How to grow beautiful tomato seedlings. Growing tomato seedlings at home. Preparation for planting seedlings in a permanent place

Tomatoes are one of the most popular crops grown by gardeners. They are planted both in greenhouses and in open ground. This is a rather capricious plant that requires attention and care not only in adulthood, but also at the stage of growing seedlings. That is why newcomers to the world of gardening are afraid to mess with tomatoes, preferring to deal with other, easier-to-care crops. But you should not be afraid to cultivate these plants - experience will come with time, but you need to start with something. And we will start by learning how tomato seedlings are grown correctly and how to care for them so that they grow into strong and strong fruit-bearing plants.

Growing tomato seedlings is troublesome

Good quality soil is perhaps one of the most important conditions for the proper cultivation of high-quality seedlings. In this case, choosing the soil, you can go in two ways. The first is to buy ready-made in a gardening store. The advantage of such a soil is the optimal content of all substances necessary for young plants. However, such soil also has its drawbacks - it often turns out to be infected with midge larvae and other “living creatures” that can harm seedlings. Therefore, it is better not to use such soil or use it only after the disinfection procedure, but we will talk about this later.

Soil prices for tomato seedlings

soil for tomatoes

The second way is to make the soil mixture yourself. They have been preparing it since autumn. One of the main requirements for soil for tomato seedlings is lightness and friability. It is also important to check that the soil is not only loose and nutritious, but also has a pH value in the range of 5.6-6. Therefore, simply picking up a bag of earth from the garden will be a wrong decision.

You can grow seedlings on several types of soil mixtures.

Soddy soil, pressed peat, humus are mixed in a ratio of 1:2:1, and two matchboxes of superphosphate and about 500 ml of ash are added to them (additions are calculated for 1 large bucket of soil).
Turf land, black peat or compost, coarse sand are mixed in a ratio of 1:1:1, and then spilled with a solution of urea, potassium sulfate and superphosphate (10 g, 20 g, 30 g, respectively).

On a note! Since peat increases the acidity of the soil, a little chalk should be added to the soil mixture. You can replace peat with humus soil.

In general, there is no single recipe for preparing soil for tomatoes - each gardener uses his own time-tested techniques, but any of the above recipes will do for a beginner. Over time, everyone will learn to improve soil mixtures in their own way.

On a note! Seedlings love coconut substrate, rarely rot in it and develop well. You can buy coconut fiber at a gardening store. Also, for growing tomato seedlings, you can also purchase.

Coconut Substrate Prices

coco substrate

After the soil has been harvested in the fall, it is removed to where it will be very cold - the next stage of preparation, called "decontamination", begins. In frost, the earth will freeze well, most of the fungi and bacteria that can harm your plantings will die in it.

A few days before planting the seeds, the soil is subjected to heat treatment. It is carried out in different ways. The most popular are steaming and calcining.

Steaming is done very simply - the soil is placed in a metal container with holes in several places (usually in an old bucket) and placed on bricks laid in another, larger metal tank filled with water by about 5 cm. ) put on fire and kept on it for about two hours.

You can also steam the soil a little differently. To do this, the soil is poured into a fabric bag, which is placed on a grate installed above the water tank. Heating the tank on fire, we get steam, which envelops the bag of earth. So it takes about 45 minutes to disinfect the soil.

Now a few words about how the calcination takes place. To do this, the soil mixture is poured into a metal container, poured with boiling water, mixed and poured onto a baking sheet. The latter should be put in a hot oven for 25 minutes.

Attention! After heat treatment, be sure to soak the earth for about a week in the cold so that it rests. Only then use it.

The last stage of soil preparation for tomatoes is its disinfection with a solution of potassium permanganate. This method will help protect young plants from disease. We dilute about 3 g of potassium permanganate crystals in a bucket of water and spill the soil with the resulting solution.

On a note! The process of disinfection must also go through the soil from the store. Even if the package says that the soil has been disinfected, it is better to play it safe and carry it out again. There will be no harm for sure.

The container for tomato seedlings can be anything - boxes, plastic and peat pots, home-made containers, and so on. It is very convenient to plant seeds in small plastic pots with a bottom that resembles a round plate. It is convenient to take out plants from such containers in the future and plant them in the ground. In addition, individual planting will save you from picking seedlings.

One of the most important stages is the disinfection of the seedling container. And it doesn’t matter if you bought new pots or use old boxes - everything needs to be processed. The easiest way is to wash the containers, and then dip them in a solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes and rinse again with clean water.

Selecting seeds and preparing them

Very often, the disappointment of trying to grow tomatoes happens when the gardener simply chose the wrong seeds. First, you should decide what you need tomatoes for - for salads, for pickles, or for other needs. It is on this that the choice of variety will largely depend.

It is also important to pay attention to such indicators as ripening time, yield, keeping quality, endurance. Usually all this information is written on the package with seeds, and it will not be difficult for you to choose the best variety for you.

At the time of purchase, pay attention to how well the seeds are packaged and what their expiration date is. Do not take old ones - tomatoes remain viable for about 4-5 years, no more. Give preference to those varieties that are adapted to the climatic conditions of the region in which you intend to grow them.

Growing tomatoes in greenhouse conditions allows you to get a good and (if necessary) early harvest. Not all varieties are suitable for greenhouses. It is necessary to give preference to those that are resistant to diseases. More details - in.

