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How to plant tomato seedlings at home. Tomato seedlings at home: how to sow and grow healthy tomato seedlings. When to plant tomatoes

Improperly grown or early planted seedlings will not produce a rich harvest. Flower buds of elongated, fragile sprouts develop poorly, and fewer flowers are produced. Only healthy and strong seedlings quickly take root in the ground, actively bloom and produce tasty and large fruits. How to properly plant tomatoes for seedlings to ensure a high-quality harvest?

Preparing tomato seeds

No matter how experienced a gardener is, he will not be able to grow an enviable fruit from a bad seed. Therefore, you need to approach the choice of seeds responsibly and it is better to purchase several different types, in case any variety turns out to be unsuccessful.

Before sowing the seeds, they are sorted. Empty, damaged and small copies are removed. Experienced gardeners recommend filling them with salt water (60 grams of salt per liter of liquid) and removing from the total mass those seeds that float to the surface. To make it easier to choose in the future best variety, it is better to store and plant seeds separately or in groups and marking which type is where.

To prevent seed contamination, it is necessary to carry out a disinfection procedure. To do this, the seeds are placed in a container with a solution of acetic acid (0.8%) for a day, after which they are dipped for 20 minutes in a cup with a solution of potassium permanganate (2 grams per glass of water). After the manipulations to protect the seeds are completed, they must be thoroughly rinsed with running water.

Video - correctly planting tomato seeds for seedlings

Ways to improve seed germination

Warming up

A bag of seeds is placed in a thermos with hot water for several hours or the seeds are washed under hot water.

Enrichment mineral fertilizers

The seeds are soaked for 24 hours in a special solution, which can be found in a specialty store or prepared independently. In one liter clean water you need to stir the mixture copper sulfate, ammonium sulfate. Boric acid, potassium salt and superphosphate should also be added there.

After the seeds are processed and disinfected, they are placed in a damp cloth and germinated, constantly making sure that it does not dry out.

To better adapt the sprouts to the climate, it is recommended to harden the seeds. The swollen seeds are sent to the refrigerator for 1–2 days, this is how resistance to low temperatures is developed.

Video - the process of sowing and soaking tomato seeds for seedlings

Preparing soil mixture for seedlings

In order for tomatoes to be large and healthy, they need to be planted in turf soil mixed with humus and sand. To maintain normal acidity, resin and chalk should be added to the soil (for every ten kilograms of soil: resin - 0.5 l, chalk - 100 g). But you can buy a ready-made soil mixture at the store or peat tablets(about two seeds per piece), the main thing is to choose a trusted manufacturer.

The seeds must first be planted in one large container, and then the best sprouts must be picked into a separate container. Pickled sprouts can be planted in special containers, which are sold in gardening stores, or plastic bottles can be used for this. Be sure to make drainage holes in the bottom of each container.

How to grow seedlings correctly

When growing seeds, the main thing is to follow the rules for planting them, temperature regime and follow recommendations regarding watering and providing light to the sprouts.

Best time to plant seeds

Tomato seeds usually take 1.5–2 months to germinate, and accordingly, the planting time depends on the area in which they are planned to be grown. If you rush into planting, the sprouts will form before the weather stabilizes and it will simply be impossible to plant them in the ground due to the cold weather. If you plant the seeds too late, the sprouts will not have time to grow stronger and will not survive after being transplanted into the ground. Early spring is the optimal time for planting tomato seeds for seedlings.

Seed planting process

Pour the prepared mixture into the container and lightly press it with your palms. Afterwards, water the soil a little, cover the container with a plastic bag and leave overnight so that the moisture is evenly distributed. After the surface of the earth is leveled, I make grooves 0.5–1 cm deep at a distance of 4–5 cm from each other. The seeds are carefully placed in the depressions and covered with soil and watered again.

Temperature

Then the container is covered with glass or a bag and sent to a warm place where the temperature is not lower than 22 degrees - to a radiator or to a windowsill (in the sun). After 5–7 days, when the first shoots hatch, the glass (film) can be removed and the seedlings can be sent to a cooler place (up to 16 degrees) for approximately the same time. And when the sprouts get stronger, it is necessary to observe the temperature regime - up to 24 degrees during the day, not lower than 12 at night.

It is also worth remembering that humid air is harmful to tomatoes. The room in which containers with seedlings will be placed should be regularly ventilated. To prevent plants from dying, drafts and sudden temperature changes must be avoided.

Picking tomato sprouts

The formation of the first leaves is a sign that it is time to remove weak and non-viable shoots from the container. The root is pinched during this procedure to accelerate the growth of the root system.

But there is no need to rush into picking. Before starting the process of sorting the sprouts, you should make sure that they are sufficiently strong and the bases should be thick. Otherwise, the pick should be postponed.

Picking is done in seedling cups, the sprouts go deep into the soil up to the cotyledon leaves. Using this procedure, you can reduce the stretching of sprouts. To do this, you need to add more light to the sprouts.

Lighting

In order for the seedlings to be strong and green, they need good and long-term lighting, and in the first days even around the clock. If the windows are on the sunny side, then there will be enough light for the seedlings placed on the windowsill. If there is not enough sun, you need to install several special lamps. Tomatoes are very demanding of light, so additional lighting is required.

Watering seedlings

Soil moisture must be constantly monitored. On initial stage A few tablespoons of water are enough, after which the volume gradually increases, but in cold weather you need to water less often. Tips for watering the soil:

Do not allow the soil in containers to dry out;
It is not recommended to spray the sprouts;
It is better to water with a weak solution of mineral fertilizers instead of water.

