Growing tomato seedlings at home

The tomato, or tomato, is a plant from the Solanaceae family native to South America.
Europeans became acquainted with it only after the discovery of the New World and the tomato, like everything new, “took root” quite difficult and for a long time. Despite this, the tomato is now one of the most popular and sought after vegetables all over the world. It is difficult to imagine at least one of the national cuisines where tomatoes would not be used. Some dishes cannot be imagined without tomatoes - just remember Ukrainian borscht, Italian pizza, Mexican chili, American ketchup and much more. An important condition for obtaining a plentiful and high-quality harvest is the correct planting of tomato seedlings. Only strong and healthy seedlings will quickly and easily take root in the soil or in a greenhouse, begin to actively bloom and set large and tasty fruits.

In order for tomato seedlings at home to be healthy and of high quality, you need to follow simple but very important rules:

Correct timing for sowing tomato seeds for seedlings.
Temperature maintenance.
Stable water balance.
Competent selection of soil.
Selection of varieties for open ground and greenhouses.
Proper planting of tomatoes in the ground.

Features of growing tomato seedlings at home

Growing tomato seedlings at home is not an easy task, but it is very important. In most regions of our country, tomatoes are grown using the seedling method. Good, high-quality seedlings are the key to the future harvest, so you need to prepare for the process of growing seedlings in advance. What you need to prepare:

calculate the number of seedlings,
determine the sowing time,
prepare the soil mixture,
seeds,
container for seedlings.

And it is important to create optimal conditions for growing tomato seedlings. Tomato seedlings in the apartment are dark and hot. And for its normal growth you need a lot of light, sufficient humidity and temperatures that vary depending on the stage of growing seedlings. The features of growing tomato seedlings at home will be discussed further.

Reviews from gardeners

Irina71:

I used Atlet in 2015. The drug is good. The seedlings were strong, strong, and not elongated. In 2016, I accidentally made the concentration 2 times higher than according to the instructions. Result: half of the leaves turned yellow (had to be torn off) and growth slowed down for 2 weeks. Then the seedlings moved away and this incident did not affect the yield. If you use it, do it only according to the instructions!

Renata:

Just don’t buy Farilla tablets and under no circumstances buy a “set” - a tray of tablets. This is such a ge... Try to find Jiffy, as a last resort they can be ordered on the Internet. In stores, Jiffy tablets are usually sold individually. There are different diameters, you need to buy with a diameter of at least 33 mm. Here they cost 3–7 rubles apiece, depending on the diameter. And don't buy coconut tablets. They are completely unsuitable for growing, only for cuttings.

Elena111:

I do not recommend buying seeds for seedlings. What always grows is not what is shown in the picture, and as a result, you get fruits that are not what you wanted and, of course, you get upset. I recommend collecting the seeds yourself. To do this, in the summer or autumn (during the ripening of the fruits), you need to choose healthy and ripe tomatoes of the varieties that you want to grow next year. Put them in a dark, cool place, and let them lie there until they “leak,” that is, they begin to deteriorate. Now is the time to collect the seeds. Place the tomato in a cup of water and mash it with your hands, separating the seeds from the pulp. We discard the pulp and rinse the seeds with water until the pulp is completely removed. Then we place the clean seeds on gauze or cloth folded in several layers to absorb excess moisture, and leave in the sun until completely dry. Then we hide the seeds in cardboard matchboxes (so they can breathe) and put them away until spring. If you have several varieties of tomatoes, then you need to collect and store the seeds separately, having previously labeled each variety. The advantage is clear: firstly, you will save on buying seeds, and secondly, you will grow exactly the tomatoes you wanted. I wish everyone a good harvest!

There are many methods and methods for growing tomato seedlings. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages. The gardener should check the ones he likes on his site and choose the ones most suitable for his conditions.

Methods for growing tomato seedlings at home

There are several ways to grow tomato seedlings.

Classic way

The classic method is growing in seedling boxes or other containers; with this method, seedlings need picking.

When growing tomato seedlings without picking , the seeds are sown in separate glasses. This method allows you to save time on picking, but at the initial stage, when the crops need to be placed closer to the source of light and heating, difficulties arise - it is difficult to place many cups with seedlings.

Growing seedlings in peat tablets

Growing seedlings in special peat tablets allows you to grow tomato seedlings without picking (if 1 seed is sown per tablet). The method is convenient and allows you to avoid wasting time preparing the soil - the tablets consist of a nutrient mixture.

