Tomato seedlings at home: from preparation to planting

Good day to you, dear readers! Today we will talk about one of the most important stages in growing tasty and productive tomatoes, namely, tomato seedlings at home. Here it is important not only to choose the right time for sowing, which, by the way, also depends on the weather, as well as the right varieties and seeds, but also to properly care for your tomatoes in the future. After all, without the required amount of fertilizing, watering, etc. they can wither, turn yellow, or stretch out excessively.

That is why in this article we will also talk about common mistakes that should not be made if you want to get a good harvest. And also about the correct planting of ready-made seedlings in the ground. Be sure to read to the end so as not to miss anything important!

Recently I wrote articles about growing tomatoes in open ground, greenhouses and on the balcony. Read them, there is a lot of interesting stuff there.

Correct timing of sowing tomato seeds

Correctly determined sowing dates will be the key to good growth of the bush and its abundant fruiting. It is necessary to sow seeds for seedlings 55-60 days before planting seedlings in open ground.

In different regions, planting times depend on climatic conditions. For example:

in Ukraine and southern Russia, sowing must be done from February 15 to 20;
in the center of Russia - from March 15 to 20;
in the north of Russia - from April 1 to April 15.

In addition, the seed packaging indicates the optimal time for sowing. In order to determine the best period to start growing, you can plant the seeds in three steps:

one and a half weeks before the specified date;
right on time;
one to two weeks later.

Sowing tomato seeds and growing seedlings at home is done somewhat later than planting in greenhouses. This is due to the fact that it is impossible to create suitable lighting, temperature and humidity in houses and apartments, as in covered ground. For best results, it is recommended to additionally highlight the seedlings.

What determines the speed of germination?

The germination of tomato seeds depends on many factors. Violation of even one leads to a decrease, or even complete absence of germination.

Age

Seed germination is determined by the term “durability”. It is usually divided into:

biological. This is the time when at least one seed will sprout. For a tomato this period is 8 years;
economic The period when the seeds are used and at least 50% of seedlings are obtained. A tomato has a lifespan of 4-6 years.

To know exactly the age of the seeds when collecting on your own, do not forget to indicate the name of the variety and the year of collection on the packaging.

Sometimes a vegetable grower is faced with a situation where the seeds are fresh (1-2 years), but there are no shoots. It all depends on the storage conditions and perhaps it was a violation of some parameter that destroyed the seed.

Storage

To store seeds, a humidity level of 6-12% is required. In such conditions there is almost no breathing. An increase in humidity by 2%, even without raising the temperature, triggers respiration processes in tomato seeds. Biochemical processes begin with the loss of dry matter. The seed consumes nutrients and germination capacity decreases sharply.

Humidity is an important indicator. Keep the seeds well dried and in a dry place - this will prolong their life.

Temperature

Humidity and temperature during seed storage are very related. If the storage location is unheated and the humidity is high, then the durability indicator decreases by 50 or even 80%.

Temperature is no less important during seed germination. Tomato is heat-loving. Many vegetable growers observed a picture where the sown seeds did not germinate for a long time, but with an increase in temperature they sprouted. At low temperatures, shoots may also appear, but not more than 3-5%.

The optimal temperature for tomato seedlings is 20-22 ᵒC.

Planting material

Growing seedlings yourself on your windowsill is much more profitable than buying ready-made ones on the market. It is cheaper, better in terms of survival rate and quality of young shoots. Therefore, you should definitely at least try to grow tomato seedlings yourself. First of all, you need to choose the right variety and seeds.

The first thing you need to pay attention to when choosing tomato seeds is the variety, as well as the climate zones in which it can be grown. You also need to take into account the region in which the vegetable will be grown. Because of these parameters, seeds brought from abroad often do not give the expected results. You can grow several varieties of tomatoes at home at the same time. This way you will gain experience, and in the future you will know which varieties give the best results in your area.

Already experienced plant growers can obtain seeds from tomatoes of their own breeding. This requires deep knowledge and experience. You need to choose the best fruits, then seedlings grown from home seeds will not be inferior in quality to sprouts grown from industrially produced seeds.

First of all, you need to select tomato seeds suitable for planting.

To do this, you need to soak them in a solution of table salt for 10 minutes. Remove the seeds that float to the surface, as they are not suitable for sowing. Wash and disinfect those that have settled to the bottom in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, dipping the seeds in it in a cloth for 10 minutes.

