Tomatoes are one of the favorite crops among many gardeners in our country. It is difficult to imagine at least one garden where these juicy and ripe red-sided and yellow-sided vegetables would not grow. Unfortunately, growing delicious tomatoes is not easy. The first difficulty that gardeners face in difficult task obtaining an excellent harvest is the sowing of tomato seeds. Unfortunately, in many regions of our country, characterized by long winters and short summers, planting seeds in open ground out of the question. Tomatoes simply do not have time, not only to begin to bear fruit, but even to grow open area. It is for this reason that gardeners plant tomato seeds for seedlings at home.

How to start the process of growing tomatoes? Many gardeners ask this question. Indeed, from proper fit seeds, compliance with sowing dates, as well as success in growing tomatoes depends on the strength and strength of seedlings. Today we will focus on the consideration of such an issue as planting tomato seeds for seedlings.

You need to know! Many gardeners, when planting tomatoes, are guided by the instructions located on the back of the bag of seeds. However, very often following such recommendations leads to very sad consequences. Seedlings are small in size, with thin stems and leaves, weak and very fragile. It is dangerous to plant such tomato plantings in open ground not only in May, but also in June. Most likely, such seedlings will simply die. Why is it so? The fact is that seed producers, in most cases, give recommendations for favorable climatic zones. But what will grow beautifully somewhere in southern region, does not necessarily go into climatic conditions Central Russian strip. That is why it is important to take into account natural conditions your region, and the recommendations that we provide for you in this article.

Tomatoes and stars. How to sow seeds according to the lunar calendar
Many novice gardeners will think that the dependence of the phases of the moon and planting seeds is a relic of the past. However, experienced gardeners know that this is absolutely not the case. Even our distant ancestors were guided precisely by the moon, which allowed them to get excellent harvest. We will not argue with our ancestors and plant tomato seeds for seedlings according to the required phase of the moon.

It is interesting! Many gardeners acquire special lunar calendars, where each day is detailed in detail, the phase of the moon corresponding to it, as well as the rules for planting seeds on each of these days. If you do not want to purchase a calendar or you simply do not have time for this, use the recommendations of our ancestors. For our great-grandfathers, the coming new moon meant that planting seeds was taboo. It was believed that plants sown on the new moon would either not sprout, or not give a good harvest, or die altogether. It is for this reason that seeds for seedlings should not be planted either on the new moon, or two or three days before it, or within a few days after it.

Now let's decide on which phase of the moon to plant tomato seeds. Our ancestors also had their own opinion on this matter. It was believed that crops such as, for example, beets or carrots, should be planted on a waning moon. The fact is that both beets and carrots bear fruit in the ground (after all, we are not interested in the crop of tops). But tomatoes should be planted on a growing moon, as they bear fruit above the soil surface. With lunar calendar we figured it out. Now let's decide what conditions should be created for growing healthy and strong seedlings.

Preparing tomato seeds for planting
Any experienced gardener will tell you that the successful planting of seeds for seedlings is impossible without pre-training the seeds themselves. What is worth doing? First of all, you need to check them for fullness. Indeed, in many respects, the yield of tomatoes depends on this quality of seeds. Checking the fullness of tomato seeds is very simple. It is enough just to place the seeds in a container containing a 5% saline solution. All those seeds that float to the surface can be collected and safely thrown away. The rest (submerged to the bottom) should be collected and dried thoroughly.

Further seed treatment is reduced to washing them in a solution of potassium permanganate and further drying. This completes the preparation of tomato seeds for planting. Now you need to prepare the soil for seedlings.

Soil preparation for sowing tomato seeds
Tomatoes are a pretty picky crop. Therefore, the soil for growing seedlings should be prepared as carefully as possible.

There are two main ways to prepare the soil for growing tomato seedlings. The first is the purchase of a ready-made mixture in a specialized flower shop. Tomatoes love loose, porous, as well as moisture and permeable soil. It is the soil with such properties that you should pay attention to if you decide to purchase ready-made packages with earth. The second way to prepare the soil is to prepare the soil mixture at home.

On a note! Preparing the soil mixture is a rather difficult task. But the efficiency of growing seedlings will largely depend on the composition of the soil. Solely for this reason, if you have never sowed tomato seeds for seedlings before, it is better to purchase ready-made soil in a specialized store.

