The content of the article:
The abundant harvest of tomatoes depends on the quality of the seedlings: the stronger and healthier it is, the stronger the bushes, the less likely will be the sick and the more the fruit will be tied up. For this reason, truck farmers, especially beginners, need to have an idea of how to plant tomatoes properly in seedlings, because the future harvest depends on this. What should I look for when planning tomato production, and what do I need to do?
Choose seeds
The first step is to determine the seed material. The most reliable way is to purchase it in a specialized store, choosing the zoned and tested varieties from well-known manufacturers. When choosing seeds of tomatoes, the following factors should also be considered:
- height of bushes (low or tall);
- terms of fruiting (early or late);
- the purpose of growing (salad or for conservation).
One of the main nuances is the place of further cultivation of tomatoes: both for greenhouses and for open ground there are specialized tomato varieties, and one must adhere to this division.
Preparing the seed material
So that the seeds do not upset the bad similarity, they must be prepared beforehand. We begin by rejecting poor-quality, empty, achenes. To do this, pour the seeds into the salt water and leave them for five minutes. All that pops up - throw it away (they will not be of any use). With the remaining qualitative seeds on the bottom, we perform two more procedures:
- Disinfect, placing in a solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour.
- Stratify, wrapped in cloth and put in the refrigerator for three days.
Preparing the soil
While the seeds undergo preparatory procedures, one can tackle the soil. The land for seedlings should be fertile and loose to provide the seedlings with the necessary nutrients and not hamper their growth. The optimal choice is to buy ready-made substrates in the store, especially for seedlings. The mixture can also be prepared by mixing in equal proportions:
- soil from the garden;
- humus;
- peat.
On a bucket of such soil mixture add a half-liter jar of ash and 2 matchboxes of superphosphate.
The home substrate must be decontaminated by heating in the oven, steaming or straining with potassium permanganate.
We sow seeds
To grow tomato seedlings you can use:
- common container;
- peat pots or tablets;
- cassette.
The chosen container is filled with soil and well moistened from the spray gun. Make grooves (in the total capacity) or holes not more than 1 cm deep and lay seeds. In the case of group sowing between seeds, we leave 4 cm, and between grooves - up to 5 cm. We fall asleep a crop by a thin layer of a ground, we cover dishes with a film for creation of effect of a hotbed and we put on a light window sill. In this form, they will stay until they germinate, and at this time it is necessary to periodically ventilate the youngsters and sprinkle the soil. Then the film can be removed.
Adult seedlings with a pair of real leaves from a common container should be dived into individual pots. In a week and a half after this procedure, you can start feeding (enough two-time application of the mineral complex with a break of 2 weeks). Before planting seedlings on a permanent place, it must be hardened.