Carefully monitor the time so as not to overexpose the seed material in the solution, as this will reduce germination.

Disinfected seeds must be soaked in a growth stimulator for better germination. After this, carry out the hardening procedure by placing them in a fabric bag in the refrigerator for a day. Heat the hardened seeds for 8 hours at a temperature of +21 degrees.

Growth stimulants

How to choose the right variety

The first thing you need to start with when sowing tomatoes is to choose the right variety of vegetables. The time when to sow grain depends on this.

The three main parameters that are important to focus on when choosing a variety are:

Growing region. For northern regions, it is better to sow early-ripening tomatoes that will have time to ripen in a short period of warm weather. For the southern regions, virtually any variety can be sown.
Places where you will plant tomatoes (garden or greenhouse). For a greenhouse, for example, indeterminate varieties are well suited.
Harvest ripening period. Early ripening varieties ripen in 100 days, medium varieties ripen within 110 - 120 days, and late ripening varieties take up to 140 - 150 days.

ON A NOTE. Breeders develop varieties for different climatic regions. Plant the variety of tomatoes that suits you.

More information about tomato varieties is presented in our article “Tomato Varieties.”

Why and how to soak seeds in aloe

Beginning gardeners think about when to soak tomato seeds for seedlings in aloe juice - before or after treatment with potassium permanganate. It is correct to do this procedure after disinfection. Aloe leaf juice is an excellent natural growth stimulator. It has the following properties:

helps seeds germinate faster;
accelerates metabolic processes;
has an additional disinfecting effect;
kills fungi.

For soaking, you need to take healthy leaves of an adult plant over 3 years old.

Grind the aloe leaves in a meat grinder and strain.
Dilute the resulting juice with warm water in a 1:1 ratio.
Place the prepared seeds in gauze, dip into the solution and remove after 17-18 hours.
Then put them in a warm place in a plastic bag and wait until they hatch.

Aloe juice is a strong biostimulant for seeds. If seeds are sown immediately in the ground, germination will be lower.

How to choose the right soil

Next, we select the right soil for growing.

The most affordable is universal soil for seedlings. It is a light nutrient medium and is great for planting tomatoes in.

Experienced summer residents can prepare the substrate themselves. To do this you will need humus, peat and river sand in a ratio of 2:2:1. The soil is disinfected (with potassium permanganate or by calcination in the oven).

REFERENCE. No need to add soil from the garden. With it you can bring an infection and infect the seedlings.

Substrate

At home, tomato seedlings are undemanding to soil. This is an undeniable advantage of growing tomatoes at home. Tomato seeds can sprout and grow even in acidic soil. The seedlings will tolerate slight dryness of the substrate and will not die without fertilizer. Although feeding plants is advisable.

1 part of turf land;
1 part humus;
1 part compost;
0.5 parts sand or loam.

Such soil requires mandatory preliminary preparation; it must be steamed. If disinfection is not carried out, young plants may become sick. The first and most important enemy of tomato seedlings is black leg. This disease occurs due to unsteamed soil or improper care.

The finished soil must be disinfected to prevent diseases.

You can do this in two ways:

Water the soil well with a hot solution of strong potassium permanganate;
Heat the soil in the oven for 15-20 minutes at a temperature of 190-210 degrees.

The first plant nutrition can be added directly to the soil mixture. For this, potassium sulfate and superphosphate are used.

How to care before germination

Under favorable conditions, the first tomato shoots appear after 3-4 days (at a temperature of 22-25 degrees), the last period is after 10-15 days (at a temperature of 12-15 degrees).

If this does not happen, then there will be no shoots. During this period, it is necessary to check the soil moisture every day. When dried, spray from a spray bottle. If the soil is waterlogged, it should be allowed to dry by removing the coating.

Otherwise, mold and seed rot will appear. You can get rid of them by removing the top centimeter layer and spraying the soil with an antifungal agent.

Pre-sowing preparation

At this stage, the seeds are treated with growth-stimulating drugs. You can use organic preparations that will increase the germination of seeds and increase their resistance to adverse conditions.

This is not a mandatory item. You can do without specialized products, but simply soak the seeds in water with aloe juice, as we described above, or even ordinary water. To do this, they must first be placed in a piece of cloth, gauze or paper napkin. For this soaking, one day is enough. After soaking, you can apply hardening. Place the soaked seedlings in the refrigerator for several days. This method increases the germination and durability of seeds.

