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

Many growers ask this question regularly. Who sows in February, who in April, some manage to "torment" especially valuable varieties for almost years - they leave a stepson in the fall, and all winter they "pickle" him in a pot, constantly cutting off the top that stretches out in low light conditions and transplanting it into pot...

But actually I digress from the main idea - the timing of landing.
When to sow tomatoes, in conditions conditionally close to the Moscow region?

January. In principle, I don’t even want to consider such an option, but briefly ...

January 15, sunrise 08:41, sunset 16:28, while at 12 noon the height of the sun above the horizon is only 12.63º. If you are not going to highlight the seedlings with metal halide or at least just Very Powerful, and if you are not planting tomatoes in a Well Heated greenhouse, then even the most late varieties tomatoes, seedlings of which it is conditionally permissible to keep on the window for 60 days, will turn over these 60 days into stunted blades of grass, creeping along the ground under their own weight.

February. A lot of Wise Tomato growers sow tomatoes in February. Apparently, in the old fashioned way, it is believed that what more plant will hold on the window - the faster the first tomato in the salad will turn out ... This is not so, but why this is not the case will be considered in subsequent entries.

February, 15. Sunrise 07:48, sunset 17:31, height above the horizon at 12 noon - 20.85 º. Not much better than January, don't you think?

Tomatoes that have risen in mid-February will have time to stretch out and fall ill in almost the same way as the poor fellows planted in January. However, in the presence of the aforementioned powerful lighting (and this is not at all the first fluorescent light bulb that came across on a full window sill of seedlings - such lighting is useless ...) yes .. and so, if there is competent lighting and a heated greenhouse, it makes sense to plant tomatoes in February for obtaining early fruits. But only if there is lighting and a heated greenhouse.

Update as of February 24, 2017.

6-7 years have passed since the writing of this short note. AT THE TIME about highlighting seedlings LED lamps I didn't even have to dream. Now the realities have changed somewhat, and in principle the problem of lighting, even for an ordinary user, one way or another, is completely solvable. However, this is not the only factor that still holds me back from early landings) especially with very good illumination - the seedlings grow faster, and in 45 days huge bushes grow out, which clearly become crowded on the window! .. I bring to your attention a short "".

March. Rooks have arrived, drops, thawed patches and other attributes of an average spring. Cheerful poimdorovod joyfully rubbing his hands takes out bags of seeds from the stash, folk wisdom says.

March 15th. Sunrise 06:41, sunset 18:28, height of the sun above the horizon at 12 noon - 31.45 º. Something already! However, the wise tomato grower does not relax, but also takes out a fluorescent lamp. Because in the morning and evening hours, as well as on cloudy days, highlighting seedlings in the first half of March is almost necessary.

Tomatoes that have risen in mid-March will undoubtedly be stronger and, most importantly, more prolific than their older brothers that have risen in February. Why more prolific? Because the beginnings of the future harvest are laid in the first weeks of the plant's life. If the emerging tomato receives a lot of sunlight, the plant "thinks" that it has fallen into favorable conditions and programs a high yield.
And if the ascended tomatoes do not receive enough light, then according to the program laid down in them, they will try their best to stretch out, outgrow the competitors surrounding them for sunlight! They, unfortunately, do not understand that it is dark for them not from the fact that they are shaded by other plants in the neighborhood, but from the fact that they are simply on the window in cloudy weather.

April. Sow seeds in middle April is perhaps somewhat presumptuous... with the exception of perhaps the most precocious superdeterminant ones. However, tomatoes sown at the very end of March - early April will be the healthiest and strongest, and in unheated greenhouses or open ground they will certainly overtake their counterparts planted in February or early March.

April 15, sunrise 05:22, sunset 19:29, height of the sun above the horizon at 12 noon 40.65 º. This month, if tomatoes need additional illumination, then only on the most cloudy days.

Usually varieties and hybrids of tomato are recommended to be grown in seedlings for no more than 60 days (late indeterminate varieties, such as San Marzano, de Barao, bull heart. It should be noted that the volume of soil for each plant with such a growing period should be at least 1 liter. Optimal - 3-5 liters. It is usually not easy to place such pots on our windowsills, therefore it is much more reasonable not to torment the plants, but to leave them to grow on the windowsill for no more than 50-55 days.

Tomatoes are one of the favorite crops of all summer residents, so with the onset of the new season, each of them begins to plan to sow tomato seeds for seedlings. After all, it is very important to initially plant correctly, and then grow strong seedlings, which, after planting in open ground or a greenhouse, they will be able to quickly gain strength and begin to bear fruit.

How to choose a good variety of tomatoes

How to plant tomatoes for seedlings: the rules for sowing seeds

To get strong and healthy seedlings tomatoes, you need to follow a number of simple recommendations.

The sowing procedure must be carried out according to all the rules, and before:

• determine planting dates
• cook suitable soil, disinfect it;
• choose a suitable container (for initial sowing, for picking);
• process and germinate seeds;
• sow at the desired depth and put in a warm place.

When to sow seeds: optimal sowing time

Note! The site already has a detailed article about, including auspicious days for landing in 2019, according to the lunar calendar.

How to prepare seeds for planting seedlings

Advice! Read more on pre-sowing preparation and processing of tomato seeds You can .

As a rule, the main activities for the preparation and processing of tomato seeds before sowing include the following:

• disinfect (pickle) in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes (old-fashioned and not very effective method), and then rinse under water; or use a more modern and effective drug;

Also, tomato seeds can be pickled in chlorhexidine, brilliant green, garlic infusion and aloe juice.

• spend soaking in growth stimulator type "Epin", "Zircon" (according to instructions).

Alternatively, you can soak the seeds in a wood ash infusion (1 tbsp per 500 ml of water, let stand 2 days) in which you soak the seeds wrapped in a gauze bag for 4-5 hours.

• sprout in a rag or on cotton pads.

