How many days later to pick tomatoes after germination - determine the exact date

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Yakov Pavlovich

Professor, Head of the Department of Vegetable Growing

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Growing tomatoes at home occurs in several stages, and picking is the most important of them. To obtain complete and healthy tomato seedlings, it is necessary to provide the plants with space for the development of the root system and therefore the tomato sprouts dive. When is the right time to pick tomatoes after germination and what is needed for this?

Do you need to pick tomatoes?

Many gardeners think about whether it is necessary to pluck tomato seedlings? There are several opinions on this matter:

1. Some experts believe that picking promotes the development of a more powerful root system, and therefore the seedlings grow stronger and more well-developed, which has a beneficial effect on the future harvest.
2. However, there are also supporters of growing tomatoes without picking; in their opinion, during this procedure, severe trauma to the root system of young plants occurs, which is why they get sick for a long time, and ultimately lag behind in growth and development.

In the second case, sowing seeds should be done immediately in separate cups. Several seeds are planted in each of them, and then from the emerging seedlings, the strongest one is left, and the rest are removed.

In order to understand which method of growing tomato seedlings is most suitable for you, you can, if desired, conduct a small experiment. To do this, grow part of the seedlings without picking, and pick the other part. At the end of the season, compare the results.

Expert opinion

Irina Bochkova, candidate of agricultural sciences Sciences, scientific consultant of the magazine "Gardener":

“Healthy seedlings can only be grown in a sufficient amount of land. It is impossible to sow the seed immediately into a large pot, since in this case the small root system of the seedlings will not be able to quickly develop the entire volume of soil, and that part of the substrate that is not penetrated by roots turns sour very quickly, pathogenic microorganisms multiply there and infect the roots, and the plant dies. Therefore, even if you sow seeds in separate pots, they should still be small in volume and therefore such plants will need to be transshipped, and possibly more than once. There is additional substrate, extra pots, space and everything else.

As for removing seedlings from the seed box, if this operation is carried out at the optimal time, that is, when the seedlings have 1–3 true leaves, the root systems do not yet have time to intertwine, and the plants easily tolerate picking, since they do not yet have a large leaf masses.

Probably, at home, with a small volume of grown seedlings, you can get confused by sowing seeds directly into separate pots and then transferring them, but on an industrial scale, seedlings are grown only with picking, including peppers and eggplants, and excellent results are obtained.

In addition, not only tomatoes, peppers and eggplants are grown through seedlings. This is also a large number of flowering plants, among which there are species with very small seeds (for example, begonias, petunia, lobelia, primroses) - they have small seedlings that require repeated picking.”

When and at what age are seedlings picked?

As a rule, it is recommended to pick tomato seedlings no earlier than the plants have formed the first pair of true leaf blades, most often this happens a week after germination.

However, there is no need to rush into replanting, because the seedlings appear unevenly, and at this time the plants are too weak and may not survive the transplant. However, this should not be delayed.

The fact is that 20 days after germination, densely growing tomatoes have a developed root system. Because of this, the roots of neighboring bushes intertwine with each other, as a result of which they are severely injured during picking, and the tomatoes get sick for a long time.

Most gardeners try to transplant seedlings into individual cups or into a larger box one and a half to two weeks after germination.

Later picking at the stage of formation of plants with 4–6 true leaf blades (approximately 4–6 weeks after sowing) is allowed only if a fairly high box was used for sowing the seeds, and a large distance was maintained between the plants.

Possible mistakes

After transplanting, seedlings should be watered with plenty of water, but rarely. The next watering is carried out only when the top layer of soil dries out. Too much water causes the development of diseases that affect seedlings. Most often, young plants suffer from blackleg and late blight.

You cannot plant tomato bushes in open ground if:

• the thickness of the main stem did not reach 1 centimeter;
• bush height less than 30 centimeters;
• the bush has less than 8 leaves and no flowering.

If you plant the plant too early, it will die.

When replanting, it is necessary to monitor the root of the sprout. In case of severe damage, picking can slow down the development of the plant for a whole week, or lead to other unpleasant consequences. If you don't have a special peg or spatula, you can use a toothpick.

Early picking increases the risk of damage to the sprout, while late picking worsens its acclimatization.

To accurately select the time for disembarkation, it is necessary to keep a countdown. Many inexperienced people make the mistake of counting 10-14 days after planting the seeds. This period must be counted after the appearance of the first shoots.

