated and powerful than their undersized counterparts, even if they are completely he althy. Therefore, when planting tomatoes for seedlings, it is very desirable to place seeds of the same variety in each container. If you have a cassette with a large number of cells (60 and above), and you do not plan to have so many identical plants in your summer cottage, you need to make some kind of zoning of your plantings and place seeds of the same variety in adjacent cells. Otherwise, their uneven germination and development will complicate further care.
Talking about how to grow tomato seedlings, I would like to warn you that the sprouts of different varieties can differ significantly in strength. When placing the seeds in a container with earth, be sure to mark the name with some kind of sign (for example, a match with a label attached to it). It may happen that the sprouts of some types of tomato will seem less strong to you and you will start to get rid of them, but this will only be the genetic characteristics of the variety.
When to sow
Many try to scrupulously observe the timing of sowing seeds for seedlings. However, there is no exact date and hour for this procedure. Even on the bags that you buy in the store, only the estimated month of sowing is always indicated. In extreme cases, manufacturers can specify a decade (first, second or third). But you can’t completely rely on this either, since everything depends only on the climatic conditions of your area. If you grow plants in heated greenhouses equipped with artificial lighting, you don't care when you plant the seeds.
If you have an unheated greenhouse, which, in fact, is a greenhouse, the sowing dates for seedlings indicated on the bags can be shifted two (maximum three) weeks ahead. Shifting more than two weeks is risky, as an unheated greenhouse will not be able to provide enough heat to the plants if the temperature outside suddenly drops to zero degrees or below. And it is impossible to provide the required length of daylight hours in greenhouses not equipped with lamps. As a result,seedlings will lag behind in growth, which will affect the yield.
If you plan to grow tomatoes in open ground, you need to sow seeds for seedlings a maximum of 60 days before the expected moment when it can be transplanted from the cassette to the garden. The temperature outside during this period should be at least + 7 … + 10 degrees at night. Tomatoes gain strength during the day, bask in the sun, and increase the green mass in the dark. If it is cold at this time, the seedlings will "sit", which does not in the least contribute to the future harvest. It has been noticed that it is better to plant it in the garden a little later, but when it is already warm at night. Such seedlings will quickly catch up and overtake the one that was planted earlier, it will hurt less, more fruits will be tied on it.
Given all of the above, let's see when to plant tomatoes for seedlings in the suburbs. Here, only in May, the weather suitable for a tomato is set with temperatures of + 13 … + 15 degrees. In the first half of the month, precipitation in the form of hail and rain is possible, as well as return frosts on the soil. Therefore, it is better to plant tomatoes in open ground from the second decade. This means that seeds can be sown for seedlings in the first decade of March. But even in the first days of April it will not be too late. Then the seedlings will need to be planted in the garden at the end of May.
Checking seeds
You canjust bury the seeds in the ground, water and wait for them to germinate. Such planting of tomatoes for seedlings will allow you to get plants of varying degrees of strength. Most of the seedlings may die, and plants planted in the ground will be less protected from all kinds of pathogenic microorganisms living in the soil. To get a more favorable effect, it is necessary to treat tomato seeds before sowing them.
Regardless of whether they are bought from grandmothers in the market, collected independently or purchased in a specialized store, they must be soaked for at least an hour in warm water before planting in the ground. Thus, the awakening of the embryo located in them and its stimulation to growth is carried out. Another benefit of this procedure is that by placing the seeds in water, you can separate them into full and empty ones. It is very easy to understand which of them to leave, because already 20 minutes after being placed in water, good seeds will settle to the bottom, and defective ones will stay on the surface. They need to be carefully removed, and the remaining strain through a fine strainer and shake out on paper that absorbs water well (you can use toilet paper) so that they dry out a little before sowing. If the seeds are not soaked, they will germinate 2 days longer. In addition, there will be a large percentage of defects in the landing.
Preparation of tomato seeds for better germination
If you bought elite seeds, they are usually already treated against many diseases. You can tell by their color. Such seeds can be green, blue or crimson. Additionally, there is no point in etching them. But it is also desirable to soak elite seeds in a solution that stimulates growth and yield. The most popular is succinic acid. It is a white powder, soluble in water.
Since it can be of different concentration, you need to use it according to the instructions written on the bag. If you bought succinic acid by weight, and no recommendations are attached to it, you need to prepare a 1% solution (1 gram diluted in 1 liter of water), take a 40 ml syringe and dilute this amount in a liter of water. If this drug is not available, you can soak the seeds in the following growth stimulants:
- solution of honey (a teaspoon per glass);
- yeast solution (1 liter spoon);
- vodka (100 ml per liter of water);
- aloe juice, it is manually squeezed from the cut leaves of the plant;
- "Epin" (dilute according to the instructions for the drug).
In all these solutions, the seeds must be kept for about a day, then washed and dried.