Note! You also need to germinate correctly: if you just immerse the seeds in water, then there will be no effect, because oxygen is required to awaken them. Therefore, the seeds must be soaked in a damp cloth (precisely in a cloth or cotton pads, since they can grow roots into gauze) so that they have access to both moisture and air. For example, putting them (seeds in cotton pads) on a saucer or in a jar, and covering them with a plastic bag (food wrap) on top so that it is moist inside. Then put in a warm place where the temperature is above +22 degrees, but not above +30, optimally - + 24-28 degrees.

Video: preparing tomato seeds for sowing - pre-sowing treatment

Of course, it does not hurt to watch the following videos, which debunk many myths about seed treatment methods, especially about the use of potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide.

Video: preparing tomato seeds for planting - disinfection and seed dressing

Note! If you have purchased coated, granulated, glazed purchased seeds, then they do not need any pre-sowing preparation. Manufacturers have already completed the processing of these seeds and covered them with a special organo-mineral coating. They need to be sown immediately, and dry.

What substrate to plant

In order to activate all the vitality of tomatoes, it is necessary to choose a suitable substrate.

The soil mixture itself should be loose, light and nutritious, and its acidity should be close to neutral (6-6.5 pH).

In garden stores, you can purchase ready-made special soil for tomato seedlings (it is also suitable for growing peppers and eggplants), in which all the necessary components are already balanced.

But if desired, the substrate for tomato seedlings can be prepared at home according to one of the following recipes:

Recipe #1:

• sod land - 1 part;
• riding peat - 1 part;
• humus or compost - 2 parts;
• sphagnum moss or river coarse sand - 1 part.

By the way! As a baking powder(i.e. instead of sand or moss) can also be used perlite.

Or here is another recipe:

• peat - 3 parts;
• compost - 5 parts;
• sawdust (necessarily rotted) or sand - 1 part;

• wood ash - 1 cup per bucket of soil mixture.

Another option:

• sod land - 2 parts;
• humus or compost - 3 parts;
• sand - 1 part;
• wood ash - 1 cup per bucket of soil mixture.

And one more recipe:

• sod land - 1 part;
• humus or compost - 1 part;
• leaf ground (baking powder, that is, you can use sand, perlite or moss) - 1 part;
• wood ash - 1 cup per bucket of soil mixture.

Important! A week before sowing tomato seeds, soil disinfection should be carried out.

For this, soil is needed roast in the oven(a couple of hours at a temperature of about 70 degrees), and also shed with a solution potassium permanganate richly Pink colour. Or use a more powerful drug.

Video: land for tomato seedlings

Planting containers

There are several common types of seedling containers for sowing tomatoes. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages, and therefore any gardener selects exactly those that he likes best, as well as based on his capabilities.

The main thing is that there are drainage holes in the landing tank to drain excess water. Or it is worth pouring a drainage layer on the bottom of the tank (for example, from expanded clay).

In addition to the main types, many gardeners use improvised containers: yogurt cups, carton boxes from under dairy products, plastic buckets from under pickles or jams (jams) and others.

Video: seedling containers: pros and cons

Landing pattern

For proper cultivation seedlings, a certain distance between the seeds should be observed, since in the process of growth the seedlings will need some space

Important! With dense seedlings, tomato seedlings will begin to stretch, and the risk of developing fungal diseases will also increase.

When sowing in a common container, tomato seeds are recommended to be laid out in shallow (1 cm) grooves with a mandatory distance of 1-2 cm. And between the rows (grooves) themselves, it is required to leave a distance of 3-4 cm.

Naturally, the less often tomato seeds are planted, the longer the seedlings will be able to remain in the seedling container. However, you still have to dive them, so it makes no sense to make too large distances between the seeds.

Naturally, with a single planting in individual containers, you need to sow 1 seed in each, although for more certainty, especially if you do not germinate seeds, it is better to sow 2 seeds in order to leave the strongest plant in the future.

Actually, with this method of sowing, you can grow it without picking, you just need to immediately take 0.5 liter containers.

Seeding algorithm

Only by observing all the stages of planting, you can count on the desired result (strong seedlings of tomatoes), which means that the strict implementation of the recommendations will help to avoid annoying mistakes that jeopardize the future harvest.

Step-by-step instructions for planting tomato seeds for seedlings:

• Fill the seedling containers with a disinfected substrate to 2/3 of the volume.
• Plentifully spill the soil (with warm water) and allow moisture to soak in, and the soil to settle.
• Make grooves 1 cm deep with a distance of 3-4 cm between them.
• Spread the seeds of tomatoes with a distance of 1-2 cm.
• Sprinkle with earth and moisten the surface with a spray bottle.
• Cover the containers with glass or film (bag) to create a greenhouse effect (so that it is warm and humid inside).
• Put in a dark and warm place at a temperature of + 22-28 degrees until friendly shoots appear.

Video: sowing tomato seeds for seedlings

Care for tomato seedlings after sowing: basic rules

Further development of seedlings depends entirely on proper care.

In order for the seedlings to grow strong, it is worth taking into account the basic conditions for its maintenance and the rules of care.

Temperature and light conditions

After the first sprouts appear and the shelter is removed, it is necessary to reduce the temperature of the seedlings to + 14-18 degrees during the day and + 10-14 at night for 5-7 days.

Such a measure will reduce the active growth of green mass (seedlings will not stretch) and will allow the roots to develop.

In the future, for the normal growth of tomato seedlings, it will be necessary to create a temperature difference - during the day - + 22-26 degrees, at night - + 14-18 degrees.

Temperature fluctuations contribute to the hardening of plants.

For the full growth and development of tomato seedlings, 11-12 hour daylight hours are required.

The most suitable place for placing seedlings will be the southern windowsill. East or west is also suitable, and even better if it is southeast or southwest.

If you only have a northern window sill or you often have cloudy weather, then you will definitely need illuminate seedlings with special phytolamps.

Watering

Watering tomato seedlings should be carried out as the substrate dries, avoiding overflows and drying of the roots. Moisten should be carefully, especially the soil, avoiding moisture on the foliage. At the same time, it is necessary to water abundantly so that the entire earthen lump has time to soak. Water should be warm or at least room temperature, pre-settled.