There are many various options preparation of nutrient soil mixture for tomatoes. Here is one of them: you need to take one part of peat, humus and sod land. All components must be mixed thoroughly. To prepare one bucket of soil mixture, you need to add two matchboxes of superphosphate and five hundred grams of wood ash to the above ingredients.

Planting tomato seeds for seedlings
You can plant tomato seeds for seedlings in boxes or in pots. If we plan to grow seedlings in a box, then the distance between plantings should be at least five or even six centimeters. There should be no more than two seeds per pot. Compliance with the planting density is very important, because the health of the seedlings depends on it. Planting too densely can lead to blackleg development and plant death. The depth of planting seeds should not exceed one centimeter.

Initially, the landing is abundantly watered and covered with polyethylene or glass on top. Thus, a mini-greenhouse is formed. After the appearance of the first shoots, the greenhouse is removed. Watering seedlings should be moderate. It is preferable to moisten the soil in the morning. After the seedlings have grown enough, they dive into separate pots. From about March, the plantings begin to harden, taking them out into the fresh air into the garden. The duration of such “walks” can increase from a few minutes to one or two hours. This will allow in the future to successfully transplant seedlings into open ground.

Compliance with simple, but at the same time very important rules will allow you to get beautiful juicy tomatoes from seeds, which will decorate your table with their magnificent and incredibly appetizing appearance and will come in handy for any meal. Love your garden, take care of your plantings, and then all your dreams of a rich harvest will come true!

14.10.2015 14 381

Planting tomato seedlings in open ground - subtleties and secrets

Landing in open ground is certainly a significant stage in the cultivation of tomatoes. This largely determines how plants will grow and develop in the future. There are several important points, considering which, you can plant tomato seedlings without damage. So, how to plant a culture correctly?

We properly prepare the soil and make beds

In order for the planting of the tomato to be successful, and the seedlings to quickly start, you need to take care of future beds. Since tomatoes are heat-loving, it means for good growth they need a large number of sunlight and heat. To do this, the tomato bed should be located where the place is sunny, but in no case in the shade. Low and damp areas where ground water pass too close, also not suitable for growing tomatoes. Planting here is not worth it!

It should be remembered that the manipulation should not be carried out at the place where peppers, eggplants, and also the tomatoes themselves were previously grown. Best of all, tomatoes take root and grow in the field after cucumbers, cabbage, green manure, as well as onions and potatoes.

Well-prepared soil and a well-chosen site is the key to success in growing tomatoes. Before planting seedlings, it is necessary to disinfect the soil. To do this, make a solution blue vitriol(one tablespoon of the drug per bucket warm water) and spill the earth, at the rate of a liter of the resulting liquid per one square meter. Disinfection is carried out no later than one and a half weeks before planting tomato seedlings.

in the photo - planting tomato seedlings

To saturate the soil with useful microelements, it is necessary to apply fertilizers. It could be manure wood ash, humus. Among complex fertilizers, nitroammophoska, which includes potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen, is best suited. Superphosphate is very popular with summer residents, which also contains useful elements for plant growth.

Having scattered fertilizers on the prepared bed, dig them up to the depth of a shovel bayonet. Now we make holes. Depending on the planted variety of tomatoes, apply various schemes planting seedlings. But gardeners give their main preferences to beds with two rows, where the width between them is about half a meter. Between the plants themselves somewhere 30-40 centimeters.

Properly prepared seedlings and subsequent planting of tomatoes have always been a responsible matter. Seeds and soil should be prepared in time. favorable conditions for the growth of seedlings and careful care lay good foundation for the subsequent successful ripening of tomatoes in the open field.

Tomato seedlings without a pick give a harvest 7-10 days earlier

Growing high-quality seedlings is a difficult job that requires accuracy and caring attitude.

Seed preparation

In early March, decide on the varieties. It is recommended to take both early-ripening, and mid-season, and late-ripening varieties so that the tomatoes ripen gradually. Calculations are made on the basis that approximately 100-140 days pass from the moment of planting to ripening.

Seed rejection. When buying, pay attention to what date is on the bag, how long the seeds have been stored. The best germination is in seeds that are stored no longer than 1-2 years.

If more than 3 years have passed since their release, it is necessary to reject the seeds a few days before sowing.