If the root of the plant is damaged during replanting, it should not be trimmed. When the plant is removed from the ground, you can hold on to the leaves or the soil ball surrounding the root. You cannot touch the bare root with your hands.

The plant may stop growing if it does not receive enough microelements. You can determine which nutrients the seedlings lack by their appearance:

• the appearance of a red tint on the leaves indicates a lack of phosphorus;
• The cause of yellowing and curling of leaves is a lack of potassium;
• if the plants have stopped developing, but have not changed in appearance, or the leaves have become faded, they lack iron.

If such signs occur, it is necessary to use fertilizing with the element that the seedlings are deficient in. Most often, feeding tomato seedlings is done using: Effecton, Nitrophoska, Agricola No. 3. Dilution and use of substances is carried out strictly according to the instructions indicated on the packaging.

It is impossible to plant healthy seedlings with weak and sick ones. Firstly, they can infect healthy seedlings, and secondly, this will negatively affect the quality of the crop.

The recess for planting the plant should be wide. Otherwise, the roots may bend and the development of the plant will slow down. After planting the seedlings, the soil must be thoroughly compacted. The formation of air cavities can negatively affect the growth of seedlings.

Picking is a method of transplantation that strengthens plants and increases productivity. The technology for picking tomatoes is simple, but if done incorrectly, it can harm the plant.

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How to pick tomatoes correctly - step-by-step instructions

Traditional way

Picking rules may vary depending on where exactly the tomato seedlings are transplanted.

Step-by-step instructions for transplanting seedlings into individual cups:

• To begin, prepare the required number of cups and fill them with soil mixture suitable for growing tomatoes.
• Immediately before transplanting, water the seedlings well, thanks to this they will take root and begin to grow much faster.
• You must remove the plants from the container very carefully, try to injure their root system as little as possible. To do this, it is recommended to use a small spoon, fork, small scoop, and so on. You need to take the seedling together with a lump of earth, the thickness of which should be at least half the length of the phalanx of the little finger.
• Make a hole in the substrate in a cup and carefully place the tomato root system into it along with a lump of earth. The stalk is buried in the substrate almost to the cotyledons, this contributes to the development of a more powerful root system.

However, it is not recommended to bury seedlings above the cotyledon lobes, as this leads to a delay in their growth and development. The fact is that if the stem is planted at a great depth, then it will need time and effort to form and grow additional roots.

• The surface of the substrate around the planted bushes is lightly compacted and then watered.
• After 15–20 days, when the plants get stronger and grow, it is recommended to transplant them into larger cups. The fact is that if the overgrown root system is very crowded in the cup, this will negatively affect the development of the entire plant.

You can plant the seedlings in a larger and taller box. This picking is carried out in almost the same way as transplanting plants into individual cups. However, in this case, a distance of 6 to 8 centimeters is maintained between the bushes.

After a while, when the seedlings again become crowded, they are again dived into a larger container, but in this case the distance between the plants is increased to 15 centimeters.

Many gardeners, when picking tomato seedlings, always shorten their roots by a third. In this case, you need to be prepared for the fact that the growth of the transplanted plants will slow down, since all their efforts will be aimed at restoring the root system for some time.

Transshipment of seedlings growing in separate cups

If seedlings are grown immediately in individual cups, then there is no need for picking. However, it is recommended to use small cups for sowing, and after the seedlings grow up, they must be carefully transferred to larger containers.

If you sow directly into large glasses, then the likelihood that liquid will stagnate in the substrate increases, and this can lead to the development of fungal diseases.

If you wish, you can transfer the grown plants directly to the greenhouse, and from there the tomatoes will be planted in open ground.

Transshipment must be carried out very carefully so as not to injure the root system. To do this, prepare a new container and a suitable soil mixture. Before replanting, carefully loosen the soil mixture in a cup and moisten it well.

Carefully remove the plant from the cup along with the earthen lump, while trying not to destroy it. Place the bush in a new container and fill the voids with soil mixture. Water the transplanted plants.

Preparatory work before the dive

For picking, you will need separate containers, soil, a scoop, a toothpick or teaspoon, the seedlings themselves, and a watering can with water. Before starting work, clear a table of suitable size and cover it with oilcloth or newspapers so that you can quickly clean up spilled soil later.

Selection of containers and soil mixture

It is more convenient to carry out the first picking in transparent plastic glasses, in this case you will be able to observe the growth and condition of the roots, but some people prefer other containers and use them for planting:

• plastic pots;
• cassette;
• peat cups;
• halves of milk or juice cartons.

