Growing tomato seedlings sometimes causes difficulties even for experienced gardeners. It is not always possible to create ideal conditions for the development of plants: sometimes the temperature is not suitable, sometimes the soil is not to your liking, and sometimes you don’t even understand what the seedlings are missing.
So what are the main reasons for the slow development of tomato seedlings? Most often, plants slow down after picking. In addition, sudden changes in temperature, diseases and damage to the root system, lack of nutrients in the soil and its poor structure have a negative impact on the growing season of tomatoes. Let's take a closer look at these key points.
Poor quality soil
If your seedlings grow slowly from the moment they emerge, the problem is probably in the soil. In order for the root system to fully develop and the plant to receive all the necessary minerals, the soil must be loose, fertile, moisture-absorbing, have favorable microflora and have a neutral acidity level (within 6.5-7 pH). Acidity can be checked using litmus paper.
If the acidity of the soil is disturbed, some nutrients become unavailable to plants. Therefore, even regular feeding will not be effective.
You can prepare the soil for growing tomatoes yourself by mixing peat with compost or vermicompost and adding 1/5 of a leavening agent (sand, perlite, vermiculite or rotted sawdust). This will help make the soil mixture breathable, which is very important both for the development of the root system and for the life of beneficial soil bacteria, many of which are aerobic.
Features of double-root tomatoes
Forming a double-rooted plant is a common method of grafting tomatoes. It is recommended to carry it out to increase the viability of the individual no earlier than the seedling has grown to 12-15 cm. The diameter is also important - the stem should not exceed the thickness of a pencil (up to 4 mm). Vaccination is carried out according to the following scheme:
- A thin cut up to 3 cm long is made on the trunks of both plants.
- They are connected at the cut site and secured with cloth or clothespin.
- To avoid deformation, it is necessary to install a support.
- After a week, you need to cut off the weaker plant 3-4 cm above the grafting site.
As a result of this procedure, a tomato bush with a two-root system is obtained. This is necessary when growing crops in unfavorable conditions and in infertile soils, as well as to increase yield. After grafting, two plants develop as a single organism, thereby increasing the area of the root system.
Also read about the best varieties of tomatoes for open ground.
It is recommended to use one variety of tomatoes for the rootstock and scion. Otherwise, there is a risk of plant rejection due to genetic incompatibility.
Root diseases
Tomato diseases do not always appear on the above-ground parts. Sometimes seedlings and adult bushes suffer from root and basal rot. This is a series of diseases that are caused by pathogenic fungi found in the soil. As soon as favorable conditions are created, phytopathogens begin to rapidly multiply and harm plants. Tomatoes are stunted and the lower leaves turn yellow. The following factors lead to the development of rot:
- waterlogging of the soil,
- moisture stagnation,
- thickened sowing of seedlings,
- sudden changes in temperature,
- acidic, heavy soil,
- absence of loosening components in the soil,
- using unripe compost for planting tomatoes.
To prevent the development of root rot, before sowing and transplanting tomatoes, treat the soil with biological products containing Bacillus subtilis, Trichoderma and other beneficial soil microorganisms that will help cope with pathogenic microflora, as well as improve soil structure and plant nutrition. Such drugs include Trichoplant, Biospectr, Baikal-M, Ekomik Urozhainy.
Stress after a pick
Picking tomatoes involves pinching the main root, and this, of course, is stressful for the plant. Even if you do not plan to shorten the root, but simply transplant the tomatoes into larger containers, the root system is most often damaged, and the plant will take time to take root and actively develop again. The less damage to the clod of earth surrounding the roots of the tomato, the faster the plant will cope with stress after transplantation.
You can skip the picking stage altogether if you immediately sow the tomatoes in separate containers or in a permanent place.
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Tired of fiddling with tomato seedlings? Sow the seeds directly into the garden!
Failure to comply with care rules
In order for seedlings to grow better, it is necessary to follow certain rules of care: water, fertilize, prevent diseases, observe the optimal temperature regime for tomatoes, lighting and air humidity. The most common mistakes when growing tomatoes include failure to maintain temperature, light and humidity levels, as well as improper watering.
You already know about the microclimate, let's talk about how to water tomato seedlings. Immediately after sowing the seeds, the soil in the boxes should be constantly moist, but as sprouts appear, watering should be reduced. The soil mixture should not dry out too much, but daily watering will also not be beneficial. Watering is carried out when the top layer dries approximately 2 or 3 times a week.
Nutrient deficiency
If, with careful care of the seedlings and normal temperature conditions, the leaves of the tomatoes turn pale or darken, the plants probably do not have enough nutrition. The basis of all life processes is nitrogen. This macronutrient is necessary both at the early stage of growing seedlings and before flowering. If there is a lack of nitrogen in the soil, seedlings develop slowly, the leaves become smaller, turn yellow and fall off.
Phosphorus ensures the development of the root system, the processes of budding and flowering, as well as the transport of nutrients to all organs of the plant. A lack of phosphorus manifests itself as follows: the leaves acquire a purple tint, and on the underside they become purple-violet.
