Every gardener has his own way of growing tomato seedlings, proven in practice. Any of them will insist on the most important, from his point of view, moment: lighting, temperature, watering, feeding or something else. Everyone will be right in their own way.
Try another method based on maintaining an ideal temperature profile.
Dates of sowing tomato seeds for seedlings
When choosing a sowing date, it is imperative to take into account the climatic conditions.
Most gardeners sow tomato seeds in February. They argue this by the fact that before transplanting to the beds, the seedlings will become large and strong and give a good harvest. Unfortunately, they are very wrong. February and March are months in which the daylight hours are not yet long enough, and the temperature is not yet high for growing seedlings. And instead of the expected result, many get elongated and weak plants that are not able to give many fruits in the future.
The optimal time for planting seeds of common tomato varieties is mid-March, and for early ripening varieties, early April.
Soil preparation and planting tomato seeds
For sowing tomato seeds, it is advisable to use a good potting soil mixture. In its composition you need: garden soil and humus (half a bucket of each component) and one glass of ash.
The soil should be poured into boxes prepared for seedling and watered with a light manganese solution heated to a hot state.
Tomato seeds in this method do not need any preparation - neither processing nor soaking. They must be sown dry.
For seeds, you need to prepare shallow holes (a little more than a centimeter) and put two seeds in them. From one hole to another should be at least 3-4 centimeters. The seeds are crushed with earth and sprayed with water.
After planting the seeds, the containers must be covered with a transparent film and, until the sprouts appear, keep them in a room with a temperature of about 25 degrees. The first shoots should appear in about 5 days.
Optimal temperature conditions for growing and picking tomato seedlings
As soon as the first shoots hatch, the film must be removed, and the boxes must be placed on the windowsill, where there is more light. Young seedlings do not need to be watered in the early days, spraying the soil will be enough (after it dries slightly). In the future, watering should be carried out once a week. It is recommended to defend the water before watering.
The first seven days after the sprouts appear, it is very important to observe a special temperature regime. The daytime temperature is about 15 degrees, and the nighttime temperature is 12-13 degrees.
In the next two weeks: the daytime temperature is about 20 degrees, and the nighttime temperature is 18 degrees.
After the formation of a second full-fledged leaf in young tomatoes, you can proceed to the pick.For each seedling, you need to prepare a separate cup or pot (about 10 centimeters in diameter and height) with holes on the bottom.
In each container, soil is poured, heated to 15 degrees and above, and superphosphate granules (several pieces) are added to it, seedlings are planted.
In the future, the following temperature regime is recommended for plants: during the day - with an active sun about twenty-two degrees, with cloudy and cloudy weather - from 16 to 18 degrees; at night - from 12 to 14 degrees Celsius.
Fertilizers and feeding of tomato seedlings
The appearance of the seedlings will tell you whether you need to feed it. With a rich green color of the leaves and a strong stem, the plant does not need feeding. And if the green color of plants has a subtle purple hue, then the plant needs fertilization with a phosphorus content, and the temperature conditions must be corrected. The plant clearly does not have enough heat, so it is necessary to increase the air temperature by several degrees in the room where the seedlings grow. It is best to feed tomato seedlings with a liquid superphosphate solution.
If the tomato seedlings are stretched in height and at the same time look weak, and also their color has become pale green, this means that the reason is improper care. Such seedlings need less moisture, perhaps now there is an excess of it. As for the temperature, it is apparently high for seedlings. It is necessary to transfer the seedlings to a cold room for a while.
As a top dressing, any option is suitable:
- For 10 liters of water - 1 tablespoon of mineral fertilizer.
- For 10 liters of water - 0.5 liters of chicken manure, insist.
- For 10 liters of water - 3 tablespoons of mullein and 1 teaspoon of urea. Strain before use.
Prevention of late blight in tomatoes
Preventive spraying is carried out two days before transplanting tomatoes into the beds. You can use one of two solutions:
- In 1 liter of water you need to dissolve 1 tablet of Trichopolum.
- Add a few grams of boric acid and the same amount of copper sulfate to 3 liters of hot water, spray with a cooled solution.
We wish you success in the correct cultivation of tomato seedlings.