With excess moisture, the leaves become yellow and the roots gradually die. In addition, with frequent watering, the sprouts can stretch, which will have a bad effect on the quality of future tomatoes.

Planting tomato seedlings

Before transplanting the sprouts into the ground, they must be hardened off. To do this, seedlings are gradually accustomed to cold air: ventilation is increased, and the windows are left open at night.

It is recommended to plant seedlings in late spring - early summer, when frosts have passed and the temperature does not drop below 15 degrees. How to determine that the sprouts are ready to “move”? If the sprout has 5-6 leaves and its stem is thick and strong, then it’s time to replant it.

Features of growing large tomatoes:

Seedlings should be planted in a well-lit place, protected from the wind;
the most suitable watering regime is 2 times a week;
It is better to use light, sandy and loamy soils;
plant the sprouts in pre-prepared and spilled holes at right angles;
sprouts should be planted at a distance of 30–40 cm from each other;
Before planting, it is necessary to prepare the soil and fertilize it;
A peg should be inserted next to each sprout for support;
There should be at least 60 cm between rows.

Harvesting occurs when the tomatoes turn red. If you pick tomatoes when they are green, this will affect their taste.

Video - how to properly plant tomato seedlings in a greenhouse

Mistakes when growing tomato seedlings

The main mistakes of a bad tomato harvest:

low-quality seeds;
planting seeds for seedlings too early or, conversely, very late;
non-compliance with temperature conditions;
improper watering (too much or not enough);
poor lighting quality;
refusal of hardening procedures.

A good harvest directly depends on the quality of the seedlings. Therefore, you need to take a responsible approach to the choice of seeds; it is better to take several varieties and subsequently choose the best one, most adapted to your area and weather conditions. Before planting, sort out the low-quality seeds and process the good ones. Prepare the soil mixture, plant the seeds and provide them with proper care. Only if you follow the recommendations described above can you hope for a large and tasty harvest.

Tomato, or tomato, is a plant from the Solanaceae family native to South America. Europeans became acquainted with it only after the discovery of the New World and the tomato, like everything new, “took root” quite difficult and for a long time. Despite this, the tomato is now one of the most popular and sought after vegetables all over the world. It's hard to imagine any of the national cuisines, where no tomato would be used. Some dishes cannot be imagined without tomatoes - just remember Ukrainian borscht, Italian pizza, Mexican chili, American ketchup and much more.

An important condition for obtaining a bountiful and high-quality harvest is the correct planting of tomato seedlings. Only strong and healthy ones will quickly and easily take root in the soil or in a greenhouse, begin to actively bloom and set large and tasty fruits.

In order for tomato seedlings at home to be healthy and of high quality, you need to follow simple but very important rules:

Correct timing for sowing tomato seeds for seedlings.
Temperature maintenance.
Stable water balance.
Competent selection of soil.
Selection of varieties for open ground and greenhouses.
Proper planting of tomatoes in the ground.

When to sow tomatoes for seedlings according to the growing season?

Tomatoes come in early, mid-ripening and late varieties. Between these three varieties there are intermediate ones with a difference in ripening of 5-15 days, but basically this division is competent and correct.

Early tomato varieties have the shortest growing season from sowing to flowering, therefore, they bring the earliest and most valuable harvest. Early tomato seedlings produce delicious fresh vegetables, but require more attention and effort to grow.
Medium-bearing varieties produce fruits at the height of the season; they are the most delicious and healthy. The growing season is longer than that of early tomatoes.
Late tomatoes bear fruit from the second half of summer until late autumn; in warm weather, tomatoes remain fresh on the bushes until frost. These tomatoes have the longest growing season.

Usually, early tomatoes are a pleasant delicacy for the table after a long winter, mid-season tomatoes accompany food throughout the season, and late ones are used for canning and processing.

When is the best time to plant tomato seedlings?

For growing tomato seedlings on a windowsill, it is the early varieties that are most suitable, since they need to be sown as seedlings early in the spring, in order to be planted in the ground after the end of the return frosts.

If you plant tomatoes as seedlings too early, they will quickly grow and form, and weather conditions will not allow planting in the ground or under film. Such seedlings will stretch out, become fragile, pale and sickly, will have difficulty taking root in the soil and will bear fruit poorly.
Sowing too late means getting small, unformed seedlings. The timing of planting seeds depends on the weather conditions of the area where it is planned to grow seedlings; usually it takes 1.5-2.5 months to grow tomato seedlings.

According to the type of growth, all tomatoes are divided into two large groups:

Indeterminate (vigorous).

For cultivation in greenhouses, tall and vigorous tomato varieties are usually selected, since they are most productive in closed ground conditions and produce a large harvest.
If you plan to grow tomatoes in open ground, grow good seedlings tomatoes can be grown from low-growing varieties; they are less in danger of being pulled out and overgrown. Such plants form squat, strong bushes that often do not require further tying to a trellis or stakes.

How to properly plant tomato seedlings indoors?

To get good seedlings you need to choose healthy planting material, pick up suitable soil and containers for planting, maintain the correct temperature and watering.

Healthy calibrated seeds are selected for planting; puny and damaged ones are thrown away. There are two ways to sow seeds - in a common container, followed by picking, and directly into individual cups.

Since tomatoes tolerate picking and transplanting well, in order to save money and space, you can sow tomatoes in boxes or other suitable containers. Subsequently, the seedlings are planted for the first time, planted at a greater distance, and then transplanted into separate containers, where the seedlings remain until planted in the ground.
In the second option, seeds are sown 2-3 in pots or cups; weaker plants are subsequently simply pulled out. This method is more expensive, plantings will take up a significant area, a large number of It will not be possible to grow seedlings in an apartment.