Treating seeds against diseases
If your seed is purchased from the market or harvested by hand, it must be treated against diseases. How to soak tomato seeds for this purpose? You can put them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. It should be pink.
Some use a solution of regular baking soda used in cooking. It is prepared by taking 0.5 grams per half glass of water. Withstand the seeds in it for a day. This solution will help you get ripe tomatoes a little earlier.
You can still use"Fitosporin". The drug is sold in a ready-made solution, which is taken in a drop of 100 mg of water. You can also buy this product in powder form. Then you need to take it for 100 ml half a teaspoon. The seeds are kept in the Fitosporin solution for about an hour.
Having kept the seed in any of the above solutions, it must be washed in water.
Soil preparation
We looked at how to choose seeds, and what manipulations to carry out with them before sowing. However, an important component of success is the soil for growing tomato seedlings. Now it can be easily purchased in specialized stores. Usually on the packaging it says that this is a soil for seedlings. What difficulties can be encountered here? Different manufacturers, let's say, make it according to their own recipes. Therefore, you can buy soil that has a lot of large fragments of peat or coconut fiber, or other ingredients that make the soil breathable, but do not absorb water well.
This is not quite acceptable for growing tomatoes. They need fertile, light soil that is well-permeable to both air and water. When buying ready-made soil, you can familiarize yourself with its components indicated on the package, and if nothing is written there, by the weight of the package. If there are too many coconut fibers, dry fragments of wood, peat in the composition, it will be slightly larger in volume with equal weight than one in which there are few or no such components at all.
Some summer residents prefer to fill containers for seedlingsgarden soil. This approach has two advantages:
- it's free;
- seedlings immediately get used to the land in which they will bear fruit.
If you decide to save money, it is very desirable to heat the ground from the garden before placing seeds in it for half an hour in the oven. So you will kill all the microorganisms that are in it. You can also fill this earth with a thick solution of potassium permanganate and let it dry.
The easiest way to disinfect soil is to place it in containers with holes and pour boiling water over it.
On the forums you can find tips and treat such soil from microbes. But, as practice shows, this is not necessary.
Of course, if tomato seedlings are grown in industrial quantities, it is unprofitable to buy soil for it. In this case, it is prepared independently. The process is a little troublesome, but the result is quite good.
So, autumn has come. It's time to start preparing the soil for spring planting seeds for seedlings. It is necessary to accumulate the required amount of land in a place where tomatoes have not been grown for several years. It is carefully sorted out, cleaned of roots, caught larvae and other debris. Next, add grated egg shells, compost, ash, river sand, grated peat to it. Throughout the winter, this soil will need to be hardened, keeping it for 2 weeks in the cold, then 2 weeks in warmth and again taking it out to frost. Before planting seeds, the soil can be additionally disinfected by one of the methods indicated above. Next, add superphosphate (2 teaspoons), urea (tsp), potassium sulfate (tsp) to a bucketsoil.
Boarding process
In the question of how to grow tomato seedlings, this is the easiest moment. Pour your existing soil into cassettes or into boxes with holes. Moisturize it. Arrange prepared tomato seeds on top. Sprinkle them with the same soil with a layer of 1 cm. Press down lightly. Cover with polyethylene. Place on a warm windowsill. In cassettes, it is desirable to put each seed in the center of the cell.
In boxes they should be placed no closer than 2-4 cm from each other. As a rule, there is no evaporation of moisture under the film, so the soil will not dry out, but you still need to check it. If it is still dry, you need to sprinkle it with a spray bottle. If, even before the emergence of seedlings, a white coating of mold appeared on the ground, you need to water the ground with a solution of potassium permanganate or a solution of "Fundazol". If all conditions are met, the first shoots should hatch already on the 4th day. It is very good if they appear evenly. Because in this case it is convenient for them to provide the same further care.
How to get good seedlings
There are many ways to grow tomato seedlings. Let's start with the classic, successfully practiced for many years.
As soon as the seedlings hatch, the cassettes need to be rearranged to the sunniest window. For seedlings of tomatoes, so that it does not stretch in height, you need good sunlight for at least 15-16 hours. With early sowing, when the daylight hours are still not long enough, you can try to “deceive” nature and install reflectors on the windows. Mirrors are suitable for their role orfoil. You can also install fluorescent lamps above the seedlings and turn them on for a couple of hours a day.
Watering the sprouts is a must, but only when the soil starts to dry out. If you miss the moment, young roots will dry out along with the ground. If overdone, they can rot.
The temperature regime on the windowsill with seedlings is better to withstand in the region of + 15 … + 16 degrees. In this case, the sprouts will slowly gain strength, not being too zealous in growing upwards. If you see that your seedlings have begun to stretch and the stems remain thin, move them to a cooler room. It must be well lit. Then the sprouts will slow down growth and begin to strengthen their stems.