Otherwise, even subsequent high-quality care for seedlings will not give the expected results. Soak them in a salt solution. Put the seeds in a pre-prepared 4-5% solution and hold for no more than 10 minutes. Then rinse and transfer to swell in a container with clean water.

Soaking and disinfection of tomato seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate

Disinfection. Within 20 minutes, the seeds are pickled in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. Be sure to carry out this procedure if you took seeds from friends, and did not buy specially prepared material for planting. Vegetable growers who know how to properly plant tomato seedlings should themselves recommend such processing to you.

Soak. It is commonly believed that fresh seeds will sprout well even if they are dry. But you can increase their chances of good germination.

Seeds are soaked in a saucer, spread out on a paper towel moistened with water. The saucer must be covered with a lid so that the water does not evaporate too much. Now the seeds need to stand in warm place from 10 to 20 hours. Then plant them right away. Another approach is to leave the seeds on a saucer until they germinate. Then, before sowing, you need to slightly moisten the soil so that the water does not stagnate, and the soil allows air to pass through.

Stimulation. If you are not very sure about the quality of the seeds or want to further strengthen them before planting, use biostimulants or fertilizers. This will reinforce your seedling care efforts. In this case, long pre-soaking in water is not required, a maximum of a couple of hours. As soon as the seeds swell slightly, they can be transferred from the water to the prepared container with the biostimulator. Use stimulants only as directed!

Epin - the best stimulant for tomatoes

This cannot be done without soaking in water, otherwise the seed will absorb too much solution and may be poisoned by oversaturation.

Time to plant seeds

By the appointed date of placement on the ground or in the greenhouse, the seedlings should be sufficiently mature. Experienced gardeners know how to properly plant tomatoes, from personal experience accumulated over the years. Some transfer seedlings to greenhouses in mid-April, others decide to do this only by the end of May - the beginning of June. For beginners, it is best to follow the instructions on the seed packet.

It is not necessary to sow too early, as the seedlings can outgrow by the time of planting.

Before the onset of spring, seedling care is complicated by the fact that it is necessary to simulate a long daylight hours. If seedlings grow in a greenhouse, then sowing seeds in middle lane must be produced within March 15-20. For seedlings that will be planted in open ground, the time is right at the very beginning of April.

Soil for seedlings

You can plant tomatoes for seedlings both in the ground and in a variety of mixtures for plants. Avoid only clay and acidic soil. Whichever option you choose, be sure to sanitize the ground first. Thus, you will carry out the prevention of the "black leg", harmful to seedlings.

The causative agent of the disease Black leg remains in the ground

The easiest way to disinfect is to put the earth in boxes and spill it with boiled water from a kettle or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Processing is carried out 1-2 days before planting seeds. After processing, do not take the soil to the balcony or to the barn, where it will become too cold. Leave it at home, as the seeds need to be planted in soil at room temperature, they are not planted in chilled soil. Mix the prepared soil, breaking all the lumps to achieve a uniform consistency.

Soil mixture for seedlings can be created independently

Soil selection

• Purchased soil specialized for growing tomatoes.
• Universal primer " living earth". It can be mixed 1:1 with ordinary soil, like from your greenhouse.
• The classic way: soddy and humus soil in equal proportions. For looseness, add peat or sawdust to the mixture.
• Coconut substrate. Seedlings that grow on coconut have strong, healthy roots and grow quickly.

Sowing seeds in peat tablets

For those who consider picking an unnecessary step in seedling care, growing tomatoes in peat tablets 33-36 mm in diameter is suitable. 2 seeds are planted in one tablet, but planting 3-4 seeds is also acceptable. If any sprouts are weak, pinch them.

Planting seeds

The landing process looks like this.

1. Prepare clean, low containers.
2. Fill the bottom of the containers with drainage to ensure good care and improve air exchange. Use small stones or egg shells.
3. Place prepared soil in containers. Pour enough so that the soil level does not slightly reach the top edge of the container.
4. Level the soil and moisten well with warm water.
5. Make holes in the ground 1 cm deep, forming rows of them for the entire length of the container.
6. Make the distance between the rows 4-5 cm. Place tomato seeds in each groove so that the holes go at 1 cm intervals.
7. Lightly cover the seeds with earth from above, lightly sprinkle with water from a spray bottle. So that no tomato seed remains on the first leaves during germination, sprinkle the soil on top with sand. A layer of 1-3 mm is enough.
8. Cover the containers with foil or glass and place in a warm place, out of direct sunlight.