Almost any non-soaking container can be used as a container for planting seedlings. Amateur gardeners successfully use wooden and even cardboard boxes lined with plastic film, disposable plastic or paper cups, sour cream and yogurt containers, juice boxes or milk cartons for these purposes. For used containers, it is important to thoroughly clean the remaining contents, otherwise it can rot, contaminate the ground and destroy the seedlings.

When deciding how to properly grow tomato seedlings, you need to remember that this plant is very demanding on room temperature, lighting and watering. Wet air is harmful to tomatoes, therefore, when we plant tomato seedlings, it is important to regularly ventilate the room where they grow, avoiding strong temperature changes and drafts, which are detrimental to this plant. There is no need to spray crops with water; they can easily get sick and die.

Tomatoes are sown in trays or boxes, lightly sprinkled with sifted nutrient mixture and sprayed generously, covered with film. Air humidity is needed only until the seeds germinate, and then the film is removed.

The soil for tomato seedlings should not be too acidic, that is, pure peat is absolutely not suitable for this plant. At home, the easiest way to remove diseases and pests is by freezing. To do this, a bag or box of soil is left in the open air, where frosts will quickly kill everything harmful to the seedlings. The container with soil must be covered from precipitation, which can wash nutrients from the soil.

Healthy seeds hatch and germinate very quickly, and within 2-5 days, first “loops” appear from the soil, and then full-fledged cotyledon leaves. At this time, the room temperature should not fall below 25 degrees, and then it is gradually lowered slightly. Low temperatures dangerous for this plant, they begin already at 10 degrees serious damage- it turns yellow, buds and ovaries fall off, growth stops.

In order for tomato seedlings on the windowsill to be strong and green, they need a lot of light. If there is a lack of natural light, planting will have to be done, sometimes this needs to be done around the clock. Tomatoes need to be provided with stable and uniform watering without waterlogging and drying out, which are equally detrimental to the plant.

Grown tomato seedlings are picked for the first time, and after a pair of true leaves appear, a second picking is carried out into seedling cups. When performing this operation, young plants are carefully buried along the cotyledon leaves. There is no point in damaging or even cutting off the cotyledons - they are a source of nutrients for the plant that has begun to develop. Subsequently, they will fall off on their own when they are no longer needed.

With the help of picking, you can slightly reduce the effect of stretching the plant in the early stages - by deepening the seedling and adding light, you can make the seedlings stronger and healthier. The part of the stem that, after picking, will be in the ground, will give roots and will additionally nourish the plant. In order for the picked seedlings to take root quickly and without loss, the soil must be warm enough and the watering must be uniform without flooding. If we plant tomato seedlings correctly, we end up with plants with strong, stable stems, lush green leaves and an overall healthy appearance.

The question often arises: how to feed tomato seedlings?
During the growth period, plants need complex fertilizers with a predominance of nitrogen and a mandatory content of microelements. Grown-up seedlings need potassium more; if there is a lack of this element, the plant becomes covered in spots, stretches out, turns pale and gets sick.

Properly grown tomato seedlings quickly take root in the soil and form a strong green plant, begins to bloom and bear fruit within the time limits established for this variety.

Growing tomato seedlings at home (video)

Growing with seedlings provides much better survival and productivity than planting seeds directly open ground, which is confirmed many years of experience the work of many. However, this process has a number of features and subtleties that would be worth discussing in more detail. In this article you will find all necessary information oh, how to grow it, when to start this process and how to care for her in the future.

When to start?

You should start growing tomato seedlings at home no earlier than 50-60 days before the expected date.

It must be remembered that it usually takes about 7-10 days for tomatoes to sprout the first shoots, so on average it is worth keeping the seedlings at home for 40-55 days after the first shoots appear.

Correct determination of sowing time is extremely important important role for successful growth of the bush and its abundant fruiting. This period varies depending on the weather conditions prevailing where you live, and On average it looks something like this:

southern Russia and Ukraine: seedlings are sown from February 20 to mid-March.
center of Russia: the best time is from mid-March to early April.
northern Russia: from early to mid-April.

Young seedlings must be provided with a sufficient amount of moisture, for which it is recommended use humidifiers or sprayers. It is advisable to carry out treatment daily, and in hot conditions - twice a day.

Top dressing

Tomato seedlings need the first 2-3 weeks after the first shoots appear. After this, the optimal schedule for fertilizing will be weekly. They are best suited for seedlings based on, for example, diluted and fermented or.

It is recommended to fertilize early in the morning or late in the evening, after the sun has set, and only after watering. You can also use purchased fertilizers for fertilizing, but in this case you need to use only half of the dose indicated on the package.

Additional lighting

Young seedlings, especially in the first time after emergence, need a large amount of light, so immediately after they hatch from the ground, they must be placed on the most illuminated windowsill. However, if this happened at the end of February or early spring, there will still not be enough natural light for them.

It is recommended to place the seedlings in constant conditions in the first 2-3 days after the appearance of the first shoots, since, according to many gardeners, this stimulates germination and guarantees better yield. After this, you can switch to the usual 16-hour daylight hours provided by natural conditions.

Picking

If the seedlings were planted in heaps, the first one is planted after the first true leaves appear, which usually occurs by 10 days after sowing. Transplanting at this age can often have a detrimental effect on plants, since root system It is still very delicate and easy to damage. This pickling is done in 200 ml cups.

Important! When replanting for the first time, despite the advice of many gardeners, you should not pinch out the central root - this will delay the development of seedlings for at least one week.