Processing is not a mandatory item, but there is an item that should not be skipped. Washing seeds in water significantly affects the germination percentage. This method is also easy to check the quality of planting materials. Seeds that float to the surface of the water are unsuitable for planting, but those that sink to the bottom are perfect for producing seedlings.

Alternative ways to inhibit seedling growth

If the tomatoes have overgrown in the cups, other methods are used to restrain their development.

Adding soil

Over time, the soil in the planting tank erodes and settles. You can add new soil and then the plants will begin to grow additional roots, while the growth of the stem will slow down. Sometimes seeds are specially sown in a pot half filled with soil, adding it during the growth process.

By adding soil while the seedlings are growing, we avoid replanting

Chemical containment

Many experienced tomato growers water and spray their plants with Atlet. The product stops the development of the stem and leaves, but stimulates the development of roots. The growth regulator is also suitable for those gardeners who sow tomatoes directly into cups. Such seedlings will inevitably grow without Athlete. But you need to start using the drug in advance, starting from the cotyledon leaf phase. At least three treatments will be required, otherwise there will be no effect.

Cutting off the top

In apartment conditions, it is not always possible to follow agricultural practices. It happens that seedlings reach such a height that it is impossible to transport them to the dacha without serious injury, and even replanting will not help. For tomatoes that are too frisky, you will have to cut off the top above 5-6 leaves and root it in water. When the roots reach a length of 2 cm, the sprout is planted in a glass and grown as usual. The remaining stem will soon produce stepsons. They are plucked out, except for the top two.

Scheme for pruning overgrown tomato seedlings

Why do you trim the tops of tomatoes - video

Moscow-style seedlings: an unusual way of growing tomatoes

You can grow tomato seedlings in bags with toilet paper. By the way, this unusual method is also suitable for eggplants, peppers or cucumbers.

To create such a greenhouse you will need: toilet paper or paper napkins and plastic bags, cut into 10 cm wide and about 50 cm long.

Wet the paper with water. You can use garbage bags - they are denser and have the right length.
Place 3-4 layers of thick toilet paper on each strip of the bag, then spray them well with water.
Step back 10 mm from the edge and place the treated seeds at a matchbox distance along the paper.
Wrap the bag with a tube and secure with an elastic band.
Place the resulting roll in a jar of water so that its level reaches the bottom edge of the paper.
Spread the seeds on damp paper.
Roll up the bag of seeds and place it in water. Ready.
In a few days you will see the seedlings sprouting.

This method is suitable for those who do not have enough space to germinate seeds at home. When the young plants already have true leaves, it is time to transplant them into a large container with soil. You already know how to properly prepare the soil. Transplant the grown seedlings into boxes.

Germinating seeds in different ways, or how to plant seeds

Summer residents have come up with many ways of where and how to sow tomatoes. Let's look at the most popular ones.

Growing seeds in boxes

This is the most popular method of seedling cultivation. You will need plastic boxes (cake boxes, meat trays, etc.).

You make several holes in the bottom and lay a small layer of drainage (egg shells, fine expanded clay). After this, fill in the soil and moisten it.

Next, make several grooves 1.5 cm deep at a distance of 5 cm. Sow grains in them at a distance of 2 cm. Finally, sprinkle the sowing with soil.

Now the container should be covered with a transparent lid (glass, plastic, bag) and placed in a warm place. Ventilate the planting from time to time and add water as needed.

Growing tomato seedlings in peat tablets

This method requires peat tablets with a diameter of 4 cm and a box in which to place them.

First, place the tablets in containers and pour warm water inside each. It needs to be poured gradually. The tablets swell and increase in size. They become like a kind of glass.

Then plant 1-2 grains in the center of the tablet and sprinkle with soil. Next, we create greenhouse conditions and wait for shoots. Picking from peat tablets is carried out in the phase of 4 true leaves.

How to grow in cups

The advantage of growing in cups is that there is no need to pick. The procedure for sowing seeds is no different from growing in boxes: you make drainage holes, fill in the drainage and soil, make a hole and put a few grains in it.

You sow in exactly the same way as for general planting: make drainage holes, fill in the drainage and soil, make a hole and put a few grains in it.

