Tomatoes are grown almost all summer residents-this is perhaps the most popular vegetable. And it is necessary to prepare for sowing now. And I remind you, this is a follow-up article called Tomatoes From the Seed to the Grown-Up Seedlings (Part 1).
The choice of soil and seeding
The next stage is very important – the choice of soil and sowing.
For the initial development of seedlings (before the first pick), I use two-hundred-gram cups. To avoid strong becoming soaked soil from irrigation, the bottom is filled with two – or three-centimeter layer of any drainage. To drainage qualitatively performed its functions, between it and the substrate make a layer of non-woven material.
Containers for planting densely fills the substrate. The seeds themselves must be at a depth of 1.5 cm With hatched seeds need to be handled very carefully! When sowing, use a teaspoon or tweezers. To prevent the emergence of root and basal rot, using biofungicides. And to remember where a hybrid is sown, it is necessary to make an inscription on the Cup or put a tag – a beacon. Seeds with overgrown roots should be planted on the hillocks, gently straightening the spine down.
Sprinkle the seeds with a substrate, lightly seal it with your finger. This must be done to ensure that the roots come into good contact with the ground. We do not use any fertilizers: neither as a refueling of the soil, nor when watering. If you forget to make drainage holes, make several cuts along the perimeter of the lower part of the Cup-to get 3-4 small cracks.
Irrigation and air temperature
The first watering I spend on the perimeter of the pot, not moistening the Central part. During the entire period of growing seedlings, it is desirable to use only melt or rain water. It contributes to a better dissolution of the nutrients contained in the substrate.
If suddenly the substrate was too moisture-intensive, and you feel that after a few hours, the landing tanks are quite heavy, then get rid of excess water will help paper napkins, toilet paper or paper towels, which should be put cups. The ambient temperature should be within +20…+25°C, shoots can be expected in 2-3 days.
If the seeds are too deep, the time for emergence will take more-about 4-5 days. If they are placed too close to the surface, say, to a depth of 0.5 cm, the seminal membrane will not be able to peel itself and will make it difficult to open the cotyledons.
In any case do not peel off the seed coat! Damage to the cotyledons leads to a delay in the development of leaves. To get rid of the shell 3-4 times a day, moisten it with water using a pipette or syringe. You can increase the humidity by covering the container with seedlings with a plastic bag. Another important point: before the natural withering of cotyledons and the first real leaves, they can not be removed!
The temperature in the period from emergence to adoption of cotyledon leaves horizontal position should be about +14…+16°C. Shoots can quickly stretch out if the lighting is insufficient.
Seedling
Sit densely growing seedlings at emergence of 2-3 true leaves coming right after the cotyledon. When planting seedlings in separate pots, you can bury them to the very cotyledons.
To maintain a good turgor after picking, cover the containers with plants with plastic wrap for a couple of days. All nightshades tomatoes least afraid of the transplant.
Growing conditions
Throughout the cultivation of seedlings, it is necessary to constantly monitor the air temperature, soil moisture and lighting. Around the need to know measure. The temperature should not exceed + 22°C and fall below + 14°C. by Changing it, we can affect the growth of plants: increased activates growth, reduced suspends.
Soil moisture should be moderate-it is better not to top up than to pour. Try to water the seedlings in the morning or afternoon. At the beginning of growing tomatoes natural light is not enough, therefore, they need supplementary lighting to 12-16 hours (for example, from 7 am to 19-23 hours). Ordinary bulbs produce a weak effect, in addition, annealing plants and draining the air, so it is better to use phyto lamps or fluorescent lighting.
Overheating of the soil when growing seedlings, on the one hand, leads to accelerated growth, on the other, provokes a number of diseases of the root system. To avoid this, the pot should be protected from direct sunlight, and the soil to make a biological product to combat root and basal rot.
Good intense light and a temperature of +16…+18°C contributes to the production of organically grown seedlings. Lack of light, excess moisture, high temperature (more than 22°C) lead to stretching of plants, which entails a change in the timing of the beginning of fruiting and reducing yields.
Features of development
The intensity of seedling growth to a large extent depends on the class or hybrid belonging to the type of growth — determinant or indeterminate. Of course, determinant tomatoes are growing more slowly than indeterminate. As a rule, they have small internodes, whereby the plant looks stocky and proportionally formed. Indeterminate varieties and hybrids show more rapid growth, internodes while they have longer, whereby plants sometimes seem too elongated.
When growing tomato seedlings, especially indeterminate type, at a certain time we begin to see a lot of roots coming out of the drainage holes, notice a very rapid drying of the substrate, pulling the stem due to abrupt watering, loss of chlorophyll. It will be a hint to what you need to do the transfer, ie the transfer of the root system of plants with a clod of earth in a bigger tank (30-50%). At the same time, the bare roots that “came out of the pot” are not removed, but saved. On the seedlings, completely ready for planting in a permanent place, there should be 5-7 leaves.
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