Tomato seedlings and its features: how to grow the best tomatoes. We grow tomato seedlings at home Where is it better to grow tomato seedlings

Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables. Without them, perhaps, one cannot do on one garden plot. Vegetables are very tasty, great for harvesting for the winter and have many beneficial substances. Often purchased seedlings can be weak or not match the variety you wanted to purchase. But you can grow tomato seedlings yourself. The article discusses the basic rules for the cultivation of tomatoes by growing seedlings from seeds.

How to prepare tomato seeds before planting

Tomatoes are planted in open ground with seedlings and everyone can grow them at home. It will of course take certain time and effort, but you will be sure that you will get in the end. Most people for growing seedlings collect seeds from ripe fruits they like, dry them, and soak them for a couple of days before planting. That's the whole process.

However, if you want to grow good strong seedlings that are resistant to diseases and give a rich harvest, the seeds must be prepared before sowing. This procedure goes through several stages:

• drying;
• seed selection;
• disinfection;
• soaking;
• germination;
• hardening.

Important!Larger and heavier seeds contain more nutrients. Strong and productive seedlings of tomatoes will grow from such material.

After sampling, the seeds are packed in bags and stored in a dark place at room temperature. If the seeds were stored in the cold, a month before planting, it is recommended to warm them up for a couple of days on a battery in fabric products.

The main number of tomato diseases take root on seeds and can exist there for a long time, regardless of climatic conditions. That's why before planting, it is recommended to decontaminate the material. To do this, the seeds are immersed for 15 minutes. in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate or for 7 minutes. in a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, preheated to 40 degrees.

Did you know?To increase the yield of seedlings, it is recommended to soak the seeds in a nutrient solution for a day before sowing. It can be a solution of Immunocetophyte or juice from grated fresh potatoes.

To soften the skin of seeds and facilitate their germination, planting material before sowing, soak for 10 hours in water at room temperature. The seeds are laid out in a piece of gauze and immersed in a container. The amount of water should be 30% less than the volume of seeds. After five hours, the water will need to be changed.

To speed up the process of germination of sprouts, it is recommended to germinate the seeds for five days in a saucer covered with wet gauze at a temperature of 20-22 degrees.

Important! During germination, make sure that the gauze does not dry out and at the same time is not too wet.

In order for the seedlings to be resistant to temperature extremes, night cold snaps, it is recommended to harden the seeds. In addition, such seedlings will bloom earlier and bring much more yield. For this purpose, the seeds that appear are placed in the refrigerator overnight (the temperature should be from 0 to +2 degrees), and stored at a temperature of 20-22 degrees during the day. Manipulations are carried out several times.

Soil selection and preparation

Seedlings of tomatoes are not very demanding on the soil. The soil for seedlings of tomatoes at home can be either purchased or prepared independently. When buying, preference should be given to peat soil.

To prepare the soil yourself, you need to take loamy soil and add a little humus, compost to it. Seedlings will grow well in loose soil. To do this, you can add peat or sawdust to the mixture.

Coke substrate is also used for planting seeds. It contains a lot nutrients, prevents rotting of sprouts, promotes the development of a powerful root system.

Did you know?Good for growing strong seedlings peat tablets, they can be sown 4-5 seeds. When planting in such soil in the future, it is not necessary to dive seedlings.

The choice of a container for growing seedlings is of no small importance. Seeds can be sown in the following types of dishes:

• seedling boxes;
• trays, cassettes;
• seedling pots;
• peat tablets or pots;
• disposable glasses.

Important!The best option would be trays or cassettes with a mesh size of 5-6 cm and a side height of 10 cm. When buying, be sure to specify what the container is made of. It is better to purchase a tray (cassette) made of polystyrene. Do not buy containers made of polyvinyl chloride, it contains toxic substances.

seedling pots and disposable cups – the best option from inexpensive ones. In them, seedlings can be grown until transplanted into open ground. However, such containers take up a lot of space and are not very convenient if the seedlings need to be transferred to another place. There must be drainage holes at the bottom of the containers for planting seeds.

Peat tablets - perfect option. They contribute to the development of a strong root system in sprouts, prevent seedlings from rotting. However, such pleasure is not cheap.

Sowing tomato seeds for seedlings

Sowing tomato seeds for seedlings should be carried out on March 15-20. The first shoots will appear in a week. Two more months will pass before the flowering of tomatoes early variety and another week will be required to restore the plant after a dive. In early June, seedlings will be ready for planting in open ground.
Before planting, the soil should be slightly wetted. Seeds are buried in the soil no more than 1 cm and at a distance of 5 cm from each other. Then the container must be covered with a film or glass. After sowing, the vessel should be placed in a warm place with a temperature of about 25 degrees. Under these conditions, seedlings will appear in a week.

Care and cultivation of tomato seedlings

After the shoots appear, the seedlings need to be moved to a lighted and cool room. The temperature regime should be from +14 to +16 degrees. The room is bright. If there is none, you can arrange the illumination of the sprouts with the help of lamps.

After a week, the temperature should be slightly increased to +20 degrees, and at night it should be lowered by a couple of degrees. To do this, you can slightly open the window, just do not allow drafts.

Did you know? In the first few days after germination of sprouts, it is recommended to arrange round-the-clock illumination for seedlings. This will greatly speed up its germination.