Note! Waterlogging of the soil in combination with insufficient illumination and elevated temperature lead to strong elongation of plant stems.

Video: caring for tomato seedlings from germination to picking

picking

Tomato seedlings (unlike peppers and eggplants) tolerate picking well.

Seedling care after picking

Further care similar for tomato seedlings: you need to continue to maintain temperature and light conditions, as well as water on time and start feeding if necessary.

top dressing

If you properly prepare the soil, then the seedlings can not be fed at all, especially before picking. But if poor soil was originally used, then top dressing is recommended even before picking. Moreover, if the appearance of the seedlings clearly hints that the plant lacks some macro- or microelements. In this case, top dressing is simply necessary.

Hardening seedlings before planting in a permanent place in the ground

10-14 days before planting tomato seedlings in a permanent place, hardening of seedlings should be started.

This is necessary so that the seedlings have adapted to more severe outdoor conditions, because before that they grew up in a comfortable home environment.

It is quite simple to do this: you need to gradually start taking the seedlings to the greenhouse or to the balcony (loggia), where the temperature is lower (both daytime and nighttime), first for 1-2 hours during the day, and at the end for the whole day.

Video: tomato seedlings - from picking to planting

Problems and diseases of tomato seedlings

Growing tomato seedlings is painstaking work, the result of which can be jeopardized by banal mistakes in caring for young seedlings. There are a number of problems and diseases of seedlings that can nullify all the efforts of the gardener:

• manifested by a dried stem at the base of the seedling; develops at high humidity, thickening of crops against the background of lack of light, as well as when seeds are planted in contaminated soil.

• Pulling seedlings. Lack of light, high temperature and waterlogging of the soil are the main reasons for pulling out tomato seedlings (however, like any other).
• Yellowing leaves seedlings.

By the way! About, what to do if tomato seedlings start to turn yellow, and you can not determine the disease, read.

• If a leaves began to acquire beetroot purple hue and seedlings began to noticeably lag behind in growth, then she obviously lack of phosphorus nutrition.

Video: problems when growing tomato seedlings and how to solve them

When to plant tomato seedlings in open ground and greenhouse

As for the timing, the planting of tomato seedlings is carried out only when the threat of the last spring frosts has passed, and the soil has warmed up sufficiently.

Note! The site already has 2 materials about when and how to plant tomato seedlings, as well as about rules for its further cultivation:

Video: when and how to plant tomatoes - detailed instructions from sowing to harvesting

In contact with

Dacha economy - good way provide yourself with tasty and fresh vegetables. Among them, one of the most popular crops are tomatoes. Their cultivation is a real art, and in order to obtain a high-quality and plentiful crop of tomatoes, it is necessary to apply a large number of time, effort and labor. The process itself is divided into several stages, the first of which is working with seedlings. It depends on how healthy and delicious tomatoes will be in the future. Therefore, if you are a novice gardener, then you definitely need to learn how to plant tomatoes for seedlings correctly.

Before working with seeds, it is necessary to determine the timing of their planting for seedlings. Here you should pay attention to two things - how quickly your chosen variety or hybrid of tomatoes ripens, and in what area it will grow:

• for the Chernozem and southern regions, the period from the last third of February to the second third of March, inclusive, will be a suitable time for sowing tomato seeds for seedlings;
• for the Middle Strip and central regions - from mid-March to early April;
• in the northern regions, in the Urals and in Siberia - the first and second decades of April.

Early ripening varieties should be sown approximately 50-60 days before transferring seedlings to open ground, the rest - 65-80 days before. More accurate dates can be obtained by carefully studying the characteristics of the tomatoes planned for planting.

Preparing tomato seeds for seedlings

Important! When making your own soil mixtures do not add clay there - it will worsen the properties of the soil and make it less permeable to water and air.

Above, in one of the sections of the article, it was described how the seeds for tomato seedlings were disinfected. The same event must be carried out for the soil - without disinfection, the risk of young tomato sprouts being affected by a fungus or some kind of disease increases significantly. In the event that you made the soil for seedlings yourself, disinfection is required. As for the purchased land, then the summer resident should act at his own discretion. In total, there are four ways to clean the soil for seedlings from microorganisms.

1. Calcination. The oven is heated to a relatively low (+70-90°C) temperature. Then, soil for seedlings or a mixture prepared in advance is poured onto a metal baking sheet and distributed in an even layer, no more than 5 cm in thickness. The earth is calcined in the oven for no more than half an hour. After calcination and cooling, the soil is ready for planting seeds for seedlings.
2. Cold disinfection. The soil, pre-packed in a bag, is placed in the freezer or taken out into the street (if it is winter) and left for several days under the influence sub-zero temperature. Then they bring it back into heat for the same amount of time, and then repeat the operation a couple more times.
3. Steaming- the soil for seedlings is placed in a colander and placed over a pot of boiling water for 7-8 minutes. In this case, two tasks are performed - the earth is saturated with moisture and freed from microorganisms, fungi and weed seeds.
4. Etching- the soil is impregnated with a solution of potassium permanganate, prepared in the same way as for seed disinfection. This operation should be performed only a few days before planting seedlings.

Containers for planting tomatoes for seedlings

After seeds and soil for planting tomatoes for seedlings, containers should be prepared. They can be common to all tomato sprouts or individual, in the form of small pots or cassettes, separated by walls into separate cells. The second option is preferable due to the fact that you insure yourself against a one-time defeat of most of the tomato seedlings by the disease. In addition, when using individual pots, you can distribute the nutrients for the tomato sprouts in a better way. You can get acquainted with the main options for such containers in the table below.

Table. The main types of individual containers used for planting tomatoes for seedlings.