Before planting tomato seeds for seedlings, you should check them for germination. It happens that even the best manufacturers make mistakes and there are “dummies” in the packaging with planting material. To weed out the marriage will help pouring the seeds with salted water (10 g per glass) for 5-10 minutes. All the bad ones will float, and the good ones will stay at the bottom.

This procedure is followed by disinfection of seeds. Do not be surprised - even the highest quality seeds can be infected with pathogens. Disinfection is carried out as follows: tomato seeds are placed for 10 minutes in a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide, which is easy to prepare - for this, 3 ml of a disinfectant is diluted in 100 g of water, then heated to 40 degrees.

The next step is seed germination. To do this, you need a soft cotton cloth that is wetted with water. Seeds are laid out on one of its edges and covered with the second, the fabric is placed in a container, covered with polyethylene so that there is a gap for air access. Every day, 3-4 times, the film is completely removed so that the planting material can breathe. Seeds can be sown in 4-5 days.

Prices for tomato seeds

tomato seeds

Planting seeds

Usually, tomatoes for seedlings are planted around the end of February or mid-March, but, depending on the variety chosen, the timing may vary. Therefore, it is best to refer to the planting schedule shown on the planting material package.

Step 1. Fill the washed and disinfected seedling container with treated and prepared soil.

Step 2 Level, compact and moisten the soil with water at room temperature.

Step 3 Make neat grooves on the surface of the soil about 1 cm deep at a distance of at least 3-4 cm from each other. In individual pots, make indentations also 1 cm deep.

Step 4 Place tomato seeds in grooves at least 2 cm apart. Place one seed per pot.

On a note! Remember that the less often the seeds are planted in boxes, the longer you will not have to resort to the picking procedure.

Step 5 Gently cover the holes or furrows with soil.

Step 6 Cover the containers with plastic or a piece of glass to keep moisture and heat in.

Step 7 Place the containers in heat - for example, near the battery.

On a note! The air temperature for tomato seeds to sprout must be at least 25 degrees.

Step 8 Wait for shoots. The first sprouts will appear in about 3-5 days.

Video - Sowing tomato seeds for seedlings

Caring for tomato seedlings involves providing and maintaining several environmental factors. These are humidity, temperature, the presence of fresh air, lighting.

Table. Conditions for growing tomato seedlings.

Factor	Required level
	While the seeds have not yet hatched and sprouted, the soil moisture should be checked daily, and when it dries, spray the ground with a spray bottle. The first shoots are watered very carefully with warm water, while the second watering is done in about a week. It is important to remember that young shoots should always be kept moist, otherwise they will die, so the timing of watering is very relative. Watering seedlings is done with a pipette under the stem, you can not pour on the leaves.
	Pots with seedlings of tomatoes should stand in the most lit place - usually this is the lightest window sill. It is also important to organize additional lighting with lamps. It is recommended to illuminate the plants around the clock for the first 3 days after germination, and then at least 16 hours a day.
	In order for the seeds to sprout, it is necessary to maintain the air temperature at + 25-28 degrees, a week after the emergence of sprouts - + 20-25, and after a couple of weeks the temperature can be reduced to room temperature.
	While the plants are under the film, it must be periodically lifted to remove excess moisture. Remember that excess moisture can cause mold. It is easy to get rid of the latter - remove the affected soil and pour potassium permanganate on the ground. The film is completely removed only 1-2 weeks after the first entrances, while during this time the plants should be accustomed to the fact that soon the container with them will be completely open. To do this, lift the film or glass daily for a while.
	The first feeding is carried out approximately 10-14 days after the appearance of the first shoots, then weekly. It's time to fertilize the soil when the sprouts have one leaf with cloves. Top dressing can be done with the "Effect" preparation, using it according to the instructions on the package.

Dive - the procedure for planting seedlings growing in boxes into individual containers 10 * 10 cm. Dive is carried out when young tomatoes have 2-3 true leaves.

When picking, you can use a regular teaspoon

At this time, diseased and frail plants are discarded. When transplanting, the stems of the bushes are buried almost under the very leaves.

Landing in a greenhouse

Before the most important thing happens - transplanting tomato seedlings into a greenhouse or open ground, it is important to harden the plants. To do this, seedlings should be taken out to a balcony or open veranda. The first "walk" is made on a windless and warm sunny day and lasts no more than 5 minutes. Then every day increase the time by 5 minutes.

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

The right choice of variety

Before you start growing seedlings of tomatoes, you need to decide on the choice of varieties. Before planting seeds, it is necessary 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 determinant. This sign is indicated on the bag of seeds and is decisive for growing plants in open or protected ground.

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 lane, Siberia, the Far East, these tomatoes are grown only in protected ground, tying them vertically. Their first brush is laid after 9-10 sheets, the next - after 3 sheets. The fruiting period is long, but comes later than other types.
Semi-determinant varieties and hybrids. Tomatoes stop growing after laying 9-12 inflorescences. They tend to set a large number of fruits at the expense of roots and leaves, and, if overloaded with a crop, tomatoes can stop growing long before the formation of the 9th brush. Flower brushes are laid through 2 sheets. In the south, they are grown mainly in open ground, in the middle lane they can be planted both in a greenhouse and on the street.
Determinate Tomatoes are low growing plants. They are designed for planting in open ground. Their growth is limited, they lay 3-6 brushes, the top of the shoot ends with a flower brush and the bush does not grow upwards anymore. The first brush of this type is laid after 6-7 leaves. These are early ripe tomatoes, but their yield is lower than that of the indenterminant type. However, significant differences in the yield of varieties are noticeable only in the south. In the middle lane and to the north, the difference is minimal, since the Indians do not have time to reveal their full potential.