Watering tomato seedlings for growing at home should be moderate and carried out with water at room temperature. Until the first good leaf appears, the soil is lightly sprayed with water when it becomes completely dry. After the appearance of the leaf, watering is carried out once a week, and after five good leaves are formed, the seedlings are watered every 3-4 days.

Dive seedlings of tomatoes

Dive is transplanting seedlings into separate containers. This contributes to the formation of the root system. There is a growth of lateral roots, the nutrition of the plant improves. Seedlings become stronger and will easily take root in open ground, will give good harvest.
The picking of tomato seedlings is carried out on the tenth day after the first shoots appear. However, each case must be approached individually. The general rule is to dive seedlings on the second day after the appearance of the first true leaf.

Important! When diving, only the best and healthiest sprouts are selected, and the rest must be discarded. Also, a small earthen lump should remain on the root of each sprout.

A couple of days before picking, the seedlings should be lightly watered so that the sprouts can be taken out more easily. It is necessary to remove seedlings from the ground very carefully so as not to damage still weak roots. It is advisable to dig them with a stick or a toothpick. You need to transplant into a deeper container. To do this, you can use pots, disposable half-liter cups or plastic bottles with cut neck.

After picking, the sprouts are watered abundantly and transferred to a cool place with humid air. Seedlings should not be exposed to direct sunlight. After a week, the seedlings are returned to their former warm place.

Hardening off tomato seedlings

It is recommended to harden seedlings so that when planted in open ground it does not freeze, is hardy to temperature extremes, which often occur in summer time. Let's take a closer look at how to harden tomato seedlings.
When it gets warmer outside and the temperature reaches 15 degrees, containers with seedlings are taken out to the street or balcony. Before this, the plants are watered. During hardening, you need to monitor the temperature regime. When the temperature drops below 8°C, the containers should be brought to a warmer room. It is better to take out seedlings after four to five in the evening, when the sun subsides a little. Otherwise, it may burn out. You also need to monitor the soil, it should not dry out. If the soil is dry, it needs to be watered a little. Never leave containers in direct sunlight. The hardening period is two weeks.

Food markets are full of tomatoes of different varieties, but this is ignored by those who prefer everything as natural and homemade as possible. Home-grown tomatoes have many advantages - this is what prevents you from buying vegetables.

This is not to say that the process of growing tomatoes at home is too complicated. It is subject to everyone who has even a drop of desire, necessary materials and the ability to create the required conditions. It remains only to take into account some recommendations.

In the department with tomato seeds, you can easily get confused, because among the variety it is not easy to choose suitable grade. Take a look at some recommendations for the selection of planting material:

1. Avoid the exotic. Unusual varieties that require special care are unlikely to give good results at home. If nothing is said about their possibility of growing at home, give preference to a different material.
2. Avoid strains that are not resistant to pulling. At home, these seeds give poor results, as the sprouts soon die when climbing.
3. Look closely at brands that have stood the test of time. Adopt brands such as Russian Garden, Ilyinichna, Gavrish, etc. And do not forget that the packs should be detailed information about the variety.
4. Don't skimp on multiple options. Even if your friends have advised you on any specific seeds, grab at least three more packs of other varieties or manufacturers. Do not forget that soil, home temperature, humidity are very significant factors. Therefore, the selected seeds will please someone with sprouts, and they will disappoint someone.
5. Be wary of suggested homemade seeds. Do not rush to gladly accept the planting material that amateur gardeners have offered you. If the seeds turn out to be infected, they will not only give disastrous results themselves, but will also infect neighboring seedlings. Still took the seeds and want to plant them? Use separate dishes and be sure to pickle them.

A suitable soil is one of the main components of a successful result.

Despite the fact that tomato seedlings are not capricious, they need to be in the ground with a certain composition. In suitable soil for tomatoes should be:

• one whole soddy soil;
• one whole leafy humus;
• half of one part of sand;
• one whole compost.

Before planting, be sure to subject the soil to heat treatment. This manipulation avoids infection of plants, their disease and death. Important condition- do not forget to pre-cool the steamed soil.

For getting best results fertilizer should be introduced into the soil before planting is carried out. As a top dressing, you should use what corresponds to the vegetable and variety. It is necessary to fertilize the soil during the entire cultivation.

Planting time for tomato seeds

Of course it has. The table shows the optimal timing.

Often optimal time landings are indicated on packs of seeds. But in order for the seeds to certainly germinate, you should do this:

1. Planting the first third of the seeds - 10-14 days before the specified date.
2. Planting the second third of all seeds - on the due day.
3. Planting the remaining seeds - later due date for 10-14 days.

Do seeds need to be prepared for planting?

Seeds are usually sold already prepared, but in order to ensure a higher percentage of seedlings, some measures should be taken.

One of the simplest is the classic soak. To do this, arm yourself with a small container of boiled water at room temperature. The first obvious plus of such a technique is that you can find unusable seeds. This is easy to do - low-quality seeds will be on the surface. Plus number two - you can speed up the process of sprouts.

Potassium permanganate is an old but proven remedy. Before using it, you should prepare a bandage. Roll it up in several layers and dip it into the solution (you need to dilute the potassium permanganate to a raspberry shade). Place the seeds in a soaked bandage for half an hour.