A few weeks later, the plants are replanted a second time, this time into pots with a volume of about 1 liter. When replanting, it is important to remember the delicate structure of the young root and be sure to do it with a lump of earth from the first container.

Pinching

It is necessary to pinch the bush so that the stepsons do not draw nutrients onto themselves and slow down the growth of the main stem. They form in the axils of young leaves and it is recommended to remove them before the stepsons reach 5 centimeters in size, since only in this case the bush will tolerate their removal painlessly.

Popular mistakes of beginning gardeners

Among the most common mistakes that occur among inexperienced gardeners are the following:

excessive or insufficient watering;
non-compliance with temperature or light mode plants;
the initial unsuitability of the selected variety for growing at home;
sowing seeds in pots too early;
untimely picking;
insufficient hardening or its complete absence;
unsuitable soil or soil affected by harmful agents.

We hope that this article helped you understand how to properly plant tomatoes for seedlings. Remember that correctly maintained temperature, light and watering conditions are 70% guaranteed success. Another 10% is timely hardening and correct transplant. The remaining 20 are your care and warmth for future majestic plants.

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Growing tomatoes in most regions of our country begins with sowing seeds for seedlings. Preparing seedlings at home requires knowledge and a little experience, since you can waste time and the result will be disastrous, and before good harvest it won't work out that way. But this work is not so complicated that it is necessary to buy seedlings on the market every year, and every gardener is simply obliged to master it and grow tomatoes.

Is it necessary to grow tomatoes from seedlings?

The growing season for tomatoes is very long; many months pass from sowing seeds to harvesting, and all work on growing tomatoes begins in March, when spring has not yet really begun in most of our country. Therefore, unfortunately, almost nowhere you can’t do without growing seedlings.

When in the 1980s we, MSU graduates assigned to Saratov, acquired summer cottages, one friend could not understand the meaning of the word “seedlings”. And I certainly didn’t want to believe that tomato seeds must first be planted in a pot or box, and then nurtured and cherished in the apartment. In their village, on the Azov coast, where the shaft also sprouts, there were only two stages of growing tomatoes: plant the seeds in a garden bed and harvest.

In the conditions of central Russia, and even more so in the northern regions, growing seedlings is mandatory. Fortunately, unlike cabbage, which requires low temperatures (from 6 to 16 o C) to grow seedlings, tomatoes are fine in this regard: the conditions of a city apartment are generally suitable for seedlings, only sometimes there is not enough sun. Therefore, for about two months a year, gardeners occupy all the free space in the apartment with boxes and cups with tomato seedlings.

Lunar calendar 2019 for planting tomato seeds

Many gardeners compare their sowing, planting and caring for plants with the phases of the Moon and other celestial bodies. It is difficult to judge how correct this approach is, but there is probably something in it, because everything in nature is interconnected. True, a working person does not always manage to do everything exactly on those days when the Moon commands, but many pensioners try to adjust their gardening schedule to the lunar rhythms. The trouble is that in different sources you can simultaneously find slightly different lunar calendars.

In 2019, the following days will be favorable for sowing tomatoes for seedlings:

February: 1, 2 (until 18:51), 3, 4, 7 (until 9:04), 8, 27, 28;
March: 1, 2 (after 9:44), 3 (before 17:21), 6 (after 14:55), 7, 8 (before 17:00), 11, 29, 30;
April: 1–4, 6–9, 11–13, 15–17, 20, 21, 24–26.

It is important not to plant seedlings on new and full moon days:

February: 5, 19;
March: 6, 21;
April:5, 19.

Preliminary preparation

An experienced summer resident carries out all operations to prepare for sowing seeds automatically, knowing when to take the prepared seeds out of the box, what to do with them first, where and what kind of soil to get, where he keeps reusable cups or wooden boxes or where and when you need to stock up on peat pots. He already has some fertilizers in stock for spring and potassium permanganate, which has suddenly become scarce, which is very necessary for disinfecting both seeds and soil.

Seed preparation

In different manuals you can find different descriptions of preparing seeds for planting, so I will try to briefly describe my more than thirty years of experience, without pretending that this is exclusively correct. But there are no seasons good tomatoes hasn't happened yet. I must make a reservation that I have never bought seeds in a store, I only use my own and “from neighbors.” A useful remark. Firstly, in Lately A lot of seeds are sold, pre-treated in one way or another; they just need to be sown immediately in pots. Secondly, many tomatoes are not varieties, but hybrids (F1). Their preparation is very different from the preparation of varietal seeds and is also minimal.

The first sowing usually begins immediately after March 8th. At this time I take out the seeds early varieties. The disinfection procedure is combined with seed rejection. To do this, I use a strong, very dark solution of potassium permanganate. Advice often misses a small nuance that people who are far from chemistry do not pay attention to. Potassium permanganate dissolves very slowly in cold water, and when hot it decomposes to a large extent. Therefore, to obtain a solution it is necessary a small amount of dissolve the drug (on the tip of a knife) in warm water(40 degrees), stirring occasionally and checking that there are no crystals left at the bottom. It is convenient to pour about half a can of water into a half-liter jar. If you rush and place the seeds there ahead of time, the undissolved crystals will immediately burn them.

You can often see advice on preparing a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for this purpose, but some strange numbers are written next to it. Firstly, it is not easy to dissolve such an amount, although the maximum solubility at room temperature and more 6 times. Secondly, this is already a bomb that burns all living things. And few apartments have scales that allow you to take the necessary weights to prepare a glass of disinfectant solution. Therefore, we do it by eye and are not afraid. Treating seeds with a slightly pink solution can hardly be considered disinfection; the solution should be dark. Will the seeds be colored? Yes, they will stain, no problem. They will be covered with a thin layer of the permanganate reduction product - manganese dioxide, which at the right stage will play the role of a microelement.