What to choose - hybrid or variety?

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

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

sign	Varieties	hybrids
Heredity	Varietal characteristics are passed on 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
yield	May fluctuate from year to year	High yield with proper care. Usually higher than varieties
disease resistance	Susceptible to various diseases, some of which can be inherited	More resistant, less susceptible to disease
Weather	Better tolerate temperature changes	Temperature fluctuations tolerate much worse varieties. With sudden and strong temperature changes, they can die
Conditions of detention	Less demanding on soil fertility and temperature	Requires more fertile soils and warmer temperatures for fruiting
top dressing	Needed regularly	For good fruiting, the dose should be greater than for varieties
Watering	Can tolerate short-term drought or waterlogging well	Very poorly tolerate both lack and excess moisture
Taste	Each variety has its own taste.	Less pronounced. To taste, all hybrids are inferior to varieties

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

If the goal is to get the maximum amount of products, and the weather conditions in the region allow, then it is preferable to grow hybrids.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

The timing of sowing seeds for seedlings depends on 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 time for sowing seeds is obtained.

For mid-season varieties, the age of tomato seedlings before planting in the ground should be at least 65-75 days. You can plant them in a greenhouse at the end of May, and in open ground, when the threat of frost has passed, that is, in the first decade of June (for the middle lane). If we add the period from sowing to germination (7-10 days), then it is necessary to sow 70-80 days before planting in the ground.

In the middle lane, the sowing time for mid-ripening varieties is the first decade of March. However, it is unprofitable to grow mid-ripening varieties in the northern and central regions: they will not have time to fully reveal their potential, the harvest will be small. Mid-ripening and late tomatoes are suitable only for the southern regions of the country.

Seedlings of early ripe tomatoes are planted in the ground at the age of 60-65 days. Therefore, sowing of seeds is carried out after March 20. They are suitable for all regions of the country.

It is not necessary to sow tomatoes for seedlings too early. They are strongly stretched and weakened during early sowing in conditions of light deficiency. With poor lighting during the seedling period, flower brushes are laid later, and the yield becomes lower.

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

Soil preparation

For growing tomato seedlings, it is better to prepare the soil yourself. The earth should be loose, nutritious, water and breathable, should not be crusted and compacted after watering, be clean from pathogens, pests and weed seeds.

For seedlings, a mixture of peat and sand is made in a ratio of 1: 0.5. For each bucket of land obtained, 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 an earthen mixture is soddy 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, healthy seedlings of tomatoes can also be grown, the main thing is that it does not contain spores of diseases and wintering pests. But, since it is too compacted in containers, sand or peat is added to loosen it. They take the land from under the plantings of legumes, melons, greens, green manure. You can not use the soil from greenhouses, after nightshade. If the earth is acidic in the country, then ash is necessarily added (1 liter / bucket). Garden soil is best used for the preparation of soil mixtures.

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

If the moment is lost, and there is nowhere to take the soil, then 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 is necessarily cultivated to destroy pests, diseases, and weed seeds. Soil can be treated in various ways:

freezing;
steaming;
calcination;
disinfection.

Freezing. The finished earth 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 desirable that on the street at this time there was a frost not lower than -8 -10 ° С.

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 kept until the water cools.

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 a film and leave for 2-3 days.

Preparing tomato seeds for sowing

If the package says that the seeds are processed, then they do not need additional processing. The rest of the seed is processed necessarily.

First of all, a calibration is carried out. The seeds are dipped 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, because the embryo died, so they became lighter than water. The rest are soaked for 2 hours in a solution of potassium permanganate.

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

For speedy germination, the seed material is soaked. It is wrapped in cotton cloth or paper towel, 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 treat planting material with growth stimulants. But in this case, all seeds sprout together, including weak ones. In the future, a large percentage of culling of weak plants is obtained. Therefore, it is better to treat bad seeds (expiring, overdried, etc.) with stimulants, just soak the rest in water.

Sowing seeds

When the seeds hatch, sow. You should not wait for the seedling to be larger; when tightening with sowing, long shoots break off.

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

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

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

The boxes are covered with film or glass and put on the battery until germination.

Seed germination time

The timing of the emergence of seedlings depends on the 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 optimum germination temperature for varietal tomatoes is 22-25°C.

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

Weak seeds germinate later than the rest, they usually leave a seed coat. Therefore, seedlings that appeared later than 5 days after the main group are removed, they will not have a good harvest.

Caring for tomato seedlings

To grow good tomato seedlings, you need to follow the following parameters:

temperature;
light;
moisture.

Temperature

As soon as 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 seedlings grow roots, and the aerial part practically does not develop. This is a feature of tomatoes and nothing needs to be done here. After a certain amount of 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, not grow. After 2 weeks, they also need to increase the daytime temperature to 20-22 ° C. If this is not possible, then the hybrids will develop more slowly, the first flower brush will appear in them later and the yield will be lower.

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

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

Lighting

Tomato seedlings must be highlighted, especially late varieties that are sown earlier. The lighting period should be at least 14 hours per day. With a lack of light, the seedlings are strongly drawn out, becoming long and fragile. In cloudy weather, the illumination of plants is increased by 1-2 hours compared to sunny days, and the temperature is reduced to 13-14 ° C, otherwise the tomatoes are strongly drawn out.

