Is it possible to dive tomatoes in 2 pieces. How and when to dive tomato seedlings: step-by-step photo instructions
Picking is the planting of seedlings in separate, larger containers. It is necessary if you are originally producers of sowing seeds in a common container or separate not very large cups or cassettes. How to properly dive tomato seedlings?
Why is picking tomato seedlings needed? The procedure increases the area of plant growth and nutrition, stimulates the development of the root system (especially the development of lateral roots), makes the seedlings stronger and stronger.
In addition to the main function, picking has a number of advantages:
- During the transplantation of seedlings, weak, frail specimens can be discarded, thereby leaving only strong and strong seedlings.
- Allows you to eliminate diseased specimens, preventing infection of other plants.
- If during cultivation it turns out that pathogens are in the soil, then during transplantation, the plants can be removed from the unfavorable environment and planted in a new, disinfected soil.
- When grown in a common container (for example, in a plastic container, wooden box), the plants can become entwined with roots, when planted in open ground, it threatens to damage the root system, weaken seedlings and even die. The procedure, carried out at the right time, will avoid the interlacing of the roots.
- If you notice that the seedlings have begun to outgrow, then the procedure will slightly slow down the too active growth of the aerial part.
Important! If the picking of tomato seedlings is not done in the right time, then the seedlings will become cramped, they will compete for sunlight, lack nutrients, stretch out, weaken.
Minus picking is the stress that tomato seedlings (as, indeed, any other) will experience during and after the procedure. Therefore, you need to plant the plants very carefully, without damaging the delicate roots. With an incorrect pick, the seedlings may even die or become very frail and lethargic.
Timing of picking tomato seedlings in 2019
After sowing seeds, many novice gardeners have a question - when to dive tomato seedlings at home? When choosing the timing, you need to focus, first of all, first of all, on the seedlings themselves - plants must be in the phase of 2 true leaves... This period occurs, as a rule, 10-14 days after the seedlings have sprung up.
The photo illustrates how to distinguish between real and cotyledon leaves of tomato seedlings:
This photo also shows that the seedling has 2 real well-developed leaves:
Important! The event cannot be postponed, otherwise the seedlings may outgrow, stretch out.
Also, some gardeners are guided by the cycles of the moon. The timing of the pick according to the Lunar calendar 2019:
- Auspicious days:
- in March - 7, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 19, 20;
- in April - 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 20, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30;
- in May - 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 31.
- Unfavorable days:
- in March - 6, 21;
- in April - 5, 19;
- in May - 5, 19.
Soil for picking
For picking tomato seedlings, you can use the same soil as for sowing seeds. For example, you can prepare the soil with your own hands, for this mix: garden soil (1 part) + turf soil (1 part) + peat (4 parts) + humus or compost (0.25 parts).
A universal soil for vegetable seedlings or soil designed specifically for tomatoes is suitable.
Treatment containers
For picking, it is necessary to use exclusively individual containers - plastic cups, peat pots, plastic cassettes. The optimal volume is 0.5 liters.
If transplanted in a smaller container (for example, 0.2 l), then a second pick will be needed.
Important! Plastic cups, pots, cassettes must have drainage holes! If they are not there, then they must be done, for example, with a nail, awl, scissors. But in peat pots, holes are not needed, they already perfectly allow moisture to pass through.
Methods for picking tomatoes and step-by-step photo instructions
A pick can be carried out in three ways: by the classical method, by transshipment and by a non-standard method. Let's consider each method in more detail, and you can decide which option suits you best.
A little trick! It is recommended to spray young plants the day before the procedure. You can use the drug "Zircon" or "Epin".
Method number 1 (classic)
The classic way of picking tomato seedlings at home is the most commonly used method of transplanting plants in larger containers. Next will be waiting for you master class with step-by-step photo instructions for picking tomato seedlings in the standard way:
1) About two hours before the event, the seedlings should be watered with a small amount of clean, settled water.
2) Place on the bottom of the container (1.5 cm). You can use small expanded clay, broken brick, perlite (shown in the photo).
3) Fill the wells with soil so that there is a small gap to the edges of the container (about 2 cm).
