Step-by-step instructions on how to grow tomato seedlings

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-12 17:37

Only thanks to properly grown at home tomato seedlings can you get a rich harvest. Step-by-step instructions and recommendations on how not to make mistakes when sowing and picking will help even an inexperienced gardener cope with the task.

How to determine the right time for sowing

It all depends on the growing conditions of the selected tomato variety. When buying seeds, you should study the information from the manufacturer on the package. Usually, the time for ripening tomatoes is indicated there, and it will be different for each variety.

All types of tomatoes are usually distinguished by the ripening period into three types: early ripening, mid-ripening, late-ripening. More details are in the table.

Varieties	Ripening period
Early ripening	90-100 days
Mid-season	110-120 days
Late ripening	up to 140 days

The information on the package will always tell you what type the selected variety belongs to, and when it is better to start sowing it in order to get the most fruits in a short summer.

It is also very important when the seeds were packed. It is better to purchase tomato planting material if no more than two years have passed since the date of release. Some gardeners claim that the seeds retain good germination for only one year.

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How to prepare for sowing seeds

Those who are just starting to deal with tomatoes at home and do not know how to properly grow tomato seedlings on their own should follow the step-by-step instructions.

Any purchased seeds must be removed from the possible presence of dangerous bacteria and fungi. A simple method is best for this: they are poured into cheesecloth and dipped in a saturated solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate). For 1 glass of water, take 2-3 g of powder. After half an hour, the seeds can be washed in clean water and dried.

The material is now clean and ready to germinate. This procedure makes it possible to force the tomato seeds to germinate more quickly. Grains should be sparsely sprinkled on a slightly damp paper napkin and covered with a second paper layer.

For convenience, it is best to place a damp cloth on a small flat saucer. Cover the top with polyethylene (cling film, bag) so that moisture does not evaporate too quickly, and put the saucer next to a warm battery. You also need to make sure that the paper does not dry out, and moisten the seeds in a timely manner.

Germination will begin 4-5 days after soaking. It is necessary to reject those seeds that have not hatched by this time, they either will not sprout at all, or they will not be able to give strong seedlings. Seeds with sprouts are perfect for planting in the ground in both cups and containers.

When growing tomato seedlings at home, you should adhere to all stages, according to the step-by-step instructions. It is important to do everything on time to wait for the fruit on time.

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How to prepare the soil

Tomatoes love soil, which, on the one hand, is loose and retains moisture well, and on the other hand, it is not inclined to accumulate it unnecessarily so that the plant is not infected by fungi. When such soil is watered, it can be seen that the water is well absorbed, and the excess flows down to the pallet. The acidity should not be high, but closer to neutral values.

Inexperienced gardeners are often sure that the more nutritious the soil, the faster the seedlings will grow. This statement is true only for already grown plants, and seeds in such oily soil, on the contrary, will develop slowly.

Ready-made primer can be purchased at a specialized store. When buying, pay attention to the reliability of the manufacturer and the composition of the soil for seedlings. Too cheap soil mixtures can contain pests or bacteria and fungi that are dangerous for seedlings. But you can prepare this kind of soil at home.

A suitable substrate for tomato seedlings should include:

• 1 part of humus from leaves and sod land;
• 0.5 parts each of sand (preferably river) and peat;
• 1 cup wood ash in a bucket of earthen mixture.

Before planting, the soil must be treated to remove excess fungi and bacteria so that the seedlings do not get sick and die. Rot of the root collar is a common cause of failure among inexperienced gardeners who forget to disinfect the planting soil and material.

How to process the soil for seedlings

Before planting seeds, it is worth disinfecting the soil. This stage is very important, since growing tomato seedlings at home is a painstaking process, it requires all the rules to be followed. There are several methods that provide step-by-step instructions:

1. The soil can be frozen. To do this, a bucket of soil is taken out in the cold for a couple of days, then returned to heat and the procedure is repeated a day later.
2. Steaming is a quick way to kill potential pests and most germs. To do this, pour the earth into a fine-mesh colander mesh and hold for 7-9 minutes over boiling water. Alternatively, you can spill the soil with boiling water, then dry it.