But the volume of the tablet becomes small as the seedlings grow, so the plants will need to be planted in glasses or other containers (to do “transfer of seedlings”). Plants tolerate transplanting tablets with seedlings into the ground very well, since the root system is not injured, which is why this method is popular among gardeners.

Growing seedlings in a "snail"

“snail” has recently become increasingly popular

The method is very convenient and allows you to place a sufficient number of seedlings under the lamp. During the growth of seedlings, its roots are separated by snail coils, so they do not intertwine and the plants tolerate picking from the snail into the ground well. The soil between the turns of the “snail” dries out less, so the seedlings can be watered less often.

It is important to remember that due to the limited amount of soil with a snail pick, there is no need to pull it into separate glasses. Otherwise, the root system will stop developing and the plants will stop growing.

You can read more about this method in the article “Seedlings in a snail diaper, ways to grow at home .

Growing seedlings in a bottle

Another method that is popular among summer residents: growing tomato seedlings without picking in 5 liter bottles . The point of this method is that an improvised greenhouse is made from a plastic bottle - its lid is the cut off upper part of the bottle. The seeds are sown in this greenhouse, and the seedlings are grown until they are planted in the ground.

The positive side of this method is that it saves effort and time due to the fact that there is no need for picking. But there are also tangible negative aspects: it is impossible to grow many seedlings in such a bottle; if you sow them densely, they will be elongated and weak from lack of light. During the development of seedlings, the roots of tomatoes are intertwined; when planting in the ground, you will need to take out the entire contents of the bottle, carefully separate it, and then plant it. Beginners without experience in growing seedlings should probably not start with such experiments.

Dates for planting tomatoes for seedlings

Growing tomato seedlings at home begins with determining the timing of sowing. Question: when to sow tomato seeds for seedlings is often difficult even for experienced gardeners.

As a rule, many gardeners are in a hurry - in an effort to get the first harvest early, they sow early. But it turns out that with a lack of light, seedlings develop poorly. Weakened plants very often become ill with a very dangerous fungal disease - “black leg”.

When planted in the ground, weak seedlings take a long time to take root and do not immediately begin to grow. Therefore, it is difficult to get an early and decent harvest from such plants. While plants planted at optimal times begin to bear fruit earlier and more abundantly.

For these reasons, determining the date for sowing seeds must be taken very seriously.

The timing of sowing tomato seeds for seedlings depends on several factors, the main ones:

climatic conditions of the growing region;
growing conditions – greenhouse, arcs with covering material or film, open ground;
characteristics of the variety or hybrid of tomatoes - ripening period, type of growth;
An important factor is the capabilities of the summer resident himself. Not everyone will be able to come and cover plants during a sudden cold snap. In this case, the landing should be planned for the final onset of stable warm weather.

There are several ways to determine the date of sowing seeds for seedlings; a simple and accessible “countdown” method

The essence of the method is that from the approximately planned date of planting the seedlings in the ground, you need to count (in reverse order) the recommended age of the seedlings, the time for seed germination; if the seedlings are grown with picking, then you need to subtract another week.

The recommended age of seedlings is a reference value established by experts.

for early ripening varieties and hybrids it is 45-55 days,
mid-season - 55-60 days,
late ripening 65 -70 days from germination to planting in the ground.

So, for example, if planting seedlings in a greenhouse is planned for approximately mid-April. Then we count from this period the period for growing seedlings - 50 days, the time for emergence of seedlings - 7 days.

It turns out that you need to start growing tomato seedlings at home for the greenhouse on February 18th. If cultivation is planned with picking, then the seeds for seedlings will need to be sown a week earlier.

In order to quickly calculate the date of sowing seeds, including tomatoes, we suggest you use an accessible and understandable service on our website. “Calculator for calculating the date of sowing seeds of main crops”

Preparing for sowing

To grow seedlings, you need to prepare the seeds. You can buy them at the store or prepare them yourself. Experienced gardeners prefer to prepare the seeds themselves - this way they can select the best varieties and select juicier and ripe fruits for this. Your planting material is suitable for 7-8 years.

Before you start gardening, you need to know how to properly plant tomatoes for seedlings . First you need to prepare the seeds - this is done 1-2 days before the intended sowing.