Solutions of potassium permanganate of various concentrations are used as a disinfectant; I think it is possible to use a dark purple solution

I pour seeds of one variety into a jar with the prepared solution and keep them there for 10 minutes, shaking them well from time to time. Those that did not drown during this time, I mercilessly throw away, pouring the upper layers of the solution into another jar through a strainer. Then I filter through the same strainer. good seeds and rinse them very well under the tap with water. I put it in a wet cloth and keep it in a Petri dish for several days, observing in the morning and evening. (For those who don’t have a Petri dish, you can place it in any small container, covering it with a lid that is not completely airtight).

As soon as I find at least a few sprouted seeds, I put them in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Then I take them out and keep them at room temperature for 8 hours. I alternate between cold and heat three times. All. You can sow.

It’s already too late to plant these seeds: it will be difficult not to break off the roots

There are tips on heating seeds near a battery, using hydrogen peroxide, boric acid, growth stimulants (Epin, honey, agave juice, etc.), etc. They even use air bubbling! Most techniques have the right to be used, each has its own technique. But… Gardening should not turn into fanaticism, so we do only what is necessary. And disinfection and hardening (except in the southern regions) are necessary! But, for example, bubbling helps seeds covered with a strong oily layer (for example, carrots, parsley) to hatch; tomatoes have absolutely no use for it.

As for hybrids, you won’t collect seeds from them in the garden anyway, it’s no use: you won’t understand what will grow. And conscientious producers nowadays pack them already prepared for sowing, and recommend sowing them dry. But... It seems that hardening them in the conditions of the middle zone and northern regions, if the plants do not have to live in a greenhouse, will not be superfluous.

Soil preparation

Seedlings will grow in almost any soil, unless it is contaminated, that is, not taken from a bed where vegetables grew last year and diseases raged. But, of course, we are not talking about her growing up in principle, but growing up strong and healthy. Now stores sell ready-made soil for any garden crops. You can buy a package of such soil to grow a dozen roots, but our person does not mess with that many.

Using such a package is convenient, but very expensive

In Saratov, tomatoes are almost “an object of national pride,” and few summer residents plant less than 150–200 bushes. Therefore, you can go broke on purchased soil. At the same time, it is problematic to create the optimal soil, which is recommended in most manuals, since it is equal parts of peat, humus and turf land. And if in central Russia peat is not a very big problem, then in the Volga region it is exotic. So we take what we have.

And at the dacha there is heavy, clayey, but at the same time black soil, on which almost everything grows, except, perhaps, carrots, but which requires mandatory loosening a certain number of hours after watering, otherwise it will be an impenetrable crust. We bring several buckets of this earth every autumn and leave them on the balcony. The infection is partially frozen out, but before planting the seedlings, be sure to dilute the soil with sand (2:1) and pour it well with a strong solution of potassium permanganate. If we don’t forget to grab compost from the dacha, we add it as much as we have. And a little ash.

I don’t think steaming soil in the oven is a very good idea. Firstly, being in the apartment during this procedure is a dubious pleasure. Secondly, the soil must be living, and not a simple inorganic substance. And at recommended temperatures (above 100 o C) not only pathogenic microbes will die, but also all beneficial microorganisms.

So, let's summarize. You shouldn’t bother with the composition of the soil for tomato seedlings, but it should be as nutritious as possible and at the same time breathable, not too heavy.

To prevent seedling diseases, it must be disinfected by watering it well with a dark solution of potassium permanganate.

Traditional methods of growing tomato seedlings are in common boxes and separate cups, but, as M. Zadornov said, “our people are strong in improvisation,” and as a result, what options have not been born on Russian soil! Leaving aside such techniques as, for example, growing in coconuts, we will consider several different methods.

Growing on a windowsill in a house or apartment

In an apartment, the most successful place is usually a sunny window sill, but there are few such apartments (and such summer residents) where all the seedlings would be able to fit on the windowsill, and tomatoes are only a small part of the future garden... Many owners equip additional shelves across the window, and the boxes with seedlings are installed in several tiers, but this approach is usually not enough, additional tables are used... But in this case, you cannot do without additional lighting. Best options - daylight lamps cold light or diode lamps; Not everyone can afford special phytolamps yet.

There is no point in immediately sowing tomatoes in separate cups, since picking is very desirable for them. Therefore, first, the prepared seeds are sown in common boxes, pouring a 5–6 cm layer of soil into them and dividing the box with partitions by variety.

First, you can sow the seeds in any convenient container: they won’t live here very long

Liter (and larger) rectangular cardboard bags for juice or milk are extremely convenient for sowing tomatoes. By cutting off one of the large sides and making holes for drainage in the opposite side, we get an excellent disposable container for sowing one or two varieties of seeds, which can be thrown away after picking the plants.

O. A. Ganichkina recommends replanting seedlings twice: first, planting them in small cups, then, as the seedlings grow, in larger ones. The advice, of course, is not bad, the seedlings will only become stronger from this and will not stretch much, but where can you get so much space in the apartment? And on the windowsill? The best seedlings grow in a liter pot. We count: 150-200 of these pots, plus peppers, eggplants, cabbage, celery, numerous flowers...