Tank type	Description
	Small round and square containers made of plastic. At the bottom, they have holes created for the purpose of drainage. Glasses and pots are supplied with saucers, in which excess moisture accumulates, which has left them through the holes mentioned earlier.
	Large square and rectangular containers. Inner space divided into many equal square cells by walls, which can be either cast together with the product or removable. In the latter case, you have the opportunity to independently increase the size of individual pallet cells. At the bottom, the container has many holes created for the purpose of drainage.
	Separate glasses and trays made not of plastic, but of natural peat. Tomato seedlings are planted in open ground, placed in a container, without being removed from it. The peat walls decompose and supply the young plant with some nutrients.
	Containers varying in size and shape, made of cardboard, thick paper, juice and milk cartons, or plastic bottles. Unlike the previous options, they do not require a purchase and are made independently.

Peat tablets are another option.

Both homemade and purchased containers for tomato seedlings require mandatory disinfection with steam or cold.

Video - Sowing tomato seeds for seedlings

Planting tomato seeds for seedlings - step by step instructions

When the seeds, soil and containers are ready, proceed to the most important thing - planting tomatoes for seedlings. How to do this, you will learn from step by step instructions below.

Step 1. Remove and prepare containers, soil and seeds for work. Check if everything is enough.

Step 2 Pour purchased or your own soil into the container. From the edge of the pots or pallet to the ground level, they should be about 2.5-3 cm.

Step 3 Water the soil filled in the container - the soil must be moist before planting. Then cover the containers with cling film and leave it for a day so that the moisture is evenly distributed in the ground.

Step 4 If you are using a common container, then use a stick or other tool to make grooves 0.5-1 cm deep and at intervals of about 4 cm. In the case of individual pots or a pallet divided into many cells, make indentations in the center of each container with your finger or spoon . The depth should be the same as the grooves.

Tomatoes are one of the most popular horticultural crops, which is customary to grow seedlings. Healthy seedlings are the key to a successful tomato harvest, so you need to take the process of growing it with all responsibility, and there are no trifles in this matter. We will tell you when tomato seeds are planted for seedlings, how to grow tomato seedlings at home, and when tomato seedlings are planted in the garden.

When to plant tomatoes for seedlings in 2019

The cultivation of seedlings begins with determining the correct sowing dates. When to sow tomatoes for seedlings in 2019? The lunar sowing calendar will tell you about this:

The lunar sowing calendar will tell you about this:

• January: 1, 12-14, 20, 21, 24-26, 28, 29;
• February: 6, 7, 20-22, 25, 26;
• March: 5-7, 15, 20, 21, 24, 25;
• April: 20, 21, 27-29.

When to plant tomato seedlings in open ground? In May, favorable days for this: 4-6, 18, 19, 24-28 numbers; in June: 15, 21-24.

Do not sow tomatoes for seedlings on the new moon or full moon, because during these lunar phases, plant juices are collected either in the upper part, or, conversely, in the roots and tubers, which interferes with normal development. If you sow the seeds during the growing moon, that is, after the new moon, the growth activity of the ground part increases, and in plants sown on the waning moon, after the full moon, the root system develops intensively. It follows from this that cereals should be planted in the phase of the growing moon, and root crops - in the phase of the waning. As for the tomatoes culture is demanding therefore, it is very important that the sowing of tomatoes for seedlings is carried out on favorable days for this.

Growing seedlings of tomatoes at home

Soil for tomato seedlings

The main component of the soil for tomato seedlings is a mixture of humus and sod land in equal parts. To give this mixture friability, sawdust or peat is added to it. You can buy ready-made soil for seedlings in the store.

Often a mixture of black earth, sand and soil is used to grow seedlings in equal proportions, but a little vermiculite must be added to this composition. Excellent results showed the cultivation of tomato seedlings in a mixture of sand and deoxidized high-moor peat in a ratio of 1:3. Good tomato seedlings are also obtained on a coconut substrate - it has a healthy and strong root system, besides, the seedlings are of high quality and fast growth.

However, no matter what composition of the soil for growing tomato seedlings you would prefer, its pH should be in the range of 5.5-6.0 pH, in addition, it is necessary to disinfect the soil before sowing.

You can do this in several ways:

• ignite the soil mixture in the oven for 10-15 minutes at a temperature of 180-200 ºC;
• spill the soil with boiling water;
• heat for a couple of minutes in the microwave at full power;
• shed the composition with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate.

The soil is disinfected by any of the above methods, moistened if it is dry, and left warm for a couple of weeks, so that bacteria useful for tomatoes multiply in it during this time.

In the photo: Germinating seedlings of tomatoes

Seedlings are also grown in peat tablets.

Planting tomatoes for seedlings at home

If you bought tomato seeds for seedlings from reliable manufacturers, then you do not need to disinfect them before sowing - the seeds are already prepared for planting. Self-harvested or market-purchased seeds must be disinfected before sowing, as they can be infected with fungal, viral or bacterial infections.

There are several ways to disinfect seed:

• tomato seeds are soaked for a day or two in aqueous solution aloe juice (1:1), purchased at a pharmacy or squeezed from the leaves of the plant with your own hands and aged in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. Tomatoes from seeds treated in this way are distinguished by good immunity, yield and high quality fruits;
• the seed is soaked for a day in a solution of one gram of soda in 200 ml of water - this treatment stimulates the early onset of fruiting;
• soaking the seeds in Fitosporin solution is effective: a drop of the drug is diluted in 100 ml of water and the seed is immersed in this liquid for 1-2 hours;
• the seeds are wrapped in gauze and placed for 15-20 minutes in a one percent solution of potassium permanganate.

Sowing seeds of tomatoes for seedlings is carried out in this way: a container for crops with drainage holes is filled with moist soil, grooves are made in it with a depth of not more than 1 cm at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other, the seeds are laid out in them in increments of 2-3 cm and sprinkled soil. Then the container is covered with glass or film and placed near a heat source, since the optimum temperature for seed germination is 25-30 ºC.

How to grow seedlings in tablets

Growing seedlings of tomatoes in peat tablets makes it possible to do without picking seedlings, which in any case leads to their stress. To grow tomatoes, you need tablets with a diameter of 4 cm, which are first filled with water at room temperature to swell, and after the excess water drains, they are placed in cells slightly larger than the tablets in diameter and placed in a transparent box with a height of at least 10 cm.