Watering

Tomatoes should be watered very sparingly. Watering is carried out as the soil dries up and only with settled water. Unsettled tap water forms a bacterial-lime deposit on the soil, which tomatoes do not like very much. 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 not be too wet or too dry. Watering should be plentiful so that the soil is sufficiently saturated with moisture, and the next watering is carried out only after the earthen coma has dried. Usually, tomatoes are watered no more than once a week, but here they are guided by individual growing conditions. If the plants are wilted, then they must be watered without waiting for a week to pass.

Waterlogging, combined with high temperature and poor lighting, causes a strong stretching of the tomatoes.

Seedling picking

When the tomato seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, a pick is carried out.

For picking, prepare pots with a volume of at least 1 liter, fill them with earth by 3/4, water and compact. Make a deepening, dig up the seedling with a teaspoon and plant it in a pot. When picking, the tomatoes are planted a little deeper than they grew earlier, sprinkling the stem with earth to the cotyledon leaves. Strongly elongated seedlings fall asleep to the first true leaves. Seedlings are held by the leaves, if you hold it by a thin stalk, it will break.

Tomatoes tolerate picking well. If the sucking roots are damaged, they quickly recover and grow thicker. The roots must 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 from the leaves is less intense.

How to feed tomato seedlings

Top dressing is carried out 5-7 days after picking. Previously, top dressing is not recommended, since the soil was filled with ash, which contains all the necessary elements for seed growth. If the seedlings are grown on a purchased soil mixture, then top dressing is all the more unnecessary.

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

It is impossible to 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 in conditions of lack of light, leads to a strong stretching and thinning of plants.

Subsequent top dressing is 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 ripe varieties, 1, maximum two dressings are enough. For hybrids, the number of top dressings is increased by 2 for each type of seedling.

If the land is purchased, then it is sufficiently seasoned with fertilizers and when growing tomatoes on such soils, they do not carry out top dressing. The exception is hybrids. They consume nutrients more intensively and before planting, it is necessary to carry out 1-2 top dressing, in whatever soil they are grown.

Seedling care after picking

After picking, the seedlings are placed on the windowsills as freely as possible. If it is crowded, then it does not develop well. In densely spaced seedlings, the illumination decreases and it stretches.

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

For hardening, pots with hybrids are first placed against 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 not regulated, then open a balcony or window. At the final stage of hardening, seedlings of hybrids are taken out to the balcony for the whole day.

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

Main reasons for failure

Seedlings of tomatoes are strongly drawn out. There are several reasons: not enough light, early planting, excess nitrogen fertilizers.
1. Seedlings always stretch with a lack of light. She needs to be illuminated. If this is not possible, then a mirror or foil is placed behind the seedlings, then the illumination of the tomatoes increases greatly, and they stretch less.
2. It is not necessary to feed the tomatoes with nitrogen, this causes a rapid growth of the tops, and in conditions of insufficient illumination (and there is always not enough light in the room, no matter how you illuminate the seedlings), they are strongly drawn out.
3. Too early sowing of seeds. Even normally developing seedlings stretch when planted early. After 60-70 days, the plants become crowded in pots and containers, they need to develop further, and in conditions of limited nutritional area and tightness on the windowsill, they have one way out - to grow up.
4. All these factors, both individually and together, cause seedlings to stretch. Tomatoes stretch even more if excessive watering and a high temperature of seedling maintenance are added.
The seeds don't germinate. If the seed is of good quality, then there are no shoots due to the low temperature of the soil. 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, for normal growth, a temperature of 18-20 ° C is required, for hybrids - 22-23 ° C. Hybrids can also grow at 20°C, but more slowly, and, accordingly, will start fruiting later.
Yellowing of leaves.
1. Usually the leaves turn yellow in tomatoes grown in close quarters. When the seedlings are large, there is not enough light on the 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 arranged more freely and the air temperature is reduced.
2. If the leaves are small, turn yellow, and the veins remain green or slightly reddish, this is a lack of nitrogen. Feed with a complete mineral fertilizer. It is not necessary to feed with nitrogen alone, otherwise the tomatoes will stretch.
3. Feeding area limitation. The tomatoes are already cramped in the container, the roots have braided the entire earthen ball and further growth stops. Transplant seedlings into a larger pot.
leaf curl. Sudden and significant changes in temperature. When growing a tomato, a sharp increase in air temperature should be avoided. Seedling feeding area is limited and roots cannot support all leaves in hot weather. The same thing happens with a sharp cold snap, but this is much less common at home.
Blackleg. Common disease of tomato seedlings. It affects all kinds of plants. The disease spreads rapidly and in a short time can destroy all seedlings. The stalk at the level of the soil turns black, becomes thinner, dries up, the plant falls and dies. Infected plants are removed immediately. The soil is watered with a pink solution of potassium permanganate, Fitosporin, Alirin. After that, the tomatoes do not need to be watered for a week, the soil should dry out.

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

Kirill Sysoev

Calloused hands do not know boredom!

Content

The yield obtained largely depends on the quality of seeds and seedlings. Growing tomatoes on your own is a serious and very painstaking business, but from an economic point of view it is very profitable, it requires a lot of knowledge and work. To ensure a good harvest, you will need to know in advance how to grow tomato seedlings at home on your own, because it is very important to choose and prepare seeds, soil correctly, and also sow on time and ensure proper care for seedlings. But how to do that?

How to grow tomato seedlings from seeds at home

Seedlings grown at home are of high quality and take root well in the open field, they have minimal susceptibility to diseases. Only by choosing high-quality planting material, the gardener is able to provide himself with good plants and a rich harvest. How to choose seeds or collect them in advance yourself? Do they need to be processed, if so, how? Such questions confuse many beginner gardeners.