You can also pickle seeds with ordinary hydrogen peroxide. Drop three drops of peroxide into half a glass of water, warm the mixture a little and dip the seeds in it for eight minutes.

Some soaked seeds can be placed in a cool place, after wrapping them in a plastic bag. This technique can be called a kind of hardening.

The subtleties of landing

And so, the seeds are prepared - what to do with them next? To begin with, determine a place in the house where the temperature does not drop to twenty degrees Celsius, but also does not rise above twenty-five degrees Celsius. Do not install a container with soil and where there may be drafts.

The initial capacity must be large. This makes it much easier to keep track of germination. It is advisable to find a shallow container.

Before planting, the soil should be well moistened. Place wet seeds in it so that they are planted no deeper than a couple of centimeters. The approximate distance between the seeds is about two and a half centimeters. Don't forget to use a spray bottle clean water in order not to overmoisten the soil with standard watering.

Be sure to provide good lighting during planting and the first days the seeds are in the ground. This will increase their productivity.

You can speed up the process of the appearance of sprouts using the greenhouse effect. For this, all you need is a film. It should be pulled over the seeds, making a couple of holes in it. It is worth removing the coating only after the appearance of several shoots. This is usually done ten days after sowing.

Features of care

Seedlings appeared? Think about lighting right now. If there is only one side under natural or artificial light, the plant will not please with productivity and may even die.

Seedlings require top dressing. You need to introduce it only the appearance of two leaves on the seedlings. The first time you should introduce a small amount of fertilizer.

To prevent the sprouts from rotting, do not flood them. It is enough to periodically check the top of the soil and water when it is dry.

After three leaves appear on the sprouts, it's time to plant them separately. This usually takes one month. To do this, choose small containers. The soil in them should not differ from the original. It will be useful to make several punctures at the bottom and lay a thin drainage layer of pebbles or brick fragments.

Attention must be paid to temperature regime. It is desirable that the seedlings be in a room where the air temperature is twenty-seven degrees Celsius.

What to do if the seedlings are sick?

Growing tomatoes are fragile creatures. Unfortunately, cases of their disease are not excluded.

One of the most common diseases is mosaic. It is caused by a virus. characteristic symptom- variegation of leaves. They have both dark and light spots. Later they acquire a yellowish tone, twist and dry out. If the seedling is infected, it should be removed. The remaining small plants should be treated with milk and water (1:10).

Tomato Disease - Mosaic

Brown leaf spot is another disease. Unlike the previous one, it is curable, but it is not so easy to rid the seedling of the disease. Feature an infected plant - the acquisition of brown spots by leaves. The inside of the sheets may acquire a khaki touch.

This disease occurs due to high humidity in the room and in the soil. A diseased seedling is recommended to be destroyed immediately. After that, take measures to reduce the percentage of moisture and spray the remaining seedlings with a fungicide that contains copper.

Another dangerous disease is the black leg. The problem is that it refers to fungal and contagious. There can be several reasons for infection. Here it's either high humidity, as in the previous case, or unsuitable soil. Recognizing the problem is easy - remove a withering seedling from the ground and look at its bottom. Black color will indicate the presence of the disease.

In this situation, there are two solutions to the problem. The first is sprinkling the place where the sprout was located with ash and applying a thin layer of calcined sand to the entire surface of the earth. This technique is effective only in the case when there was only one diseased seedling. If there were several of them, it is better to transplant all the remaining ones and apply ash and sand.

Streak is a disease that occurs when seeds from an infected plant are used. A characteristic feature of the disease is the covering of leaves with stripes of a brick shade. After the appearance of plaque, they die off, and the stalk becomes fragile. A sick seedling will have to be uprooted. Nothing to do with the rest, since the disease is not viral in nature.

Bacterial black spot is caused by a virus. Symptoms - the appearance of black oblong spots on the leaves. Plants can be saved if the ground, stems and leaves are disinfected in a timely manner. Weak antimicrobial solutions sold in gardening stores are suitable for this.

A serious and common disease is late blight. It can both be transmitted and occur due to a lack of fertilizers. When infected, the leaves appear dark spots, which leads to their drying and necrosis. Later, the entire seedling dies.

Ridding seedlings of the disease is not easy. Very often all plants become infected, so you need to remember about prevention. Introduce into the soil that contains iodine, copper, potassium and manganese. You can either create weak solutions yourself, or purchase special fertilizer complexes. This is the only way to avoid the most dangerous disease.

White leaf spot is a kind of fungus. It is very soon transmitted from one seedling to another. Leaflets strike white-gray spots with black peas. Then the color of the entire leaf plate becomes brown and the plant dies.

You can save the plant with a strong antifungal agent, but it easily damages healthy seedlings. It would be better to get rid of it and accept preventive measures. Pour the earth with a burgundy solution of potassium permanganate, and then shower with ash. In case of infection of a number of seedlings, a complete change of soil is required.

There are several pests that affect tomato seedlings:

1. Whitefly. It draws juice from the seedlings, which leads to yellowness and drying of the seedlings. The danger of this pest - the whitefly turns out to be a carrier of diseases. Get rid of it with the help of karbofos.
2. Thrips. This miniature butterfly poses a serious threat to plants. Not only is it harmful, but also the larvae laid by it. A sign of defeat is silver spots that grow literally before our eyes. Best way prevention - good disinfection. Use tobacco dust to sprinkle the earth and Fitoverm.
3. The sprout fly is what seedlings suffer the most from. Fly larvae destroy seedlings, and eggs are on top of the ground. Prevention and disposal measures are the almost complete removal of soil before picking and heat treatment of the soil for planting.