Two to four seeds are sown in one such tablet, but if you are sure of the quality seed, then you can sow one at a time - subsequently you will not have to thin out seedlings.

Make a hole 1-1.5 cm deep in the center of each tablet and place a seed there, and sprinkle it with soil or vermiculite on top. Cover the box with crops with a transparent lid, glass or polyethylene and place in the conditions necessary for seed germination. With the advent of seedlings, the cover is removed from the crops.

In the photo: Growing seedlings of tomatoes

Growing tomato seedlings in cassettes

Many gardeners prefer to use pallet cassettes for growing tomato seedlings.

• Firstly, in this case, the procedure for moistening the soil is greatly facilitated, since the method of bottom irrigation is used - through a pallet.
• Secondly, the same cassettes can be used repeatedly - they are made from high-quality polystyrene, they are easy to clean and wash.
• Thirdly, cassettes save space - all seedlings can fit on one windowsill.
• Fourth, growing seedlings in cassettes, you save yourself and seedlings from the exhausting picking procedure, which often damages root system seedlings.

On sale you can find cassettes with parameters 18x13.5x6 cm for 4 cells, the size of each of which is 8x6 cm, and the volume is 240 ml. You can purchase a cassette of the same size with large quantity cells of smaller capacity - 6x5.5 cm and a capacity of 155 ml. There are cassettes for nine and twelve plants, but for tomato seedlings it is better to choose a cassette with larger cells. The most convenient type of cassettes is in the box: the pallet in such a box is made of dark plastic, and the lid is made of transparent. The lid protects the substrate from moisture evaporation, creates Greenhouse effect and transmits light well.

How to grow tomato seedlings in cassettes? The use of cassettes as a container for seedlings has its own characteristics: due to the small volume of cells, the soil in them quickly dries out and loses nutrients, therefore, a mixture of agroperlite with high-moor peat in a ratio of 1: 3 is more suitable for growing in cassettes. Peat is preliminarily deoxidized by mixing 10 buckets with 1 kg of chalk and adding to the mixture 50 g of ammonium nitrate, 30 g of magnesium sulfate, 100 g potassium nitrate and 150 g of superphosphate. Do not forget to decontaminate the soil mixture before fertilizing it.

Disposable cassettes do not require sterilization, and those that have already been used must be disinfected. After disinfection, place the cassette on a pallet, fill the cells with prepared moist soil, compact it, make holes in it 1-1.5 cm deep, place the seeds that have undergone pre-sowing treatment in them, and close the holes.

In the photo: Only hatched seedlings

But it is much easier and more convenient to use peat tablets for growing seedlings in cassettes - after swelling in water, they are laid out in cells and seeds are sown in them in the way that we have already described.

Tomato seedlings in a greenhouse

Our website has already posted an article on how to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse, but we will tell you now how to grow tomato seedlings in protected ground, especially since it is the most reliable and efficient way to get strong, healthy tomato seedlings.

After preparing the soil in a heated greenhouse, make furrows 3-5 cm deep in the bed at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other and spill these furrows well with water. Dry disinfected seeds are sown in 1-2 cm increments, after which the furrows are covered with wet sand or peat.

Seedlings are thinned out when they develop the first pair of true leaves, leaving a distance of 5-7 cm between the seedlings. After the procedure, water the soil well to eliminate the air plugs formed in it. In the development phase of the seedlings of three pairs of leaves, the second thinning is carried out in increments of 12-15 cm. After the second procedure, for the development of the root system of the seedlings, a layer of soil 3-6 cm thick must be added to the bed, and the aisles should be mulched with sand, sawdust or peat.

Buy tomato seedlings - is it worth it?

If for some reason you didn’t have time or weren’t able to grow tomato seedlings on your own, you, of course, will have to buy it, and it’s better to contact a well-established nursery for this - they are unlikely to deceive you, handing you another variety instead of one, and they will try answer all your questions. But anything can happen in the market.

But if you still decide to purchase seedlings in the market, listen to our advice:

• choose seedlings that are no more than 45-60 days old: their height should not exceed 30 cm, in seedlings of undersized and early varieties there should be 6-8 leaves, and in tall ones - 11-12 leaves;
• seedlings should be strong, with a pencil-thick stem, rich green leaves and a well-formed root system without mechanical damage;
• carefully inspect the underside of the leaves for pests or their eggs. If the seedlings have shriveled or otherwise deformed leaves, this may be a symptom. infectious disease. Pay attention to the stems of the seedlings - whether they have brown or black spots. Do not buy seedlings from the seller if you find signs of disease or the presence of harmful insects on at least one plant;
• if the seedlings look healthy, but the edges of their bright green leaves are wrapped down, under the leaf, this may indicate that the seller grew seedlings in an accelerated way, overfeeding them with nitrogen fertilizers - you should not buy such seedlings;
• seedlings should be fresh and sold in boxes with soil.

And yet, even if you manage to get good seedlings, homemade tomato seedlings that you have grown yourself are still better.

In the photo: Tomato seedlings with the first true leaves

The term of seed germination depends on the quality of the seed, the conditions of the crops and the variety of tomatoes. If you follow the recommended keeping temperature (25-30 ºC), the seeds will germinate in 3-4 days. At a temperature of 20-25 ºC, seedlings will begin to break through in 5-6 days, and if the room temperature is 10-12 ºC, then the sprouts will appear no earlier than in two weeks.

As soon as the first shoots appear, the temperature of the content for a week is lowered to 14-16 ºC to avoid stretching the seedlings. Crops are placed in the brightest place, however, natural lighting may not be enough, and you will need to organize additional artificial lighting for the growing seedlings.

Ventilate the crops daily and remove condensation from the cover, otherwise mold may form on the surface of the soil. When the mass germination of seeds begins, the cover is removed from the crops, the daytime temperature is raised to 20-22 ºC, and the night temperature is up to 16-18 ºC. By adjusting the room temperature, protect seedlings from drafts.