ON A NOTE. Until the seedlings hatch, the temperature should be about 25 degrees.

How to grow seedlings in a bottle?

Cut the plastic bottle in half. The half with the bottom will be the tray. Half with a neck - a pot.

First, we make a hole in the cork and insert a woolen thread there, which we tie behind the threaded neck. Next, we plant tomatoes in a makeshift pot. Here everything happens the same way as in the other methods described above.

When the first shoots appear, pour water into the pan so that the thread is in the water. This thread will carry moisture into the pot.

The method significantly saves time on watering.

Growing seedlings in diapers

You will need plastic packaging bags.

IMPORTANT! Packages must be new. You cannot use used ones!

Cut rectangles from bags. Place the substrate on the rectangle, stepping back a little from the edge. You don’t need to put a lot, because then the structure will need to be rolled up like a roll.

Next, sow the grains and lightly sprinkle with soil. Cover with the second rectangle and roll.

To prevent the entire structure from falling apart, it is secured with rubber bands for money.

The resulting rolls are placed in one container.

How to grow seedlings in a “snail”

This method is similar to the previous one, only the material used is not bags, but porous propylene or isolon. The roll is rolled out, soil is poured in and tomatoes are sown. Then they wrap it back and secure it with rubber bands.

Unlike diapers, you get low, thick rolls from which several seedlings sprout at once.

The method is suitable for limited space. You need to care for seedlings in the same way as with all other methods.

We sow in cassettes

Cassettes are an intermediate method of growing. It combines the advantages of the method when you plant in separate containers and the method when you sow in a common container.

We sow 2 grains into each section of the cassettes. As soon as they germinate, the seedlings must be thinned out.

This method is best used for early ripening tomato varieties that grow quickly.

We plant in tetra bags

When it's time to sow seeds, any container is used. Including halves of tetra-packs of juice or milk. They can be used as separate cups for planting seeds.

Sow in peat cups

This method is an improved version of peat tablets and plastic cups.

We plant in exactly the same way: 2-3 grains. When they germinate, we leave the strongest shoot and remove the rest.

Advantages: no need to dive, transplantation into open ground is carried out immediately with a glass.

The only downside is the high cost. Because in addition to the peat cup, grinding is necessary.

Are we putting it in toilet paper?

This technique doesn’t even require land. Your task is to make “rolls” from toilet paper and plastic bags.

Cut strips of garbage bags the width of a roll of toilet paper and a length of 1 m. Next, place toilet paper of the same length on the plastic tape.

We moisten one edge with water and plant seeds on it in 1 cm increments. Next, we roll it into a roll, grab it with an elastic band and place it in a glass of water with the seeds facing up.

When the shoots appear, we plant them in the ground.

BY THE WAY! You can use newspaper instead of toilet paper.

Sow in boiling water

This is not a complete method of sowing seeds, but rather a way to speed up the germination of grains.

Its essence is to shock the planting material if there is doubt about its quality.

We sow in the ground, but moisten it not with ordinary water, but with boiling water. The main thing is to immediately cover the entire structure with polyethylene.

As a result, the seeds are stimulated.

Planting in vermiculite

This is a soilless method of planting tomatoes. It is used when a summer resident deliberately refuses soil when growing tomatoes.

Washed vermiculite is poured into pots or containers. We plant seeds on top. Next, fill it with water and gradually add the hydroponic solution to it.

Sowing seedlings

You can immediately plant seeds in boxes, retreating 5-7 cm between seeds, deepening them by 1 cm, watering them, putting the boxes in a warm place until shoots appear. When the seedlings appear, the boxes are moved to a bright, cool windowsill so that the seedlings do not stretch out, but develop a root system.

A month after germination (1-2 true leaves have formed), we plant our seedlings in peat cups or any cups or boxes. When transplanting, we select the healthiest, strongest seedlings. We always dive deeper than the seedlings grew before, so that new roots grow.

Answers to frequently asked questions

Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding growing tomatoes from seedlings.

Which growing method should I choose?

If you don’t have enough experience yet, it’s best to sow tomatoes directly into peat cups. This way you won’t have to pick, and planting in open ground can be done without taking the seedling out of the container.

If you already have some experience, then grow in the traditional way: first sow in boxes, then plant in plastic cups, then plant in a permanent place.

How to choose the right variety of tomatoes?

