How to properly plant tomatoes for seedlings. Planting tomato seedlings: how to choose the optimal timing Scheme for planting tomato seeds for seedlings

Before you start working on a country plot, you need to take care of the availability of seedlings. Of course, you can buy ready-made tomato seedlings in the store, but it will be much more pleasant to grow them yourself. The first step on the path to growing seedlings will be planting tomato seeds for seedlings. For many, this process may seem simple, but it is much more complicated than it may seem. First you need to choose the appropriate variety of tomatoes, find out the recommended sowing time, decide on the soil, container for planting, and also carry out the preparatory procedure for tomato seeds. Only after this can you begin to take action.

Properly selected seeds are only half the success, since there are many nuances in this matter. For example, there are differences between varieties of a given crop in terms of their ripening time.

There are the following varieties of tomatoes:

• early ripening– ripening begins after 90-100 days;
• mid-season– from 110 to 120 days from the date of sowing;
• late ripening– no more than 140 days.

The most favorable period for sowing is considered to be February - the first half of March. But to be sure, it is better to study the timing of sowing seeds on the package, because the manufacturer probably knows what time is best to do this. This also applies to those who are not entirely sure of the correctness of their calculation regarding sowing time.

Preparing the land for seedlings

Good and stable growth of seedlings is possible with high-quality fertile soil, which can be found in the store. You can buy both universal soil and special soil designed for growing tomatoes.

Manufacturers of quality soils supply the market with an excellent product, balanced in terms of nutrients and acidity. But this does not always happen, so you can also find products whose declared composition does not fully or does not correspond at all to the contents of the packages. Therefore, experienced gardeners do not trust store-bought mixtures for seedlings, preferring to prepare it themselves. Thanks to this, you can save a lot of money, and the quality of the prepared mixture remains undeniable.

Prices for peat soil

peat soil

A simple recipe for preparing soil mixture

In order to prepare the soil mixture, you need to mix sand, compost or humus, garden soil and peat. Due to the increased acidity of peat, it is necessary to add another 40 g of dolomite flour per bucket of the prepared mixture. If flour is not available, you can use wood ash instead. Also added to the soil mixture is potassium fertilizer - 10 g, superphosphate - 30 g and urea - 10 g. Instead of these components, you can add a complex fertilizer, which contains large quantities of potassium and phosphorus. This fertilizer also contains less nitrogen.

Features of the soil for planting

Depending on the period of plant development, it is necessary to make some adjustments to the composition of the soil mixture. When preparing the soil for sowing seeds, you need to add a little humus and sand. Moreover, the amount of sand should exceed the amount of humus. The prepared mixture must be disinfected and sifted. To achieve maximum effect, the soil mixture must be steamed in a double boiler, after which all fungal spores and harmful microorganisms will die. Also, after this procedure, the weed seeds will die.

The prepared soil should be moisture-absorbing and loose, but at the same time it should be breathable. To increase the breathability of the soil, you need to add finely chopped sphagnum moss (dry sphagnum moss). It is advisable to perform this procedure after steaming. Sphagnum can also be replaced with store-bought leavening agents such as vermiculite and perlite - this will speed up the growth of the plant root system.

Preparing soil at home

Of course, every gardener’s household should have sand and garden soil, but what if there are no other components for preparing the soil mixture? Luckily, there are several solutions for this. To replace peat, you can use a store-bought mixture made from it. In addition, there is vermicompost on sale, with which you can successfully replace compost or humus, as well as sapropel.

Sapropel is a unique and useful fertilizer. It consists of the remains of fauna and flora that accumulate at the bottom of reservoirs over many years. Sapropel plays the role of a filter, purifying water from various harmful impurities.

Some gardeners use a special mixture for growing tomato seedlings. It consists of sand and sawdust in a ratio of 1:2. In this case, you need to soak the sawdust in a special solution, which must include mineral fertilizers. The benefits of such a mixture are due to the content of all necessary microelements. Sawdust can also be used as a leavening agent, but it must be small, cleared of dry leaves and various additions in the form of small twigs. For cleaning, the shavings can be sifted. For maximum effect, it is advisable to use old sawdust rather than fresh. Otherwise, you first need to boil them, add a little urea and dry them. Prepared sawdust should be added to the mixture in an amount of 20%.