Watering tomato seedlings

Humidify tomato seedlings with great care, as they can easily rot. If the substrate holds moisture well, then do not water the soil from the moment of sowing until the first true leaf appears on the seedlings. If the soil dries out, it is better to moisten it with a spray bottle, trying not to wet the stems of the seedlings. In the future, watering is carried out once a week, and at the stage of development of seedlings with five true leaves, the soil begins to be moistened once every 3-4 days.

For irrigation and spraying use settled or filtered water two to three degrees warmer than room temperature.

Feeding tomato seedlings

Whether your seedlings need top dressing, you can determine by their appearance: seedlings with a strong, plump stem and juicy green leaves do not need fertilizers. But if the appearance of your seedlings makes you suspicious that they are undernourished, apply fertilizer to the soil.

How to feed tomato seedlings, and when is the best time to do it? Add a solution of 1 teaspoon of Agricola Vegeta and the same amount of Kornerost in 1 liter of water to the soil at the development stage of seedlings of 1-2 leaves, and when the seedlings have a third leaf, a solution of one tablespoon of Effecton-O per liter will be a good top dressing for them water. Water the soil nutrient solutions you need to be careful, trying not to get the liquid on the leaves and stems of the seedlings.

In the photo: Planted tomato seedlings

Illumination of tomato seedlings

Tomatoes are very demanding on lighting. From the lack of light, the seedlings stretch out, grow weak and frail. The length of daylight hours for tomato seedlings should be at least 12 hours, so you will need an additional light source, and in the first 2-5 days from the moment of germination artificial lighting should work around the clock.

To organize the backlight, it is better to purchase a fluorescent lamp or a phytolamp, and place it above the seedlings at a height of 20-25 cm.

Picking seedlings of tomatoes

If you grow seedlings in a common box or container, at the stage of development of seedlings of three true leaves, they dive into separate half-liter pots or cups with drainage holes. If you transplant the seedlings into a container of a smaller volume, you will have to pick one more time, and this is unwise. The cups are filled with moist soil, compacted, and a recess is made in it. The seedling is carefully removed from the soil, pinch its main root a third of the length, after which the plant is transplanted into a cup and the soil is squeezed around its stalk. For the first 3-4 days after picking, the temperature in the room is increased by 2-3 degrees, and as soon as the seedlings take root, it is lowered to the previous level.

Pinching tomato seedlings

There is another way to transplant seedlings after picking - two in one pot. When the seedlings are accepted and stretched up to 10-15 cm, their stems are tightly tied to each other with a nylon thread. After complete fusion, the thread is removed, and the top of the weaker seedling is pinched. As a result, you will have a strong seedling with a powerful root system.

In the photo: Seedlings of tomatoes in peat pots

Diseases of tomato seedlings and their treatment

Tomato seedlings turn yellow

Tomato seedling rots

most common cause Rotting seedlings is excessive soil moisture, especially if there is no drainage. Avoid such mistakes, and if you find signs of decay, remove the affected plants, loosen the soil and sprinkle it with wood ash on top. And, of course, reconsider your attitude to watering. Seedlings also rot from disease.

Diseases of tomato seedlings

The most common diseases that affect tomatoes in the seedling stage are black leg, white and brown leaf spot, black bacterial spot, bacterial cancer, streak, late blight and mosaic.

Blackleg – fungal disease transmitted through the soil, and provokes its activity high air temperature and high humidity. In the affected plant, the base of the stem darkens, and then the base of the stem turns black, a constriction forms on it, and as a result, the seedling lies down, and its roots rot.

The level of danger can be reduced by adding wood ash to the soil. As a preventive measure, do not neglect the sterilization of the soil mixture and seeds before sowing and control the soil moisture.

Affected plants must be removed.

In the photo: Growing tomato seedlings in individual pots

White leaf spot appears as dirty white spots with black dots and a dark border on lower leaves, which gradually turn brown, dry and fall off. Infection penetrates from infected soil. At the first signs of the disease, all affected seedlings must be removed, the soil should be shed with a solution of potassium permanganate and powdered with wood ash, and healthy plants should be treated with Bordeaux liquid or another copper-containing fungicide.

Brown leaf spot first looks like blurry yellowish spots on the upper side of the leaves and an olive-colored coating on their lower side. Gradually, the spots darken and spread over the entire leaf plate, and the plaque becomes dark brown. Diseased leaves dry and fall off. The disease actively develops against the background of high humidity and air temperature. Destroy the infection by treating the seedlings with a fungicide solution, after removing the affected specimens.

late blight is transmitted through seed, soil and airborne droplets and more often affects seedlings suffering from a lack of copper, potassium, iodine and manganese. Phytophthora is destroyed with a fungicide solution, but this is rarely possible the first time.

Bacterial black spot is transmitted through non-sterile soil or seeds and looks like black spots on the ground parts of plants. The affected seedlings must be immediately removed and destroyed, the soil should be shed with a solution of potassium permanganate and powdered with wood ash on top, and the seedlings should be treated with a solution of a copper-containing fungicide.

bacterial cancer strikes vascular system plants and causes them to wilt. It can be diagnosed by light rounded spots with a gradually darkening center, similar to a bird's eye. Sick plants are destroyed immediately, and healthy ones are sprayed with a fungicide.

In the photo: Tomato seedlings in a peat cassette

streak, or streak, caused by a virus, which means that there is no cure for this disease. The virus is transmitted by the seeds of infected plants. Diseased seedlings are covered with strokes, stripes and specks of a reddish-brown hue, the leaves die off, and the petioles and stems become brittle.

Mosaic is also a viral disease that gives the leaves of plants a variegated color: dark green spots alternate with light, almost yellow ones. As a result, the leaves curl up and die. Drugs for the treatment of viral diseases have not yet been invented, so one has to be content with preventive measures, including careful selection and pre-sowing seed treatment. If you find signs of a mosaic on seedlings, Remove and destroy affected seedlings immediately.