Phosphorus deficiency
Potassium helps plants absorb nitrogen, promotes resistance to adverse conditions, and is involved in protein metabolism and the absorption of carbon dioxide. With a lack of potassium, a pale yellow border appears along the edges of the leaves. With acute potassium starvation, the leaves acquire an irregular shape, brown spots appear in the middle, and the border becomes brownish-brown.
With a lack of iron, the leaves in the upper part become pale green, and with a lack of magnesium, chlorosis begins with the lower leaves: the tissue of the leaf blades becomes lighter between the veins. A sign of boron deficiency is flower dropping; the tops of the plants curl downwards, and the main veins of the leaves darken; many stepsons form on the tomatoes.
The lack of nutrients should be eliminated by applying fertilizers, making foliar or root feeding. If tomatoes show signs of deficiency of several elements at once, you can apply complex mineral fertilizer.
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Improper watering
The soil should not be too dry
At first glance, it may seem that there is nothing difficult in organizing watering seedlings. This is actually a very important point. The soil should not be too dry, but it is also not recommended to be overzealous with watering. This can lead to the development of pathogenic microorganisms or putrefactive processes.
If the soil is still too wet after watering, you can place a dry cloth on its surface. After some time, it will absorb excess moisture. You can also gently loosen the surface of the soil in the container. This will promote the evaporation of moisture from it.
Don't forget about the room temperature either. As soon as the seed material is planted in the ground, the room temperature should be at least 25-28 degrees. To create greenhouse conditions, containers can be covered with film. In addition to helping maintain the required temperature, the shelter helps retain moisture.
After the shoots appear, the film can be removed, and the temperature in the room must be lowered to 18-20 degrees. Otherwise, the leaves on the plant will probably turn yellow. After 2 true leaves appear, the seedlings must be hardened off. This will help make her stronger. You can simply open a window for a while or take the boxes out onto the balcony for a while. In this case, the air temperature outside should not be lower than 18-20 degrees. Each time, the hardening time of seedlings increases by 3-5 minutes.
Important! If the seedlings are exposed to direct sunlight, there is a possibility that the leaves will turn purple or fall off completely. If there are no problems with the soil, but the seedlings of planted tomatoes still grow poorly, you need to reconsider their care
If the leaves of the plant begin to turn yellow, the tomato does not have enough moisture or there is too much of it. This leads to rotting of the root system of the future tomato bush.
If there are no problems with the soil, but the tomato seedlings are still growing poorly, you need to reconsider the care. If the leaves of the plant begin to turn yellow, the tomato does not have enough moisture or there is too much of it. This leads to rotting of the root system of the future tomato bush.
Solution
If you cannot determine the required amount of moisture for tomatoes, you need to check the quality of the soil. If the soil is dry, add water; if the moisture is not absorbed, stop watering for a while.
Installing an irrigation system will help solve the problem. Drip or autonomous watering will protect seedlings from excess or lack of moisture.
The moisture level varies depending on the location where the crop is planted: on the south side, moisture evaporates faster, and in the shade, irrigation water can stagnate at the root system. It is necessary to take into account the ambient temperature and moisture level in the region where the crop is planted.
How to help seedlings develop faster
In addition to fertilizers, biological products can help seedlings develop fully. A universal and safe stimulator of growth and root formation is the biological preparation Biospectrum, created on the basis of an extract of the evergreen plant Yucca Schidigera, which is known for its antibacterial, immunomodulatory and antioxidant properties. In addition to the extract of this plant, the drug contains amino acids, humates, natural bioregulators and growth-stimulating substances of a non-protein nature (lactose, minerals, vitamins), which increase the energy of plant development.
To prepare a working solution for root or foliar treatment of tomatoes, dilute 20 ml of the drug in 10 liters of water at room temperature. Tomatoes can be treated with this solution every month throughout the growing season. This will strengthen the immunity of plants, improve their nutrition, stimulate growth and flowering, and also increase productivity.
There are a large number of other growth stimulants based on various phytohormones, which have different effects on plant development: they regulate cell division, accelerate flowering or fruit formation.
- Growth and development regulators: how not to get confused in the variety of drugs
Are you thinking about buying growth regulators for your garden? Find out how not to get confused in a store when you see the rich assortment.
The use of biological products for treating soil and seedlings will help not only protect plants from adverse environmental factors, but also improve the health of the soil, reduce the amount of fertilizer applied and ultimately obtain an environmentally friendly harvest.
Reason #5. Pests
At the beginning of growth, seedlings are especially vulnerable to sprout fly larvae, which enter the house with humus or compost that is part of the soil.
It is almost impossible to notice tiny flies without a magnifying glass. However, if the seedlings begin to fall, and you find small holes in the stem at the base, rest assured that the pest is to blame.
To save the plants, spray them with Aktara diluted according to the instructions. Also, steam the soil into which you will plant the seedlings in a water bath or in the oven.
You will find even more useful information and recommendations from experts on the pages of the Gardener and Gardener magazine. Subscribe to the publication to receive timely information about all the most important gardening work. And if you have any questions, write to the editorial office: Experienced specialists will definitely answer them.