Prices for sapropel

sapropel

What you need for sowing

Desire and time alone will not be enough to plant seeds for seedlings. You will also need some materials and devices, without which it will be impossible to complete this procedure.

For sowing you will need:

• sprayer;
• stick or pencil;
• warm water;
• small pebbles;
• plastic cups;
• garden trowel;
• substrate bucket;
• soil mixture;
• transparent bag;
• paper napkin;
• plate;
• tomato seeds.

When choosing, you need to pay attention to the timing of seed release. It is advisable to buy sowing material that is no more than 2 years old.

Before sowing, it is worth germinating the seeds - this will allow you to achieve better results. To sprout, moisten a paper napkin with water and place it on a plate. After this, tomato seeds are laid out on the surface of the napkin, carefully covered with the free part of it, then the whole thing is placed in a bag.

The seeds should germinate within 3-4 days. At the same time, make sure that the plants are stored in a warm place and the paper napkin is constantly damp. For planting, only sprouted seed should be used - this will allow the plants to grow stronger.

Few people know, but you can get high-quality tomato seeds at home. Read more about this below.

Prices for tomato seeds

tomato seeds

How to get tomato seeds

The germination of plants can also be affected by the size of the seeds, their maturity and density. An important factor is hereditary qualities. Therefore, choosing a fruit to obtain seeds is the most important step.

Tools and materials:

• putty knife;
• water vessel;
• paper;
• gauze;
• water;
• big tomato

Table. Step-by-step instructions for collecting tomato seeds.

Container for tomato seedlings

As a rule, tomato seeds are sown in special containers or so that the seedlings can then be transplanted into separate pots. Transplanting tomatoes into pots will improve the condition of the root system. The most practical containers for this purpose include plastic containers. Their main advantage is that this material is easily transported and is also easy to disinfect and clean. Containers are perfect if you are going to grow several varieties of tomatoes at once.

Drainage holes, or rather their presence, are a mandatory requirement for any containers for seedlings. These holes are designed to remove moisture from the root system of grown plants. Equally important is the presence of transparent walls. Remaining irrigation water should be collected using a tray that does not leak. This condition must be met.

Drainage holes are a must

Prices for seedling boxes

seedling boxes

Step-by-step instructions for sowing tomato seeds

Once you have prepared the soil mixture and seeds, you can begin sowing. The procedure is actually simple and can be divided into seven steps. The main thing is to follow the instructions.

Fill plastic cups with drainage. This will improve air exchange. Small pebbles or eggshells can act as drainage material.

Place the soil in a container and water thoroughly. The water must be warm.

The depth of sowing seeds should not be more than 2 cm. To protect yourself from mistakes, it is advisable to first make small holes in the soil and only then place tomato seeds there.

Use a spray bottle to moisten the soil. This is done to prevent the seeds from going deep into the ground.

After sowing, the cups must be placed in a warm room. Before this, they need to be covered with film.

Job is done. Now you just need to wait for the shoots. As a rule, they can appear within 5-7 days.

Step 7 Expose the cups with seedlings to light after the shoots appear.

The second method of planting tomato seeds

The technology for planting tomato seeds using the second method has some differences. We are talking about growing seedlings in “diapers”. More details below.

Cut a piece of polyethylene into strips, the width of which should be approximately 10 cm. The length is at your discretion. On top of the film you need to place a piece of toilet paper with the appropriate dimensions.

Moisten the paper with a special solution with a small amount of aloe juice (the latter acts as a biostimulant). If desired, aloe can be replaced with some other growth stimulant.

Place the seeds on the surface of the paper. The distance between them should be 3-4 cm. Cover with a layer of toilet paper and place another piece of film on top.

Carefully roll it all up and place it in a plastic cup. To save money, you can place several rolls in one cup.

Before sowing, you need to properly prepare the seeds and soil and select containers for the seedlings. You can grow seedlings in pots, cassettes or large containers, with or without seed picking. With the pot method, the root system develops better and the fruits ripen earlier. When diving, the seeds are sown more densely and then transplanted into separate containers. Without diving, seed is sown less frequently with a larger distance between rows and individual specimens.

What is the best time to sow seedlings?