There is no point in putting cassettes in a pan with water until the tomato root system is weak, as it will not be able to draw water into itself. But during the period when there are already two or three true leaves on the stems, you can safely put the cassettes in a pan with water. The roots themselves will take the moisture they need.
Picking
This process involves not only transplanting into larger pots (cups), but also pinching the roots. As practice has shown, this is not relevant for tomato seedlings. These plants, on the contrary, need to try to keep the root system intact. Therefore, the most advantageous option is to initially sow the seeds in cassettes with spacious cells (1 grain in each) or in plastic or peat cups. The latter method is convenient in that sprouts do not have anythe root system is injured.
How to grow tomato seedlings if the seeds are sown in a common box? In this case, on about the 10th day, when a pair of true leaves appear on the seedlings, you need to carefully, trying to save at least a small clod of earth, move he althy-looking seedlings into separate pots. For this purpose, 200 ml plastic cups, yogurt boxes and other food products are suitable. It is imperative to make holes in them with a hot nail, you can pour a small layer of disinfected sand on the bottom.
If you do not plan to plant your tomatoes in open ground, but will grow them on the balcony, transfer the sprouts immediately to large containers (up to 3-5 kg).
Fertilizers
Some gardeners don't fertilize their tomato seedlings because they grow anyway. But it is much better if, from about the 3rd week, you start to feed her little by little. Fertilizers made from grass or manure are very suitable. They must be diluted so as not to burn the young roots, but to be applied under each plant with a pipette. In addition, you can use biohumus or guano, but they also need to be diluted with about twice as much water as indicated in the instructions.
Hardening
Telling how to grow tomato seedlings, you need to devote a few words to hardening seedlings. This procedure must be carried out approximately two to three weeks before planting tomatoes in open ground. Hardening consists in the fact that the seedlings need to be exposed to the sun during the day. You need to start from 1 hour, gradually increasing the time to 6-8 hours. You can put the seedlings in a light shade. Then you can start from 2-3 hours. This is usually done if the landing time is “running out”. If you didn’t have time to harden your seedlings at all, then after planting it on the garden for the first week, you must definitely pull an awning over it, and make a shelter at night to get used to the temperature difference.
Growing tomatoes the Chinese way
This method causes a lot of controversy. Some say that it helps to get the harvest earlier, others object that the Chinese method does not affect the ripening time of tomatoes. What can really be achieved by growing tomato seedlings in the Chinese way is an increase in the ovaries on the bush. However, with this method, you need to start the planting process a month earlier. In addition, not all plants survive the execution that is carried out with them, that is, a large percentage of culling occurs.
For elite seeds, this method is definitely not suitable. What is it? When 3-4 pairs of excellent strong leaves appear on the seedlings, the stem must be pinched to the very cotyledons. That is, cut off all the green mass. Naturally, the plants will be under enormous stress. After such an operation, they will “come to their senses” for a long time and not everyone will cope with such a task. But those that survive will grow the root system and increase the diameter of the stem.
Growing this way has its own nuances. So, before pinching, the seedlings need to be well watered. After cutting off the stem, it is necessary to place the sprout in the root former for 10 minutes. Next, it needs to be planted in pre-prepared separate cups filled with nutrient soil, and then watered with a solution with a root former.
After landing in this way, the cups need to be covered with a film to create the effect of a greenhouse, and put on a warm, light windowsill. After three days, they can be transferred to a bright, but cooler place, where the air temperature will be about +16 … +20 degrees. All the time the sprouts take root, it is necessary to ventilate them, for which purpose open the film for a couple of minutes.
Growing seedlings in "snails"
Of course, this method does not involve sowing seeds in shellfish shells. "Snails" are special twists into which soil and seeds are placed.
Planting tomatoes for seedlings in a "snail" involves moving the sprouts to a separate container almost immediately after germination. The design allows you to save space on the windowsill, provide all seedlings with the same germination conditions, use less soil.
You can make a "snail" out of toilet paper or newsprint. In this case, the soil is not used at all. All plants need is moisture. Therefore, such twists are placed in pallets with water. If the “snail” is made of a moisture-proof material, for example, a laminate, then soil must be placed in it. The process of making a twist:
- Cut a long strip from the selected material. Its length can be any, and the width is not less than 10 cm. If it is paper, it should have several layers.
- Spread the strip on the table.
- Pour soil for seedlings up to 2 cm thick all over it.
- Departing from the edge of the strip 2-2.5 cm, lay the prepared seeds in an even row.
- Sprinkle them with soil and moisten.
- Gently roll the strip into a roll.
- Secure it with a rubber band, rope, tape.
- Install in the pan up the edge to which the seeds are closer.
- Place the "snail" on a warm, sunny windowsill.
- Cover with a plastic bag.
When sprouts appear, remove the bag. Picking and transplanting into containers with soil is carried out when the first true leaves appear on the seedlings. To do this, remove the elastic band, gently straighten the twist.
