How to water tomato seedlings in a greenhouse and open ground

To maintain high yields, gardeners must know the rules for watering tomato seedlings. For tomato bushes, abundant irrigation is more dangerous than drought. Excessively moist soil, reduces the immunity of the plant, leads to the development of fungal infections, rotting and the appearance of cracks in the fruit.

Step-by-step moisture demand

The most important criterion for how often tomato seedlings need to be watered is their age. It is also necessary to take into account the composition of the soil, climate features, the prevalence of rain or heat, the selected variety.

There are many rules on how to properly water tomatoes in the open field. For seedlings of all varieties of tomatoes, less moisture is required, since in young shoots the root system is less branched and strong. But drought is also dangerous for them. The roots are not long enough to absorb moisture from the depths of the soil. The roots of an adult plant can go deep up to one meter, where there is always moisture.

Tips on how to properly water tomato seedlings, depending on the stage of its cultivation.

1. Prepared soil is poured into a container intended for seedlings. It is plentifully watered with settled water. Then they start sowing the soaked, germinated seeds. The recesses with seeds are sprinkled with dry earth, the container is covered with a film and cleaned in a warm place. As soon as most of the seedlings appear, the film is removed and the seedlings are moved to a well-lit place. The entire period, after sowing the seeds and before removing the film, it is not necessary to water.
2. After most of the sprouts have sprouted, the film coating is removed. You can not water for another 2-3 days. Weak sprouts can be easily washed out with a stream of water. If the ground is very dry, then you can spray the soil with a spray bottle. Then, before picking, it is enough to water every 7 days.
3. The next important stage in the growth of seedlings is the unfolding of the first leaves. Tomato seedlings are watered only when a dry top layer appears on the soil. You should continue to use a spray bottle or a small watering can. You need to pour water between the tomato rows, excluding the green part.
4. As soon as the second pair of leaves unfold, the picking procedure is carried out. How to water tomato seedlings after picking? A few days before this event, the seedlings are moistened and the first top dressing is applied. Due to this, the soil softens, becomes loose, and when the bushes are removed from the ground, the root branches will not be damaged.

Watering tomatoes after picking is best done using pallets. As a result of this method of watering, the roots will grow and grow stronger. Be sure to make small holes at the bottom of the container where the tomato bush grows. Excess moisture from the soil will leave through them. If this is not done, the plant may rot.

5. After the end of the picking, it is impossible to water the seedlings of tomatoes for 5 days, even if the branches and leaves look lethargic. During this time, the plant adapts, gain strength and take root. Water will make adaptation difficult.
6. After a little less than a week, you can start watering according to the generally accepted scheme. How often to water tomato seedlings, the main guideline is a dry crust on the top layer of the earth. On average, it is enough to water small bushes every 7-8 days.

How many times can I water tomato seedlings? Sometimes the amount can be increased up to two times in 7-8 days or it costs one watering in 1.5 weeks. How often you need to water tomato seedlings is largely influenced by the properties of the air in the room and the features of lighting.

7. After the young sprouts get stronger (after about 1.5 months), reach a height of 25 cm, you can start planting in a permanent place. 2-3 days before the proposed transplant, the earth is watered abundantly. This will make it easy to remove the seedling from the container.

Dive seedlings are recommended to be fertilized at the same time as watering. This combination is beneficial for the growth and development of plants. You can determine the need for nutrients by the appearance of seedlings. He alth is evidenced by a strong stem, rich green leaves. It is enough to feed two weeks after picking and again after another 12 days.

If the leaves turn yellow, then perhaps there is not enough nitrogen. It is recommended to pour ammonium nitrate or urea. Phosphorus deficiency is indicated by the purple hue of the leaves. In this case, superphosphate will be the best fertilizer.

In greenhouse conditions or in a greenhouse, you should even more strictly monitor the irrigation regime.Tomato seeds during the germination period should be watered according to the following scheme. The first watering is carried out after most of the seedlings hatch. The next time you need to water only after 10-12 days.

How to properly water tomato seedlings

In order for the plant to develop well and receive only the benefit of watering, some requirements must be observed. Be sure to know how to water young sprouts.