Focus, first of all, on the climate of your region. In regions with a harsher climate, you should not sow late-ripening varieties. With a high degree of probability, the tomatoes simply will not have time to ripen.

Is it necessary to soak the seeds?

If you buy coated seeds, then no. In other cases, soaking will be a useful procedure that will significantly speed up the germination period. In addition, during soaking, the sprouts will be saturated with a growth stimulant, and the planting material will be disinfected.

Why do seedlings stretch?

They miss the sun. Boxes with plants need to be regrouped. If you have problems with access to sunlight, use phytolamps.

What to do if the seedlings don't grow?

Assess conditions and care. Do the seedlings have enough light? Are you watering them enough? Is the indoor air too dry? All of the above factors negatively affect the growth and development of seedlings.

I have a few packets of seeds left from last year, can I use them?

Examine the packaging; if the expiration date has not yet passed, then you can sow. If the packaging is not preserved, sort it. Pay more attention to these seeds: be sure to soak or bubble them. But it’s still better not to use old copies. Beans 1-2 years old germinate best.

What is the best way to feed?

It is generally accepted to feed with mineral fertilizers. Seedlings do not really like organic matter. Use harmless drugs: Gumi, Agricola, Energen. Among home remedies, ammonia and aloe juice are the most effective.

Humidity

For newly sprouted tomato seeds, the humidity should be 90%. That is why film or glass must be removed from seedlings after germination carefully and gradually. Tomatoes can be overdried at this stage already at a humidity below 80%. It is almost impossible to restore the health of the seedlings after this. The film or glass can be completely removed from the box only after a week. In this case, the humidity in the room should be maintained at 70%.

As for watering, moisture is retained well under the film, so it is necessary to control soil moisture to prevent overflow. In the case of the latter, the fate of the seedlings is defeat by the black leg.

Important! The top layer of soil should not dry out - the roots of young seedlings are located there, and if it dries out, they will dry out too.

Watering is carried out near the stem. At first, you can do this with a syringe.

If your windowsill is cold, after every two waterings, add a little potassium permanganate to the water (the pink color of the water) and water the plants with it. Water your seedlings in the morning, not at night.

How to properly prepare tomato seeds for planting?

After you decide on the variety, the grains need to be prepared for planting.

IMPORTANT! The preparation process is not necessary for pelleted, encrusted and plasma-coated seeds. These grains have already undergone pre-sowing preparation at the manufacturing plant.

Seed sorting

Unfortunately, not all planting material in the pack will be of high quality. Some of the grains are dummies. To weed out such planting material, sorting is carried out.

To do this, take half a glass of water and add 1 teaspoon of salt into it. Everything is mixed, and the grains are poured into the resulting salt solution. Some of them will float up - these are empty seeds that cannot be planted. Those that remain at the bottom can be safely planted.

The entire procedure takes 10-15 minutes. This is exactly how long it takes for good grains to float to the surface.

Do seeds need heat treatment or how to warm up tomato seeds?

The next step in the process of preparing planting material is heat treatment. It is needed to “wake up” the grains, which most of the time are stored in unheated warehouses or are in transit during transportation.

For heat treatment, it is enough to place the seed near the battery 20-25 days before sowing, but not on the radiator itself!

How to process planting material (etching)

The third step is etching, or disinfection. Tomatoes are a crop susceptible to fungal, viral and bacterial diseases. Carriers of infection can remain on the shells of the grains. There may also be nests of pest eggs invisible to the eye. To get rid of pathogens, the seed fund is treated with disinfecting compounds.

It is best to treat with Phytosporin (2 hours) or Chlorhexedine (30 minutes). The latter preparation does not even need to be mixed with water. A solution is prepared from Fitosporin - 1 drop per 100 ml.

The seeds are poured into a saucer and the active solution is poured there.

Do I need to soak tomato seeds and how to do it?

Next comes the soaking stage. During this procedure, the outer shell of the grains softens. If you add the drug to water, then in addition essential oils are destroyed, which slow down the development process.

You can soak it in regular warm water, or you can add growth stimulants: Epin, Zircon, aloe juice, Baikal-M, hydrogen peroxide.

If you are not a supporter of purchased products, then you can get by with hydrogen peroxide. A solution based on it will not only saturate the planting material with useful microelements, but will also destroy all pathogens.

