by It is difficult to imagine a garden without tomatoes. Thanks to the huge variety of varieties, you can find tomatoes for every taste that will suit your region and will please you with a harvest. Growing seedlings at home will not cause much trouble if you follow all the rules of agricultural technology.
The sowing time for tomato seeds depends on the region and variety. Seed producers usually indicate the ripening time of tomatoes on the packaging. The fruits of ultra-early and early varieties, as a rule, begin to ripen 80-105 days after emergence, mid-season varieties – 110-120 days, late-season varieties – 125-140 days. Add another 7-10 days to this period for emergence.
The optimal age of seedlings at the time of planting in the ground is 50-60 days. Much depends on the growing conditions: temperature, lighting, plant nutrition. Seedlings are planted in the ground when the soil warms up to 10-12°C and the threat of frost has passed. In the middle zone, this is closer to mid-May; in the North-West, the Urals, Siberia, this is the end of May – beginning of June. If there is a sealed greenhouse, the time for planting seedlings is usually 10-14 days earlier.
In the middle zone, tomato seeds are sown from the first ten days of March: first – late varieties, then – mid-season, and then – early ripening. Ultra-early varieties can be sown until the beginning of April. It can be concluded that the sowing time depends on the climate of your region, as well as on where you will plant tomatoes – in a greenhouse, in a hotbed or in open ground.
Step 1. Selecting a variety
Growing tomatoes begins with selecting varieties. If you have a greenhouse, you can give preference to indeterminate varieties and hybrids of different ripening periods. In this case, you will be able to harvest throughout the season and use the greenhouse space more rationally.
If you are going to plant tomatoes in open ground or in a greenhouse made of arcs with covering material, choose low-growing early-ripening varieties that are resistant to nightshade diseases. Most varieties and hybrids of tomatoes can successfully grow and bear fruit both in open and protected ground.
Step 2. Preparing the seeds
Preparing for sowing seeds collected independently includes disinfecting them and soaking them in a nutrient solution. Purchased seeds are usually already disinfected – they can be immediately soaked in a solution of organomineral fertilizer. This procedure accelerates seed germination and increases the stress resistance of plants after picking.
Prepare a fertilizer solution according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Use drinking or melt water for this. Use a syringe to accurately measure the required amount of fertilizer.
Place the seeds wrapped in cloth into the solution for 15-20 minutes. Then remove and place in a separate container to swell for 12 hours or a day. You can leave the seeds for a longer period to germinate, but you must ensure that the cloth is always damp. Do not forget to sign the names of the varieties on the cloth bags with the seeds, so that next year it will be easier for you to make a choice when buying seeds.
Before sowing, tomato seeds can be hardened. This increases the cold resistance and stress resistance of plants. To harden, place the swollen seeds in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours. Then take them out and after 12 hours, repeat the hardening. When exposed to variable temperatures, biochemical processes in the seeds accelerate and shoots appear several days earlier.
Step 3. Preparing the soil and container for sowing
The soil for seedlings should be nutritious, light, moisture-absorbing, and have neutral acidity. And of course, it should not contain weed seeds or pathogenic microorganisms.
If you do not prepare the soil for growing seedlings yourself, buy soil from trusted manufacturers. There is a special soil for growing tomatoes and peppers. You can also mix purchased soil with humus, biohumus, rotted compost, soil in a 1:1 ratio. In this case, it is advisable to water it with a solution of Fitosporin-M, which will help prevent the development of bacteria and fungi in the soil.
When watering the soil before sowing, there is no need to add fertilizer: the soil contains enough nutrients for the growth and development of plants at first.
Step 4. Sowing seeds
Tomatoes do not necessarily need to be sown in separate containers: seedlings tolerate picking well. However, do not thicken the sowings: otherwise the seedlings will stretch out and grow thin and weak. The optimal distance for sowing seeds is 4-5 cm.
After sowing, cover the container with a lid or film so that the top layer of soil does not dry out. However, do not forget that the seeds need oxygen to breathe. Therefore, the container should not be sealed hermetically.
The optimum temperature for seed germination is 22-25°C. The lower the temperature, the longer it takes for them to germinate. For example, at a temperature of 12-15°C, seeds appear in 14-16 days, and at a temperature of 22-25°C – in a week.
After the shoots appear, it is advisable to lower the temperature: to 18-20°C during the day and to 14-16°C at night. This will prevent the seedlings from stretching and the soil from drying out. After two weeks, you can increase the temperature by a few degrees.
Step 5. Watering and fertilizing
Water the seedlings as the soil dries. The frequency of watering depends on the temperature and humidity in the room, the composition of the soil mixture and the depth of the container with seedlings. The best time for watering is in the morning. Tomato seedlings should be watered at the root, preventing water from getting on the leaves.
The first seedling feeding should be done after the first true leaf appears. For this, you can use a liquid complex organomineral fertilizer for tomatoes and peppers. The liquid form prevents burning of fragile roots, and the organic component actively stimulates the growth and development of the plant. To carry out feeding, prepare a fertilizer solution as indicated on the package. Repeat feeding every 7-10 days, combining it with watering.
Step 6. Picking
For transplanting tomato seedlings, you can use separate containers (cups, pots, homemade oilcloth twists), as well as deeper common containers.
Fill the prepared containers with soil and water with settled water. When it is absorbed, make depressions for planting.
Carefully remove the seedlings using any convenient object: a fork, spoon, narrow spatula, etc.
Plant the plants in the prepared holes and press the roots lightly. When planting, deepen the tomatoes almost to the cotyledon leaves. There is no need to water the seedlings immediately after picking: after all, we moistened the soil well before planting. If necessary, add a little soil on top.
Further care of the seedlings consists of regular watering and fertilizing with complex fertilizer every two weeks. 7-10 days before planting tomatoes in the ground, the seedlings should be hardened: open the windows, and in warm weather take them outside.
Growing strong, healthy tomato seedlings is not that difficult. Following our advice, even a novice gardener can cope with it.