4) Make holes in the middle of the container, they should be the same size as the root system of the seedlings.
Pits can be made with the back of a spoon or fork:
Or just with your finger:
5) Very carefully separate the seedling together with the earthy clod. It is convenient to do this with a wooden stick, a teaspoon, the back of a fork or spoon (as in the photo):
Important! The removal of the seedling must be done very carefully so as not to damage the root system and the aerial part. You also need to leave the soil on the roots!
6) Gently shorten the center root by 1/3 with pinching (to stimulate lateral root growth).
Important! Many gardeners believe that it is not necessary to pinch the root of tomatoes when picking, as this can slow down the growth of the plant.
One thing if you want to do this, then the photos below will illustrate the pinching process:
7) Transfer the seedlings to the hole, holding onto the cotyledonous leaves.
8) Submerge the seedling in the planting hole almost to the cotyledonous leaves.
9) Fill the hole with soil very carefully.
10) Also carefully compact the soil around the seedling.
11) Water abundantly with clean, settled water at room temperature. Water should not come into contact with the plants themselves. It is convenient to do this with a syringe or syringe.
Method number 2 (transshipment)
Transshipment involves transplanting a seedling into another container without destroying the earthen coma. The method of transshipment for repeated picking of tall tomatoes is especially relevant.
Note! This method is suitable for seedlings that were originally planted in individual containers - cups, cassettes, peat pots.
- Two days before the procedure, it is necessary to limit the plants in watering. Such manipulation will allow someone of the earth to maintain integrity and easily jump out of the container.
- It is necessary to fill a new, more spacious container with soil by three quarters.
- Now you need to get an earthen ball with a seedling from the container. To do this, you need to turn the container over, while holding the top of the young tomato, and carefully release the earthen lump from the pot. But if these are small, fragile plants, then the pot with them should not be turned over, since the stem may be damaged, use a spatula to pry the clod with the earth.
- Then you need to place an earthen lump in the hole, which should be commensurate with this coma. If there are voids left, then they must be filled with soil.
Method number 3
This method has no name, but some gardeners dive tomatoes in this way. The meaning of the method lies in the fact that you have to shake out the contents of the container and select seedlings from the general heap and transplant them into separate containers. But this method is not suitable for seedlings that are overgrown or stretched out.
Scheme of a non-standard picking method:
- Watering the seedlings should be done 60 minutes before the procedure.
- After that, it is necessary to dump the soil along with the seedlings on the table (you can first lay a film on the table or put a tray). This must be done carefully to avoid damage to the aerial parts and plant roots.
- Now you can start dividing the seedlings. This can be done with a wooden stick or a teaspoon.
- Now you should take the seedlings by the cotyledon leaves and deepen into a new container.
- The final step is to compact the planting site and water it.
How to care for tomato seedlings after the procedure
It is very important to properly care for tomato seedlings at home after picking, as the plants are weakened and under stress. Full care will accelerate the survival rate, adaptation of plants, prevent the weakening and development of diseases, and when the time comes, the seedlings will be completely ready for transplanting into open ground.
Temperature regime
In order for the care to be complete, it is necessary to provide a suitable temperature. After a pick, during the first three days, it is necessary to maintain t during the day - 20-22 degrees, and at night - 16-18 degrees.
In about four to six days, a decrease in temperature should occur - during the day it should be 18-20 degrees, and 15-16 at night.
Lighting
After the procedure, within 2-3 days, you need to protect the plants from direct sunlight. which can cause stress and burns in weakened seedlings. Only diffused light is allowed.
The optimal length of daylight hours for plants after the procedure is about 12 hours... If the daylight hours are shorter, then phytolamps must be used. The gap between the plants and the lamp should be 50 centimeters.
Excessive exposure to sunlight can cause leaf burns. Therefore, during the period of activity, it is necessary to make the lighting diffuse.
Advice! Turning the container over to the other side from time to time will help prevent the seedlings from tilting.
Watering
Watering tomato seedlings after picking should be done in the same way as before the procedure. That is, watering is carried out immediately, as soon as the top layer of the soil dries up. It is recommended to water abundantly, but not too often.