Video - 5 main mistakes when growing tomato seedlings

Video - The subtleties of growing strong seedlings

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

Growing tomato seedlings at home

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

tomato seedling

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

Terms of sowing and transfer of seedlings

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

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

Terms of planting tomato seeds for seedlings

In other words, if the seedlings are intended for further cultivation until they are harvested from the greenhouse, then the seeds should be sown approximately one and a half to two months before transplantation. If the seedlings are supposed to be transferred to open ground, then it is advisable to sow the seeds for a period of two to two and a half months from the planned date of planting.

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

Growing seedlings of tomatoes (tomatoes)

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

Table. How to grow tomato seedlings at home.

Step 1. Soil preparation	Prepare the soil and fill the seed boxes with it.
Step 2. Seed preparation	Immerse the seeds in a 5% salt solution for 10 minutes. Then, after thorough rinsing, leave in water until swelling. Or you can just soak the seeds in water. To do this, they must be wrapped in a damp cotton cloth or napkin and placed in a shallow plate. Cover with something on top to prevent evaporation of moisture and keep in a warm room for a day.
Step 3. Planting seeds	One of the methods. Sow seeds in grooves, the distance between which is about 5 cm. Moisten the soil slightly beforehand. warm solution in which the seeds were kept. The sowing depth should be 1 cm, and the distance between the seeds should not exceed 2 cm. Do not water after planting. From above, you can cover with a film to speed up the process of seed germination.
Step 4. Pick	Transfer sprouts to separate pots.
Step 5 Organize Lighting	Tomatoes need a lot of light. After the first sprouts appear, special lamps should be installed above them.
Step 6. Watering and hardening	Tomato seedlings are watered morning hours. The water temperature must be +28°C. AT sunny weather you have to do it every day. It is preferable to use soft water, such as melted water. If there is no sun, watering is done when the soil dries up. Seedlings need to start hardening two weeks before transferring to the beds.
Step 7. Feeding	To get a rich harvest, it is desirable to feed the seedlings with fertilizers. Top dressing is carried out during watering.

Picking tomato seedlings

Soil preparation. Planting seeds

Some points of our step-by-step instructions need clarification. Let's consider them in more detail.

Soil for tomato seedlings

It is best to use soil prepared in the fall for tomato seedlings. Biohumus, sand and other additives are mixed into the soil, including peat, soddy soil and humus. Proportions constituent parts are selected depending on the incoming ingredients. Tomatoes love soil that absorbs moisture well, allows air to pass through, is not acidic and is quite nutritious.

Sifting the earth through a sieve for tomato seedlings

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

Planting a tomato seedling

"Zircon"

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

Tomato seedlings in individual paper cups

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

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

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

Growing seedlings of tomatoes

Seeding rules

How to care for seedlings

In the first two weeks after sowing the seeds, the night temperature in the room where the boxes are installed should not exceed +15°C. During the day it should be no more than +20°C.

Tomato seedling care

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

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

When the plants have two true leaves, it is recommended to thin out the seedlings. For further growth, it is required to maintain strong plants with a thick stem and bright leaves, removing all weak seedlings 5 ​​centimeters in diameter from them.

Seedlings in a box after the third thinning

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

Picking seedlings of tomato

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

How to care for seedlings

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

At this time, the plants will develop very intensively, so the seedlings require additional lighting. With a lack of light, it can stretch. We recommend purchasing phytolamps for organizing lighting. When using them, it must be borne in mind that the seedlings should not be lit for more than 12 hours a day. If seedlings are grown without additional lighting, then you can increase the flow of natural light. To do this, the container with plants is installed at an angle to the window, reverse side which is covered with a reflective cloth. For these purposes, a mirror or a layer of foil may be suitable.

Illumination of tomato seedlings

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

When the daytime temperature reaches + 14 ° C and above, it is recommended to start seedlings to take out on Fresh air. This is done so that she gets used to the sun. First, leave it for half an hour in the shade, gradually increasing the time interval.

Seedlings of tomatoes on the loggia

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

Seedling feeding

With a lack of nutrients, seedlings will look bad. Their greens will be pale, and a purple hue may be noticeable on the stems.

In these circumstances, seedlings should be fed differently:

• for fertilizer for the first time you need to take 250 g of litter or cow dung, mix with 35 g of ash and dissolve in 5 liters of water;
• make the second dressing with the same solution;
• for the third, soak 500 g of manure in 2 liters of water for 24 hours, then add 50 g of ash to the mixture. The proportion is based on 1 bush.

Why do tomatoes crack in the greenhouse

Large and fragrant tomatoes grown in our own greenhouse - good source vitamins and microelements for home table as well as the possibility of earning additional income. However, quite often the appearance of a tomato is spoiled by deep cracks. Read more here.

Planting tomato seedlings in greenhouse soil

Video - Growing tomato seedlings at home

Quality seedlings are the key to a good harvest. How to sow tomato seeds, grow healthy seedlings and pick them up? Read about it in our article.