Preparing seeds for sowing

There is no consensus on whether to buy planting material or collect it yourself in the fall. Experienced gardeners often choose self-preparation of seeds, but for this you need to understand which fruits are best suited. Planting material from their site is also used by those who want to save money. One way or another, at least the first time you will need to buy them, it will also have to be done by someone who decides to grow new varieties in their garden. I would like to note that self-collected seeds are suitable for sowing up to 7-8 years.

In both cases, planting material must be prepared in advance. Do this 1-2 days before the planned sowing. How? To begin with, select high-quality seeds. A container of water into which they are poured will help to do this: empty seeds will float, and good ones will remain at the bottom. Water is drained along with unsuitable grains.

After selecting the seeds, it is necessary to disinfect them, and for this they often use a solution of potassium permanganate. Disinfection is carried out as follows:

A few grains are diluted with water to get a rich purple color.
The seeds are dipped into the resulting solution for about 20-25 minutes. If several different varieties of tomatoes are used for planting, it is better to place them in napkins to prevent mixing.
When the seeds are decontaminated, they are placed in clean water at room temperature to swell. Fresh seeds will last 8-10 hours, and if they are older than 3 years, more time will be needed.

soil

Properly selected soil for sowing is an important task for those who want to grow tomatoes at home. You need to take care of the soil in advance. Some gardeners believe that land from the site with the addition of humus, greenhouse soil and peat is suitable for growing seedlings. Others believe that it is necessary to prepare a mixture of humus, soddy land, peat, urea, superphosphate, potassium sulfate.

Whatever mixture you choose, the earth must be disinfected so that the seeds do not suffer: for this, the finished earth is heat-treated. But it’s easier to make a soil mixture in the fall and leave it so that it freezes well in winter. If it was not possible to prepare the land for sowing in advance, they manage with a purchased mixture, which is easy to find in a flower shop.

Sowing tomatoes

When the seeds and soil mixture are ready, you can proceed to sowing. Seedling containers need to be taken care of earlier. For this, wooden boxes, plastic or special peat cups and modern containers with lids that can create a greenhouse effect are suitable.

Sowing begins with the fact that the soil is moistened, holes are made about 0.5-0.7 cm deep. When using boxes, a distance of 2-3 cm between the holes must be observed. grains. After that, the seeds are covered with a little soil. Additional watering is not required. If not soaked grains are sown, the holes are made deeper - 1.5 cm, and after planting they are carefully watered.

How to care for seedlings

Properly selected and prepared seeds, their sowing is not all that is needed to get good seedlings. Appropriate care is an important point in the whole process. The right actions will help seedlings appear faster and avoid diseases when growing tomatoes at home. First, the containers are covered to achieve the greenhouse effect.

It is best to place home greenhouses in a well-lit place with a temperature of 20-24 degrees. This temperature is maintained until germination, after which it is lowered to 18 degrees. During germination, the soil is moistened as necessary with a sprayer, water is taken at room temperature. We must not forget about the condensate that appears on the film, it must be cleaned regularly. After germination, the film or other covering is removed. Water as it dries, otherwise there is a risk of rot.

How to feed seedlings

When the first full-fledged pair of leaves appears, the plants begin to feed - this stimulates growth and strengthens the tomatoes. But it is important not to overdo it, otherwise you will get good greenery, but without fruits it will die altogether. The color of the seedlings will help determine the need for top dressing in the early stages - dark green leaves and dense stems with a purple tint indicate that it is not worth fertilizing the seedlings yet.

Experienced gardeners advise choosing organic fertilizers for feeding, and which plants themselves will tell you:

When the lower leaves of tomatoes turn yellow and fall off, this indicates that they lack nitrogen, but be careful - if all the leaves turn yellow, this indicates an excess of it.
If the seedlings turn purple, this indicates a lack of phosphorus.
Plants that are in a constantly lit room need iron and a day-night balance.

How to dive tomatoes

When 3 full leaves appear on the seedling, it can be dived. But gardeners are ambivalent about this process: some believe that picking is extra stress for plants, others say that this is a way to weed out bad sprouts. But no matter what opinion you hold, it is imperative to dive tomatoes if:

the seeds are sown in a box and there are more seedlings than planned in advance;
want to get tomatoes with healthy roots;
unhealthy plants appeared;
it is necessary to slow down the growth of seedlings so that they do not outgrow.

Picking is done about 10 days after germination, you need to prepare for the process. 2 days before the planned picking, the tomatoes are watered. If watered earlier, the soil will dry out, and if immediately before picking, the earth will be heavy, which will complicate the process. It is recommended to get the plants with a teaspoon - this will secure the transplant. A plant is placed in a prepared container for dived seedlings, immersing it to the cotyledon leaves, after which the earth is compacted and watered.

When to plant outdoors

Timely planted seedlings are a guarantee that it will take root better in open ground and give a good harvest. Early planted tomatoes are at risk of flash frosts, and late planting affects harvest time. The ideal time to move tomatoes outdoors depends on the climate of the region. Basically, it falls on the time from mid-May to early June. To protect tomatoes from frost, it is covered at night. After that, timely watering, loosening and gartering of plants are monitored.