And remember that you must not allow the soil to dry out and waterlogged. For example, waterlogging can provoke unpleasant and dangerous diseases: late blight, black leg.
Top dressing
Fertilization is an important element of caring for tomato seedlings after picking. The first feeding of tomatoes at home should be done two weeks after planting.
You can fertilize plants with a mixture of the following ingredients: 4 grams of carbamide + 12 grams of potassium sulfate + 35 grams of superphosphate + 10 liters of water. And you can also use purchased ready-made complex fertilizers, for example, Agricola, Fertika Lux, Aquarin, Nitroammofosk (only you need to reduce the concentration by half from that indicated in the instructions) and others.
To feed tomato seedlings, you should first do standard watering. The amount of fertilizer applied should be the same as the amount of regular water for irrigation. The second time to feed tomato seedlings should be 2 weeks after the first application.
Re-picking tomatoes
About three weeks after the procedure, it is necessary to re-dive the seedlings of tall tomatoes. The need for a repeated procedure in tall specimens is caused by the rapid growth and lack of territory for growth and normal development. You need to dive by the transshipment method, that is, without destroying the earthen lump of the plant... The new container should be twice as large as the old one. You do not need to pinch the central root.
Tomatoes that are not tall should be dived only if:
- overgrowth of seedlings is observed- it is important to carry out the procedure a second time if the plants have begun to outgrow, but it is not time to transplant into open ground;
- poorly developed root system- the procedure will slow down the growth of the aerial part of the plant, stimulate the growth of roots;
- the seedlings began to stretch- the phenomenon is dangerous in that thin stems can lie down due to heavy leaves.
Growing tomato seedlings without picking
Surely, when reading the material above or while growing seedlings with their own hands, many might have a question - is it possible to grow tomato seedlings at home without picking? Yes, you can.
The advantages of growing tomato seedlings without picking:
- You can definitely avoid damage to the roots.
- It will also be possible to avoid the stress that the seedlings experience due to the procedure.
- You can save time and energy by spending it on some other chores.
At the same time, growing without picking has certain differences that you should be aware of. It is necessary to plant and grow seedlings taking into account the following features:
- Planting seeds is optimal in late March or early April.
- Initially, you need to sow seeds in separate containers. Containers should be voluminous (ideally, the volume should be 0.5 liters).
- Do not choose small containers, otherwise the plants will become cramped and they will have to be transplanted.
Picking is the most important stage in growing tomato seedlings at home. If you do it correctly, while choosing the optimal timing, soil, planting capacity, then you can get even closer to a wonderful, tasty harvest of juicy, sweet tomatoes.
If the cultivation of tomato seedlings is not far from the garden, then there is no need to invent innovations. However, plants often have to be transported, and it is not always possible to use personal transport for this. Growing tomato seedlings is not difficult, but delivering them to the planting site in integrity is already more difficult.
In such circumstances, compacted picks can be used. With their help, we:
- rationally use the space on the windowsill;
- we grow the required amount of seedlings, without additional areas, cups, soil;
- we can painlessly transport seedlings by public transport;
- we quickly and efficiently plant tomatoes in open ground without violating the integrity of the earthen coma.
Save space
It is quite difficult to grow a large amount of seedlings in an apartment. Each spring for the gardener is accompanied by mental ordeals of what to sow and what not. After all, I really want to sow everything, and more. But, unfortunately, the window sills are not dimensionless and we have to give up the crops of the desired varieties.Having tried the proposed method once, you will be convinced that you can rationally use the available space and not deny yourself excesses.
Sowing tomatoes is carried out, as always, in a pot, or any other container. When the seedlings are ready for diving, and this is the stage of two real leaves as in the photo, you can start diving into individual pots.
Selection of containers for picking
Many vegetable growers try to choose a larger capacity, arguing that during the cultivation the seedlings will develop a strong root system. However, the botanical features of the tomato are such that the entire stem, falling into the ground, grows roots. When growing seedlings, the main thing for us is not the root system, but the age of the seedlings, it is thanks to him that we "accelerate" fruiting by 60 days.More experienced growers do not seek to plant a seedling plant in a large pot, but use 200 g cups, which are quite enough.