Sowing seeds in a mini greenhouse

seedling care

In the first days, to ventilate the seedlings, it is necessary to remove the lid (film) from the container, removing condensate from it.

Maintain the optimum temperature for germination: about +24-25°C. Too high a temperature will stop the growth of seedlings.

Make sure that the humidity of the air and soil is moderate, but the soil must not dry out. Caring for seedlings until the first true leaves does not involve watering, but it is necessary to sprinkle the soil with water if it begins to dry out.

Shoots of tomatoes appear in 5-7 days

When the first sprouts appear, move the container to the window, removing the lid (film). This occurs at the end of the first week after sowing.

Seedlings need a lot of light. Provide lighting with lamps. In the first days, when a “loop” appears from the ground, it is better to cover the sprouts around the clock. Then make sure that the daylight hours for seedlings are 12-16 hours.

When all the seeds germinate, and it will be seen that their cotyledon leaves have opened, reduce the temperature to + 14-15 ° C, and at night to + 10 ° C. After a week, the seedlings will get stronger, and the daytime temperature is kept within + 18-20 ° С, and the night temperature is + 14-16 ° С. This hardens the seedlings and prevents them from stretching. The temperature is lowered by opening the window.

Tomato seedlings grow fast in warm weather

Make sure that the seedlings are protected from drafts.

picking

The picking begins when the cotyledon leaves of the seedlings become horizontal and the first true leaf grows, which is in a folded state.

Prepare boxes or small containers with a diameter of 8 to 10 cm in advance. It is convenient to use disposable cups made of fibrous peat. Fill the container with the same soil as for germinating seeds. Leave 1-1.5 cm to the top. Remove the seedling carefully, with a spatula or a small spoon, along with a clod of earth.

Pinch off the end of the main root to form a more branched root system.

Picking seedlings is needed if they are sown in one container

Make holes in the soil and submerge the seedlings so that the soil reaches almost to the cotyledon leaves. Gently but carefully crimp the roots with your finger. When diving plants into boxes, place them according to the scheme 8x8 or 10x10 cm. A tighter planting will cause the seedlings to lose their quality. A large distance between the seedlings increases their quality (the stem thickens, the leaves develop better).

For a couple of days, put seedling boxes on the floor or provide shade. Then return the tomatoes to a windowsill with good lighting.

Preparing for planting in open ground

Top dressing should be carried out twice. The first time they feed about 2 weeks after picking. One of the successful compositions for this: 10 g of urea, 20 g of superphosphate and 10–15 g of potassium chloride per 10 liters of water. The second top dressing - in another 2 weeks. Fertilizer ingredients must be taken in double the amount.

It is preferable to take complex fertilizers for feeding, which are completely dissolved. You need to take no more than 50 g per 10-liter bucket of water (the solution will turn out at a concentration of 0.5%).

Watering seedlings should be plentiful, but not frequent.

Watering should not be too frequent, but plentiful in order to moisten all the soil in the container well. The ideal water temperature for irrigation is + 18-22°C. It is better to water in the morning and then be sure to ventilate the room. Always keep the soil moist and the air sufficiently dry. A typical watering schedule is once a week. More frequent watering begins after the appearance of 5 true leaves. Then you should moisten the soil every 3-4 days.

Continue hardening with temperature regime. In the first few days, taking out the boxes on the balcony, shade the plants from direct sun. Gradually, the tomatoes should get used to staying uncovered throughout the day. To prevent seedlings from growing rapidly, water less often during hardening, but make sure that the plants do not fade. When less than a week is left before transplanting, start keeping seedling boxes on fresh air day and night.

Hardening of seedlings should begin 2 weeks before planting.

Water the seedlings the day before planting, sparing no water.

For prevention, treat plants with Bordeaux liquid or other compounds with copper.

Potless seedlings are cut with a knife into squares when seedlings have 3-4 leaves.

And a week before the landing, you need to do the same, leading with a knife along the same tracks. The roots of tomatoes are easily restored. After the cuts, they will branch strongly. Separated clods with seedlings are easy to remove from the box, it will easily take root after such a procedure.

Seedling different varieties tomato can be different heights under the same growing conditions

It is easy to determine that the care was correct, and the seedlings are ready for planting in open ground.