To select high-quality seeds, they should be lowered into water: good seeds will fall to the bottom, and bad seeds will rise to the top - they just need to be drained along with the water. Then the selected seeds must be disinfected using a solution of potassium permanganate, the preparation of which occurs in the following sequence:

Take a small amount of water and throw a few grains of potassium permanganate into it to get a rich purple solution.
Place the seeds in it for 20 minutes. If several varieties of tomatoes are being prepared for planting, they must be placed in gauze napkins separately from each other so as not to mix them.
Then place the seeds in plain, slightly warm water to swell. Fresh seeds need 8-10 hours, and if they are older than 3 years, they should take longer to swell.

Now you need to prepare the soil for planting. Typically, gardeners take soil from the plot and enrich it with humus and peat. Some prepare a more complex composition from humus, turf, peat, urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate.

Any soil that needs to be heat treated to be disinfected will do. To do this, it must be placed in the oven at 180-200 degrees and the composition must be calcined for 20 minutes.

You can also treat the soil with a strong solution of potassium permanganate. The easiest way is to prepare the soil for sowing tomatoes in the fall, allowing it to freeze thoroughly. If the soil has not been prepared in advance, you can purchase suitable soil from a specialized store.

How I grow tomato seedlings

Preparing soil for tomato seedlings

The soil for tomato seedlings should be loose, well permeable to moisture, but at the same time sufficiently moisture-absorbing. In this type of soil, when watering, moisture is quickly absorbed, and its excess flows out without delay. The reaction (acidity) of the soil environment should be close to neutral.

Beginner gardeners mistakenly think that seedlings need rich and nutritious soil. This soil is good for already mature plants. In overly nutritious soil, seed germination is delayed and seedling growth slows down.

A ready-made mixture for growing tomato seedlings can be found at any garden or hardware store. It is important not to save money and choose trusted manufacturers. If you prefer to prepare your own mixture for growing tomato seedlings, you can prepare this

Composition of soil for tomato seedlings

1 hour leaf humus, 1 tsp. turf soil, 0.5 hours. peat 0.5 parts of river sand or washed construction sand, 1 cup of wood ash per bucket of the mixture.

To avoid the death of young plants from the disease “root collar rot”, or simply “black leg”, it is necessary to disinfect the soil.

Disinfection of soil mixture

Disinfection can be carried out using several methods:

Freezing at low negative temperatures. The process can be repeated several times, taking the prepared soil out into the cold for several days, keeping it at room conditions for 4-5 days, then again in the cold and again in the heat.
Steam in a colander over a pan of boiling water for 6-8 minutes. The method is effective, but quite troublesome.
Etching with various preparations - a pink solution of “potassium permanganate”, “Fitosporin”, “Trichodermin” - these are biological products, with the means “Maxim summer resident”

Treatment of tomato seeds before planting seedlings

The purpose of pre-sowing treatment is to free the seeds from pathogens, increase their viability and accelerate germination.

The germination of tomato seeds lasts for at least 8 years, so if the seeds are not expired, they do not need special manipulations to increase germination.

The most necessary treatment is seed disinfection. Experts say that 80% of diseases of vegetable crops, including tomatoes, are transmitted through seeds. Therefore, to prevent the occurrence and development of diseases, seeds must be disinfected.

Disinfection is not carried out only on seeds that have already been treated by the manufacturer (usually the manufacturer writes about this on the bag of seeds) or if the seeds are covered with a special coating - they are coated.

One of the reliable and proven methods of disinfecting seeds at home is heat treatment. When heated, almost 100% of plant pathogens are destroyed.

At home, it is convenient to carry out heat treatment with hot water:

Tomato seeds are placed in bags (fabric or gauze) and heated for 30 minutes in a thermos with hot water at a temperature of +50...+52°C, and then cooled for 2 - 3 minutes in cold water.

After treatment, the seeds can be sown immediately in the ground, or you can soak them before sowing in a solution of biostimulants - “Zircon”, “Epin”, etc. Treatment with stimulants promotes seed germination, increases the resistance of young plants to diseases, and reduces the sensitivity of seedlings to unfavorable growing conditions.

More information on the use of plant growth regulators (Epin, Zircon, Tsitovit) can be found in the article Plant Growth Regulators NEST M

Planting tomato seeds for seedlings

How to sow tomatoes for seedlings at home:

Tomato seeds can be pre-germinated between two layers of damp cloth or cotton pad at a temperature of 25-28°C. This method allows you to immediately reject non-germinating and weakened seeds.