So, in a large box, cups or peat pots, we keep the seedlings on the windowsill or a table moved towards it until they are planted in a greenhouse or open ground, that is, until the time comes for this, and the seedlings grow to 15–30 cm. What is good about an apartment? You can always control the seedlings and quickly take measures to correct the situation. Why is it bad? Usually it’s still too hot, and it’s not always possible to maintain temperature conditions. Well, there simply isn’t enough space!

Growing in a greenhouse

The presence of a greenhouse greatly simplifies the cultivation of tomato seedlings, if, of course, the greenhouse is easily accessible and it is not located in the country, which is tens of kilometers away. The advantages of the greenhouse are obvious:

easier to regulate temperature;
sufficient illumination can be provided;
a large amount of space allows you to grow an unlimited number of seedlings different varieties and timing of fruiting;
Due to these advantages, the seedlings grow stronger, do not stretch, and the root system is more powerful.

Well, if the greenhouse is heated, all problems are eliminated. There is one downside: the cost of greenhouse equipment.

In a greenhouse, each plant can be provided with space

Growing seedlings in greenhouse conditions consists of absolutely the same steps as growing them at home; there is no point in repeating what needs to be done to get strong plants. However, there are some peculiarities, and first of all, this concerns timing.

If the greenhouse is unheated, sowing dates depend on the region and current weather. So, in the northern regions (colder than, for example, at the latitude of Moscow), sowing seeds is possible in mid-March, unless, of course, winter is already raging at this time. IN middle lane this happens two weeks earlier. In a heated greenhouse, sowing is possible even in winter, if necessary.

The temperature in the greenhouse during sowing should be about 20 o C, then the temperature regime is the same as at home. Fortunately, reducing the temperature in a greenhouse in March-April is much easier than at home. And in general, the greenhouse must be ventilated often: diseases develop more easily in stagnant air. Most often, in greenhouses, as in apartments, boxes or pots are placed, but no one bothers you to sow seeds directly into prepared beds. The most rational method seems to be a mixed method: sowing seeds in common boxes and then planting the plants in a greenhouse bed.

At the same time, if the greenhouse is used not only as a “transshipment point” between seedlings and open ground, but also the subsequent cultivation of tomatoes right up to harvest is supposed to take place there, the seedlings can be planted immediately to a permanent place.

Growing in a greenhouse A greenhouse usually means a small film (or with glass frames) shelter, that is, it is a kind of compact analogue of an unheated greenhouse. Heating in greenhouses is often provided by adding so-called biofuel: fresh manure (preferably horse manure), straw, grass, etc., which becomes very hot when decomposed (for example, horse dung at the same time it has a temperature of about 60 ° C). Biofuels can heat a greenhouse for several months. Growing seedlings in such a greenhouse is the most reliable and effective method

growing seedlings.

The advantages of greenhouse cultivation over the indoor method are the same as in the case of a greenhouse; seedlings grow much stronger than at home; The advantage over an apartment is its lower cost: it is greenhouses that most villagers use for this purpose, but this method should not be recommended for summer residents. The disadvantage, compared to a greenhouse, is that you need to monitor temperature conditions much more carefully: you can’t just open a window here, and changing the temperature by 1-2 degrees is not easy.

All procedures for growing seedlings in a greenhouse are similar to those discussed above, but it does not seem reasonable to place boxes or pots in a greenhouse. Usually, in a greenhouse, beds are immediately prepared for sowing seeds, where they are sown in the same way as in a box or box at home.

The use of boxes or reusable cups are traditional techniques in growing seedlings. The use of paper ice cream cups or homemade containers from plastic bags has also been used for a long time. But in last years Other approaches to creating a “home” for seedlings have also become widespread.

Using peat pots

Disposable peat pots have been known for a long time; they are made from peat, pressed into the shape of pots: there are a variety of geometric options and sizes. Peat for pots can be treated with fertilizers and growth stimulants. The advantages of using peat pots over paper or plastic are as follows:

no need to remove seedlings when planting in a garden bed;
the roots are not injured during transplantation;
The environmentally friendly material of the pots also serves as fertilizer.

The only inconvenience in the work is that the pots get wet and very soft from watering, so you need to be careful when moving them from place to place. And it’s better not to pick it up at all: put it required quantity pots in a tray and keep it that way. True, with a dense arrangement, it is possible for roots to grow from one pot to another (the roots of most vegetables easily penetrate this barrier), and this must be monitored.

The peat pot will go into the garden bed along with its tenant - seedlings

Some crops are immediately sown in peat pots and not touched again, but it is better to first plant tomato seeds in a separate box, and when the seedlings reach the required age, plant them in separate peat pots. Due to the need for picking, such a well-known analog as peat tablets is not suitable for tomatoes: the seeds of those vegetables that do not like picking are sown in them.

Application of plastic bottles

We are so used to plastic bottles that we don’t even remember that just recently they didn’t exist at all. And how did we manage without them? After all, now in many cases a PET bottle is a lifesaver. Lightweight, durable, often transparent... Wherever the inquisitive mind of the Russian man has adapted them! It is also suitable for growing seedlings, even for obtaining grape seedlings from cuttings.

In the case of tomato seedlings, plastic bottles are most often used only at the first stage: seeds are sown in them, grown for the time required for the appearance of 2-3 true leaves, and then planted in peat or plastic cups in the usual way. But there are fans who, in large, five-liter plastic bottles

They grow tomatoes even before harvest, placing them on the balcony.

So, when growing seedlings:
Cut a regular bottle lengthwise to make two small plastic boxes for sowing seeds.
Spread a centimeter layer of crushed eggshells on the bottom: it acts as drainage and allows you to avoid making holes to drain excess water.