Each plant should have from 7 to 9 leaves, the stem is thick, bluish in color, height - at least 25-30 cm and one formed inflorescence.

Selection and processing of soil on the site

Choose a sunlit area, closed from the cold wind. Not suitable for tomatoes are low, damp places where there is groundwater nearby. Plant care will be difficult, they can die in adverse conditions. The land where they grew last season is suitable legumes or greens.

After pepper, physalis and potatoes, you can not plant tomatoes.

Garden bed prepared for planting

A week before planting, you need to treat the soil with a solution of copper sulfate. Take 1 tbsp. for 10 liters of water. 1 m² requires 1 liter of solution. Add to loamy soil organic fertilizers. The bed needs to be dug to a depth of 25 cm and poured with a solution of potassium permanganate, brought almost to a boil. Requires 3 liters per 1 m².

Planting seedlings in the ground

Transplanting

1. Plant seedlings when there is little chance of frost and the day is overcast to allow the plants to acclimate.
2. Make holes with a side of 30 cm. Add compost with ash or superphosphate there.
3. Water.
4. Move the seedlings taken out of the cup (box) with a clod of earth into the hole.
5. Position the plant so that the soil reaches the first leaf.

After planting, loosen the soil in a timely manner, feed and water the crops. Now that the planting of the tomato has been successfully completed, and the care of the grown plants no longer requires hourly attention, the harvest will please you.

In order to get a high-quality crop of tomatoes, it is necessary to carefully prepare for their planting and cultivation. One of key points in this case is the choice of good seedlings. If you have the time and desire, it is better to grow it yourself. Thus, you will be sure of its characteristics and origin.

Growing tomato seedlings, like other plants, begins with preliminary seed preparation. Regardless of where you got the seeds (bought from a store or collected yourself), they must be well prepared. To do this, you need to do the following:

• calibrate;
• disinfect;
• stratify;
• stimulate.

Calibration

Calibration is a selection process good seeds fit for landing. In the process, empty, dissimilar instances are thrown out. It is necessary to leave only large and good seeds that can germinate into strong seedlings.

Calibration must be done in two steps:

1. First, sorting by size. It can be produced manually, or you can take a special sieve with an equal mesh size. Thus, all unsuitable seeds will fall out.
2. Then the seeds are sorted by density. To do this, you need to prepare a saline solution. It is made from table salt or ammonia fertilizers. Seeds are placed in a 3-5% solution. After a couple of minutes, some seeds will float, and some will remain at the bottom. The latter are the most suitable for growing high-quality seedlings.

Disinfection

The second stage in the preparation of seeds will be their disinfection. Before that, they must be thoroughly rinsed under running water from saline solution. Disinfection can be done in one of several ways:

1. Warming up. To do this, heat water in a saucepan to 50-60 degrees. Seeds are placed in a cloth bag and dipped in hot water for 20-30 minutes. After this time, the bag is removed and kept under cold water within 3-4 minutes.
2. Soaking in manganese solution. This method of disinfection is the most effective. In a jar, it is necessary to prepare a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate and place the seeds in it. They are pre-wrapped in cotton pads or cloth. It is necessary to keep the seeds in potassium permanganate for half an hour.

Stratification

Stratification is the third step in seed preparation. In the process of stratification, the correct distribution of nutrients that are important for seed germination occurs.

Stratification can be carried out with the help of cold. To do this, the seeds are laid out on a cotton cloth, which is rolled up. Then it must be placed in a container and soaked with water. It is placed in the coolest part of the refrigerator (but not the freezer) for several weeks. In order to maintain constant humidity, sphagnum moss can be placed in a container.

The process of preparing seeds for stratification

Stimulation

The final stage in the preparation of seeds is stimulation, which will allow you to grow good seedlings. Run it like this:

• with the help of a biostimulator (Alibit, Epin, Energen);
• with the help of natural stimulants (for example, aloe juice).

Priming

When the seeds are ready for planting, you need to take care of the soil. The substrate is an important component in growing good seedlings. You can either buy it in the store or prepare it yourself. If you settled on the finished soil, then choose varieties based on peat, but with the amount of trace elements not exceeding 400 mg per liter.

You can also prepare the soil based on the purchased substrate. For this you will need:

• purchased soil (at the same time, there should be more than 400 mg of microelements per liter);
• river sand;
• land from the site.