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

And it’s a completely different matter if you grow tomato seedlings on your own. So you will know exactly which variety will soon settle in your garden, when the seedlings will be ready for planting in open ground and how soon to wait for the harvest.

Step 1. Decide on the time for sowing tomato seeds

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

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

Usually, seed producers indicate on the package when exactly one or another variety should be sown. So, if you are not sure that you have calculated the sowing time correctly, you can always check with the recommendations of specialists.

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

Sowing dates for tomato seeds for different regions

Step 2. Prepare the seeds for sowing

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

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

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

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

Step 3. Prepare the soil for seedlings

Soil for sowing tomato seeds can be purchased at a gardening store. Any universal soil for growing seedlings of vegetables will do.

Such a mixture can be "diluted" with garden soil. But keep in mind that the soil brought from the street needs pre-treatment. Bring it into the room for 3-5 days, so that it has time to warm up before sowing the seeds. Next, for disinfection, spill the earth well with a pink solution of potassium permanganate and let it stand for another 1-2 days. After that, mix the purchased substrate with garden soil in equal proportions and fill the seedling containers with it.

Step 4. Choose the right seedling containers

Tomato seeds can be sown in seedling boxes or separate containers. Today in the store you can find boxes for seedlings for every taste and budget. As for single tanks, the most practical option There will be plastic cups.

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

Step 5: Sow Tomato Seeds

In separate pots

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

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

Spray the crops gently with a spray bottle. And cover the containers themselves with foil and put in a warm place.

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

In general containers

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

Fill the container with earth and pour it well with water. At a distance of 4 cm from each other, mark several rows. Spread tomato seeds in them every 2 cm.

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

With a pencil or a special stick, gently press the seeds into the soil to a depth of about 1 cm. Then sprinkle them with earth. You no longer need to water the tomato crops.

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

Remember that for good growth, seedlings need at least 12 hours a day to be in the light. If this does not work out, you will have to purchase lamps for additional lighting.

Be attentive to the crops, from the lack of light, the sprouts may begin to stretch. Before picking, they do not need to be fed with anything, it is enough just to moisten it from a spray bottle in a timely manner.

Step 6. Pick the seedlings

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

Tomato seedlings from a common container can be dived when the seedlings have 2 true leaves. Just do not confuse them with cotyledons - this is a common mistake of novice gardeners. True leaflets are the second pair of leaves.

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

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

If you grow tomatoes of different varieties, do not forget to stick their names on the cups so as not to confuse the seedlings.

10 days after picking, the seedlings begin to form a new root system, and their growth is noticeably accelerated. With the advent of the third true leaf, the plants begin to need light especially badly. But no less than that, they need the right top dressing. Usually tomato seedlings are fed 2 times:

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

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

7. Plant seedlings

The timing of planting seedlings of tomatoes may vary depending on the regions.

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

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

How to grow strong tomato seedlings with your own hands

Tomatoes come from South America, therefore, when growing tomato seedlings at home, relatively dry air, a lot of light and heat are needed.

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.

1. indeterminate tomatoes have unlimited growth and, if not pinched, can grow up to several meters. In the south, they can be grown in a greenhouse or outdoors on a trellis, or tied to high stakes. AT 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

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 own seeds, then 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. At poor lighting in 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 for growing tomato seedlings

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.

Garden soil after special treatment can also be used for growing tomato seedlings, 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. 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 drained, the seeds are slightly dried and immediately sown.

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, it is imperative to maintain 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 who sow 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.

Growing seedlings 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 for hardening. cold water.

Main reasons for failure

1. 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 cramped 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. leaf curl. Sudden and significant changes in temperature. When growing tomato seedlings, 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.
6. Blackleg. Common disease of tomato seedlings. It affects all kinds of plants. The disease is spreading rapidly in a short time can destroy the entire seedling. 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.

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

When to sow tomatoes for seedlings?

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

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

Average sowing time for tomatoes:

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

To accurately answer the question of when to plant tomato seedlings, you need to know about the end of spring frosts in your area. Counting from this period 55-65 days ago, you can accurately determine the date of the desired landing.

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

Growing conditions for tomato seedlings

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

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

Tomato seedlings: growing at home

Step 1. Preparatory work

Preparatory work may include:

• seed disinfection;
• preparation and disinfection of the soil.

packaged seeds well-known manufacturers do not need additional pre-sowing treatment. They have already passed the necessary disinfection at the enterprise. It is quite another matter if the used tomato seeds were collected by hand or bought by weight in the market. Such material can be infected with pathogens of various bacterial, viral and fungal diseases.

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

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

The soil can also be contaminated, especially if it is dug up from a vegetable garden. The soil bought packaged in flower shops is safer. But even here unpleasant “surprises” can occur, so the best way to protect yourself (and seedlings!) From surprises is to tillage with your own hands.

The most popular ways to disinfect the soil for seedlings:

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

Disinfection of tomato seeds in potassium permanganate

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

You should not start planting tomatoes for seedlings immediately after preparing the soil! Moisten it and hold it at a positive temperature for 10-12 days. During this time, bacteria useful for plants will begin to multiply in sterile soil. Only then can sowing begin.