More information about the use of peroxide can be found in our article Soaking seeds in hydrogen peroxide before planting.

What is sparging?

Sparging is an alternative to conventional soaking. The method is used to germinate the most difficult to germinate varieties.

The essence of the method is that the seeds are placed in water, which is constantly saturated with air bubbles. As a result, not only the hard shell of the grains softens, but also the essential oils that retard the development of seeds are washed out.

REFERENCE. After bubbling, seed germination occurs several days earlier. Some crops for 7-10 days!

For bubbling, you will need a compressor (for example, an aquarium compressor), which will saturate the water with oxygen.

The algorithm itself is simple: fill a container with water at room temperature, place the planting material there and lower the compressor tube. Tomatoes are bubbling at intervals of 16-18 hours.

How to harden seeds

Hardening is the last step in preparing planting material. At this stage, viruses and bacteria finally die.

The essence of the method is to expose the grains to cold and heat at certain intervals.

The most affordable way is hardening in the refrigerator.

After soaking, transfer the seeds to a damp, clean cloth and then to a container. The box is then placed in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator overnight. They take everything out in the morning and keep it warm all day. Then put it back into the refrigerator overnight. This is repeated for 5 days.

Temperature

You know that before the tomato seedlings germinate, conditions must be created for them with a temperature of under 30 ºC. The germination time is affected by the characteristics of the selected variety, but on average it is about 5 days.

If the temperature for tomato seedlings is a couple of degrees lower, the seeds will germinate in a week, but in a cool room you will have to wait about 2 weeks.

If you are independently growing tomato seedlings on a windowsill, it is advisable to immediately reduce the temperature in the room to 16 ºC immediately after the first 5-10 shoots appear, otherwise they will stretch upward too much.

It is better to leave the film covering the container until mass shoots appear. When more than 70% of the seeds have germinated, change the temperature again: during the day it should be between 20-22 ºC for the plants to develop; at night, a comfortable temperature is not higher than 16-18 ºC.

When adjusting the temperature in the room, avoid too sharp flows of cold air - they are harmful to young plants.

Reasons for long germination

Dry seeds, even at optimal temperatures, will take longer to germinate than germinated ones. Water touching the seed shell promotes swelling and starts germination.

A dry seed, falling into the ground, will wait for watering and only then swell and germinate. This takes time. But the hatched seeds will sprout in 3-5 days.

Seeds are not ready for planting

If there is no time, the vegetable grower is in a hurry, then he quickly pours soil into tubs and places the seed on it. You can do this, but in this case, sowing must begin 10 days earlier than those done with moistened seeds.

By watering the soil, wrapping it in film and placing it in a warm place, after 10 days tomato seedlings will be visible. But don't yawn here. The temperature needs to be lowered and the film removed.

Low temperature

The most serious reasons for seed failure to germinate are low temperature and low humidity. You can sow, but the seeds will sprout only when the soil temperature is 20-22 ᵒC.

Overmoistening or overdrying of the soil

Over-wetting the soil at high temperatures is not as bad as over-drying. There are several options:

If the seed has not yet swelled, but will lie and wait for moisture and warmth.
If the seed is swollen and the soil is dry, the seed dries out and dies.
If there is excessive humidity and low temperature, tomato seeds rot.

Only optimum humidity and temperature can produce successful shoots.

Poor quality planting soil

Soil has no effect on seed germination. Of course, if you sow in clay and do not water it, the seeds will not sprout.

Before sowing, you should understand that young shoots must germinate in the most nutritious, light, neutral substrate.

Seed placement depth

In theory, embedment depth matters. Small seeds are planted shallower, large seeds deeper.

Practice shows that a germinating seed sprouts quickly and without nuances. The planting depth of tomato seeds does not exceed 0.5 cm.

Small-fruited tomatoes

Tomatoes with small fruits produce smaller seeds than large-fruited ones. However, this does not affect germination.

Large seeds

If the tomato fruit is large, then the seeds are large. However, germination is influenced by the same factors. Sometimes there are tomato varieties with large fruits, but medium and even small seeds.

Diseases

To protect the tomato plant from diseases whose pathogen is transmitted by seeds, pickling is carried out in potassium permanganate or phytosporin, as described above.

How does light affect germination?

Tomato seeds germinate equally in the dark and in the light. They don't need any additional conditions.