Common problems when growing seedlings and their solution

When growing for the first time, gardeners often face problems when the seedlings become weak, stretched out, overgrown, or vice versa stopped growing, the tomato leaves have changed and spots have appeared on them. Thin, pale tomatoes indicate that they are sick, but do not rush to get upset and send such plants to the trash - many of them can still be saved and have a wonderful harvest. Following the recommendations can save tomatoes and turn the growing process into an exciting experience.

Strongly stretched out

Very often this is due to insufficient lighting or a film not removed in time.To solve the problem, you need to take care of a good light source, picking plants will also help correct the situation. Some advise moving them to the cold, but this is not recommended. In some cases, if the sprouts are stretched out, growth regulators are used (Epin, Zircon, etc.).

Stopped growing

Stopping or slowing the growth of a tomato is a common problem. To solve it, you first need to determine the reason for this behavior of the plant. The most common reasons that tomatoes grow slowly are:

The wrong soil is too acidic or alkaline.
Lack or excess of nutrition.
Improper watering - the soil is flooded or too dry.
Diseases.
The presence of a cat in the house (if she went to the toilet for shoots, she turns blue and dies).
Wrong pick.

They solve the problem by eliminating the cause of growth stoppage, creating optimal conditions for the tomato: lighting, temperature, timely watering and top dressing. If after that the seedlings do not grow, use growth stimulants. The most common solution is sodium humate. The color of the liquid should resemble strong tea or beer. Watered at the rate of 1 glass of solution per 1 tomato plant. It is also sprinkled with yeast.

The leaves have changed color and spots have appeared

If the leaves dry, curl, become stained, this indicates that there was too much fertilizer for the plants or there was sea sand in the soil mixture, which poisons the roots, or the plants were not provided with normal watering, the soil was dry. Correct the situation by washing the soil with plenty of water, only the water should drain freely. If sea sand was still used in the soil, only transplanting into another soil with washing the roots will save.

Outgrown

The best solution to this problem is to re-pick the plants, which will slow down the growth a little until the moment when they need to be planted in the ground. If climatic conditions allow, then the plants are planted immediately in open ground and provide her with further care. In no case should seedlings be cut or cleaned in a cold, unconsecrated place - these actions will only harm.

Video: how to grow healthy tomato seedlings in an apartment

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At first glance, growing tomato seedlings is a simple matter, but in practice everything is much more complicated. In the course of work, various kinds of problems often arise, with which it is not always clear how to cope. The fact is that tomatoes come from South America, which means that they are rather capricious plants that are demanding on external conditions, especially in our latitudes. If they don’t like something, then they won’t have to count on a rich harvest. But everything can be different if you get a hand in growing seedlings and work out your secrets.

Tomatoes have a long growing season. In some southern regions, their seeds can be immediately planted in the ground, where the climate and daylight allow it. But basically, preliminary forcing of seedlings is required, which begins as early as February-March. I am glad that the conditions of a city apartment are more or less enough for young tomatoes, except that there is not enough sunlight. But this disadvantage is easily compensated by artificial lighting. So, where does the cultivation of tomatoes begin, and what rules should be followed?

Varietal diversity: what to choose

Before you plant something, you need to decide what to plant. With the choice of a variety of tomatoes and a place for planting them, preparations for sowing work begin. Today, breeders have bred thousands of different forms of the product, among which the following can be distinguished into separate groups:

Hybrids are best grown in warm areas, where it is easier for them to provide suitable growth conditions. In addition, it is hybrid forms that, from an economic point of view, bring the greatest profit to summer residents. If the goal is to grow tomatoes from their own seeds or the climatic conditions are quite severe, preference is given to varietal forms.

If you turn to an experienced gardener for advice, he will definitely recommend planting zoned varieties adapted to local conditions. They will be less hassle when growing.

There is another significant factor influencing the choice - the place where the tomato is grown.

Whether it will be a greenhouse or open ground depends on the summer resident, so the following options are being considered here:

Indeterminate varieties- the highest representatives, reaching 2.5 m or more. They grow slowly, constantly forming generative buds. Fruiting later, long. Require pinching and to supports, protected ground. Usually grown in greenhouses;
Superdeterminant- dwarf (30-50 cm) early-ripening varieties and hybrids, the growth of which stops after the formation of 2-3 brushes. The fruits ripen together, new ovaries are not formed. There is no need for pinning. Grown for early harvest in greenhouses or in the open field;
Determinate Tomatoes- Good for growing outdoors. They reach a height of 1 m, forming 3-6 flower brushes every 2 leaves, starting from the fifth. Harvest ripens early and amicably. Requires tying;
Semi-determinant varieties and hybrids- late-ripening tomatoes up to 2 m high, forming from 9 to 12 flower brushes. Require pinching and tying. Shrub congestion is often noted when fruiting occurs at the expense of roots and leaves. Grown in a greenhouse, in the south - in the open field;
Standard tomatoes- undersized early ripening varieties with a thick, strong stem. Such tomatoes are unpretentious, they control their own growth, forming a compact shrub 40-60 cm tall. They have an underdeveloped root system, and therefore they can be grown denser to each other.

Special mention deserves tomatoes adapted to growth in containers. These are super determinant varieties that can be grown on a balcony or loggia. For this, often, self-pollinating varieties or varieties that do not require pollination in principle are chosen. Fruit ripening times vary.

Thus, low and medium-sized tomatoes are more suitable for open ground. And it is better to choose ultra-early and early tomatoes, which are more likely to give a bountiful harvest in a cool climate. In the south, late-ripening representatives can also be planted; their crops are harvested in August-September. Accordingly, hybrids and tall tomatoes are grown in the greenhouse, and here you can already choose varieties regardless of the time of fruiting. Do not forget about the taste of tomatoes and the purpose for which they are grown.