Pour a layer of soil, sow the seeds in the usual way and grow them until picking.

Another option involves using the lower half of a large (5- or 10-liter) bottle as a planting box, in which several seedlings are grown until planted in the garden. The advantage over bulky boxes is their compactness and the ability to easily rearrange bottles on the windowsill. But using them for individual growing (one tomato per bottle) is less economical. The pros and cons of using bottles are quite relative: for some it is simply more convenient.

Some people use plastic bottles instead of large boxes.

Use of toilet paper Toilet paper is often used by gardeners at the first stage of growing seedlings of various vegetable crops. This is an example of so-called hydroponics: growing plants without the use of soil, where various inert materials can serve as a substrate. In the case of tomato seedlings, except for paper, all the same is required

plastic bottle

or plastic bag. The simplest option for forcing sprouts looks like this:

As an option, they use paper in the shape of a “snail”, winding it into a roll, having previously spread it over plastic film, but this design is more suitable for miniature plants than for tomatoes.

To grow tomato seedlings, it is desirable that the apartment windows face south; the seedlings need warmth and sun. If the windows are located on the western, and even more so, northern side, you will definitely have to highlight the boxes with seedlings. To begin with, they need to be positioned so that the seedlings are as close to the glass as possible, but do not touch the glass.

You can use various reflective devices to increase illumination: a mirror or, at least, aluminum foil. The screens must be positioned so that the maximum possible amount of light enters them, and the light is reflected onto the seedlings.

In any case, if there are only northern windows, seeds for seedlings will have to be sown a little earlier. And even artificial lighting is not natural sunlight at all! By the way, it is not advisable to illuminate with incandescent lamps: they heat up the air very much, and even for tomato seedlings there is no need for excess heat. Modern lamps on diode elements is the best option.

Is picking tomatoes necessary?

Some vegetable crops They do not tolerate picking at all; for others it is undesirable, but for tomatoes picking is mandatory. Of course, the seedlings will grow without it, because in the south the seeds are sown immediately in a garden bed in a permanent place. But it’s one thing to immediately move to a permanent place, and quite another to survive apartment conditions, where the temperature is not all right, there’s not enough light, and the breeze isn’t blowing... Seedlings in an apartment are often simply pampered, so you need to at least make the roots grow better , and this is achieved by picking, during which the central root is necessarily pinched.

Seedlings are ready for picking when their first two or three leaves appear, and this happens approximately 12 days after sowing the seeds. There is no need to carry out picking before: after all, in essence, this operation is breaking off the lower segment of the central root to ensure the growth of the lateral roots.

A few hours before the procedure, the seedlings should be well watered. Seedlings should be dug up with a small scoop or using any suitable kitchen utensil. There is no need to be afraid of damaging the spine, but with sudden movements it can simply be torn off. Why is the procedure named this way? To perform it, use any convenient peg, similar to a pike, often just a sharpened pencil. With this pike they make a hole in the soil and with its help they lower the seedling there, after pinching the root. Tomato seedlings must be buried almost to the cotyledon leaves. All that remains is to gently squeeze the roots with your fingers and water well with warm water.

For the first two or three days, the pruned seedlings should be placed in partial shade and the temperature should be raised slightly. Plants that have taken root well in a new place will quickly continue to grow.

Video: picking tomato seedlings

Growing tomato seedlings yourself allows you to save money and get plants of the desired variety at the right time, and with some experience, of high quality. The process of growing seedlings is quite complex, but the success achieved always brings pleasure: something done with your own hands is sure to raise self-esteem. Therefore, growing seedlings makes sense, if only there are minimal conditions for this.

Growing tomato seedlings at home allows you to obtain strong and hardened plants that are resistant to climatic changes and diseases. But in order to get a good harvest, you need to know the procedure for processing and planting seeds and the rules for caring for tomatoes.

A guarantee of a good tomato harvest is healthy and hardened seedlings. To get it, you need to study in detail the stages of cultivation, starting with preparation seed material and ending with planting young plants in the beds.

Timing for sowing tomato seeds for seedlings

Tomato seeds begin to be sown 7-8 weeks before picking. When grown plants are transplanted into beds, greenhouses, greenhouses or balcony boxes. The first seedlings appear on average after 5-7 days (black earth period).

To prevent the growth of adult plants from slowing down, which will subsequently reduce the yield of the bushes, seedlings should not be kept on window sills. To do this, you need to focus on the approximate date of the end of the last spring frosts in your area. Counting 50-60 days from it, you can easily plan the optimal date for planting the seeds.

The approximate dates for sowing tomatoes in Russia are as follows:

in the southern zone - from February 15 to March 15.
in the central part of Russia and in the Moscow region - from mid-March to early April;
in the Urals and Siberia - from April 1 to April 15.

Pre-treatment and germination of seeds

Before growing tomato seedlings at home, a stratification procedure is carried out. This is done so that the planting material has good germination, more than 80%. Before this, it is necessary to carry out disinfection so that the seedlings do not get sick. These procedures are aimed at strengthening the plant and its development in the future, and therefore can affect the quantity and quality of the harvest.

Disinfection

Purchased seeds do not require additional preparation before sowing - manufacturers themselves carry out their disinfection. If the material is collected manually, pathogens (fungi, viruses and bacteria) should be removed.

Soak tomato seeds in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate or ash solution (1 tsp per 1 liter of water). You can use specialized preparations for treatment: “Bud”, “Drops”, “Effecton” (they should be dissolved in water according to the instructions on the package). It is necessary to soak for at least a day at room temperature and in cotton bags, if available.
After finishing the soaking, place the still wet seed for hardening in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Tomato seed stratification

Preparation of planting material also includes the germination stage.