In our case, we will go even further and pick two plants into one glass.
Since picking is not just seating in different containers, but still, working with the root system, the lower part of the root must be bitten off.
Next, plant the plant closer to the walls of the cup.
Seedlings need to be considerably deepened. This will allow you to add soil mixture, and the root ball will grow not in breadth, but along the entire height of the deepened stem. Thus, we will create a root system, and two plants will take over their space.
Sign the landings. Even if you do not have many varieties, sign the cups, this will save you from misunderstandings, especially if you are growing undersized and tall varieties. If it is burdensome to write the name of the variety, then you can indicate only a tall or short plant, denoting with two letters "H" and "B". It is better to mark it with a marker, it will not wash off with water, and after using the cup, the inscription must be erased with solvent or alcohol.
Features of growing compacted seedlings
There are special requirements for seedlings, and this one is no exception. In order for the tomato plant not to stretch out and be "thick", it is necessary to clearly regulate the temperature and light conditions. Provide the seedlings with a low temperature and high light, this will allow it to develop the root system and vegetative evenly.
If the conditions of the apartment do not allow you to grow a lot of good seedlings up to 60 days of age, abandon early crops. Sow some of the seeds later, and pick two at a time. This way, you will have the right amount of seedlings. The seeds sown with a lag will soon catch up with the "leader" and provide an abundance of fruits.
By resorting to a similar trick, you can painlessly grow the required amount of seedlings and transfer them to the planting site.
Reading almost any material in the horticultural literature about the agricultural technology of tomatoes, you come across the same advice: the need for mandatory picking of seedlings with a pinch of the root in the seedling period. This rule is so deeply rooted that it is almost considered an axiom.
Is it really that simple?
What happens to the root?
The authors explain this by the fact that this procedure stimulates the growth of the root system, which develops more powerful. I have followed these recommendations for many years without thinking deeply. But one day I tried to do without picking and realized that everything is just the opposite.
Analyzing this fact, I realized the following. In fact, picking in no way makes the root system of tomatoes larger. It only changes it from pivotal (with deep roots) to surface. This happens due to the breakage of the central root during this operation. In large farms with a huge amount of planting material and drip irrigation, this is very convenient and necessary.
Do ordinary summer residents and gardeners need the same, many of whom have the opportunity to visit their pets only once a week?
The numbers convince
They, of course, are more comfortable with the cultivation option, where the plants in the seedling period are simply rolled into large containers. With proper planting, such tomatoes can grow generally all season without watering or at a minimum, since their pivotal root system, going deeper into a great depth, will from there, like a pump, extract the necessary moisture.
In addition, roots that are not injured by a pick are less susceptible to various root rot.
I'm used to testing my subjective impressions with numbers. To do this, in the past season I took 20 varieties of tomatoes, two each and, growing seedlings, dived one plant, and passed the second one without disturbing the root system. In the future, I took into account the yield and ripening terms.
On average, for the season, the yield of tomatoes grown without picking turned out to be higher by 630 g. Such plants entered fruiting 11 days earlier.
Below are other entries on the topic "Cottage and garden - do it yourself"
When growing tomatoes, in order for the seedlings to turn out to be strong and well-developed, it is imperative that a timely pick of the seedlings be carried out. The attitude itself and the technique of performing this procedure differ among gardeners, so it is necessary to figure out what a picking of tomato seedlings is, when and how to carry it out correctly.
The classic definition of a pick (dive)- this is the removal of the final part of the taproot from a young seedling (in other words, shortening it by 1/3 or 1/4) in order to stimulate the branching of the root system ( for tomatoes - this is an absolute blessing unlike cabbage, the same eggplants and peppers, for which picking is recommended, but traumatic).
But in general, usually under a dive it is understood the seating (transplanting) of grown seedlings from the general planting capacity into separate (individual) and large ones.
Note! For tomato seedlings, picking is vital, since the stronger the root system of young seedlings is, the greater the load of fruits it can withstand.