Step 2. Sowing tomatoes for seedlings

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

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

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

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

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

The first shoots of tomatoes appear in 3-4 days at a temperature of the above-ground air layer of 25-28°C, at 20-25°C - after 5-6 days, at 10-12°C - 12-15 or more days after sowing.

Cotyledon leaves of tomato seedlings that appeared from under the ground

For more information on when to sow tomatoes for seedlings, how to choose tomato seeds and sow them correctly in the ground, see the video:

Step 3. Caring for tomato seedlings

Lighting

Growing tomato seedlings is impossible without good lighting! Therefore, after the emergence of seedlings, put the pots of seedlings on the lightest window sill. In February-early March, there will be not enough light for seedlings in any case, therefore, if possible, use additional lighting with fluorescent lamps.

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

Tomato seedlings under fluorescent lamps

Humidity and watering

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

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

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

It is important not to dry young tomatoes. Often inexperienced gardeners are faced with such a nuisance: in the evening, when they come home from work, they notice their seedlings are completely drooping, although in the morning they still looked quite normal. It is necessary to check the seedlings in the morning, when there is still no hot sun. If you notice that the sprouts are a little sluggish, water immediately. Otherwise, at noon, the rays of the sun can dry up still weak young seedlings.

Bays can also be dangerous. It’s bad that flooded and dried tomato seedlings may look the same: the stems lose turgor, the leaves wither. Seeing such symptoms, pay attention to the ground. If it is wet, in no case do not add water - ruin the seedlings. Place the seedling container in a place protected from direct sunlight, do not water until the earth dries out. In the future, adjust the number of waterings.

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

Fresh air

As soon as there is a warm, windless day, take the seedlings to fresh air: to the balcony, to the street, or simply open the window. Even in March, on a sunny day, on open balcony temperature can reach up to 15-20°C! If such a day coincided with the emergence of shoots - great luck! Take out the sprouts to bask in the sun. The fact is that on the first day after germination, tomato sprouts are protected from UV rays, which prevents them from burning. Such sprouts from infancy will be heat-resistant, hardened and can be "walked" in the sun regularly.

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

Tomato seedlings, which were put out every day on an open sunny balcony (in the yard), by the time of landing for permanent residence, quickly catch up in growth with those seedlings that were sown a month earlier, but were kept on the windowsill behind glass and without illumination.

top dressing

Tomato seedlings need top dressing 2-3 weeks after the first shoots. In the future, fertilizers will have to be applied every week. It is best to use natural organic fertilizers, such as manure or grass. Of the purchased ones, specialized fertilizers based on guano, humic fertilizers, biohumus, etc. are good. Feed seedlings at half the dose indicated for the specific fertilizer.

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

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

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

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

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

Picking tomato sprouts in peat pots

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

Step 4. Preparation for planting for permanent residence (in the greenhouse, on the balcony, in the exhaust gas)

At the age of 1.5 months, tomato seedlings at home kick out the first flower brushes. As soon as you notice them, know that after 10-15 days, seedlings should be planted for permanent residence - in a greenhouse, on a balcony or in an exhaust gas. It is impossible to delay the transplant, otherwise it will lead to a decrease in yield.

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

You can partially solve this problem if you remove the first flower brush. The next brush will appear only in a week, that is, it will be possible to postpone the planting of seedlings for permanent residence for a week.

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

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

Step 5. Planting tomato seedlings in the ground

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

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

Planting tomato seedlings for permanent residence is best timed to coincide with a cool, calm and cloudy day. Plant seedlings, deepening the central stem a couple of centimeters. After a few days, additional roots will begin to form along the buried stem. In general, the root system will become more powerful and stronger.

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

Planting tomato seedlings in a balcony box for permanent residence

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

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

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

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

Average sowing time for tomatoes:

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

To accurately answer the question of when to plant tomato seedlings, you need to know about the end of spring frosts in your area. Counting from this period 55-65 days ago, you can accurately determine the date of the desired landing.

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

Growing conditions for tomato seedlings

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

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

Tomato seedlings: growing at home

Step 1. Preparatory work

Preparatory work may include:

• seed disinfection;
• preparation and disinfection of the soil.

Packaged seeds from well-known manufacturers do not require additional pre-sowing treatment. They have already passed the necessary disinfection at the enterprise. It is quite another matter if the used tomato seeds were collected by hand or bought by weight in the market. Such material can be infected with pathogens of various bacterial, viral and fungal diseases.

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

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

The soil can also be contaminated, especially if it is dug up from a vegetable garden. The soil bought packaged in flower shops is safer. But even here unpleasant “surprises” can occur, so the best way to protect yourself (and seedlings!) From surprises is to tillage with your own hands.

The most popular ways to disinfect the soil for seedlings:

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

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

You should not start planting tomatoes for seedlings immediately after preparing the soil! Moisten it and hold it at a positive temperature for 10-12 days. During this time, bacteria useful for plants will begin to multiply in sterile soil. Only then can sowing begin.

Step 2. Sowing tomatoes for seedlings

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

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

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

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

The first shoots of tomatoes appear in 3-4 days at a temperature of the above-ground air layer of 25-28°C, at 20-25°C - after 5-6 days, at 10-12°C - 12-15 or more days after sowing.