Tomato seedlings should be planted taking into account not to overcook the seedlings by the time they are planted in the ground. Overgrown seedlings adapt less well, grow slowly, and yield decreases. At the time of planting seedsinfluenced by the climatic conditions of the area and the variety of tomatoes. To calculate the number of days required to grow seedlings, you need to know the period of flowering and fruit ripening. At a temperature of 25-26 degrees and optimal humidity, the first shoots appear 4-5 days after sowing. Tomatoes begin to bloom after two months. The seedling period is 45-65 days.

In southern latitudes, early ripening varieties are sown between late February and early March. Mid-season tomato seeds - from mid-March to April 1. In the central regions, seedlings are sown two weeks later. If you plan to plant seedlings in open ground, then they are guided by spring frosts, counting from the last frost 60 days ago. This is the approximate sowing date. If tomatoes will grow in a greenhouse, then they need to be sown 14 days earlier.

Many people carry out agricultural work according to the phases of the moon. You cannot sow seedlings 2-3 days before the new moon; a few days after the new moon are considered unfavorable. The best time for sowing is on the waxing moon, since according to folklore, in this case, plants bearing fruit from above will grow better.

Preparing seed containers

There are a large number of different containers for growing seedlings, differing in size and material of manufacture:

• cups made of peat and plastic of different sizes;
• wooden boxes;
• plastic containers with drainage holes and trays, open and closed, like greenhouses;
• peat tablets with different diameters.

Choose a container with a diameter ranging from 5 to 8 cm with drainage holes. If it is less than 5 cm, then after 2-3 leaves appear, the seedling will need to be transplanted into a larger container. When growing seedlings in peat tablets, transplantation is done after the first leaves appear.

You can use paper packaging for juices, yoghurts and other products for containers by making drainage holes in the bottom and cutting off the top and lid. Cups made from newspapers are suitable and are planted in the ground without removing the seedlings.

If you sow seeds in boxes or containers, then later the seedlings need to be planted in separate containers. Thanks to diving, the root system develops better and the seedlings do not stretch. Plastic containers are preferable as they are easy to clean and disinfect. If you plan to plant different varieties of tomatoes, then we sort them into different containers. The general requirement for growing seedlings: opaque walls and the presence of drainage holes to remove excess water. Trays should be placed under the seed containers to collect water.

Preparation of seed and soil

Seeds purchased in a store do not require additional processing, as they have undergone disinfection measures at the factory. Those collected independently need to be tested for germination and disinfection, as they can be infected with various pathogens. To test germination, seeds are placed in salt water. Those that float up are thrown away, those that sank to the bottom are left behind. For disinfection, seed material is soaked in one of the following solutions:

• For 15 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate: dilute 1 g of manganese in 100 ml of water. After soaking, the seeds are washed under warm running water.
• For 15 hours in melt water.
• Keep aloe juice diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio for 12-24 hours. Tomatoes grown from such seeds have high yields and increased immunity.
• 0.5 g of soda is diluted in 100 ml of water. The seed is soaked for 24 hours. The soda solution not only disinfects, but also allows you to get an earlier harvest.
• Phytosporin is diluted in water. If the product is liquid, then dilute one drop of the drug in 100 ml of water. When using the powder, take half a teaspoon of phytosporin per 100 ml of water. Soaking time - 1-2 hours.
• 0.5 tablespoons of boric acid are diluted in 200 ml of water. The seed is kept in the solution for 2-3 hours at a temperature of 25-30 degrees, then it must be washed with running water.

You can sow both dry seeds and pre-soaked ones. The second option is preferable, since the first shoots appear faster. To soak, tomato seeds are laid out on damp gauze or a napkin and covered with a lid to prevent moisture from evaporating. The saucer is placed in a warm place for 15 - 20 hours to swell. After preparation, the seeds are sown in the ground. You can wait for the seeds to germinate, but then they must be planted in moist soil, but not too waterlogged and well ventilated, so that air passes through the soil and there is no stagnation of water.

To sow tomatoes, it is better to purchase universal soil for growing vegetable seedlings; it contains all the substances necessary for growth and does not require fertilizing. You can prepare the soil mixture yourself; the main components of the substrate are humus and turf soil. To make the soil loose, sawdust and peat are added.

Below are three options for soil mixtures:

1. 1. 45% rotted humus, 50% turf soil and 5% manure.
2. 2. 20% rotted compost, 75% peat, 5% mullein.
3. 3. 20% turf soil, 5% rotted manure, 75% peat.