1. Watering tomato seedlings should be done only with warm water. Cold water can reduce resistance to disease and often causes late blight.
2. For tomato seedlings, it is useful to stock up on melt or rain water. At the stage when the seedlings are still small, there is still snow on the street, so you can use it. Such water promotes active growth, nourishes and increases resistance to disease. Adult seedlings do not need such moisture so much.
3. What water is recommended to water the seedlings? Ordinary tap water is hard and contains many harmful impurities, so it is better to boil it. Over time, when the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place, the water must be defended for 2-3 days, filling the tanks.
4. Before fertilizing, it is recommended to water the soil. This will allow you to better absorb all the nutrients and not burn the root branches.
5. Any top dressing, before applying to the ground, must be diluted with water.

There is another important recommendation on how to water tomato seedlings. The jet stream should be directed under the base of the bush or between the rows, excluding the green parts of the plant. Moisture on greenery provokes fungal diseases, increases the risk of sunburn.

The best irrigation option is drip irrigation.

Growing with this type of irrigation becomes easy and safe. Drip irrigation of tomatoes in the open field allows water to fall exactly under the root of each bush, without washing out the ground and without exposing the roots. Underground irrigation reduces the risk of blossom end rot.

Drip for underground irrigation is easy. For drip irrigation, ordinary, preferably two-liter, plastic bottles are required, in which the bottom is cut out. The neck must be closed with a lid. Small holes are made over the entire area of the bottle.

The finished container is placed in a pre-dug hole in the ground near each tomato bush, cut upside down. As needed, water is poured into the container, and slowly seeping through the holes made, it will flow to all underground branches.

How to tell when it's time to water seedlings

How to understand whether you need to water the seedlings of tomatoes or the time has not yet come, not every gardener will be able to determine. The following tips may help:

• soil dry, pale, lumpy;
• a wooden stick or wire will help, which is carefully deepened into the soil along the edge of the container, checking the moisture content of the lower layers (if the stick remains clean, without soil sticking, then it's time to start moistening);
• you need to dig a hole about 9 cm deep, take some earth and make a lump (if the lump crumbles, then it's time to moisten the soil, if it sticks together, then vice versa, you need to wait a little with irrigation);
• You can determine soil moisture by weight, a container with dry soil is much lighter than with wet soil;
• can be identified by the sound, for this it is enough to tap the walls of the glass with a pencil: if the sound is sonorous, then the earth is ready for watering, if it is deaf, then you need to wait.

Proper watering of seedlings is also in determining the dosage of water. While the seedlings are at home in small containers, they need little moisture.

It can be concluded that tomato bushes should be watered rarely, but with the addition of copious amounts of water. To retain moisture in the soil for a long time, it is recommended to carry out mulching. The top layer can be covered with sawdust or straw.

Moisturizing after transplant

How to water tomato seedlings grown in greenhouse conditions? If tomato seeds are grown in a greenhouse, then it is recommended to start watering only after most of the seedlings appear (this is about 3 days after sowing). By this time, a dry crust has formed on the ground.

In the future, one watering per week is enough. If you water more often, the leaves may curl and turn yellow. It is useful to carry out loosening, which allows water to soak into the soil faster.

Moisturizing the earth is carried out only with warm water. Additional spraying is prohibited. As soon as the moisture is completely absorbed, it is recommended to ventilate the room.

Watering is stopped when the fruits are formed and are expected to be harvested soon (somewhere in about 20 days). Otherwise, all the moisture from the roots will go into the tomatoes, and they will begin to ripen earlier.

How often to water outdoor tomatoes? To help seedlings adapt faster in open beds, you need to water it with plenty of water, once every 10 days. The first days after transplanting seedlings to open beds, they should not be watered.

It is necessary to follow a number of recommendations on how to water tomatoes in the open field.

1. You can not water the tomatoes in the hot, sunny time of the day. When is it better to water the seedlings, in the morning or in the evening? The best time is considered to be early morning or evening when the sun sets.
2. Irrigation of tomatoes in the open field can be carried out at any convenient time if the weather is cloudy.
3. During the formation of ovaries, you need to make sure that the earth is always slightly moist.
4. After each watering, it is necessary to loosen. It will help improve the oxygen supply to the roots.

There are rules on how to water tomatoes after planting in the ground.Before the plant begins to bloom, about 6 liters of water should fall on each square meter. During the period of active flowering, the need for water increases, the dosage is increased to 17 liters. As soon as the fruits are tied, watering is reduced again. For undersized varieties, 5 liters is enough, for tall varieties - about 10 liters per square meter.

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