For more information on when to sow tomatoes for seedlings, how to choose tomato seeds and sow them correctly in the ground, see the video:

Step 3. Caring for tomato seedlings

Lighting

Growing tomato seedlings is impossible without good lighting! Therefore, after the emergence of seedlings, put the pots of seedlings on the lightest window sill. In February-early March, there will be not enough light for seedlings in any case, therefore, if possible, use additional lighting with fluorescent lamps.

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

Humidity and watering

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

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

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

It is important not to dry young tomatoes. Often inexperienced gardeners are faced with such a nuisance: in the evening, when they come home from work, they notice their seedlings are completely drooping, although in the morning they still looked quite normal. It is necessary to check the seedlings in the morning, when there is still no hot sun. If you notice that the sprouts are a little sluggish, water immediately. Otherwise, at noon, the rays of the sun can dry up still weak young seedlings.

Bays can also be dangerous. It’s bad that flooded and dried tomato seedlings may look the same: the stems lose turgor, the leaves wither. Seeing such symptoms, pay attention to the ground. If it is wet, in no case do not add water - ruin the seedlings. Place the seedling container in a place protected from direct sunlight, do not water until the earth dries out. In the future, adjust the number of waterings.

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

Fresh air

As soon as there is a warm, windless day, take the seedlings to fresh air: to the balcony, to the street, or simply open the window. Even in March, on a sunny day, the temperature on the open balcony can reach up to 15-20°C! If such a day coincided with the emergence of shoots - great luck! Take out the sprouts to bask in the sun. The fact is that on the first day after germination, tomato sprouts are protected from UV rays, which prevents them from burning. Such sprouts from infancy will be heat-resistant, hardened and can be "walked" in the sun regularly.

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

Tomato seedlings, which were put out every day on an open sunny balcony (in the yard), by the time of landing for permanent residence, quickly catch up in growth with those seedlings that were sown a month earlier, but were kept on the windowsill behind glass and without illumination.

top dressing

Tomato seedlings need top dressing 2-3 weeks after the first shoots. In the future, fertilizers will have to be applied every week. It is best to use natural organic fertilizers, such as manure or grass. Of the purchased ones, specialized fertilizers based on guano, humic fertilizers, biohumus, etc. are good. Feed seedlings at half the dose indicated for the specific fertilizer.

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

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

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

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

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

Step 4. Preparation for planting for permanent residence (in the greenhouse, on the balcony, in the exhaust gas)

At the age of 1.5 months, tomato seedlings at home kick out the first flower brushes. As soon as you notice them, know that after 10-15 days, seedlings should be planted for permanent residence - in a greenhouse, on a balcony or in an exhaust gas. It is impossible to delay the transplant, otherwise it will lead to a decrease in yield.

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

You can partially solve this problem if you remove the first flower brush. The next brush will appear only in a week, that is, it will be possible to postpone the planting of seedlings for permanent residence for a week.

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

Step 5. Planting tomato seedlings in the ground

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

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

Planting tomato seedlings for permanent residence is best timed to coincide with a cool, calm and cloudy day. Plant seedlings, deepening the central stem a couple of centimeters. After a few days, additional roots will begin to form along the buried stem. In general, the root system will become more powerful and stronger.

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

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

Growing your own strong and stocky tomato seedlings is easy. It is enough just to fulfill 9 conditions.

Many gardeners, especially beginners, complain that seedlings are stretched, outgrown, have a pale appearance, are affected by diseases and pests. Avoiding these problems is easy.

The first condition is high-quality seeds

Your future harvest depends on how responsibly you approach the choice of seeds. Take the time to research all the seeds on the market. Read reviews about seed producers on the Internet, consult with neighbors and acquaintances.

Find out the characteristics of varieties, their requirements for growing conditions and disease resistance. And only after that go to the store for the best tomato seeds.

The second condition is the right soil

Experienced gardeners begin to prepare the soil for growing tomato seedlings about a week before sowing seeds. Regardless of what the seedlings will grow in - purchased soil or garden soil - the soil must be disinfected before sowing (spilled with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate, steamed in a water bath or heated in the oven).

If you grow tomato seedlings in soil prepared on the basis of your own garden soil (necessarily disinfected!), The plants will experience less stress when planting on permanent place, therefore, they will take root faster and easier than those who "spent their childhood" in a purchased substrate.

For those who prefer prepare the soil yourself, we offer several options for soil mixtures ideal for growing tomato seedlings:

1. Peat (4 parts), sod land (1 part), mullein (0.25 parts). For every 10 liters soil mixture add 3 l river sand, 10 g ammonium nitrate, 2-3 g of superphosphate and 1-1.5 g of potassium chloride.
2. Peat (3 parts), steamed sawdust (1 part), mullein (0.5 parts). For every 10 liters of the mixture, 3 liters of river sand, 10 g of ammonium nitrate, 2-3 g of superphosphate and 1-1.5 g of potassium chloride are added.
3. Humus (1 part), peat (1 part), sod land (1 part). For every 10 liters of the mixture, add 1.5 tbsp. ash, 3 tbsp. superphosphate, 1 tbsp. potassium sulfate and 1 tsp. urea.

