When growing seedlings of most vegetable and flower crops, you have to perform a picking procedure. The basic rules for this process are suitable for tomatoes, cabbage, eggplant, bell peppers, and many other plants. If we talk only about tomatoes, then before diving seedlings, it is necessary to perform several more important stages in the cultivation of a tomato crop qualitatively. Preparing and sowing seeds, the optimal time for picking, growing strong and strong seedlings are important moments for capricious tomatoes and the future harvest.
Seed preparation
Preparatory activities with tomato seeds are recommended in the last week of February or early March. You need to start with sorting. All tomato seeds must be poured into a prepared solution consisting of water (200 g) and salt (about 10 g), shake thoroughly and after about 10-15 minutes go to sorting. High-quality and healthy seeds are heavier, they will sink to the bottom of the jar with liquid. Damaged and empty specimens are very light and will float to the surface. These floating seeds are unsuitable for sowing and must be thrown away, and all the rest must be drained and washed in plain water.
The next stage is the treatment of tomato seeds with special fertilizers, prepared independently or purchased in specialized stores. The nutrient solution consists of nutrients and trace elements. In it, the seeds must be left for 12 hours or better for a day, and then discarded on a sieve. Seed material can be germinated in the soil or in conditions of high humidity. The first shoots begin to hatch after 3-4 days, and in the ground after about a week. The room must be kept at a constant temperature - at least 25 degrees Celsius.
Options for complex fertilizers for soaking seeds:
- In 2 liters of water, 1 g of boric acid, 0.1 g of zinc sulfate, 0.06 g of copper sulfate and 0.2 g of manganese sulfate are dissolved.
- For 200 g of water - 30 mg of copper sulfate and the same amount of boric acid.
- For 200 g of water - 4 mg of succinic acid. The solution is heated to a temperature of 50 degrees, the container with the solution and soaked seeds must be wrapped. It is recommended to shake the solution every 2 hours.
Preparation of soil mixture
The purchased soil mixes do not guarantee that they contain all the declared components. Therefore, it is advisable to prepare such a mixture yourself. For cooking, you will need: 2 parts of sod land and dried manure, 10 parts of rotted humus, 2 glasses of wood ash and 1 incomplete glass of superphosphate. The mixture must be thoroughly mixed in a large container, and then spread the required amount in the planting boxes.
Sowing seeds
The first method is to sow dry seeds. With this method, the seeds can be poured densely, which in the future will require a lot of time for repeated thinning.It is better to do everything thoroughly at once in order to facilitate further care for the seedlings.
The second method is to plant pre-soaked, hatched seeds. First, you need to water the soil mixture abundantly in the planting containers and leave them for a while to soak the soil. It is then important to drain the excess water from the pan and compact the potting mix a little. Prepared seeds (1-2 pieces each) are laid out on the ground with an interval of 1.5-2 cm.This planting will greatly facilitate the picking process. The planted seeds must be sprinkled with dry soil in a thin layer (no more than 1 cm) and again slightly compacted.
Planting boxes should be kept in a dark room with a temperature of at least twenty-five degrees before young shoots appear. With their appearance, the containers are immediately transferred to the bright room. Throughout this time, daily moistening of the soil is carried out using a fine spray. Water should not fall on the seedlings, only the soil is moistened.
Seedling care requirements
Temperature
Young seedlings within five days after the emergence of shoots are grown at a temperature of 14-17 degrees in the daytime and 10-13 - at night. Such a temperature regime is necessary to protect plants from "stretching". When the plant stretches upward and grows excessively at this stage, the formation of its root part suffers. After a five-day period, the planting containers with seedlings are again transferred to warm conditions of detention: about 25 degrees Celsius during the daytime and about 15 degrees at night.
Lighting requirements
In early spring, even a window sill on the south side of the house will not save the seedlings from lack of light. Adequate lighting during these months can be achieved with a fluorescent lamp, which is placed at a low height (approximately 65-70 cm) above the seedling boxes. To form strong plants with a powerful root system, it is recommended to highlight tomato seedlings from 6 am to 6 pm.
Carrying out the process of diving tomatoes
The picking of tomato seedlings is carried out after the appearance of the second full-fledged leaf on the seedling. Individual seedling cups (as well as special cassettes or small pots) must be filled with soil mixture with the same composition as for planting seeds. Each container must be at least 10 cm high and at least 6 cm in diameter. First, the container is filled with soil only two-thirds of the volume and watering is carried out. The soil will settle down a little. Containers with seedlings are also pre-watered so that the earth is soft. The sprouts are gently pryed with a wooden or plastic stick and, together with a lump of earth, are transferred to a new container, the soil is added, pressed a little and moistened again. With the correct picking, each sprout should be sprinkled with soil almost to the very leaves.
It is recommended to keep the seedlings in a dark room for the first 2 days after diving to facilitate the adaptation process in a new place and in new conditions.
Since tomatoes are prone to black leg disease, special attention should be paid to the volume and regularity of watering. On hot and dry days, watering is carried out every day, and the rest of the time - three times a week are enough. Do not forget about timely feeding. Fertilizers for tomatoes are recommended to be applied 2-3 times a month.
It will be possible to transplant seedlings into a greenhouse or greenhouse in 25-30 days.