Feeding

The time to feed tomato seedlings for the first time is two weeks after seed germination. Then fertilizers are given every 7-10 days. If it is not possible to use organic matter (manure, bird droppings), use humic fertilizers.

Organic fertilizers

Humic fertilizers

Seedling care

It is appropriate to feed the seedlings after the second picking and repeat feeding every 7-10 days. Good results are obtained by using a 30% solution of mullein. Use mineral fertilizers if plant growth slows down with obvious lightening of their tops. In this case, urea is added to 1 liter of water, at a temperature not lower than +22-24 C, at the tip of a knife and two hours after the next watering, at the rate of 1 liter of solution per 20 plants (2-3 tablespoons for each), Fertilizer is applied at the root of the seedlings. An aqueous solution of bird droppings (1:20) is also effective.

It is favorable to alternate feeding of seedlings by watering with an ash solution. To do this, boil 1 tablespoon of wood ash in 1 liter of water, let it settle, and add to a volume of two liters. And the mineral supplement is ready for use. Watering with a weak solution of potassium permanganate is also allowed.

A useful prevention of diseases of seedlings, especially blackleg, can be dusting them with sifted wood ash. Amateur vegetable growers practice moderate spraying of tomato seedlings, starting from the first true leaf, once a week, with a milk solution: 1 glass of skim milk per 1 liter of water with the addition of 1-2 drops of alcoholic iodine.

To maintain comfortable humidity in the room where tomato seedlings are growing, you need to place a container of water. If the plants become excessively elongated, they should be fed with superphosphate and the air temperature should be lowered.

Picking

The first picking is carried out (from individual containers - transplantation) at the age of seedlings 7-12 days, as soon as the first true leaves appear.

For replanting, larger individual containers (volume 200 ml) are used, filled with soil of the same composition as when sowing the seeds.

Advice! Many people, including experts, recommend shortening the taproot by a third. Experience shows that after this procedure, the development of seedlings slows down for about a week. Whether or not to pinch the root is up to you.

Two to three weeks later, the seedlings are transplanted a second time. The volume of the pots is at least a liter.

Pinching

The pinching procedure is performed so that the stepchildren do not slow down the growth of the main stem. They must be removed until they have grown to 5 cm. This procedure will be painless for the plant.

After transplanting, it is recommended to pinch the stem itself. Then all the power will be directed to the fruits. For tall varieties, it is recommended to pinch two stems.

In this case, in addition to the main trunk, another stepson is left, which will subsequently become the second stem. With this type of pinching, the fruits will ripen more slowly, but the yield will increase significantly.

Hardening

After three leaves appear on the seedlings, it must be hardened off. This will help the seedlings better adapt to weather changes and improve immunity to diseases.

In the first days of hardening indoors, open the window for 20 minutes. It is necessary to ensure that there are no drafts and that the cold air flow is not directed towards the seedlings.

The following days, the seedlings are taken out into the open air, first for 2 hours, then the time is increased to full daylight. Two days before planting, the seedlings are left outside for a day.

Common mistakes when growing seedlings

unsuitability of seeds for growing seedlings (selection not performed);
improperly prepared soil (heavy soil or not disinfected);
non-compliance with temperature conditions;
lack of lighting (excessive stretching of seedlings);
early sowing of seeds;
lack or excess of moisture;
lack of hardening;
untimely transplantation of seedlings.

Seedlings should be planted in the ground when the frosts have passed, then they will be successfully preserved.

At the time of planting, the age of the seedlings should be 55-60 days. It is not recommended to overexpose seedlings, as this will significantly reduce the yield. Depending on the region, planting takes place from early May to mid-June.

Compliance with these recommendations is the key to growing healthy, strong seedlings and obtaining high yields.

Wrong choice of seeds

In order for tomato seedlings to be strong, it is necessary to choose seeds with a good shelf life. Read the packaging carefully, and if there is no date on it, do not buy such a product.

Give preference to certified points of sale of planting material.

The second mistake when choosing is buying because of the beautiful design on the packaging. First of all, make sure that the variety is adapted to your climate and is disease resistant. If you have been growing tomatoes for several seasons now, you probably know that there are varieties created specifically for greenhouse conditions, and there are those that are optimal for growing in an open garden bed.

It is better not to plant greenhouse species outdoors, and vice versa. Each variety has its own requirements for conditions: humidity level; temperature; soil composition.