Where do you grow tomatoes?

in the greenhousein OG

Optimal timing for forcing seedlings

Typically, seed producers indicate on the packaging the optimal time for sowing. But every gardener should be able to calculate it on his own, especially if his own, manually collected seeds are used. The timing of sowing depends on the precocity of the variety and on where the grown seedlings will be planted - in a greenhouse or in a garden.

The calculation is based on the duration of the growing season:

For ultra-early varieties - 65-75 days;
For early ripening - 75-90 days;
For mid-early - 90-105 days;
For mid-season - 110-120 days;
For late-ripening - 120-140 days.

Having determined the approximate date of receipt of the crop of the selected variety, subtract from it the growing season and 5-10 days allotted for emergence and adaptation of seedlings. Thus, the optimal time for sowing tomato seeds is obtained:

The terms of planting seeds given in the table are indicated taking into account the further transplantation of seedlings into open ground. If you plan to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse, the seeds are planted 10-14 days earlier.

The lunar calendar advises above-ground plants to be planted on a growing moon, then their shoots will grow faster, and the fruits will tie up and take shape well. The most fertile zodiac signs are Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. If the growing moon falls on these signs, the shoots will be strong and strong.

In 2018, favorable days for forcing seedlings will be:

February: 6-7, 21-22, 25-26;
March: 20-21, 24-25;
April: 17-18, 20-22; 27-29.

Sowing work is not recommended on the days of the New Moon, Full Moon and Solar Eclipse. If the phase of the moon does not coincide with the favorable sign of the zodiac, then the work is carried out in accordance with the sign, but they try to do this by the end of the unfavorable period.

Conditions for growing healthy seedlings

Tomatoes are very demanding on the external environment, especially light and heat in the early stages of growth. But if there are no problems with heat in a city apartment, then with lighting, everything is somewhat more complicated. It is this factor that is key when growing seedlings. What conditions need to be provided for tomatoes to grow strong and healthy?

Air temperature

Seeds planted in the ground germinate at a temperature of at least 10-15°C, but 23-26°C is more favorable. If the air is warmed below 10 °, there will be no shoots. After the seeds hatch and the first two true leaves appear, the daytime temperature can be reduced to 20-22°C, and the night temperature to 16-18°C. This mode will contribute well to the development of seedlings. If the temperature is reduced to 13-15 ° C, the seedlings will begin to act up.

soil temperature

Optimally, if the soil is warmed up to 20-25 ° C. At t≤14°С, the life processes of the plant stop, the growth and development of seedlings stops. At t≥25°С, seedlings develop more intensively, but in the future this will affect the quality of the crop. Hybrid varieties of tomatoes require a temperature 1-2°C higher than the culture as a whole.

Daylight hours

As soon as the first leaves shed their seeds, the plantings are provided with additional lighting. In general, daylight hours for seedlings should be 12-15 hours, and even those plantings that are located on the southern windows illuminate.

In winter, the lamps turn on at 6-7 in the morning and turn off around 8-9 in the evening. If the day is clear, then during the hours of the most intense sun, the lamps can be turned off.

The lack of additional illumination will lead to the fact that the seedlings will begin to "starve". From the lack of light, the seedlings will strenuously stretch upward, their stems will become longer and thinner, and the internodes will stretch. Slow photosynthesis is the cause of weakness and soreness of seedlings.

There is no need to provide seedlings with round-the-clock lighting. Plants should rest at least 5 hours a day, since it is at this time that the substances accumulated during the day are processed. If the tomatoes do not arrange a "night sleep", over time, a nutrient deficiency will affect their condition.

Lighting quality

In addition to the length of daylight hours, tomatoes need to provide a sufficient amount of light. Tomato seedlings require 20 thousand lux or more for normal development, which can only be provided with artificial lighting. Moreover, the light should fall at a right angle, as tomatoes love it. Naturally, plants receive only 3-5 thousand lux on the window.

For lighting, they take lamps with a power of up to 400 W, which are suspended above the seedlings at a height of up to half a meter, depending on the type of lamp. The main thing is that the tomatoes do not “burn” under them, while receiving a sufficient amount of light. As a light source, you can use fluorescent and LED lamps, high-pressure mirror lamps. It is better if these are lamps of 830-840 spectrum and higher, since the quality of light directly affects the process of seedling growth.

Humidity of air and soil

With regard to air humidity, there are no problems in the apartment for young tomatoes - 55-65% is enough for them, which are supported naturally. If, as a result of intensive heating, the air
dries out, a humidifier or regular irrigation of seedlings from a spray bottle will come to the rescue. At high humidity and air temperature, there is a risk of developing fungal diseases, so ventilation is recommended.

At the time of planting seeds and in the early stages of growth, while the roots are superficial, increased soil moisture is necessary. Otherwise, the seedlings will dry out and die. But for grown seedlings, moderately moist soils are favorable. Their root system is pivotal, deep, and therefore abundant watering is not required. Watered in the morning, before the heat, so that the sun does not dry out the soil during the day. Evening watering is undesirable, as the temperature at night can drop significantly. In combination with moist soil, this can be a serious test for seedlings.

soil fertility

The tomato is unpretentious to the quality of the soil. It can grow equally well on both sandy and loamy soils, as well as on not too heavy clay soils. The main thing is that the soil is breathable, drained, rich in organic matter. Organics are introduced into the soil for seedlings in advance, at least six months before sowing. From mineral fertilizers, phosphorus and potassium are mainly required. But at the stage of intensive growth, it is important not to overfeed the seedlings, otherwise it will grow too rapidly, and this will further affect the yield. The acidity of the soil should be approximately neutral.