All these components must be taken in equal parts and mixed.

The soil must be steamed for disinfection.

If you do not want to use purchased soil, then you can prepare the following substrate:

• river sand;
• humus;
• soil from the site or from the forest.

All components must be mixed in equal parts and steamed for about two hours.

planting container

You can grow seedlings either in individual cups or in large capacity. The first option is more suitable, as it eliminates the following problems:

• mass infection of seedlings;
• improper distribution of nutrients;
• injury to the roots during picking.

Ordinary plastic glasses or boxes of milk or kefir are suitable for growing. If you decide to choose as a container plastic cups, that is, one secret that will allow you to painlessly transplant seedlings into open ground. To do this, you need to use two cups per plant. One of them needs to cut off the bottom and cut the sides of the wall. After that, it is placed in another cup and filled with a substrate. During transplanting, you can carefully remove one glass from another without damaging the roots.

Landing

Pour the substrate into the prepared container. In this case, the soil can be pre-moistened. Small indentations (1-2 cm) are made in it. They need to put seeds in them. You can put two seeds in each hole.

After planting the seeds, the containers must be covered with a film to create a greenhouse effect. They are placed dark and warm place. After the emergence of seedlings, the container with seeds is transferred to a lighted place and freed from the film.

Video - How to successfully plant tomatoes

Temperature regime

When planting seeds, the temperature must be maintained at 22 degrees. As soon as the first shoots appeared, it can be lowered to 15 degrees for about 5 days. As soon as the seedlings get stronger, it is again raised to 24 degrees during the day (at night, the temperature is not lower than 12 degrees).

The optimum temperature for strong seedlings is 24 degrees

Lighting

To grow good seedlings, you should think in advance about good lighting. There are two options: passive and active lighting. In the first case, the seeds are placed on the windowsill and a reflective screen is placed on it. In the second case, lamps are used for lighting. good light especially important in the first few days after sowing seeds.

Watering and humidity

Tomato seedlings love moderate watering. In the early stages, a teaspoon will suffice for each plant. Otherwise, you risk overwatering the plants. This can lead to poor root development or lack of oxygen. Gradually, the amount of liquid must be increased. At the same time, weather conditions are important. If it is cold outside, then watering is reduced. Increase slightly in hot weather.

Care

Seedlings require periodic top dressing. To do this, ten days after picking, you can use the following solution:

• 30 g of superphosphate;
• 4 g of urea;
• 10 liters of water.
• 10 g potassium sulfate.

Transplanting

In order to determine whether the seedlings are ready for planting, it is necessary to carefully examine it. The finished seedlings have a thickened stem no higher than 30 cm in length and 6–7 leaves, as well as a flower brush and short internodes.

About a week before this, it is necessary to start hardening. To do this, the seedlings are taken out to a cool room (on the balcony or on the street) for several hours. Landing is done when there is no threat of night frosts. This usually happens in late May or early June. You also need to consider your location and climate zone.

Problems and bugs

There are some mistakes that can lead to low-quality seedlings. Among them:

• too elongated stem - this means that the seedlings did not have enough lighting;
• yellowing - this indicates too abundant watering;
• insufficient development of the root system - this indicates that the seedlings were exposed to too high temperatures.

In addition, improper water and temperature conditions can lead to falling flowers, buds and brittle leaves.

According to taste characteristics, the tomato is in the lead among the rest vegetable crops. Tomatoes are very thermophilic, so they are grown mainly through seedlings. It is also possible to get a good harvest at home if you know how to plant tomatoes for seedlings.

Forcing seedlings - very milestone growing tomatoes, which begins with the preparation of seed. Seeds germinate unevenly: it all depends on their size, density, degree of maturity, hereditary characteristics, etc. Therefore, sowing a tomato for seedlings is not complete without preliminary preparation to increase the germination and productivity of plants.

Seed preparation

Even knowing how to plant tomatoes for seedlings will not be useful if the seeds are of poor quality. Their choice is a very important and responsible moment. Seeds from last year's harvest should not be used, they will not give a good result. It is advisable to purchase several varieties in special stores or on the market. After a few seasons, it will be possible to determine which one gives the best harvest.