A beautiful picture is not a reason to buy these particular seeds!

Errors in watering, lighting and temperature conditions

There are rules for growing tomato seedlings at home that must be strictly followed. Here are the mistakes that are not allowed:

air temperature is too high or low, causing plants to be stunted or stretched;
improper watering - lack of moisture has a detrimental effect on seedlings, and excess leads to rotting of the root system;
insufficient lighting causes the bushes to grow too tall and fragile. Excess moisture leads to tomato diseases.

Another recommendation is to adhere to the timing of planting tomatoes in their permanent place. If the bushes overgrow, it will be difficult for them to adapt to new temperature conditions in the open ground, and this will take a lot of time. This will greatly affect the volume and quality of the harvest. The later you plant tomatoes, the higher the temperature outside, which will also be stressful for the plants.

Gardener mistakes

Violation of the rules for growing seedlings leads to the fact that the seedlings begin to get sick.

To understand where the owner made a mistake, you need to pay attention to the following signs:

Yellowing of leaves is evidence of a lack of microelements:

a light shade indicates a manganese deficiency;
rich yellowness is a lack of potassium and copper;
discoloration only at the tops – calcium deficiency;

Leaves on seedlings also turn yellow for other reasons - due to poor lighting, crowded conditions and violation of the irrigation regime, as well as injury to the roots during picking.

Due to lack of moisture, the leaves begin to dry out. If at the same time they also curl, then the seedlings do not have enough iron.

If the seedlings began to turn blue, then there was a malfunction in the temperature regime - either the sprouts were exposed to a draft when ventilating the room, or the hardening did not take place according to the rules.

A purple tint may indicate a phosphorus deficiency. This is how the active absorption of ultraviolet radiation by seedlings that are taken outside is manifested.

Failure to comply with all regimes leads to the fact that the seedlings become excessively elongated, become thin, weak and may ultimately fall.

Preparing for landing

When the seedlings are one and a half months old, subject to normal, full development, the formation of flower clusters begins. At this time, it is necessary to begin preparations for planting in the ground.

Advice! If you calculated the time incorrectly, the seedlings are ready for planting, but the weather or other factors do not allow it, pinch off the first flower cluster and calmly wait until the next weekend until the second cluster appears. After this, the seedlings must be planted.

Tomato seedlings ready for planting have a low but well-developed bush with a powerful main stem; large, healthy, intensely colored leaves; voluminous roots and buds ready for flowering.

Planting tomato seedlings

The soil in the garden bed or greenhouse should not be ready for planting seedlings at the last moment. Ideally, filling the soil with organic matter, together with digging, is carried out in the fall. This is especially true for open ground. If it was not possible to prepare the soil in the fall, you need to dig it in the spring, but to a shallower depth - 15 cm, versus 25 in the fall. At this time, organic matter and mineral fertilizers are introduced.

Important! Do not add manure in the spring - only mature humus or vegetable compost.

Compost

In spring, the soil is dug up and filled with fertilizers two weeks before planting. The amount of fertilizer is standard, as for other vegetable crops. In a greenhouse, the application rate can be reduced. If you apply it pointwise - into the holes - you will need even less. Per square meter take 5 kg of humus, 1 glass of wood ash and 20 g of nitrophoska. Everything mixes well. The soil is loosened and watered.

In the evening, before planting, the soil is watered thoroughly to wet a layer of at least 20 cm. Wait for a cloudy, warm day. Carry out the landing in the morning.

Seedlings with a lump are installed in the prepared holes, the distance between which is usually 40 cm.
It is necessary to deepen each seedling 2 cm compared to its growth level in the pot.
The seedlings are covered with earth.
The holes are carefully watered at the rate of 2 liters of warm water for each.

Timing of planting in open ground and greenhouse

So when should we plant our seedlings? Let's discuss greenhouse and outdoor conditions separately.

Open ground

Usually in the middle zone, in the Urals, in Siberia, tomatoes are planted in open ground at the end of May - beginning of June - it depends on the weather.

A little earlier, you can plant the seedlings under a temporary film cover.

In any case, it is better to plant under cover; it is removed only at the end of June, since our weather is capricious and unpredictable (this summer has been especially difficult - cold and rain). Don’t forget to mulch the plantings after planting the seedlings - this will save your time and effort!