When to plant tomato seedlings in the ground

Planting tomatoes in open ground is carried out when warm weather is established and the danger of return frosts has passed. At this point, seedlings about 30 cm high should have a pencil-thick stem with at least 6-7 leaves, short internodes, and at least one flower cluster.

Two weeks before planting the seedlings in the garden, they begin to harden, gradually lowering the temperature of the content from 18-20 ºC to 14-16 ºC. The last 4-6 days the seedlings are taken out to the balcony, loggia or terrace. At first, they keep it there for 2-3 hours, but gradually the duration of the sessions is increased, and by the time the seedlings are planted in the ground, they should already be outdoors around the clock, adapting to the conditions in which they have to grow and develop further.

Tomatoes are one of the most popular and sought after vegetable crops. Many gardeners try to grow this crop themselves, but not everyone has an idea about how to plant tomatoes for seedlings. This is a very long process, in which it is important to comply with agrotechnical standards of care and carry out timely procedures (watering, fertilizing, picking, etc.). We will tell you more about each stage of planting and growing tomato seedlings in this article.

To get a bountiful harvest of tasty and fragrant fruits, you should try by going through the following steps:

1. Tomato variety selection and seed selection.
2. Choosing the right container for planting.
3. Soil preparation.
4. Preparing seeds for planting.
5. Proper sowing of seeds.
6. Seedling diving.
7. Preparing seedlings for planting in a permanent place.

Selection and preparation of seeds

The choice of seeds is enough milestone. Even knowing how to plant tomatoes for seedlings, you can get high-quality seedlings only when the tomato seeds are of good quality. The success of planting depends, first of all, on the correct and reasonable choice of variety. We need to weigh all the pros and cons.

Tomato varieties must be selected according to the following criteria:

1. growing region. To date, varieties of tomatoes are very diverse. There are sun- and heat-loving tomatoes that will die in cold, damp conditions. And there are varieties that love coolness and moisture, so they will develop poorly in the climate of the southern regions. On the market, you can pick up varieties for almost any region. The choice is huge.
2. Open ground or greenhouse? Immediately you need to decide where the tomatoes will be grown. As a rule, greenhouse tomatoes are more demanding: they need to create the right microclimate, a comfortable temperature, and also provide regular care. But for this they give the gardener a rich harvest of beautiful fruits. Tomatoes grown in the garden are less capricious in care, more resistant to temperature extremes. Their fruits are fragrant and tasty. True, they bear fruit later, and their appearance is often inferior to greenhouse tomatoes.
3. Appearance of fruits. Taste is important, but external characteristics also need to be remembered. There are special varieties for salting and conservation. Their skin is dense, the fruits are very elongated, medium in size. There are salad (table) tomatoes. They are large, their flesh is juicy, sugary and aromatic. And there are varieties with small rounded fruits that decorate table dishes. Color is also an important characteristic. There are varieties with black, purple, green and yellow fruits.
4. Bush height. This criterion is practical. In open ground, tall bushes need more intensive care. In order to save space and money, they are best grown in greenhouses. They are easier to harvest. Medium and undersized tomatoes ideal for outdoor cultivation. Unlike tall bushes, they do not need to be pinched, pinched, protected from the wind and made hinged structures for tying up to 3 m high.

Processing and preparing seeds for planting

Before sowing seeds at home, planting material must be processed. This is done for the purpose of disinfection and in order to improve the quality of seedlings. But first, they must be selected. Small and damaged seeds are not suitable for planting.

Salt is dissolved in water, the seeds are dipped in this solution, mixed thoroughly. Let them stand in it for 5-7 minutes. Those that float to the surface should be removed. The remaining seeds (those at the bottom) are washed with clean water and dried, and then placed in gauze.

Disinfection of seeds occurs as follows: prepare a 0.8% solution acetic acid. The seeds are dipped there for a day. For the prevention of viral diseases, a 1% solution of potassium permanganate is used. The seeds should be in it for about 20-30 minutes.

Or they can be soaked for 1-2 days in a solution of aloe juice. Bushes grown from such seeds have high immunity, good yields and tasty fruits. After processing, planting material is washed with clean water.

You can speed up the onset of fruiting by soaking the seeds for a day in a soda solution (1 g of the substance per 200 ml of water). To increase productivity, they can also be dipped for a day in a 4% solution of ammonium nitrate.

You can improve the germination of seeds with ordinary water. Warm up for 2-3 hours hot water. It is most convenient to lower the gauze bags with seeds into a thermos. After that, they are kept for two to three days at a temperature of +25 degrees.

The gauze must be damp. During this time, the seeds peck. Then they are planted in the soil, and after 2 days shoots appear. However, at first, germinated seeds can be placed in the refrigerator for a day to harden them and facilitate the acclimatization of seedlings when transplanted into open ground.

Instead of the solutions listed above, complex growth stimulants are used. They activate the growth of seeds, disinfect them, improve taste qualities and nutritional value of fruits. Seeds are kept in solution for 6 hours. The temperature of the liquid should be 18 degrees Celsius. After processing, they should be dried.

Soil preparation

Before you sow the seeds at home, you should prepare the soil. The land must have the following characteristics:

• light composition;
• water permeability;
• breathability;
• lack of weeds;
• looseness;
• the presence of nutrients and organic elements;
• acidity in the range of 5.5-6.0 pH.

The substrate is best prepared by hand. There are several options. The first involves mixing garden soil, humus, black or pressed peat in a ratio of 1:1:1. Wood ash (0.5 kg per bucket of substrate) and superphosphate (2 matchboxes per 1 bucket) are used as fertilizers. The soil must be moistened with water.

The second option differs from the first one in one component. Garden soil is mixed with black or pressed peat, river sand is used instead of humus (components are taken in equal proportions). The fertilizer is prepared in the form of a liquid solution: 20 g of potassium sulfate, 30 g of superphosphate and 10 g of carbamide per 10 liters of water.

Seedlings can be planted in peat tablets. In each peat tablet with a diameter of 3.3-3.6 cm, 2 seeds are planted. After the formation of roots, the plant is transplanted into a container with a volume of 0.5 liters.