There are several main advantages of picking tomato seedlings, which leave no doubt about the need for it:
Generally, the essence of the pick in that the plant develops better, or rather, its root system grows, gradually mastering more and more volumes of soil.
- When transplanting, you can carry out a natural selection of the strongest and most promising specimens, while rejecting weak plants.
- Prevents root entanglement in seedlings growing in a common container.
- Due to the deepening of the seedlings to the cotyledons, the active formation of adventitious (lateral) roots begins.
Thus, the further growth and development of tomato seedlings depends on the correctness of this procedure.
Video: why, when and how to dive tomato seedlings correctly
Is it possible to do without picking tomato seedlings
Some gardeners prefer to grow tomato seedlings without picking. To do this, at the initial stage of sowing, it is necessary to plant several seeds (2-3) in separate sufficiently large containers. And after the seedlings grow a little, leave the strongest and most promising seedling, and remove the rest. As the plants grow, you will need to gradually add soil to stimulate the development of the root system.
By the way! About, how to grow tomato seedlings without picking, read more in this article.
Important! If you are going to grow tomato seedlings without picking, then it is recommended to select the container so that in the end it will allow growing the root system of the growing seedlings, i.e. not less than 0.5 liters.
When to pick tomato seedlings
The picking of tomato seedlings, like almost all other plants (for example, the same or), must be carried out when the plants form a pair (2 each) of these leaves.
By the way! In principle, a pick can be carried out when the seedlings the 2nd real leaf will only begin to form (appear).
Important! There is no need to rush, as well as to delay, with picking tomatoes: if in the first case the plant is still too weak (in the cotyledon phase), then in the second, it will simply start to lack space and food (including light), which means that the seedlings will stretch and wither.
As for the approximate timing of picking tomatoes, as a rule, it takes about 3-4 weeks for the seedlings to grow the necessary 2 true leaves from the moment of sowing the seeds.
Advice! It is not worth focusing on the age of the seedlings when choosing a picking time. The main thing is to focus on the appearance, namely on the number of real (not cotyledonous) leaves.
Video: when to dive tomato seedlings
Note! If you originally sowed tomatoes in cassettes with a volume of 0.2-0.3 liters, then picking seedlings using the transshipment method (more on this later) can be produced later, when she already has 3-4 real leaves. But you should not pull too much, the sprouts will simply begin to close (shade) each other.
How to prepare tomato seedlings for picking or transplanting by transshipment
To reduce the stress of plants due to picking, a day before or after (some even recommend doing this even earlier - 2-6 hours before or after the procedure), you can spray tomato seedlings with a solution of drugs "Epin" or "Zircon" (according to the instructions).
Also desirable 2 hours before the pick water the seedlings at the root, which will help to avoid damage to the root system in the process of removing the seedlings from the general container and preserving part of the earthen coma. However, if you are just overloading, then, on the contrary, you need to stop watering 1-2 days before transplanting.
Alternative opinion! In order for the seedlings to remain elastic and not break during the pick, on the contrary, it is advisable to slightly dry the soil before the procedure.
- It is convenient to use a wooden stick, a teaspoon or a plastic fork for a dive, which helps to gently remove the seedlings from the ground.
- You should not hold the seedling by the stem (this way you can break it), you need to hold it by the cotyledon leaves.
- It is better to bury tomato seedlings to the lower (cotyledon) leaves, which makes it possible to grow additional lateral roots.
- The soil must be disinfected in order to exclude the development of fungal diseases (more on this later).
- It is not recommended to select too large containers, 0.5 liter cups or pots will be enough (read below).
Preparation of soil mixture
The soil for picking tomatoes is exactly the same as when sowing seeds for seedlings, in other words, it should be loose, light and neutral in acidity (pH 6.5). Unless now it can be made a little more nutritious.
And, of course, it must be disinfected without fail.
Advice! You can effectively disinfect the soil using roasting (steaming) in the oven or microwave, or spilling with a solution of the drug (according to the instructions). Better yet, do both (first ignite, then cool, and then spill).
The easiest way is to use a ready-made special soil for growing tomato seedlings, which is also suitable for peppers and eggplants.