You can also use chemicals: potassium permanganate, Fitosporin, Trichodermin.

How to choose a container for seedlings

There is not much difference in what to grow seedlings - in a special container or any container that is suitable in size and depth. There is a wide range of seedling boxes, containers of various shapes and for every budget. You can also sow tomatoes in regular plastic cups.

Seedlings from single cups do not have to dive. But plants sown in boxes or large containers will need to be planted and grown before planting.

Gardeners also differ on this issue. Someone believes that plants that originally grew in individual pots are stronger, while others, on the contrary, believe that picking makes tomatoes strengthen the root system.

Sowing tomatoes

Pre-germinating tomato seeds at home will allow you to leave only strong plants, since, having got rid of non-germinated and weak seeds, the gardener leaves only high-quality material.

To grow strong and healthy seedlings, you should follow all the steps described in the step-by-step instructions.

Sowing in individual containers

It is necessary to take several plastic pots or cups and be sure to make several small holes for excess water to drain off when watering. At the bottom you need to pour a thin layer of expanded clay, eggshells, pebbles for drainage. Then pour soil into the pots and pour water over it.

Put 2-3 tomato seeds in a depression (1, 5 cm) and cover with a thin layer of soil, pressing lightly with your finger. Several seeds are sown in case any one dies.

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From above, you can spray the ground with water so as not to erode the soil with plantings. Cover each pot with plastic wrap and place in a bright and warm room.

It is important to water the seeds and emerging seedlings only from a spray bottle, spraying them so as not to erode the soil. In addition, the flowing water can deepen the seeds and they will not germinate at all. And when the seedlings are still thin, strong jets of water from a watering can or a plastic bottle can damage them.

Sowing seeds in boxes or large containers

Sowing is best done by varieties: in one container - one variety, so that later there is no confusion. The containers should not be deeper than 20 cm, otherwise the soil will rot.

Water the soil well before sowing, it should be moist. The rows of seedlings should be 4-5 cm apart from each other. And the distance between the holes is no more than 2.5 cm.

Do not sow tomatoes too crowded, as they can rot later. Air must circulate freely between the plants.

You can make a depression with your finger and lay out the seeds in the holes, or you can gently press the seeds laid out on the surface with a stick or with a pencil, and then carefully cover them with earth. Since the soil has already been watered, additional moisture is not required on the day of planting.

Further, it is better to cover the containers with foil or glass. Put in a warm place, you can near the battery. In about a week, confident and massive tomato shoots will appear. When the plants hatch, the containers can be placed by the window so that the seedlings get enough daylight. The air temperature in the room should be 18 … 20 ° С.

In order for the seedlings to develop well, they need a long day of light (at least 10-12 hours). In winter, special lamps can be used to provide the plants with light.

If there is little light, then the seedlings can stretch out, and this will not have the best effect on their quality. Mineral dressing and fertilizers are not needed before picking, only regular watering on demand.

Seedling picking

To grow tomato seedlings correctly, you need to responsibly take a pick. The step-by-step instructions show you how to do this effortlessly.

If several tomato seeds were planted in one glass, then first they are given time to grow a little at home, and then they are thinned out. For this, the strongest seedling is selected, the rest are removed.

This is done carefully so as not to damage the very small root of the plant. Weak shoots are not pulled out, but cut to the very root with scissors or gently pinched off with your fingers directly above the ground.

When small tomatoes have two leaves, the seedlings are ready for diving. Please note: when a sprout emerges from a seed, it already has two leaves - these are cotyledon leaves. You can dive only when real 2 leaves grow.

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Prepare containers with soil in advance for each individual plant. The sprout is gently pry with a small spoon or wooden stick and taken out of the common container along with a lump of earth around its root. The seedling is buried to the very cotyledon leaves.

The soil for dived tomatoes is prepared the same as for sowing seeds, with the addition of 1 tablespoon of mineral fertilizers per 5 liters of soil mixture.

