Why tomato seedlings are thin and long: what to do, how to fix

Why tomato seedlings are thin and long, there are several main reasons. This needs to be de alt with as soon as possible. Elongated seedlings become weak and disease resistance decreases. When the time comes to transplant to a permanent place, it will be difficult to do this, as the tall stem can break and the plant will die.

Occurrence of a problem

He althy seedlings have a strong stem of small stature, dark green saturated color of the leaves and a large number of ovaries. If tomato seedlings are stretched out, then the harvest may not wait or the number of fruits will be significantly reduced.

If the distance between the leaves on the trunk lengthens, then this is a sign of accelerated growth. Why tomato seedlings are pulled out are influenced by the following adverse factors:

• excessive soil moisture leads to a h alt in the development of the root system, and the ground part of the seedling begins to stretch upward;
• insufficient light supply to the seedlings (the stem becomes tall, thinner, and the leaves turn pale);
• very thin seedlings can form if the air is too dry and hot;
• early planting dates for seeds (optimum planting dates are March 20th, when daylight hours are already increasing and daylight is abundantly supplied to seedlings);
• thin seedlings sprout if the fertilizer application scheme is not followed, an overabundance of some elements (an excess of fertilizer will cause the plant not to get stronger, and the leaves will be lethargic and weak);
• sowing seeds at a small distance leads to the fact that the sprouts shade each other, and the roots are intertwined (you need to plant the seeds at a distance of 5 cm);
• tomato seedlings are stretched due to a lack of trace elements (the problem can be recognized by the pale green color of the leaves and the sluggish state of the plant).

Another reason that tomato seedlings are very stretched immediately after germination is the wrong preparatory stage associated with seeds.

We need to fight so that the tomato seedlings do not stretch. Otherwise, there will be problems with further cultivation. Elongated seedlings begin to form fruits much later than the indicated dates, do not take root well in new conditions on open ground or in a greenhouse, and the risk of plant diseases increases.

Additional symptom

If the tomato seedlings are pale and thin, you need to identify the cause and take action to eliminate it as soon as possible.

In most cases, seedlings can stretch and turn pale due to a lack of nutrients. Top dressing is applied no more than once every 10 days. You can use organic or mineral fertilizers. A solution based on them can be poured under the very root or sprayed on the leaves.

Fertilizer will make up for the lack of nutritional properties of the soil, strengthen the root system, normalize growth and increase disease resistance. Of the organic components, manure and bird droppings are very popular. Mineral fertilizers include urea, ammonium nitrate, wood ash. You can buy ready-made formulations.

How to feed seedlings so that they grow he althy? Experienced gardeners recommend making the first top dressing 10 days after germination: “Water the seedlings with a solution of nitrophoska. Even better, if you add a composition of mullein, bird droppings with the addition of superphosphate to the soil.

The second feeding is carried out 12 days after the previous feeding. The ideal option would be a solution of wood ash and ammonium nitrate. The last time they are fed 1.5 weeks before transplanting into open ground. You can reinforce seedlings with superphosphate.

If the seedlings of a tomato stretches strongly upwards, you can sprinkle another layer of soil and pinch a couple of the first lower leaves.

Often pale leaves become due to excessive watering. At the same time, tomato seedlings are stretched, and the stem becomes thinner.

Correct fit

Sprouts are pulled out due to poor quality seeds or improper processing before planting. You need to buy seeds for seedlings in special stores. Before planting, large and dense seeds are selected. Then the selected planting material is subjected to disinfection. This will get rid of fungi and bacteria that may be on the seed coat.

Many gardeners germinate seeds before planting. To do this, the seeds are placed between two layers of a wet towel. You can saturate the matter with nutrients. As a result, the seeds germinate faster.

It is necessary to plant seedlings in a permanent place no earlier than 40 days from the date of sowing the seeds. By this time, the seedlings should be about 25 cm high, the stem should accommodate at least 10 leaves and the presence of inflorescences is required.

All these actions will allow you to grow strong tomato seedlings. It rises together, and the stem and roots grow and develop evenly.

What to do when tomato seedlings are thin and long? It is very important to choose the right soil for planting seeds. There must be a sufficient content of phosphorus and potassium. These elements are responsible for the uniform development of the root system and the ground part of the plant. You can mix the earth with dry chicken manure.The nitrogen content of the soil should be kept to a minimum.

How to correct the situation if tomato seedlings are stretched out, but it is impossible to change the composition of the soil? You can use ready-made preparations. For example, the drug Athlete or Stop Growth, act as a stimulant and make up for the deficiency of nutrients in the soil. After adding the drug, the growth of the upper part of the plant stops, the stem thickens and shortens, and the root system gains strength.

Since the duration of the drug is only 7 days, it will be necessary to process the seedlings again, but not more than three times during the entire time of growing seedlings. The liquid solution can also be sprinkled on the leaves of the sprouts.