Of course, you can always prepare the soil mixture yourself. Here are some proven recipes:
- sod land, high peat, humus or compost, sphagnum moss or river coarse sand in a ratio of 1: 1: 2: 1;
- peat, compost, sawdust or sand in a ratio of 3: 5: 1;
- turf soil, humus or compost, sand in a ratio of 2: 3: 1;
- turf land, leaf land, humus or compost in equal proportions (1: 1: 1);
Advice! Do not forget to add 1 cup (100 grams) per 1 bucket of soil mixture to all potting mixes.
Suitable container for picking
For picking tomato seedlings in separate containers, the same plastic cups with a volume of about 0.5 liters are suitable, 0.7 is possible, but not more than 1 liter (this is pointless and even harmful, the soil that has not been reclaimed by roots will simply sour).
In whatever container is convenient for you, dive into this one. Let it be cut plastic bottles, cardboard milk boxes, kefir, sour cream and mayonnaise jars. The main thing is that the container has a volume of at least 500 ml and a height of at least 8-10 cm.
Many dive in homemade polyethylene cups (similar to diapers), from which it is very convenient to get seedlings or.
Note! If you take a container of a smaller volume (0.2-0.3 liters), then after a while you will need to make another pick again, more precisely, a transplant by the transshipment method.
Also, the landing container must have drain holes, or You can lay out the drainage layer from expanded clay or pebbles (1-2 cm).
Methods for picking tomato seedlings
The picking of tomato seedlings can be done in two ways: the classic picking and the transshipment method.
The choice of method depends on how you initially sowed the seeds (in a common container or in individual cups).
Classic pick
Executed when you initially sown seeds in a common container... Although, if you really want to prune the taproot to stimulate the formation of lateral roots, then it is also used when transplanting from individual small containers.
Step-by-step instructions for picking tomato seedlings from a common container into separate cups:
- The prepared containers are not completely filled with soil (about 3/4 or 2/3 of their volume, so that it is possible to water the plant normally and add soil as it grows).
- In the center of the container, make a small indentation with a finger or a spoon (stick) according to the size of the root system of the seedling.
- Spill with water so that the soil becomes only slightly damp.
- Carefully remove the seedling from the container, prying it from below with a stick (a teaspoon, more precisely, with its end). Then the plant is removed from the soil (you cannot hold it by the stem, only by the cotyledons).
By the way! Some gardeners advise, if possible, to save part of the land on the roots of seedlings when diving. At least a small layer.
- Now the seedling needs to shorten (cut) its main taproot by 1/3 (1/4), pinching its tip by 0.3-0.5 cm.
- Optionally, to enrich the root system with beneficial bacteria, you can dip the roots in a solution (against fungal diseases) and / or "Azotovita" or "Azofita"(both drugs are analogs providing nitrogen nutrition), " Phosphatovite"(Phosphorus nutrition). Prepare solutions only according to the instructions on the packages.
Note! Solutions can be mixed, drugs do not suppress each other.
You can also add a drop to the resulting solution. "Epina" (or "Zircon") or 1 h. l. yeast(culinary, beer) - so it will be even more effective.
- They put the seedling in the hole, deepening it almost to the cotyledonous leaves.
It is important that if the seedling is elongated, then it must also be buried almost to the cotyledons.
- Gently compact the soil at the base of the seedling.
- Then spill with warm water so that the roots of the plant come into good contact with the soil.
If desired, watering can be done with the solution and Azofit (Azotovit).
- To prevent a dry crust from forming after watering, you can additionally add a little dry soil on top.
By the way! For the prevention of other fungal diseases, you can put a Glyocladin tablet in each container.
- At the end, the cut seedlings are placed in a place inaccessible to direct sunlight, for about a day or two. In other words, it is better to remove containers with seedlings from the window and put them on the table or somehow shade them directly on the windowsill. At the same time, shading does not mean putting in a deep shadow or even in a dark place. There should be light, but diffused.
The following videos show the classic picking process shown with the use of drugs and Azofit.
Video: picking tomatoes, peppers, eggplants - simple rules
Video: how to properly dive tomato seedlings into glasses
Transshipment (transfer with a clod of earth)
Only performed if you the seeds were initially sown in individual containers (cups or cassettes).
Step-by-step instructions for transshipment (transplantation with an earthen clod) tomato seedlings:
Note! Most of the actions are carried out in the same way as a pick, with the exception of the following:
- For a successful transshipment, it is necessary to stop watering the plants 1-2 days before transplanting, so that you can easily get the seedling along with the earthen clod without damaging it (it will not fall apart).
- Pour some soil into the container. Leave a place with the expectation that you will put a seedling with an earthen lump there.
- Carefully remove the seedling from the container along with a clod of earth.
- Place the seedling in the center of the container and fill the voids formed on the side with the prepared substrate.
Advantage! With this method, the roots are not damaged and they do not need an adaptation period. Therefore, in the case of transshipment, the transplanted seedlings can not be placed at all in a shaded place or placed for only 12-24 hours.
Video: picking tomatoes by transshipment from cassettes
Caring for tomato seedlings after picking
Slowing down the growth of seedlings after picking is a normal phenomenon, since the plants must survive stress and recover - to take root in a new place.
- Support temperature regime... The temperature of the content should be as follows: during the day - +22 .. + 26 degrees, and at night it should drop to + 14-18 degrees. Temperature drops contribute to the hardening of plants, in other words, they have a favorable effect on the development of seedlings.
- Light mode... For the full growth and development of tomato seedlings, it takes 11-12 hours of daylight hours. The most suitable place for planting seedlings will be the southern windowsill. An east or west window sill is also suitable, but it's better if it is a southeast or southwest window.
Advice! Periodically, containers with seedlings should be turned with the other side to the window so that the plants do not tilt to one side.
- Timely watering you grow as the top layer of the earth dries up. At the same time, it is necessary to water abundantly so that the entire earthen lump has time to soak (excess benefits should come out of the pot from the drainage holes). The water should be warm or at least room temperature, pre-separated or filtered.
- If there is a need, then start feed(more on this later).
Video: tomato seedlings - from picking to planting
Top dressing
If the soil is properly prepared, then the tomato seedlings can not be fed at all, especially before the pick. But if initially used poor soil, then you cannot do without fertilizers. All the more so if the appearance of the seedlings clearly hints that the plant lacks some macro- or microelements. In this case feeding is simply necessary.
By the way! More about feeding tomato seedlings read .
For example, if you see that the stems and the lower part of the leaves of the tomato turned purple then they need phosphorus... Top dressing can be done using (dilute according to instructions).
If started cotyledon leaves turn yellow and fall off, then, most likely, plants lack nitrogen... If so, then the seedlings should be fed with any, for example, urea or ammonium nitrate.
Advice! For feeding tomato seedlings, it is best to use complex mineral fertilizers containing equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (such as nitroammofoska). Moreover it is advisable to prepare 2-3 times less concentrated solutions than the manufacturer recommends.
Or you can prepare such a universal solution from mineral fertilizers (for 10 liters of water):
- - 10-15 grams;
- you deliberately dived into small containers;
- the seedlings have outgrown their containers, but the weather conditions do not allow the seedlings to be planted in the ground.
As for the frequency of feeding tomato seedlings, as a rule, it is recommended to do this once every 10-14 days (for the first time - 10-14 days after the pick), although experienced gardeners advise feeding with each watering, but in a lower concentration ( 3-4 times).
Video: when and how to feed tomato seedlings
Repeated transfer (transshipment)
After 3-4 weeks after the first pick, if necessary, you can second pick tomatoes.
It is carried out by a purely transshipment method and does not require shortening the main root.
Re-picking can be done if:
By the way! Often a double pick is used when growing tall (indeterminate) tomato varieties.
Video: the second pick of tall tomatoes
Thus, picking tomatoes is an important stage in growing seedlings, which gives an additional impetus to the development of plants. Follow this procedure in accordance with all the rules and recommendations, and your seedlings will become strong and healthy.
Video: picking tomatoes - how to plant tomatoes
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