Take a flat container;
Cover with 2-3 layers of gauze or fabric;
Place the seeds in one layer;
Cover with the same layer of fabric and pour with warm water (40-45 degrees), so that the fabric is damp, but the liquid does not stand on the surface;
Leave for storage in a warm place (temperature not lower than 23 degrees).

Tomato seeds will germinate in 2-3 days. During stratification, you need to check the seed material, since seeds with long roots are often damaged during planting. Those whose seedlings have reached a length of 3-4 mm can be sown in a prepared container with soil.

Rules for sowing tomatoes for seedlings

Before planting seeds, prepare containers. Suitable for tomato seedlings:

small boxes;
peat pots;
cassettes made of a mixture of sawdust and peat.

The container for tomato seedlings must be filled with a damp earthen mixture and grooves 1 cm deep must be made in it, maintaining a distance between rows of 3-5 cm. The seeds are placed at intervals of approximately 2 cm from each other, and sprinkled with soil on top.

To provide tomatoes with a suitable microclimate and consistently high humidity, containers with seed material are covered with glass or transparent film (mini-greenhouses on the balcony can be used). The ideal temperature for keeping crops is 25-30 degrees, so it is better to place the seedling containers near the battery.

As the earthen clod dries out, spraying should be carried out, and if it becomes waterlogged, the film should be opened to dry the soil and prevent mold from appearing on it. Following these simple rules, the first shoots of tomatoes can be seen 3-4 days after sowing.

Growing tomato seedlings at home

In order for the seedlings not to die, but to grow into strong bushes prepared for transplantation, they need to be provided proper care.

Humidity and watering

Dry air is contraindicated for young tomato seedlings, so they must be kept at sufficiently high humidity. It will be possible to remove the film from the cassettes or pots a couple of weeks after the emergence of seedlings, but this should not be done suddenly. The improvised greenhouse should be opened slightly every day, allowing the seedlings to get used to the new conditions.

You need to water growing tomato seedlings sparingly based on the condition of the soil, pouring water carefully under the stem of the plants. Its top layer should not dry out - there is a root system that is not yet fully developed.

Fertilizer application

Tomato seedlings can begin to be fed approximately 2-3 weeks after the first shoots appear. Fertilizers should be applied once every 10 days, using natural organic matter: rotted manure or fermented grass.

Judging by the reviews experienced gardeners, at home it is most convenient to use purchased fertilizers prepared on the basis of vermicompost, bird droppings, and humic acids. For young tomato seedlings, it is enough to apply only half the dose recommended by the manufacturer in the instructions for a particular preparation.

Ventilation

For good development, seedlings need Fresh air. When the temperature outside reaches 15-20 degrees Celsius, open the balcony windows or take the tomatoes outside.

For the first time, five minutes is enough for air hardening. Then the ventilation time can be increased daily by 5 minutes.

Lighting

It is impossible to grow hardy and strong seedlings without good lighting. With the appearance of the first shoots, you need to prepare a place on a well-lit windowsill.

Tomatoes sown in late February - early March will inevitably experience a lack of sun. It is advisable to illuminate under a fluorescent or phytolamp. The duration of daylight should be at least 16 hours.

Picking and planting in open ground

You can start picking tomatoes when the plant is growing. A seedling is called an adult after it has two leaves. 1-2 days before picking into separate containers, you need to stop feeding, limiting yourself to regular watering.

Tomato picking procedure

For seedlings, you will need to select a container of suitable size (0.5 liter volume). Smaller containers are not recommended, as you will have to do another transplant before planting in the ground.

You can pick tomatoes one or two plants at a time, deepening them into the soil up to the cotyledon leaves. The first option is preferable, since this way you are guaranteed to get healthy tomatoes with a well-developed root system. When picking, you need to add a complex mineral fertilizer (nitroammophoska) to the soil.

Features of seedlings of tall varieties

If you decide to plant tomatoes in pots in pairs, after the seedlings grow to 10-15 cm in length, they will need to be tightly tied together. After growing together (and this almost always happens), you need to carefully pinch the top of the weaker plant to form one bush with a reliable stem. This method works best for tall tomato varieties, so you'll get a larger harvest.

Transplanting tomato seedlings into open ground and greenhouses

Plants for transplantation should have a fairly thick stem, 1-2 flower clusters, as well as 5-7 leaves.

1-2 weeks before planting tomatoes in the beds, tomatoes need to be hardened by gradually lowering the temperature to 15 degrees Celsius and periodic ventilation. A day before transplanting into open ground, boxes of tomatoes can be left outside so that they have time to change their physiological properties and get used to new, harsher climatic conditions.

It is better to transplant tomato seedlings into open ground in cloudy and windless weather, choosing a cool day. For transplantation, prepare holes 10 cm deep; the soil in them is pre-moistened. Superphosphate is added to the irrigation water at the rate of a teaspoon per hole.

After 10 days, you must remember to add a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, adding nitroammophoska to it (half a teaspoon per liter). The same procedure can be repeated every two weeks to prevent the tomatoes from getting sick.

To place seedlings in the ground, you need to deepen their central stem by 2-3 cm. From it, soon after transplantation, adventitious roots are formed, which will allow the root system to become more resilient and powerful.

Video instructions for growing tomato seedlings

Bottom line

Growing tomato seedlings at home is not difficult if you put into practice the tips and recommendations presented in the material. By preparing planting material, you can always be sure of its quality and environmental friendliness, as well as the varieties of tomatoes and their taste characteristics.