The prepared soil must be disinfected to destroy possible pests and pathogens. There are the following disinfection methods that can be combined to obtain the safest soil possible:

• bake in an oven preheated to 180-200 degrees for 10-15 minutes;
• heat in the microwave at 850 power for 1-2 minutes;
• pour boiling water over it and place it in a container with drainage holes;
• spill with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

After disinfection, the soil must be moistened and kept warm for 10-12 days so that microorganisms beneficial to plants can grow in it.

Experts recommend coconut substrate. The seedlings grown on it grow quickly, have a strong root system and are of high quality. Using peat tablets, you can grow seedlings without picking. In each tablet measuring 33-36 mm, place 2 seeds to a depth of 1-1.5 cm, no more than 4 pieces, then later the weaker seedlings are pinched. When the root system gets stronger, tablets with sprouts are placed in a container with a volume of at least 0.5 liters. Further, the growing process is the same as for conventional sowing.

Rules for sowing tomato seeds

The sowing procedure is a sequence of steps:

1. 1. First, the prepared containers are disinfected with a disinfectant, filled with soil mixture, leveling it and lightly compacting it.
2. 2. Before planting the seeds, it is necessary to water the substrate generously a day before sowing, draining the drained water from the pan.
3. 3. For sowing, take both dry and sprouted seeds. The latter will sprout faster.
4. 4. It is convenient to make furrows with a distance between rows of 3 to 4 cm and 2 cm between seeds. It is undesirable to do dense sowing, as there is a risk of “blackleg” disease. It is more convenient to spread the seed on the ground using tweezers.
5. 5. Seeds should be buried 1-2 cm and sprinkled with soil. If they are not deep in the soil, then with insufficient watering the soil will be dry and the seeds will not germinate.
6. 6. After sowing, the soil is moistened by spraying.
7. 7. Sowing containers are covered with plastic film, a transparent container lid or glass to create greenhouse conditions. Humidity should be 80-90%.
8. 8. Then the containers are placed in a warm room and the temperature is maintained above 22 degrees. If the seeds are sorted into boxes, then a label with the tomato variety is affixed to each box.

Creating comfortable conditions and caring for seedlings

After planting and before seed germination, the air temperature in the room is maintained within the temperature range of +25-28. After a week, sprouts appear. At lower temperatures, tomatoes will sprout later. Lighting during this period should be moderate. At the first shoots, the temperature is reduced and the lighting is increased. During the week the temperature is maintained at +17-18, and at night - 14-15 degrees. After 7 days, when the sprouts appear, the boxes are again placed in a warm place, maintaining the daytime temperature at 18-22 degrees, and the night temperature at 15-16. In this temperature regime, the seedlings remain until several leaves appear.

Tomatoes need good lighting, so it is better to place seed boxes on southern windows. During the first days after sowing, it is advisable to provide round-the-clock illumination. In the future, daylight hours for seedlings should be 12-16 hours.

When daylight hours are short, artificial lighting must be turned on. At home, it is best to buy special lamps with red and blue colors. Red color promotes photosynthesis and blue promotes plant growth. If it is not possible to purchase such lamps, then you can use fluorescent lamps.

During seed germination, the soil is not watered, only moistened by spraying, preventing the soil from drying out. Use warm, settled water at a temperature of 25-28 degrees. When watered coldly, tomatoes can develop blackleg. Under the film, seedlings do not need irrigation. They should be ventilated regularly so that they get used to natural conditions, each time increasing the time spent in the air.

When shoots appear, the film is removed after 3 days. Tomatoes begin to be watered after the first true leaves appear in proportion to temperature and light. The higher the temperature and the longer the daylight hours, the more the seedlings absorb moisture, so they have to be watered more often. It is important not to dry out young seedlings. It is better to water in the morning before the hot sun appears, moderately. If you notice that the soil is too wet, it needs to be dried.

An important stage for seedlings is hardening. If possible, then with the appearance of the first shoots, the seed boxes should be taken out into the fresh air under the sun's rays on the street or balcony. Young tomatoes are protected from ultraviolet radiation, so they are not afraid of burns. You need to gradually accustom tomatoes to walks. Start with 15 minutes, increasing each time the duration of exposure to the sun. After a week, you can leave the containers for the whole day. Hardening allows you to obtain strong plants that tolerate transplantation well.