Good seedlings of tomatoes will turn out only from high-quality seeds. First of all, you need to sort them, removing empty, small and damaged ones. You can pour the seeds with salt water, mix thoroughly and let stand for about five minutes, then remove those that float to the surface, and rinse those remaining at the bottom with clean water several times and dry. Seeds of different varieties should preferably be stored separately. To do this, they can be wrapped in pieces of gauze, placing a label from the bag inside.

After that, the seeds are disinfected. To avoid diseases such as bacterial cancer and vertex rot, keeping the seeds for 24 hours in a 0.8% solution of acetic acid helps. One percent helps prevent viral diseases in which the seeds are kept for 20-30 minutes. After that, they must be washed with running water.

To improve the germination of seeds, they need to be heated for several hours with hot running water (you can use a thermos by lowering the bags there). After that, the seeds are kept in wet burlap for two to three days at a temperature of about 25 ° C. The sown seeds are sown in moist, loose soil. After such preparation, seedlings appear in 1-2 days.

For seeds to be resistant to low temperatures, use hardening. To do this, the swollen seeds are placed in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. To increase the yield, you can lower the seeds for a day in a solution of ammonium nitrate (4%) or a solution of potassium salt (2%). A good result can be achieved by placing the seeds in a 0.5% aqueous solution of manganese sulfate for twelve hours.

Growth regulators can be used for processing, which awakens seed embryos to life, disinfects them and improves the taste characteristics and nutritional value of the fruit. The seeds are treated for six hours at a temperature of 18°C. Only fresh solution is used. After processing, it is necessary to dry the seeds.

If the above preparations are not available, you can use wood ash. To do this, about ten tablespoons of ash are diluted in five liters of water, which has previously warmed up in the sun. During the day, the solution should be stirred periodically (4-6 times), then strain and pour into jars, each of which is lowered with gauze bags with seeds of the same variety for three hours.

Soil preparation

In order for sowing a tomato for seedlings to give good results, it is necessary to properly prepare the soil. The substrate must have the following characteristics: light mechanical composition, air and moisture permeability, absence of pathogens and weeds, a sufficient amount of nutrients and organic substances, friability.

Possible soil options for seedlings

For the first option, use garden soil, humus, black or pressed peat (1: 1: 1). Wood ash is added (half a liter per bucket of soil mixture), superphosphate (about two liters per bucket of soil). matchboxes). In addition, water is needed to moisten the mixture.

The second option - they take garden soil, black or pressed peat, and replace the humus river sand(all in one piece). Are added mineral fertilizers in the form of an aqueous solution (per 10 liters of water take 20 g of potassium sulfate, carbamide - 10 g, superphosphate - 30 g).

Planting tomatoes for seedlings without picking can be done using peat tablets. Two seeds are planted in a diameter of 33-36 mm. When the roots form in the plant, it is planted in a half-liter container.

Tomato seedlings at home can also be grown in ready-made soil mixtures from the store. Conscientious manufacturers add all the necessary additives and nutrients to the soil.

Growing seedlings

Before planting tomatoes for seedlings, the soil mixture must be moistened and poured into a container. The earth is leveled and compacted, furrows are made one centimeter deep with a distance of five centimeters between them. Then the seeds are lowered into the furrows and sprinkled with soil.

The surface of the soil must be moistened. The container with seedlings should be covered with a film and placed in a bright place at a temperature of at least 22 0 C. Five days later, when shoots appear, the film can be removed, and the seedling box should be placed in a place with a lower temperature (up to 15 ° C) by 4 -6 days. After about a week, when the sprouts become strong, the temperature is increased during the day to 24 degrees, at night - up to 12 degrees.

After the tomatoes have two or three leaves, they dive into pots filled with a mixture of soil, watered with potassium permanganate (0.5 g of potassium permanganate per 10 liters of water). Weak and damaged plants are discarded. For the active growth of the root system of tomatoes when picking main root pinch. Dive seedlings are watered every week, paying attention to the fact that the soil does not dry out between waterings.

plant care

Seedlings need to be fed. This is done for the first time ten days after picking with the following solution: 10 liters of water, superphosphate - 30 g, urea - 4 g, - 10 g. Ready-made fertilizer can also be purchased at the store.

After 14 days produce a second top dressing. After fertilizing, the seedlings need to be watered and the soil loosened. It is necessary to ensure that watering the seedlings is not excessive: this can cause disease or death of plants.