At home, you can also use ready-made soil mixtures purchased at the store. This is very convenient, especially if tomato seedlings are grown in an apartment. The soil already has all the necessary substances, it remains only to find a container, moisten the mixture and plant the seeds correctly.

Capacity selection

In what containers can you plant tomato seeds? On the market today there is a huge range of containers for growing tomatoes. You can buy ordinary plastic pots, peat tablets and cups, wooden boxes, snails, etc.

But the capacity can be easily found in your own household, you can create it yourself. For example, at home, you can put together a box from unnecessary boards, and “snails” and “diapers” are created from dense polyethylene.

Even cardboard boxes, plastic cups for yogurt, cottage cheese, pastries and cakes can serve as a container - any container that can be found in the house. The exception is metal utensils. It is not recommended to grow tomato seedlings in them.

Before planting tomatoes for seedlings, the container must be disinfected. This applies even to new purchased cups and pots. The container is dipped in a strong solution of manganese for several minutes, and then allowed to dry. At the bottom of the container, it is necessary to lay out a layer of drainage (crushed shells or small gravel will do).

Landing instructions

Proper planting of seeds at home implies, first of all, compliance with the sowing dates. Sowing seeds of late-ripening and tall varieties takes place in the second half of February (from the 15th to the 25th). Seedlings at the age of 70-80 days in early May (1-10 days) are planted in a greenhouse.

Mid-season varieties are sown on March 5-10, seedlings at the age of 60-65 days are transplanted to a permanent place on May 10-20. Early ripe tomatoes are sown between March 15 and 25. Ripe seedlings aged 55-60 days are planted in open ground on June 5-10.

How to plant tomatoes for seedlings? Sowing dry or swollen seeds is somewhat easier than sprouting. Planting seeds in a box or other large containers is carried out by the method of ditches.

Furrows 1-1.5 cm deep are made with any suitable object on the soil, the distance between the grooves is 3-4 cm. Seeds are planted every 2-2.5 cm. After that, they are added dropwise with earth. Planting too thickly will cause seedlings to grow weak due to lack of nutrients. Before this procedure, the soil should be watered.

If the seeds were germinated in advance, then planting is best done with tweezers. Each seed is lowered into the soil strictly vertically, sprouts up. Then the seeds are sprinkled with soil, but do not press down with earth. After that, the soil must be moistened from the sprayer (it should settle).

After sowing the seeds, the container is covered with plastic wrap and placed in a warm, bright place. The air temperature should be around 22-23 degrees. After the appearance of green shoots (this happens about 5-10 days after planting), the film is removed so that the seedlings do not grow.

The container itself is placed in a cooler place for 5-6 days (not higher than 15-16 degrees Celsius). A week later, the strengthened shoots are again moved to a warm place. The temperature during the day should be 24 degrees, and at night - 12 degrees.

seedling care

picking

If tomatoes grow in one container, then at the stage of two or three true leaves they should be dived into separate containers with a volume of 0.5 liters. They can also be transplanted into separate cups with holes for drainage. Tomatoes tolerate transplanting to a new place well.

The dive stage has two positive points: Firstly, this procedure hardens the seedlings. She becomes stronger and squat. Secondly, picking makes it possible to slightly reduce the growth of elongated seedlings. To do this, seedlings are deepened into the soil by cotyledon leaves.

Before picking, seedlings are watered with warm water. Cups are prepared: moist soil is poured into them, the earth is rammed, and a recess is made in the center.

Seedlings are carefully removed, the main root is pinched by a third. Weak or damaged seedlings must be removed from the garden. The plant is lowered into a recess and sprinkled with earth. For 3-4 days, the air temperature is increased by several degrees, and after acclimatization it is again lowered to the previous one. In this short period, the lighting should not be so intense.

Watering

Seedlings should be watered as needed. It is very easy to overdo it, the roots in the early stages easily rot. If the soil holds moisture well, then it is better to postpone watering until the first true leaf appears. If the substrate is dry, then the seedlings are moistened with a spray gun. It is convenient to water the seedlings with a teaspoon.

After the appearance of the first true leaves, the seedlings are watered once a week. During the period when the plant has developed five true leaves, the earth is moistened every 3-4 days. Seedlings are watered with warm settled water, the temperature of which is several degrees higher than room temperature. By the way, the room should be ventilated 2 times a day.

Lighting

Tomatoes need good lighting. In low light conditions, seedlings stretch out, become frail and weak. Light day for seedlings should last at least 12 hours.

It follows that they need to provide additional lighting. And in the first few days after sowing, artificial lighting should work around the clock. The best solution- Fluorescent Lamp. It is placed at a height of 20-25 cm above the seedlings.

top dressing

If all agrotechnical standards were observed during planting, if the seeds are of high quality, then the seedlings can not be fed. Do seedlings need fertilizer? The answer will be the appearance.

Plants with a strong thick stem and juicy bright green leaves do not need fertilizer. If you still have doubts, then it is better to feed the seedlings. In any case, fertilizer will not be superfluous.

The first time fertilizers are applied 10 days after picking. For 10 liters of water, take 30 g of superphosphate, 3 g of urea and 10 g of potassium sulfate. Two weeks later, a similar top dressing is carried out. Ready-made fertilizer can be purchased at the store. Follow the dosage carefully. After each feeding, the seedlings are watered, and the soil is loosened.

How to determine the quality of seedlings?

The leaves of properly grown seedlings should be green, juicy, without spots and plaque. The development of a weak plant is slow, the seed coat is not always shed. The seedling has irregular shape, the edges of the leaves are wrapped.

But at the same time, the reason for late germination may be different. For example, a seed was sown at a greater depth than it should be. And the plant does not shed the seed coat due to loose soil. Therefore, to determine weak seedlings, all seeds must be planted at the same depth, and the soil should be compacted.

Tomato seedlings can also be bought on the market, but the best seedlings there will be one that is grown with your own hands at home.