Then carefully transfer the hatched seeds with tweezers into the seedling boxes.

You need to sow the seeds sparingly, otherwise the seedlings will interfere with each other’s development and will not receive enough light and nutrients. Too frequent sowing also contributes to the development of the fungal disease “black leg of seedlings”.

It is convenient to make grooves for seeds using the edge of a ruler.

Seed sowing scheme: the distance between rows of crops is 4-5 cm, between the plants themselves 1-2 cm.

The sowing depth of the seeds is about 0.5-1 cm. There is no need to sow the seeds deeply, otherwise the seedlings will appear unevenly.

After sowing, containers with seeds should be carefully moistened with warm water. The soil should be moist, but not soggy. For watering, it is better to use a spray bottle; you can gently wet the soil with it without over-flooding.

After sowing, the seedling containers are covered with a plastic bag and put in a warm place.

Video

The entire process of preparing for sowing and directly sowing tomato seeds is shown in the video in a very accessible and understandable way, we suggest you familiarize yourself with it

Conditions for growing tomato seedlings

After sowing, tomato seeds require warmth, moderately moist soil and regular ventilation to germinate.

Temperature for tomato seedlings

At different stages of growing tomato seedlings, different air temperatures are needed.

Seeds need a temperature of +22…+25°C (at least 20°C) to germinate. At low soil temperatures, especially if it is too wet, the seeds may rot.

When the seedlings begin to appear en masse, the temperature should be reduced to +14...+16°C for about 5-7 days. This technique will allow you to slightly slow down the growth of seedlings so that their root system becomes stronger.

When the young seedlings get a little stronger, the temperature is raised to +18...+22°C during the day, and +14...+16°C at night, no more, otherwise the seedlings will begin to stretch.

Very often, summer residents have a question: how can you regulate the air temperature within one room. To maintain different temperatures for growing seedlings, containers with seedlings can be moved closer to the window frame or, conversely, to the radiator.

Lighting tomato seedlings

While there are no shoots, light is not needed, so the seeds can be kept in the dark near the battery.

As soon as the first loops of seedlings appear, the seedlings must be placed in a well-lit place. During this period, the development program of the entire plant begins, including productivity.

Plants need to be provided with at least 11-13 hours of daylight per day. This is approximately 2-3 hours in the morning and evening.

Additional illumination of seedlings at home should be continued until the seedlings are planted in the ground, reducing the time the lamps are turned on as daylight hours increase.

How do you know if you need to turn on additional lighting?

It is generally accepted among experts that if, when the lamp is turned on, practically no changes in illumination are detected, then it means that the backlight does not need to be turned on. If the difference is felt, additional lighting is needed.

The issue of additional lighting for seedlings is discussed in detail in the article

Lighting for seedlings [why, methods and recommendations]

Watering tomato seedlings

The soil in the seedling containers should be slightly moist, otherwise the seeds will rot. It is better not to water the seedlings, but to spray them with a spray bottle, keeping the soil substrate moist.

Water for irrigation must be at room temperature. When watering with tap water, it must be allowed to settle so that the chlorine evaporates. Experts do not recommend watering tomato seedlings at night, only during the day.

To prevent “black leg” and other fungal diseases, it is very good to use the biological product “Fitosporin” when watering approximately once every 10 days (according to the instructions).

The issue of watering tomato seedlings is covered in more detail in the article

Caring for tomato seedlings after germination

Feeding tomato seedlings

It is difficult to grow good seedlings without the use of fertilizers. The technology for growing tomato seedlings requires regular feeding, but excess fertilizer will not benefit the seedlings.

Most often, seedlings planted in poor-quality soil, or “overexposed” (sown too early) seedlings that no longer have enough soil volume for growing, experience a lack of nutrients.

If the seeds are sown in high-quality soil, then you can use fertilizers for feeding until the seedlings begin to develop real leaves.

Fertilizing is usually carried out every 10 days with any complex fertilizer for seedlings.

Fertilizers must be used according to instructions; the concentration cannot be increased, otherwise you can burn the root system. If necessary, it is better to feed the seedlings more often, but with a weaker fertilizer solution.

According to the rules, the soil needs to be moistened and then fertilized. Immediately after picking, while the root system is being restored, the seedlings are not fed.