Forcing tomato seedlings: procedure

To make your work easier, tomato seedlings can be bought on the market. But there is no guarantee that it will be a quality material, not to mention the fact that the grown variety may not correspond to the declared one. It is better to grow tomatoes yourself from the very beginning and, if possible, collect seeds for the next harvest. Then your favorite varieties will delight from year to year. How to grow tomato seedlings in your apartment, and what may be required for this?

Soil preparation

The main condition for the growth of any seedlings is a healthy soil. If you plan to grow no more than a couple of dozen bushes, then you can buy ready-made soil. But in other cases, this is impractical, since it will require significant cash costs.

Soil is prepared. From autumn, they take the basis - the earth from the garden, greenhouse or the nearest forest, and leave it to winter on the street. During frosts, some of the pathogenic microbes will die. By spring, river sand, compost, ash are added to the thawed soil and mixed. The constituent components should be approximately in equal proportions, but not necessarily. You can, for example, put a little more sand or, if available, peat. The main thing is that the soil is nutritious.

When the soil is ready, it is disinfected in one of the following ways:

Warm up at high temperatures in the oven. Particularly resourceful gardeners adapt a double boiler and microwave oven for this purpose. The procedure takes about 1 hour;

The calcination of the earth leads to the destruction of all soil microbes, including useful ones. Therefore, such a procedure should be carried out 2-3 weeks before sowing, so that beneficial bacteria have time to multiply and the soil becomes “alive”.

Poured with boiling water, but the soil must be placed in a container with holes in the bottom to let excess water out;

Watered with a solution of potassium permanganate.

In the last two cases, the soil will be ready for sowing in 10-12 days.

Seed treatment and soaking

Seeds purchased in factory packages, including hybrids, have already been processed by the manufacturer, so nothing is required from the summer resident in this regard - just plant them in prepared soil. But if the seeds were collected on their own or taken "from a neighbor", then pre-treatment is indispensable. Prepare the seeds for planting in the following order:

Sorting	Choose only medium and large seeds. Small, blackened, wrinkled are rejected; The selected seeds are dipped in a saline solution (1 tsp per 0.5 l of water), stirred and left for 7-10 minutes. Empty, barren seeds will float on the surface - they are also rejected. The rest are washed and dried.
disinfection	It is impossible to plant untreated seeds, as there is a risk of introducing pathogenic microbes into the soil, which can cause seedlings to get sick in the future. For disinfection, you can use: Strong solution of potassium permanganate. To do this, several crystals are dissolved in water at a temperature of 40 ° C, at the tip of a knife. The seeds are wrapped in gauze and dipped into the solution for 15-20 minutes, after which they are removed and washed; soda solution. In half a glass of water, dilute 1/5 tsp. soda, where the seeds wrapped in gauze are then lowered. Withstand the day. It is believed that tomatoes grown from such seeds begin to bear fruit earlier; Aloe juice solution. The juice of the healer can be bought at a pharmacy or squeezed out on your own. Dilute in water in a ratio of 1: 1 and soak the seeds for a day. In the future, tomatoes will have stronger immunity; Fitosporin solution. It is prepared in accordance with the instructions, depending on the form of release. Seeds are kept in it for 1-2 hours, then washed.
Soak	They take a Petri dish or other similar container and cover the bottom with wet cotton pads or a cloth. Spread the seeds on top and cover with a lid, but not completely airtight. If there is no lid, you can wrap the container in cellophane. Make sure that the seeds are kept in a humid environment at all times.
Stratification	In other words, hardening. As soon as the first hatched seeds are found, they are placed in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Then take out and leave for 12 hours at room temperature. This is done 3-4 times, making sure that the seeds do not dry out. After hardening, tomatoes can be sown.

An optional condition for preparing a tomato is feeding their seeds in nutrient solutions to stimulate growth. Although, by and large, the seeds will germinate without them. But disinfection and hardening must be carried out. The yield of the product depends on this.

Sowing seeds

Any convenient container can be adapted for sowing - a wooden box, peat or plastic cups, plastic containers, cut cardboard bags from juice or milk. Drainage holes must be made in them to drain excess water. Also, when choosing containers, it is taken into account that soil 5-7 cm high will be poured into them. If a common box is used, it should be divided into sections in advance for
various varieties.

So, the seeding order is as follows:

The container is filled with soil, level it;
Make grooves with a depth of 0.5-1 cm in increments of 3-4 cm. Instead of grooves, there can be holes of the same depth at a distance of 2 cm from each other;
Seeds are laid out in the grooves every 2-3 cm, 2-3 seeds are placed in the holes (the less often the seeds are sown, the longer they can be kept in the original container). Seeds are sprinkled with soil;

You can sow without grooves, simply spreading the seeds over the surface of the leveled soil and gently sprinkling 1 cm of earth without tamping.

Plantings are irrigated from a spray bottle until well moistened and covered with a film or glass until pecking;
The container is left near the battery or in another warm, bright place, making sure that the earth does not dry out.

If mold has formed in the container (due to waterlogging), slightly lift the film for ventilation. The mold is carefully removed, and the soil area is watered with Fitosporin or Fundazol.

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