If you are going use purchased soil Please note some important points:

• the main component of such soil (especially universal soil for seedlings) is peat, which has a high acidity and does not pass water well;
• to make purchased soil suitable for growing seedlings, mix it with the same amount of disinfected garden soil, potting soil, or soil from flowerpots with missing flowers;
• add to reduce acidity dolomite flour or chalk at the rate of 1-2 tbsp. per 10 liters of substrate.

For the last two years I have been preparing the land myself: garden soil + humus + peat, I add ash and a little complex fertilizer there. It stands in bags on the street - it is frozen. Before sowing I bring it into the house. I noticed that plants almost do not notice transplanting to a permanent place, if the seedling land differs little from the permanent one. One year I grew seedlings in purchased soil, took root for almost a month, and the harvest was not ah. (Toma Drobova, Latvia)

The third condition is the preparation of seeds for sowing

To increase the germination of tomato seeds, before sowing, they should be kept in a solution of Epin, Heteroauxin, Zircon, Buton and another growth stimulant (according to the instructions). And you can use improvised means - aloe juice or honey water (1 tsp honey per glass of water), pickling time - 30 minutes.

Then the seeds are recommended to germinate. To do this, you will need a piece of cloth, a cotton pad, gauze or a paper towel. Moisten the material with water, sprinkle tomato seeds of the same variety on one half of it, cover with the free part, put in a plastic bag and place in a warm place.

Make sure the material does not dry out. When the tomato seeds are hatched, start sowing. At the bottom of the sowing container, pour a 1-1.5 cm layer of drainage (sand, fine gravel, expanded clay), on top - a 4-5 cm layer of soil. Lightly tamp it and pour water over it.

At a distance of 3 cm from each other, make grooves 1-1.5 cm deep and sow tomato seeds in them. Sprinkle with soil, cover the containers with cellophane or glass and transfer to a warm (23-25 ​​° C) place.

I breed aloe juice and soak the seeds until germination. They do not save from diseases, but the seeds germinate much faster. (Larisa Sidorova, Republic of Mordovia)

Condition four - optimal temperature

For a more friendly emergence of seedlings, crops should be at a temperature of 23-25 ​​° C. But as soon as the first sprouts appear, the containers must be immediately transferred to a colder place (with a temperature of 12-16 ° C during the day and 10-12 ° C at night). There they should be 6-7 days. If this condition is not met, the tomato seedlings will stretch greatly. The plants are then returned to warm room(22-24°C during the day and 20-22°C at night).

Fifth condition - proper watering

Until the seedlings grow up and get stronger, you can only water it with a spray bottle. Subsequently, for these purposes, you can use an ordinary watering can for indoor flowers.

The principle of watering tomato seedlings is simple: do not allow both the drying of the substrate and its waterlogging. Water exclusively with settled water, the temperature of which is not lower than 22 ° C.

Tomato seedlings should never be watered with cold tap water. This is fraught with the development of dangerous diseases, such as, for example, blackleg and root rot.

Condition six - timely dive

The picking of tomato seedlings begins as soon as the plants have the first pair of true leaves (about 12-18 days after germination).

Do it in the following way. First, the plants are well watered, and then carefully dug out of the box one by one using a teaspoon or a picking peg. The central root is shortened by about 1/3 and the plants are planted in separate containers or again in a box according to the 6 × 6 cm scheme.

Condition seven - mandatory top dressing

Without top dressing, grow strong and healthy seedlings tomatoes is impossible. The main thing in this business is to do everything on time.

First time seedlings are fed after diving (the plants should take root and start growing). To do this, 8-12 g of ammonium nitrate, 40 g of superphosphate and 7-10 g of potassium salt are diluted in 10 liters of water.

After 8-10 days, tomato seedlings are fed second time. For this purpose, either fermented chicken manure (1:10-12) is used with the addition of superphosphate (60 g per 10 l of solution), or a mixture of mineral fertilizers - 15-18 g of ammonium nitrate, 70-80 g of superphosphate and 20-25 g of potassium chloride per 10 liters of water.

Third top dressing spend a few days before landing in the ground. In 10 liters of water dissolve 10 g of ammonium nitrate, 40 g of superphosphate and 60 g of potassium chloride.

Feeding tomato seedlings is carried out after the next watering. For one plant, use the same amount of nutrient solution as water for irrigation. If fertilizer gets on the leaves, they are immediately washed with clean water.

Condition eight - good lighting

The optimal place for placing seedlings in an apartment is the windowsills of the southern or southwestern windows. If there are none, you will have to resort to tricks - place containers with seedlings away from each other so that the plants do not compete for light, or use additional light sources - reflectors, fluorescent lamps, etc.

Otherwise, the plants will stretch out a lot and will have a pale color.

Ninth condition - hardening before planting

Hardening is a mandatory agricultural technique when growing tomato seedlings. This procedure allows plants to adapt to the difference in day and night temperatures, bright sun, wind and reduce the stress experienced by them when changing their "place of residence".

Begin to harden tomato seedlings a few days before planting in a permanent place. First, for 1-2 hours, open the window window on which the seedlings stand. Gradually, this time is increased to 6-8 hours. Then the containers with seedlings are taken outside for a while so that the plants get used to the open air.

Only after passing the hardening procedure, tomato seedlings can be considered ready for planting in a permanent place. By this time the plants should have 8-10 true leaves and a height of 25-35 cm.

Follow the rules described above to grow high-quality tomato seedlings that can produce a good harvest.