The finished container intended for seedlings already has drainage holes, but if you use homemade containers or plastic glasses, make several small holes in the bottoms to drain excess water.

The soil must be special, intended for growing seedlings. During production, it is sterilized in advance and enriched with various additives containing nutrients. Such soil usually has a loose structure, allows air and water to pass through well, and plants feel comfortable in it.

When using garden soil, river sand and peat are added to it, and 20 g of superphosphate, vermicompost and potassium sulfate are also added. The soil mixture you make yourself must be disinfected. This can be done by calcination in the oven, treatment with boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate.

Read more in the article: How to grow tomato seedlings at home

Transplanting stretched seedlings

Tomato seedlings can stretch out for several reasons:

• excessively dense crops;
• very poor lighting;
• incorrect watering regime;
• unsuitable air temperature.

Particular attention should be paid to watering. They are carried out only after the substrate in the container is completely dry. If you water the plants very often, then because of this they can not only get sick, but also become very elongated.

In this case, to save the tomatoes you will need to replant, and you must follow the step-by-step instructions:

1. To transplant elongated tomatoes, you need to take any elongated container. It is filled with an earthen mixture that is suitable for growing this vegetable crop.
2. You need to make an even, not very deep groove in the substrate. An elongated plant is planted in it, and it is placed almost lying down, but the top should be placed vertically.

There is another way to save such seedlings

• To do this, you need to pinch off the top parts and place them in containers with water for rooting.
• After the cuttings grow roots, they are planted in separate cups.

There is another way

1. If the container in which the elongated bush grows allows, add soil mixture to it.
2. From the surface of the substrate to the cotyledon leaf blades, the distance should be approximately 20–30 millimeters.

Caring for tomatoes after picking

In order for tomato seedlings to take root well after picking and form powerful bushes with a developed root system, they need to be provided with proper care and optimal conditions for growth.

Illumination

Pickled tomatoes should be protected from direct sunlight for the first two or three days. To do this, they can be placed in a shaded place or shaded with paper or a light curtain.

They should be accustomed to bright sunlight gradually; to do this, on the first day, the bushes are left in the sun for 1 hour, then for 2 hours, and so on until the tomatoes get used to it.

Temperature

To prevent the seedlings from stretching out, they need to be provided with the correct temperature conditions.

• In the first three days after the dive, the air temperature during the day should be from 20 to 22 degrees, and at night - from 16 to 18 degrees.
• After the seedlings take root, they should be moved to a cooler place.
• Now during the day the temperature should be between 18–10 degrees, and at night 15–16 degrees.

Fertilizer

Pickled tomato seedlings need to be fed for the first time after a week and a half has passed since transplantation. Then fertilizing is carried out systematically every half month. Before adding fertilizer to the substrate, the plant needs to be watered.

You can feed tomato seedlings with a mineral complex fertilizer or a nutrient solution, for the preparation of which you should combine:

• 1 bucket of water;
• 35 grams of superphosphate;
• 12 grams of potassium sulfate;
• and another 4 grams of urea.

You can also use a solution of nitroammophoska to feed seedlings; to prepare it, 1 tablespoon of the substance is dissolved in one bucket of water.

However, do not overdo it with fertilizing, because excess nutrients in the substrate can have an extremely negative impact on the development of tomatoes.

Watering

Particular attention should be paid to watering. Water tomato seedlings only with well-settled water, the temperature of which should be slightly above room temperature.

Water the plant on average once every 7 days, while trying to ensure that the earthen lump in the container is completely saturated with water.

When the second picking is carried out, the plant is well watered, and then the watering is stopped for 10–12 days. This is necessary in order for the tomato root system to grow well and become stronger.

After this, watering is carried out only after the clod of earth in the container has completely dried.

Remember that if liquid regularly stagnates in the substrate, late blight or blackleg may develop, which can cause the death of seedlings.

Favorable days for picking tomatoes in 2020 according to the lunar calendar

Plants that form an above-ground crop are transplanted to the growing moon. During this period, their biological activity is aimed at upward growth.

In 2022, favorable days are:

• April - 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 25, 27, 28, 29;
• May - 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 23, 27.

Days when picking is undesirable (full moon and new moon):

• April - 8, 23;
• May - 7, 22.

During the full moon and new moon, tomatoes do not dive. At this time, seedlings do not take root well in a new place: the roots are vulnerable to damage, there is little strength to recover, and growth slows down.

Advice:

If the work cannot be timed to coincide with the required date, a folk sign will help. Male crops (tomato) are cultivated on male days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday.