How to properly plant tomatoes for seedlings at home: timing when with video

The germination of the crop largely depends on understanding how to properly plant tomatoes for seedlings in the house. In this case, the procedure itself does not cause any particular difficulties. The main thing is to follow the rules for sowing tomato seeds and fulfill the requirements for caring for seedlings. The first problems that a novice gardener may encounter arise at the seed selection stage.

Determine the variety and purchase quality seeds

When choosing a variety of tomatoes, it is recommended to pay attention to the following aspects:

1. Place of landing. For open areas, early-ripening varieties are suitable, for greenhouses - late ripening tomatoes.
2. Height of the plant. Undersized crops are sown in open areas, tall crops are sown in greenhouses.
3. Growing method. For greenhouses and greenhouses, it is recommended to select varieties that have high requirements for care. Tomatoes are planted in open ground that can withstand drought several times a season.

An important aspect influencing the choice of seeds is the region of growth. Any varieties are suitable for the southern regions, and frost-resistant for the northern ones.

And the last nuance is in order to grow tomatoes. For conservation, tomatoes are suitable, which give medium-sized and rounded fruits. For salads, it is recommended to choose tomatoes with a thick skin.

Seed sorting and grading

For sowing, large seeds are suitable, as this planting material often produces viable seedlings. After that, you need to mix a glass of clean water and a teaspoon of s alt.Sorted seeds should be placed in the resulting solution. The planting material that has floated to the surface must be thrown away. These seeds do not germinate.

Ways to increase the germination of future seedlings

To increase germination, seeds that have been stored in a cool room for a long time are recommended to be warmed up before planting. To do this, 1-2 months before sowing the culture, the material is placed in a cloth bag and lowered into a thermos. Next, water is poured into the container, heated to 55 degrees. Planting material is kept under such conditions for half an hour, after which it is washed under cold water.

In order to prevent infection of seedlings, before sowing, place the seeds for 40 minutes in a 10% hydrogen peroxide solution. At the end of the procedure, the material is washed under water and dried. To reduce the concentration of nitrates in the future plant, the seeds must be kept for 12 hours in a 0.4% hydrogen peroxide solution.

Also, a weak solution of potassium permanganate (10 grams per liter of water) is used to disinfect the plant. In this environment, tomatoes are aged for half an hour.

To increase the germination of the plant, it is recommended that the seeds be first placed in a gauze bag and dipped in warm water. The culture is kept under these conditions for 2-3 hours. During the specified period, the cooled water must be regularly replaced with warm water.

The last method (stratification) of increasing germination requires the following: prepared seeds are laid out in water-soaked gauze, which is then rolled up and placed in the refrigerator. Planting material is kept at a temperature of +3 degrees for three days.

Preparation of containers and soil

For growing seedlings use:

• specialized boxes sold in gardening stores;
• peat glasses;
• cassette containers.

Also for seedlings use homemade containers made from plastic bottles. At the same time, regardless of the type, each container must be disinfected with steam or cold before filling the soil.

For sowing tomatoes, both purchased and do-it-yourself soil mixture is suitable. High-quality soil should contain humus, peat and plant components (old foliage and more). Sand or expanded clay is used to create a drainage layer.

In order to prevent infection of the plant, the soil mixture is pre-disinfected:

1. Ignition. Aged in the oven at a temperature of +90 degrees for 30 minutes.
2. Cold. The earth is aged in a freezer (outdoors at sub-zero temperatures) for several days.
3. Steaming. The soil is poured into a colander and kept for 7 minutes over boiling water.
4. Etching. The land a few days before sowing is treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Any of the above methods will work for disinfection.

When should seeds be planted?

It depends on the region where the crop is grown, in which month it is better to sow tomatoes. In the southern part of the country, planting material is buried in prepared soil from February 20 to March 10. In the North and beyond the Urals, it is recommended to sow in the first half of April. Residents of Central Russia plant seeds during March.

The period for sowing material is also determined depending on the crop variety. Early ripe tomatoes should be planted 50-60 days before transfer to open ground. Other varieties are sown in 65-80 days.

Landing

Traditionally, tomatoes are grown in peat pellets, plastic containers or in "diapers". In each case, it is necessary to plant plants according to a certain algorithm.

In peat tablets

Planting tomatoes in peat tablets is recommended according to the following algorithm:

1. The peat tablet is pre-moistened with warm water.
2. After draining excess water, the tablet is placed in a transparent container.
3. In each tablet, a recess (from one to four) is made with a finger for seeds.
4. Seeds are planted in prepared holes and covered with soil.
5. The container with tablets is closed with a lid or polyethylene and placed in a warm room.

Peat tablets help grow seedlings without diving.

To a container or other container

When planting tomatoes in a pot or container, do the following:

1. Pour small stones or eggshells into the bottom of the container. The thickness of this drainage layer is 0.5 cm;
2. Fill the pot 8-10 centimeters with potting mix.
3. Moisten the soil mixture and make furrows in the soil with a depth of 1 centimeter and in increments of 3-4 centimeters.
4. Spread the seeds into the furrows in 1-2 centimeter increments.
5. Fill up the planting material with soil and moisten with a spray bottle.

The container with tomatoes must be closed with polyethylene and left in a warm room.

Sowing in the "diaper"

Sowing tomatoes in this way is carried out according to the following algorithm:

1. Plastic film is cut into strips 10 centimeters wide.
2. Toilet paper is laid out on each strip (a paper towel will do) and moistened with a solution to stimulate growth.
3. Seeds are laid out on strips in 3-4 cm increments and covered with layers of paper and polyethylene.
4. The resulting tape is rolled up and placed in a plastic container.
5. Water is poured into the bottom of the container. At the end of the container, they are closed with polyethylene with small holes.

Gardeners recommend planting tomatoes in this way to save space in the house.

Caring for tomato seedlings at home

After planting a tomato in an apartment, the plant must be provided with sufficient watering, temperature control and lighting.

Irrigation

For the first time, watering seedlings is recommended after the first shoots appear. In the future, the procedure is repeated after 7 days. The last time the plant is watered 2-3 hours before transplanting into the ground.

Backlight

After the appearance of the first shoots, containers with tomatoes are recommended to be placed in a well-lit place. If necessary, an ultraviolet lamp is placed over the containers. In the first few weeks, sprouts need to provide 16 hours of daylight. Moreover, containers with plants should be rotated periodically so that the seedlings do not stretch in one direction.

Temperature conditions

After planting the seeds, the containers are left in the room at a temperature of 22-25 degrees. When the first sprouts appear, it is recommended to transfer the containers to the room and keep the plants for a week at 15-17 degrees. During this time, the plants will get stronger. Then the tomatoes must be returned to the first room. The air temperature during the day should be 24 degrees, at night - 12 degrees.

Dive

Tomatoes are recommended to be transplanted into new containers when the first few leaves appear (on average, after 10 days).For each seedling in the room, a separate container should be allocated. Seedlings are deepened by 4 centimeters. If the plants are planted in the same container, the distance between the tomatoes should be 5-7 centimeters.

After a few weeks, the tomatoes are replanted in larger containers.

Feeding

For a good survival in the soil, the plant needs to be fed periodically. Use as fertilizer:

• chicken manure infusion;
• wood ash;
• eggshell;
• complex mineral fertilizers.

Fertilizers are applied 2 weeks after the appearance of the first leaves. Then the culture is fed every 10 days.

Hardening

After the appearance of 3-4 leaves, gardeners recommend starting to harden the plant. In the first days, tomatoes are left in a room at a temperature of 15-20 degrees. Then, gradually increasing the time interval, containers with sprouts should be taken outside.

What mistakes are most often encountered: solution methods

When growing tomato seedlings, gardeners often make the following mistakes:

• pick the wrong varieties;
• do not prepare seeds or soil;
• sown tomatoes ahead of schedule;
• does not meet care requirements (over-watering, growing at low temperatures);
• refuse to harden plants;
• picking late.

When growing tomatoes, it is recommended to give preference to hybrid varieties, as the latter have strong immunity to common diseases and pests. Before sowing seeds in the soil, the soil must be disinfected.

Gardeners recommend planting tomatoes according to the established schedule. Due to early planting, the plant outgrows, as a result of which it does not take root well in the ground. Tomatoes should be watered as the soil dries. Also, the culture must be left in a well-lit room. Due to the lack of sunlight, tomatoes weaken, which negatively affects crop yields. Similar consequences occur if hardening is not carried out.

To achieve good germination, the seeds must be buried no more than 4 centimeters, and then compact the soil.

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