Care after seating

The basis for the success of growing seedlings is a good substrate and constant control of soil moisture. As long as you don't let it get too wet, there shouldn't be any problems with mold or disease.

Water the plants carefully - pour water under the plant, without spraying it on the leaves. It is important not to overwater – tomatoes don’t like it.

The plants are still kept in a warm, bright place; the suitable temperature for seedlings is 16-20 ° C - a window sill that is not too warm will do.

Be careful not to burn plants in a south-facing window.

Feeding tomato seedlings

You need to know how to feed homemade tomato seedlings so that the stems are plump. For this purpose, it is better to use liquid multicomponent fertilizers. Feeding seedlings before picking begins when the plants have 2 true leaves. Fertilizing is repeated 2-3 times while growing young seedlings.

To grow seedlings after picking, the soil should be fertilized with compost at a dose of approximately 3-4 kg/m², thoroughly mixed with the soil.

An interesting method is to fertilize and feed seedlings of peppers and tomatoes using folk remedies. Home preventative treatments are based on readily available ingredients:

milk;
nettle;
bactericidal garlic.

These feeding methods were invented by our ancestors; you should not ignore their valuable experience; you can experiment with them on some experimental pots.

Milk: It is recommended to start pollination with a milk water solution as early as possible, for example, after picking. Prepare a milk-water solution in a ratio of 1:4 (for 1 part (cup) of milk, pour 4 parts (cups) of water.) Another way to grow healthy bushes is to place pieces of bread soaked in milk directly under the roots.
Nettle: nettle compost is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and used for spraying.
Garlic: A medium-sized head of garlic is crushed with a garlic press and mixed with 1 liter of water. The mixture is filtered and sprayed through a sprayer.

Judging by the reviews about the peculiarities of obtaining seedlings, some gardeners, wanting to avoid later spraying with copper sulfate and copper preparations, screw a piece of copper wire near the stem. Can this method be considered useful and proven? If you have used this method, please share your experience by adding a comment.

Hardening of seedlings

Regardless of the method of growing seedlings, it is necessary to harden the plants before planting them in a permanent place. This should prepare the plants for the worst conditions that may prevail after planting. It makes it easier for plants to tolerate stress. Seasoned tomatoes are accepted faster.

After a few weeks - at the end of April - beginning of May, young plants begin to accustom themselves to external conditions. When the hottest period of the day arrives (12-14 hours), the bushes are taken outside, leaving them there for some time.

Hardening begins at 1 hour, gradually increasing the period of stay on the street. The plants must be returned home at night. Hardening of seedlings should last 10-15 days.

During the hardening period, special care is needed:

watering is limited;
the air temperature drops to 10 ° C (the most optimal) - the pots are taken out of the heated room to a cooler place and the room is ventilated more often.

Hardened seedlings are ready for planting in open ground.

Picking tomato seedlings

Picking is a very important process when growing tomato seedlings. It is necessary for the seedlings to develop normally - to receive enough lighting, nutrients and moisture.

The timing of the picking is the appearance of 2–4 true leaves on the seedlings. At this time, the root system is already quite well formed and the plants take root easily.

It is believed that for short and medium-sized tomatoes, one pick is enough. And tall tomato varieties will have to be replanted 2 times as the plants grow.

Basic picking rules:

The seedlings need to be watered abundantly in advance (12–24 hours in advance). Do not water the seedlings immediately before the picking procedure - the root system of the seedlings can be damaged when digging them out of wet, heavy soil;
the seating capacity is usually used 1.5 times larger than the previous one;
after picking, special, gentle conditions are created for the plants; inexperienced gardeners’ seedlings often die at this time.

After picking, the seedlings need moderate watering, always with warm water, otherwise the plants will begin to be affected by the “black leg”.

In order for the seedlings to take root as quickly as possible, they need to be placed in a warm place (+20...+ 25°C). If it is sunny days, it should never be placed in a sunny place. While plants are stressed after transplanting, they should be kept in diffused light. To create greenhouse conditions, plants can be covered with a piece of spunbond or film.

When the seedlings get a little stronger, they can be placed at a temperature of +18...+20°C and up to +15...+16°C at night, and after 10 days they can be fertilized with fertilizers.

Disembarkation in diapers

This method is very convenient, as it takes up little space, but you still have to tinker. Seeds for this method are germinated in advance. For planting you will need film. Cut it into squares the size of a school notebook.