Lighting

In addition, tomato seedlings at home need good lighting. Illumination can be passive or active. In the first case in window opening place a reflective screen. At active method illumination is provided by lamps. The first few days, round-the-clock illumination is desirable, since tomatoes are very demanding on lighting.

Good insolation is necessary condition in order to get quality seedlings tomato.

How to water plants properly?

Water the seedlings sparingly initial stage a teaspoon is enough. As a result of excessive watering, roots that lack oxygen will develop poorly. Watering is increased gradually, observing the weather conditions. In the cold season, watering and fertilizing occur less frequently, on sunny and hot days - more often. You need to water as needed, preventing the soil from drying out. It is better to use not water for this, but a weak solution of mineral fertilizers.

Tomato seedlings for a greenhouse must undergo a hardening procedure, for which ventilation is increased. Then the tomatoes need to be transferred to a greenhouse that is not heated, and kept there for several weeks with the windows closed. If there is no frost, you can gradually leave the windows ajar for a while, and then leave them open at night for a week. After that, the hardened seedlings can be planted in the ground.

How to determine the quality of seedlings?

Proper tomato seedlings have green, well-developed leaves without white plaque and spots. A weak plant sprouts slowly, while not always dropping the seed coat, has irregular shape, poorly growing and developing.

But it should be noted that the plant may sprout later for the reason that it was sown at a greater depth than the rest, and the shell cannot be shed due to uncompacted soil. Therefore, the earth must be compacted, and the seeds buried in the same way - then seedlings with a capsule will be a clear signal that the quality of the seeds is low, and good harvest may not be expected.

Seedling picking

It is more convenient to dive tomato seedlings if an individual container of 0.5 liters is prepared for young plants. A more lush root system can be achieved by pinching the main root.

Picking methods

There are two variants of this agricultural technique:
- planting one plant. This ensures a strong seedling with a good root system;
- planting two plants in one container. The resulting plants have two roots. To do this, the stems of plants, when they reach a height of about 15 cm, must be tightly tied. After the shoots grow together, the thread must be removed. Then pinch off the top of the weaker plant. This method of cultivation helps to increase productivity. It is used most often for tall varieties.

When to plant seedlings?

Many gardeners are concerned about the question of when to plant tomato seedlings in the ground and how to determine its readiness? Seedlings ready for planting have a thickened stem no higher than 30 cm with 6-7 leaves. As well as short internodes and a flower brush.

Landing in open ground should be done when the threat of frost has passed, that is, in late May - early June. When answering the question of when to plant tomato seedlings, it is necessary to consider in what climate zone it happens. To protect plants, it is necessary to use covering material. It must be remembered that temperatures below 15 0 C may adversely affect growth and flowering.

Mistakes when growing seedlings

Many gardeners know how to plant tomatoes for seedlings, but still they are not immune from mistakes. Reduced quality and yield contribute to:
- poor quality soil;
- disturbed temperature regime, lack of light, improper watering;
- planting tomatoes for seedlings too early;
- the use of varieties that are not resistant to stretching;
- lack of hardening.

Too moist soil, insufficient lighting and high temperatures lead to elongation of the seedling stem, its yellowing and poor development of the root system. Violation of temperature and water regimes causes thinning and lodging of plant stems, leaves become brittle, flowers and buds fall off.

Planting seedlings of tomatoes

In a place protected from the wind, well-lit and warmed up, is seedlings planted from their seedlings? To do this, you must adhere to some rules.

Pumpkin, cabbage, legumes, carrots and onions can precede tomatoes. The place where peppers, eggplants, potatoes were grown can be used for tomatoes after three years.

Tomatoes are not particularly demanding on soil fertility, but it is still preferable to use light, loamy or sandy soils.

To plant shoots, you need to prepare the holes and pour water. Planting strong seedlings occurs at right angles. Tall varieties or seedlings that have stretched out are planted at an angle of 45 °.

Then the hole must be covered with soil, compacted and watered. Near the stem you need to stick a peg as a support for the plant.

Between rows, an interval of about 70 cm is maintained, between plants - 30-40 cm.

At home - not an easy task, but quite doable. Subject to the rules of planting, even inexperienced gardeners will be able to reap an excellent harvest. And this will help knowledge on how to plant tomatoes for seedlings.