Germination of tomato seeds before planting: how to do it right and whether it is necessary

Tomatoes are a fairly common vegetable that is grown by almost all vegetable growers. Today, there are several ways to plant tomatoes. They can be planted pre-sprouted or dry. You can also pre-harden and disinfect the seed. To get a good harvest, it is recommended to plant germinated seeds. Therefore, you should familiarize yourself in advance with how to properly germinate tomato seeds.

Why do it

Many vegetable growers are wondering if it is necessary to germinate tomatoes before sowing. Definitely necessary, as this will positively affect the quantity and quality of grown fruits.

Do not forget that there are a considerable number of factors due to which unsprouted seeds can die even before the first shoots appear:

• soil infections;
• infections on planting material;
• too dense soil with too much s alt;
• pests;
• seeding too deep;
• waterlogged soil.

If the seeds are germinated correctly, then all of the above factors will not lead to the death of the plant. After all, germinated seeds will be he althier and more resistant to many diseases.

Features of the choice of seeds

To grow quality seedlings, you need to choose the most suitable seeds. The following factors should be taken into account:

• In room conditions, you can grow any tomato seeds, but this does not mean that when choosing them, you do not need to take into account the climatic features of the region. For northern regions with low temperatures, it is better to buy varieties that are well adapted to such conditions.
• Before buying tomato seeds for seedlings, you must definitely decide on the place where it will be grown in the future. In warmer regions of the country, they can be planted in open ground. In colder regions, it is better to plant tomatoes in greenhouses. In this case, you need to use special varieties, since not all tomatoes are suitable for greenhouse or outdoor cultivation. For example, if you plant a greenhouse variety on the street, then over time it may die.
• When buying tomato seeds for seedlings, you should carefully examine the packaging in which they are sold. It should contain information about the type of bush, the purchased tomato variety. Undersized varieties are more suitable for open ground, and tall ones are more suitable for greenhouses.

Preparation for sprouting

Before germinating tomatoes, you need to start preparing the seed.

Sampling

First you need to decide which seeds should be used for their further germination. The best choice for this will be the largest and heaviest seeds, which contain a large amount of nutrients.

To select the best seeds, you will have to use a special s alt mixture. To prepare it, 80 grams of s alt is added to a small glass of water, after which the liquid is thoroughly mixed. Then all the tomato seeds for seedlings are added to the glass. After 10-15 minutes, empty seeds will begin to rise to the surface. They are not recommended for use during planting, as they are completely empty and will not be able to germinate. Tomatoes that have settled to the bottom must be washed with warm water and dried.

Warming up

Some growers prefer to store all seeds in refrigerators or low temperature rooms. A few months before planting, it is recommended to warm up such seed in advance. In this case, the temperature during heat treatment must be raised gradually, and not abruptly. The easiest way to warm up tomatoes is to use a conventional battery. All seeds warm up on it for about 2-3 days.

When using hybrid varieties of tomatoes, do not warm up, as this can damage the seeds.

Decontamination

It is imperative to disinfect tomato seeds for seedlings. This procedure is carried out to completely remove all bacteria from the surface of the inoculum. If disinfection is abandoned, then the probability of infection of seedlings with various diseases increases several times.

There are several basic ways in which planting material can be processed.

Most often, a weak manganese solution is used for this. To process tomatoes in it, all seeds must be moved to a small cloth bag and put in a container with manganese. After 20-30 minutes, they are removed from the solution, washed with water and dried. You can also use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect. It heats up to 35-40 degrees, after which all the seeds for germination are laid out in it for 10 minutes.

Some vegetable growers, after disinfection, treat tomatoes with special nutrient solutions. This is done for accelerated germination, and in order to increase the amount of the crop in the future. Seeds should be soaked in such liquids for at least a day.

Germination

When all the preparatory work is completed, you can carry out the germination of tomato seeds. However, before that, you need to figure out how to properly germinate the seeds.

First you need to prepare all the necessary materials. To do this, you will need medical gauze or a small piece of cotton fabric. Also, some vegetable growers are trying to germinate tomatoes on cotton pads.

When everything is ready, a cloth or cotton pad is placed in a small plate and filled with heated water. The liquid should not be cold, as cold water can spoil the seed. Seeds are laid out in several rows on wet material. Then they are covered with a cloth, which should also be soaked in warm water.

The container with seeds is transferred to a room with a stable temperature of about 20-30 degrees. It is necessary to constantly ensure that the fabric with the seeds is wet. If it is not periodically moistened, then the moisture will quickly evaporate and the seeds will not be able to germinate. Moisten the fabric very carefully so as not to add too much water.

If desired, seed germination can be independently accelerated. To increase the germination rate of tomato seeds before planting in a container, you can add a little growth stimulant. Some use aloe leaf juice for this.

Soil for germinated tomatoes

In parallel with the germination of seeds, you need to start preparing the soil for their further planting. After all, all germinated tomatoes will need to be sown immediately. If this is not done in time, they will quickly die and will have to re-harvest the seeds.

Tomatoes are best planted in store-bought soil. It already contains all the nutrients that are needed for the best growth of young seedlings.

However, many gardeners prefer to make a good potting mix on their own. In this case, as the main soil, you will have to use the land taken from the garden or vegetable garden. Humus and peat are added to it in equal quantities.If the soil is too dense, then you will have to loosen it yourself. To do this, a little river sand with sawdust is added to the ground. It is also better to add some mineral fertilizers such as superphosphate, urea and sulfate to the soil.

Mineral fertilizers are used only if the soil mixture was prepared by hand. You do not need to add any top dressing to the purchased soil.

Landing

Seedlings at least 50-60 days old are transplanted into open ground. Therefore, seeds should be planted two months before transplanting to the street. The timing of sowing depends on the characteristics of the climate where the vegetable will be grown. For example, residents of the middle lane plant tomatoes for growing seedlings at the end of January. In the northern regions, this is done in mid-March.

Tomatoes can be planted in common containers or in individual cups. To do this, pre-prepared soil mixture is added to the planting containers.Its layer should not be more than 55 mm. Then the earth in pots should be poured with water and tamped a little. When all the pots are filled with earth, you can start creating holes, 5-7 mm deep. All holes are watered with warm water and a nutrient solution. Then germinated seeds are added to each dimple.

After planting all germinated seeds, they should be sprinkled with soil and slightly moistened. Containers with tomatoes are covered with plastic wrap and transferred to a warm room for further cultivation.

Conclusion

Before planting, it is better to start germinating tomato seeds. For experienced vegetable growers, this process does not cause any difficulties, but for beginners, certain difficulties may arise. In order to germinate tomato seeds well, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the main features of this process and learn the main ways in which you can speed up seed germination.

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