They begin to fertilize the seedlings 14-21 days after the sprouts appear, then once a week. It is better to use natural organic fertilizers made from manure. Of the purchased ones, it is better to give preference to humic or guano-based fertilizers. It is recommended to use half the dose indicated in the instructions.

Country farming is a good way to provide yourself with tasty and fresh vegetables. Among them, tomatoes are one of the most popular crops. Growing them is a real art, and to obtain a high-quality and abundant harvest of tomatoes, you need to put in a lot of time, effort and labor. The process itself is divided into several stages, the first of which is working with seedlings. This determines how healthy and tasty tomatoes will be in the future. Therefore, if you are a beginner gardener, then you definitely need to learn how to plant tomatoes for seedlings correctly.

Before working with seeds, it is necessary to determine the timing of their planting for seedlings. Here you should pay attention to two things - how quickly the variety or hybrid of tomatoes you have chosen ripens, and in what area it will grow:

• for the Black Earth Region and southern regions, the appropriate time for sowing tomato seeds for seedlings will be the period from the last third of February to the second third of March inclusive;
• for the Middle Zone and central regions - from mid-March to early April;
• in the northern regions, in the Urals and Siberia - the first and second ten days of April.

Early ripening varieties should be sown approximately 50-60 days before transferring seedlings to open ground, the rest - 65-80 days. More accurate dates can be obtained by carefully studying the characteristics of the tomatoes planned for planting.

Preparing tomato seeds for seedlings

Important! When making your own soil mixtures, do not add clay to it - it will worsen the properties of the soil and make it less permeable to water and air.

Above, in one of the sections of the article, we talked about how seeds for tomato seedlings were disinfected. The same measure must be carried out for the soil - without disinfection, the risk of young tomato sprouts being damaged by a fungus or some disease increases significantly. If you made the soil for seedlings yourself, disinfection is required. As for purchased land, the summer resident must act at his own discretion. There are four ways to clean the soil for seedlings from microorganisms.

1. Calcination. The oven is heated to a relatively low temperature (+70-90°C). Then soil for seedlings or a mixture prepared in advance is poured onto a metal baking sheet and distributed in an even layer, no more than 5 cm in thickness. The earth is calcined in the oven for no more than half an hour. After calcination and cooling, the soil is ready for planting seeds for seedlings.
2. Cold disinfection. The soil, pre-packed in a bag, is placed in the freezer or taken outside (if it is winter) and left for several days under the influence of sub-zero temperatures. Then they bring it back into the heat for the same amount of time, and then repeat the operation a couple more times.
3. Steaming– the soil for seedlings is placed in a colander and placed over a pan of boiling water for 7-8 minutes. In this case, two tasks are performed - the earth is saturated with moisture and freed from microorganisms, fungi and weed seeds.
4. Etching– the soil is soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate, prepared in the same way as for disinfecting seeds. This operation should be performed only a few days before planting the seedlings.

Soil prices

soil for plants

Containers for planting tomatoes for seedlings

After seeds and soil for planting tomatoes for seedlings, containers should be prepared. They can be common to all tomato sprouts or individual, in the form of small pots or cassettes, divided by walls into separate cells. The second option is preferable due to the fact that you insure yourself against one-time damage to most of the tomato seedlings by the disease. In addition, by using individual pots, the nutrients for the tomato sprouts can be distributed in a better way. You can see the main options for such containers in the table below.

Table. The main types of individual containers used for planting tomatoes for seedlings.

Peat tablets are another possible option.

Both homemade and purchased containers for tomato seedlings require mandatory disinfection using steam or cold.

Prices for peat tablets

peat tablets

Video - Sowing tomato seeds for seedlings

Planting tomato seeds for seedlings - step-by-step instructions

When the seeds, soil and containers are ready, proceed to the most important thing - planting tomatoes for seedlings. You will learn how to do this from the step-by-step instructions below.

Step 1. Remove and prepare containers, soil and seeds for use. Check if everything is enough.

Step 2. Pour store-bought or your own soil into containers. There should be approximately 2.5-3 cm from the edge of the pots or tray to the ground level.