When growing seedlings of several varieties, the names are pasted on the cups or the containers of each individual variety are placed in different boxes so as not to confuse the varieties.

After an adaptation period of ten days after diving, the plants begin to form a root system and an acceleration of growth is observed. When new leaves begin to appear, the plants should be provided with additional lighting and proper feeding.

Top dressing of seedlings is carried out twice:

• on the 10th day after transplantation (for 10 liters of water, take urea 5 g, superphosphate 35 g, potassium sulfate 15 g);
• 2 weeks after the first fertilization (urea 10 g, superphosphate 60 g, calcium sulfate 20 g per bucket of water).

For feeding seedlings during the growth period, you can use ready-made compositions of mineral fertilizers. If the seedlings are grown correctly, then by the time they are transplanted into open ground, each plant has a strong stem 1 cm thick, 8-9 leaves and a flower ovary. The height of the seedlings can be up to 30 cm.

Transplanting

To grow tomato seedlings successfully, you should know how to simplify the process at home. Step-by-step instructions will help you comply with all the rules.

Each region has its own terms for transferring seedlings to open ground. The plant is ready for transplanting if it has a healthy appearance, a strong trunk, from 6 to 10 leaves.

You should not take the height of the plant as a reference point, each variety has its own indicators. If all the necessary conditions are observed, then the seedlings on the window grows lush, bright, strong.

Growing conditions

For a good and friendly germination of seeds, it is necessary to choose the right soil, keep it in a moderately moist state, regularly ventilate and observe the thermal regime.

Optimum temperature for seedlings

It should be borne in mind that at different stages of growing seedlings, the temperature changes. Immediately after sowing, the containers should be kept at temperatures above 20 ° C, since at low temperatures and moist soil, the seeds simply rot.

With a massive emergence of seedlings for several days, the temperature is reduced to +16 ° C. This technique allows you to strengthen the weak root system of the shoots, slowing down their active growth.

In a week, the young shoots will get stronger, and the temperature regime is built in such a way that during the day the seedlings are at + 18 … +22 ° С, and at night - at +16 °. This prevents the seedlings from stretching.

To create contrasting temperatures, the dishes with the seedlings are moved to the heat source, then to the windowsill.

Light mode for seedlings

Until the seeds have hatched, they do not need lighting, they can be kept in a warm, dark place.

When the first shoots appear, the seedling boxes are placed in a place with good lighting. This is a very crucial moment. It was during this period that the foundation for the future development of the plant and the harvest itself was laid.

Now for sprouts artificially create lighting for at least 13 hours a day.

Watering seedlings

In order for the planting material to give amicable shoots, the soil should not be waterlogged - excessive moisture leads to rotting of the seeds. Gentle seedlings of plants are moistened not by watering, but by spraying from a spray bottle.

For watering, follow the rules:

• tap water is not used, it must settle;
• water should be at a comfortable (room) temperature;
• watering tomato seedlings should be in the morning or afternoon.

To prevent the appearance of late blight, seedlings are recommended to be treated with Fitosporin, according to the attached instructions.

Top dressing

Tomato seedlings need feeding, otherwise they grow weak at home. However, with feeding, you should know when to stop, the excess fertilizer will not benefit the plants. Here, too, it is worth adhering to the recommendations and step-by-step instructions.

High-quality seed, as well as correctly selected soil, is the key to strong and healthy seedlings. Top dressing can be started when the first true leaves appear.

When planted in poor-quality soil, seedlings receive insufficient nutrients. The same can be said for seedlings sown too early.

For feeding, you can use complex fertilizers designed for tomatoes. You cannot feed freshly cut seedlings. In other cases, top dressing is applied immediately after watering.

If you follow all the rules, then at home you can grow strong and healthy tomato seedlings without much effort and hassle. How to do this, step-by-step instructions will help.

Summarize

When growing tomato seedlings from seeds, it is important:

1. When buying planting material, pay attention to the timing.
2. It is important to properly prepare the soil before sowing.
3. Plant strictly according to the recommended scheme.
4. Adhere to the growing conditions of seeds: watering, daylight hours, feeding.