Put a little damp soil (about 1 tablespoon), place 1 sprouted grain, the sprout should be at the top. Cover with the bottom layer of film and then wrap in the shape of a cup. You can secure it with an elastic band or thread.

Place tightly in containers and place in a well-lit, warm place. Such seedlings do not require picking. When it reaches 20 cm, and climatic conditions allow, it can be planted in open ground.

Hardening off tomato seedlings

When growing tomato seedlings at home, the plants must be prepared for changing growing conditions. Seedlings of even the most unpretentious varieties grown indoors will be pampered, so they need to be gradually accustomed to planting in harsher conditions.

Experts recommend this hardening regime: approximately 10 days before planting, reduce the night temperature to +12...+14°C. Usually, as the temperature decreases, watering of seedlings is also reduced - the amount is reduced.

A correctly carried out procedure for hardening off seedlings helps the plants to more easily tolerate the stress of transplantation and begin to grow faster.

Problems of growing tomato seedlings

Tomato seeds do not germinate

One of the common problems when growing seedlings is that tomato seeds do not germinate. If the seeds are not expired, then most likely the recommended growing conditions have been violated - the soil is too wet and/or it is at a very low temperature, under such conditions the seed embryo dies. Therefore, it is extremely important to follow recommendations for maintaining the conditions for growing seedlings.

The reasons for poor germination of tomato seeds are described in more detail in the article Why poor germination of tomato seeds [main reasons] . Also, seeds may not germinate due to the appearance of mold on the surface of the soil substrate. Molds germinate more actively than sown seeds and the seedlings die.

To prevent the appearance of mold on seedlings, it is imperative to carry out preventive measures. The reasons for the appearance of mold fungi and methods of combating this problem are described in more detail in the article Mold on seedlings, what to do? .

Black leg of tomato seedlings

This is a fungal disease that occurs in wet and cold soil. The loss of seedlings due to blackleg damage can be significant, which means lost time and costs for new seeds.

Root collar rot of seedlings is easier to prevent than to cope with. Therefore, prevention is very important. To prevent the disease it is necessary:

mandatory soil disinfection;
compliance with recommendations for maintaining temperature and watering schedule;
use drugs for prevention.

Modern biological products - “Fitosporin”, “Trichodermin”, “Glyokladin”, etc. are quite effective against pathogens of fungal plant diseases, in particular “blackleg”.

Stretched tomato seedlings

Another very common problem is that tomato seedlings stretch out. This occurs due to lack of light and non-compliance with temperature conditions.

Low light and high temperature are the main factors in causing this problem.

The answer to the question “tomato seedlings have stretched out, what should I do?” there will be 2 options :

providing additional lighting for seedlings
or a significant decrease in temperature.

In this case, the growth of seedlings will slow down, but in this case, there is no point in sowing seeds early for seedlings. That’s why experienced gardeners say that there is no need to sow seedlings too early.

In both cases, treatment of seedlings with growth regulators “Athlete”, “Koreasty”, etc. is effective. These drugs help strengthen the root system of seedlings and the formation of compact and stocky plants.

Read about all the reasons and methods of combating the pulling of seedlings in the article

If the seedlings stretch out, what should I do?.

Is it necessary to grow tomatoes from seedlings?

The growing season for tomatoes is very long; many months pass from sowing seeds to harvesting, and all work on growing tomatoes begins in March, when spring has not yet really begun in most of our country. Therefore, unfortunately, almost nowhere you can’t do without growing seedlings.

When in the 1980s We, graduates of Moscow State University, assigned to Saratov, acquired dacha plots; one friend could not understand the meaning of the word “seedlings”. And I certainly didn’t want to believe that tomato seeds must first be planted in a pot or box, and then nurtured and cherished in the apartment. In their village, on the Azov coast, where the shaft also sprouts, there were only two stages of growing tomatoes: plant the seeds in a garden bed and harvest.

In the conditions of central Russia, and even more so in the northern regions, growing seedlings is mandatory. Fortunately, unlike cabbage, which requires low temperatures (from 6 to 16 °C) to grow seedlings, tomatoes are fine in this regard: the conditions of a city apartment are generally suitable for seedlings, only sometimes there is not enough sun. Therefore, for about two months a year, gardeners occupy all the free space in the apartment with boxes and cups with tomato seedlings.