Many gardeners prefer to grow tomato seedlings themselves rather than buy from random sellers. This not only allows you to save money, but also to get a harvest from the varieties you like, the seeds of which were collected or selected in the store. Of course, growing tomato seedlings requires work and attention, but the pleasure from harvesting plants grown from seeds will be double.

In order to grow healthy, strong seedlings by the time of planting in a permanent place, you need to accurately calculate when to sow tomato seeds for seedlings. By planting full-fledged seedlings, you will get the maximum harvest as early as possible. Tomato seedlings ready for planting are 15-35 cm high with 4-6 pairs of true leaves and 1-2 inflorescences already formed. If you are late in sowing seeds, the planted plants will spend time developing in the soil before flowering and later form fruits. If sowed too early, the seedlings will overgrow, stretch out, weaken, take a long time to take root after planting in the ground, and get sick easily, so the plants will yield a harvest later and less.

Description of tomato varieties

Each tomato variety has its own characteristics, on which not only the productive qualities of the plants depend, but also at what age their seedlings need to be planted, and, accordingly, at different times to sow seeds for seedlings.

Tomato varieties can also be divided according to the method of cultivation, intended for growing in greenhouses, for planting under film cover and for planting in open ground.

Indeterminate varieties of tomatoes are often chosen for greenhouses; these are tall plants that do not stop growing throughout the season and form flower clusters along the entire length of the stem. Only the roof of the greenhouse or pinching the top of the shoot can stop the growth of indeterminate tomatoes. In open ground, tall tomatoes can reach a height of 2.5 meters, but as the weather gets colder in the fall, they stop their development; in a greenhouse, these varieties begin to bear fruit earlier and their fruiting period lasts longer than in the open air.

Tomato seedlings of indeterminate varieties are grown until planting time, 5-10 days longer, so they need to be sown earlier.

Semi-determinate tomato varieties stop growing in height after 6-8 flower clusters, by which time the plants reach 1-1.5 meters in height. Medium-sized tomatoes are suitable for planting in a greenhouse, under film cover and in open ground.

Determinate tomatoes are the shortest and most early ripening, but after 3-5 bunches the stems of the plant stop growing. Typically, low-growing tomatoes do not exceed a height of 1 meter; accordingly, they produce less fruit yield than previous varieties; they are grown mainly in open ground. Previously, seedlings of low-growing tomatoes could be planted under temporary film cover to protect them from frost.

In the middle zone, steady warming usually occurs at the beginning of May, so tomato seedlings can be planted in greenhouses from May 1 to May 15, depending on the weather.

Tomato seedlings are planted under a temporary film cover from May 15 to 25; during a short-term cold snap at night, the film will protect the plants from death.

Tomato seedlings are planted in open ground without frost protection in late May or early June.

Tomatoes are sown earlier for planting in greenhouses in the first half of May. Tomatoes of indeterminate varieties are planted at the age of 65-70 days, which means that their seeds must be sown for seedlings from February 25 to March 10.

To plant tall varieties under film, sowing is done 10 days later, from March 10 to 20, and for planting in open ground, tomatoes are sown in the last ten days of March.

Seedlings of medium-sized tomatoes for greenhouses are grown within 50-60 days; seeds are sown a little later than for previous varieties. For greenhouses, medium-sized tomatoes are sown from March 1 to March 15, from March 15 to March 25 for planting under film cover, from March 25 to April 5 for planting in the ground.

Seedlings of early low-growing tomatoes are planted at the age of 45-55 days. For growing in a greenhouse, low-growing tomatoes are sown from March 15 to 25, for planting under film from March 25 to April 10, for planting seedlings directly in open ground without shelter, seeds for seedlings are sown from April 10 to 20.

Growing tomato seedlings.

Tomato seeds sprout quickly after soaking them for a day in a warm place, sprouts appear 5-6 days after sowing. Tomatoes are heat-loving and moisture-loving plants. When growing tomato seedlings, it is necessary to maintain the temperature before emergence of +24...+26 degrees, after the emergence of sprouts it is reduced to +18...+22 degrees during the day and +16...+18 degrees at night.

Despite the high requirements for soil moisture, tomato seedlings should be watered only after the top layer of soil in the boxes has dried, to prevent the appearance of “black leg”.

