Tomatoes are a very common, popular and healthy crop. There is not a single summer resident and gardener who would not be engaged in growing tomatoes. The experience of growing this vegetable crop suggests that the abundance and quality of the future tomato harvest directly depends on proper care of the seedlings, and in particular on watering. Their volume and frequency at each stage of the development of a young plant is of great importance. Water is the source of life and nutrition for vegetable crops. The soil on which the tomato beds are located must be sufficiently moistened, at least eighty-five percent moisture.
Proper watering of tomatoes
Watering seedlings
Watering the seedlings must be done very carefully, as the plants are still fragile and can be easily damaged. When growing seeds in a greenhouse, it is advisable to water the first watering only after the active emergence of seedlings, after about 2-3 days. The topsoil will begin to dry out a little by this time. It is recommended to use a sprayer to water the seedlings. With its help, it is possible to regulate the amount of soil moisture and prevent water from getting on young plants.
All subsequent watering should be regular in time and moderate in the amount of moisture. Make sure that the soil does not dry out, but you should not fill it with abundant water. With excess moisture, the roots of young plants will begin to rot. Do not forget about feeding, which are necessary for tomato seedlings once a month. Organic fertilizers should be added directly to the irrigation water.
Watering seedlings after picking
The onset of a favorable time for a pick is determined by the presence of three or four full-fledged leaves in young shoots. The last watering is carried out two days before the process of diving seedlings. Plants are recommended to be planted in crumbly but slightly damp soil.
There is no need to water the plants for five days after the pick. During this period, it is very important that the root system is strengthened and developed. A special tray for a container with seedlings with a small amount of water will help her in this. Plants will reach for moisture with their roots and grow stronger.
All subsequent watering should be done once a week or even ten days. As the tomato seedlings grow, irrigation water volumes and irrigation frequency will gradually increase. The first sign for starting the next watering is the topsoil that is starting to dry out.
When the tomato seedlings are strong enough and ready for transplanting into open ground, then you need to water the plants abundantly in about a day. This will help prevent damage to their root system when removed from the container.
Watering seedlings in open beds
In order for the seedlings to quickly adapt to new conditions and take root in the beds, it is necessary to water the plants abundantly, but not very often. Immediately after planting seedlings in open ground, watering is not required, since the day before, the plants were watered abundantly.This will be enough for the root system for survival for several days.
In the future, the irrigation scheme will depend on the stage of seedling development and weather conditions. It is necessary to adhere to the following recommendations:
- Do not water tomatoes during active sun and hot weather. At high air temperatures, watering is best done early in the morning or late in the evening (shortly before sunset).
- If the weather conditions are moderate or the day is generally cloudy, then watering can be done at any time during the day.
- At the stage of ovary formation, the soil should be constantly slightly moistened.
- A moderate level of humidity must be maintained throughout the flowering and fruit formation period.
Watering seedlings in greenhouses
It is very important for greenhouse tomato seedlings to avoid excess moisture in the soil and on its surface. Since greenhouse conditions imply high air humidity, the first watering of seedlings can be carried out only with the appearance of the first seedlings, and the next after about 10-15 days. Excess moisture for tomato seedlings can be destructive, so one watering every ten days (in spring) and once every five days in summer is enough. The volume of liquid for each plant is approximately two and a half to three liters.
If your greenhouse has a container with irrigation water, then it must be covered with a tight lid or foil. Evaporation of water will lead to increased and excessive moisture, which can cause various diseases in tomatoes.
Seedlings are moistened only by watering with water at room temperature. Spraying is not required for this crop. Water should not come into contact with plant leaves and should not stagnate in the ground. For this purpose, it is recommended to loosen the soil near the plants after watering. To create favorable conditions for the development and growth of tomato seedlings, do not forget about airing. They must be carried out after complete absorption of irrigation water into the soil.
When the fruits of the tomatoes are fully formed and the harvest is approaching, you can speed up the ripening of the fruits a little. To do this, in about 15-20 days, it is worth completely stopping watering the tomato bushes. All the moisture that is in the root part will completely pass into the fruits and the tomatoes will quickly begin to acquire their ripe color.
Watering seedlings in a mini greenhouse
Small homemade greenhouses can often be found in ordinary apartments on window sills. It is more difficult to grow such seedlings due to the lack of the necessary humidity in the room. Seedlings appear much later, it is troublesome to take care of plants, and the quality of seedlings is slightly lower. Experienced gardeners recommend using their advice in order to avoid as much as possible various problems associated with growing seedlings in a mini-greenhouse.
- Tomato seedlings need additional moisture, which will provide the vegetable crop with the necessary nutrition. To do this, it is necessary that there are several containers with water near the greenhouses, which will easily evaporate. The containers must be constantly filled with water and kept open.
- Unlike a real greenhouse at home, tomato seedlings just need to be occasionally sprayed with water with a temperature of at least 20-22 degrees. Spraying should be carried out only with a sprayer and before the first leaves appear.
Growing tomato seedlings begins in winter, when the heating season is in full swing. As strange as it sounds, hot batteries can also be used to humidify a mini greenhouse room. To do this, you need to take any thick cloth (for example, a terry towel), moisten it thoroughly with water and hang it on the battery. This evaporation will greatly help the development of young plants.
No fertilizer should be applied before the pick. It is better to feed the seedlings when they are already in a separate container.
A good harvest of tomatoes, subject to all watering rules, is not so difficult to get. The main thing is to follow each rule at a certain stage of plant development and you will succeed.