Tactics of action

What should be done if the tomato seedlings are very long, an important question. And if it is not solved in time, you can lose the harvest in the future.

The first thing to do is to make sure the seedlings get enough light, especially on stormy, rainy days.The length of daylight hours at the end of March already reaches 12 hours, but if the container with seedlings is located on the north side, then there will be not enough light. Then you need to use a lamp for additional lighting. It is turned on at a distance of about 45 cm from seedlings during the day and in the evening.

Sometimes, you can notice that tomato seedlings have stretched out due to the constant presence in the same position of the box on the windowsill. In this case, the sprouts will be tilted to one side. The container with seedlings must be turned daily on different sides to sunlight.

Watering should be as the soil dries, often the need for it arises 1-2 times a week. As soon as the top layer is dry, you can pour settled water under the root without strong pressure. Do not allow water to get on the leaves.

What to do so that the seedlings that have sprouted develop evenly and there are no problems? It is recommended to monitor the air temperature.Young sprouts feel best at a temperature of 14-16 degrees. At temperatures above this norm, thin tomato seedlings grow upwards. Seedlings should not be kept near heating appliances; they can be taken out to a glazed balcony, provided that it is not cold there.

Immediately after the sprouts sprout, get stronger, the air temperature can be increased gradually to 25 degrees.

Some experienced vegetable growers know what to do if the stems of a tomato seedling are stretched out. At the very first stage of the problem, the elongated seedlings dive. Pinching the root system stops the growth of the plant for a while, and the stem will thicken.

To keep tomatoes from stretching, some gardeners regularly prune the leaves. The plant then needs some time to recover and then it stops growing. However, if the variety is undersized, then pinching is not desirable.

What to do when the stems of tomato seedlings are stretched out, this method is also used. The top of a long sprout is cut off and placed in a glass of water until roots appear. As soon as the first roots appear, the sprout is planted separately in the ground.

What should be done if the tomatoes have risen tonic and are long? If there are still many days before planting, many vegetable growers correct the situation by adding new earth. Before the procedure, the soil is not watered for several days. If there is a lot of space in the box, then the tomato stalks are wrapped in a spiral, and each curl is sprinkled with soil. The last layer is compacted and watered.

If there is not enough space, then they pick into more free containers. The stem of the elongated seedlings is not twisted, but simply sprinkled with fresh earth. Each layer of soil should be poured abundantly with plain water.

The sprinkling method will help stop growth, and the deepened part of the stem will soon act as a root.

Prevention measures

A few tips on how to prevent pulling tomato seedlings:

• so that the seedlings do not stretch out, it is necessary to provide sufficient lighting on the windowsill, and the light must come from above and from the side;
• after planting the seeds, the container is moved to where the air temperature is at least 25 degrees;
• as soon as most of the seedlings appear, the container with sprouts must be moved to a room where the temperature is 17 degrees;
• so that the seedlings do not stretch out, you need to water the soil as it dries;
• you need to be careful with dressings, especially nitrogenous ones (top leaves twisted inwards speak of an excess of nitrogen);
• planting seeds in a box is best at a distance of 10 cm from each other (dense planting leads to a weak, long, thin stem).

The first 14 days after germination of seedlings, they need a lot of light, do not forget to monitor the humidity and air temperature. Under such conditions, the stem can gain strength, become strong, the leaves will be dark green.

After two weeks, in order to resume growth, the container must be placed in a room where the temperature will be raised to 23 degrees. In such conditions, you need to wait until the plant reaches 25 cm. If the frosts have already receded, and the earth has warmed up, the seedlings are ready for transplanting.

How to water tomato seedlings to prevent rapid growth? To prevent tomato seedlings from stretching, you can use a solution based on urea. Urea is poured with water and the plants are watered with the resulting solution. After that, the box is moved to a cool place where the air temperature is about 11 degrees. As a result, growth will stop, and the leaves will be a rich green hue.

Transplant tricks

If the tomato seedlings are thin and elongated and could not be de alt with before transplanting into open ground, other measures must be taken.

Planting of seedlings should be carried out with the deepening of the elongated stems. Use the method of landing with an inclination. Hole depth should be normal. If it is made too deep, the roots may freeze.

In the area where it is supposed to grow tomatoes, grooves are made 9 cm deep. The grooves are well watered and wait until the moisture is completely absorbed. The distance between seedlings should be about 50 cm.

When seedlings are planted at an angle, it is desirable that the tip of the root be turned to the south. In this case, the plant will adapt faster, straighten up, and gain strength.

If the seedlings of tomatoes stretched out strongly, then each sprout is divided in half.Three pairs of leaves are counted from the base, and the rest is cut off. The cut top is placed in a glass of water. In a week, roots should appear and the plant can be planted in separate pots.

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