After the seedlings have formed the first pair of true leaves, the seedlings are planted in separate pots or larger boxes, maintaining a distance between plants of at least 10 x 10 cm.

Two weeks before planting, start hardening the tomato seedlings. You can place the boxes on a loggia, balcony, veranda, or open a window or window. Seedlings are gradually accustomed to fresh air, initially for 2-3 hours, gradually increasing the time to the whole day, and on warm nights you can leave the plants outside, covered with film. When hardening, the plants may acquire a purple tint; the main thing is that the seedlings do not wither in the open air, so they are pre-watered. Hardened seedlings will be easier to transplant, will take root faster and will grow.

Read more about growing tomato seedlings .

Views: 8

Hi all! Today there are tomatoes in our garden plot. No gardener can do without this vegetable crop.

You can sacrifice anything, but not tomatoes and, of course, cucumbers. For them, we set up greenhouses.

In hot weather, we often water the tomatoes. We protect you from any infection. But how nice it is later to harvest a good harvest and eat ripe, fresh tomatoes. Well, if there are also them, then that’s great!

Tomatoes belong to the nightshade family and are native to South America. Tomato appeared in Europe in the 16th century, and in Russia in the 18th century. Oddly enough, initially, tomatoes were bred only as ornamental plants, and were considered poisonous and unsuitable for food. And only thanks to the work of our Russian botanist Andrei Timofeevich Bolotov, who developed a method for fully ripening tomato fruits, they began to be used for culinary purposes.

Tomatoes are not only tasty, but also healthy. They contain dietary fiber, which normalizes intestinal function. is an effective remedy for constipation.

If you eat tomatoes regularly, it will increase your tone and help get rid of fatigue and loss of strength.

There are many varieties of tomatoes, differing in shape and color, as well as in size. But they are all divided into three groups according to their ripening time: early, middle and late.

Early, middle and late varieties of tomatoes

The most common early varieties of tomatoes, which are often found among gardeners, are the following:

Agatha

A low-growing variety, grows up to 45 cm. Up to 4 kg of tomatoes can be harvested from one bush. They ripen on the 110th day. The fruits are flat-round in shape, weighing up to 100 g. Grown both in greenhouses and in open ground.

Summer resident

Medium-branched bush up to 60 cm high. Fruits on the 95-105th day after planting. Cold-resistant, disease-resistant. Fruits weighing up to 100 g.

Pink flamingo

Tall variety, up to 100 cm high. The fruits are sweet and tasty. They ripen on the 90th day after planting. The tomatoes are quite large. At first they weigh about 300 g, with subsequent harvests - 150-200 g. Usually, a lot of fruits appear on each cluster, so in order for them to ripen quickly, it is better to reduce their number to 4-5.

The height of the bush is about 60 cm, consists of three stems. The fruits are round and smooth. With good care, you can get up to 1 kg of harvest from one bush. Fruit weight 60-110 g.

Of the common mid-season varieties, I would like to note the following:

Budenovka

The bush grows up to 70 cm. In order to get large fruits, it is necessary to carry out pinching. Ripens on the 110-115th day after emergence.

Lady fingers (like grapes)

The bush reaches a height of 60 cm, but this is provided that it is grown in open ground. In greenhouses it grows up to 120 cm. The shape of the fruit is cylindrical. From one bush you can collect up to 3 kg. tomato.

Golden domes

Grows up to 1.5 m. Well suited for growing in open ground. The fruit weight is 300-400 g. This variety has high yield.

Gardener

Grows to a height of 140-160 cm. Ripens on the 118-120th day after planting. The fruits are large, weighing 400 g. The variety is high-yielding - up to 9 kg can be harvested from a bush. tomato. The variety is resistant to diseases and is well suited for growing in film greenhouses.

Among the late tomato varieties, I would like to highlight:

Giraffe

The bush is tall up to 1.8 m. The fruits are medium, weighing up to 90-130 g. Up to 5 kg can be collected from one bush. They differ in that they can be picked green and left to ripen at home for 3-4 months. To increase the ripening period, the fruits are placed in a cold place.

New Year

This is, let's say, a very late variety. Height up to 150 cm. Ripening begins in September. The fruits are round, bright yellow, weigh up to 250 g. Up to 6 kg of tomatoes can be harvested from one bush. By the end of September, it is necessary to collect not only ripe, but also unripe fruits. To ripen, they are put in a cold place.

When and how to sow tomatoes for seedlings

You can prepare tomatoes for spring planting as early as February. However, the final timing depends on the variety and climate.

As for planting seeds for seedlings, varieties of different dates are planted as follows:

— We plant tall tomatoes with 20 February to 10 Martha.

— Early and mid-season varieties – with 10 By 22 Martha.

— Cherry tomatoes and ultra-early varieties — 8,9,14 April.

— We plant late-ripening large tomatoes in the third ten days of February.

Many gardeners calculate the timing of planting seeds on their own. In principle, there is nothing complicated here. It all depends on the growing season of the variety.

For example, early and hybrid varieties vegetate for 100 days. Let's add here the time for the sprout to sprout - about ten days - and we get a growing season of 110 days.

Now we select the approximate date of the expected harvest. For early varieties this is July 20. We count 110 days from this date and find that the seeds must be sown no later than April 1.

If you are guided by, then it is better to sow seeds during the waxing moon.

In addition, when choosing seeds for seedlings, you need to take into account where you will then plant them.

If only in open ground, then you will need low-growing or determinate varieties. Accordingly, vigorous or indeterminate plants are suitable for greenhouses.

It is best to take soil from your own garden. In extreme cases, you can take it from the store. But if you already plan in the fall to prepare seedlings in the winter, then you should take care of the soil in advance.

Preparing and planting seeds consists of several stages, which can be visually represented as follows:

First, we sort the seeds purchased in the store into those suitable for planting. This is easy to do by putting them in water. If the seeds float, you can safely throw them away, they are empty.

We soak the remaining ones for germination, wrapping them in a wet cloth or gauze. So they should lie for a day.

Now we take a container - a special box for seedlings and fill it with pre-prepared soil. We moisten the soil.

Now we take the seeds and place them in the ground at a distance of 5 cm from each other. There is a good option to plant seeds in eggshells. In this case, you can plant the seedlings in the ground right in this very shell

Water the planted seeds well and cover with a plastic bag. After this, we put the box in a dark place.

After the first shoots appear, open the box and transfer it to the light. Usually this is a windowsill.

Seedling care

Tomatoes are very demanding of light, so they need additional lighting if necessary. It is especially recommended to do this around the clock during the initial period of seed germination. Optimally, tomatoes should be illuminated for 12-15 hours.

As for the temperature regime, at an early stage, tomatoes need +23-+25 0C. After two weeks, the temperature can be reduced to +18-+20 0C.

At night the temperature should be within 17 degrees. This can be done by opening and closing the window - the main thing is to avoid drafts.

Tomato seedlings need to be watered regularly. In the early stages of growth, water once a week. Subsequently, namely after three weeks, it is necessary to water once every three to four days. Well, when the leaves appear, then once every two days. It is necessary to water in such a way that the water does not remain or stagnate.

Now a little about feeding. We do the first fertilizing when the first leaf forms. To do this, you can use a complex fertilizer such as Agricola.

With the appearance of the third leaf, we do secondary feeding. For this purpose, preparations containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are used. For example, "Effecton".

The following feedings are carried out at intervals of 2 weeks. Here we take nitrogen-containing substances, for example, nitroammophoska. We prepare it like this: dissolve a tablespoon of the drug in a bucket of water.

Two weeks before planting in the ground, seedlings must begin to be hardened off. To do this, we take the boxes with seedlings outside, or open the windows. The first day - a few minutes, then we gradually increase the content in the open air throughout the daylight hours.

When and how to plant seedlings correctly

Based on the calculated timing of planting seeds and harvesting (see above), we begin to prepare the seedlings for planting in the ground. However, we must also focus on the fact that its height is at least 30 cm and 6-7 leaves appear.

Having arrived at the dacha and taken the seedlings to the plot of land where we will plant them, the first thing we do is prepare the holes. They should be the same size as the containers in which the bushes are located.

We water the hole. We take out the bush with a lump of earth. If you have tall bushes, then place them in the hole deep at an acute angle.

Low-growing varieties are planted horizontally. We dig holes and water them. Tall varieties must be tied up immediately.

That's probably all. And in conclusion - a short video on caring for tomatoes.

Video - “Tomato seedlings from germination to picking”

Good luck with your gardening!