Tomato is one of the popular types vegetables, which is present in a huge number dishes and sauces. They love it for its pronounced taste and the same color.
Unfortunately, tomatoes can only be grown in those regions where winters are not too harsh and long. That is why summer residents create tomato seedlings at home in order to begin their further cultivation at the beginning of spring.
This process is very responsible and does not tolerate mistakes, but even a beginner can handle it. Especially for you, we have put together a lot useful tips that will help grow good harvest tomatoes, without using specific knowledge in the field of gardening.
Growing tomatoes should start with choosing seeds. For this purpose, you will have to show both attentiveness and caution, because this determines whether you will be satisfied with the harvest.
For your convenience, we will present for your review a description of the main characteristics, knowledge of which will help you quite easily and quickly decide on the choice of seeds.
Main characteristics of future tomatoes
Today there are a huge variety of tomato varieties, each of which is ready to pleasantly surprise how external characteristics, so taste qualities.
Each variety includes the following features:
- Form. Flattened, elongated or spherical. The difference in shape will not in any way affect the difficulties in further cultivation, so choose the one that you like best.
- Fruit size. The smallest fruits can be less than 50 grams. This is typical for the variety " Cherry" And " Cocktail" Medium fruits are considered to be those that vary between 50-100 grams. If we talk about large varieties, their weight can reach up to 800 grams. Make your choice based on the purpose for which the grown tomatoes will be used.
- Taste. General information You can find out about the taste characteristics from the seller. However, if this parameter is extremely important to you, then you should search for information on the Internet yourself. So, you will understand which tomatoes can be intended for salads, and which ones can be used to add piquancy to some dishes.
- Color. The color of the fruit is closely related to the taste. The most common color of tomato is red. But there are also green, yellow and even black. Many of them can be intended for both everyday use and for twisting.
Size of future tomato bushes
It is customary to divide tomato varieties into two categories:
- tall;
- low.
In the first case, the height of the bush can reach two meters. Such giants will require more attention from you, but in return they are ready to offer a lot of convenience regarding processing and harvesting. For summer cottages tall varieties are unlikely to be suitable, but for greenhouses they are ideal. Saving space in greenhouses is one of the main factors.
Low varieties are less picky, which is why summer residents use them. But it is worth remembering that processing and harvesting will become more intensive processes.
Tomato growing area
The process of growing tomatoes can take place on open ground (plot of land) and closed ground (greenhouse). When choosing seeds, it is very important to pay attention to what type of soil they are intended for.
Typically, tomatoes grown on plot of land, have the best taste. In addition, they will have to be cared for much less than with greenhouse tomatoes. But it is worth understanding that growing in beds can only take place in those regions where optimal weather conditions exist.
By choosing a greenhouse growing method, you can create an ideal environment for the future harvest, taking into account temperature regime and air humidity. But for this you will have to sacrifice a lot of time and effort.
Features of your region
If you decide to grow tomatoes on a plot of land, you should definitely pay attention to the characteristics of your region. There are several varieties that have an extremely negative attitude towards low temperatures and lack of sufficient quantity sunlight. It is possible to achieve good yields with them without appropriate conditions, but it is extremely difficult.
If you don’t want to waste money and suffer with growing tomatoes, then choose those varieties that have good protection from such factors. Information about this is on the seed packaging.
In any case, you can always grow tomatoes in a greenhouse method and then you will not have to adapt to the existing realities of your region.
Differences in seed packages
When choosing seeds in a store, you may come across professional and amateur packaging. The main difference between them is the volumes.
Professional packages include from 500 pieces of seeds or from 500 grams. Given such impressive volumes, they are intended most likely for sowing campaigns or a large association of summer residents.
Amateur packages can contain up to several grams of seeds, so they are an ideal purchase for private summer residents.
Before you start sowing seeds, you need to prepare them well. If everything is done correctly and consistently, your chances of achieving a large harvest will increase significantly.
The preparatory process for seeds is as follows:
- Sorting.
- Disinfection.
- Fertilizer.
- Soak.
- Ground development.
- Finding a container for seedlings.
- Sowing work.
These stages are typical for those seeds that were collected through their own efforts. As for purchased seeds, you just need to rinse them thoroughly and they are ready for further use.
Many novice summer residents do not pay too much attention to the quality of the soil, but after that they are surprised to note that low performance productivity. If you do not want to agree to poor results productivity in the near future, then you cannot do without high-quality soil.
To prepare it, you will need turf soil, sawdust, peat and compost. If you don't know where to get sawdust or how to make compost, you can replace it with coarse sand and vermicompost, respectively.
Before use, it is highly advisable to place the sand in the oven to begin the calcination process. Vermicompost can be found in many gardening stores, so there will be no problems with it.
Preparing the soil requires maintaining the correct proportions. For the above components, the following scheme is relevant: 2:1:3:4.
A plastic cup should be used as a suitable container because it has the appropriate shape, and the properties of the material itself allow further steps to be taken to prepare for planting. You need to make sure that plastic cups are complete and do not contain any flaws.
For more It is wise to use special plastic containers for seeds, which should also be without the slightest defect.
Next, you need to wash them thoroughly with soap, and then place them under boiling water for a short time. To ensure that excess moisture can freely exit the plastic container, you will have to take a sharp object: a nail, knitting needle or needle - and make the necessary holes.
The first two options will allow you to make holes that are large enough and even. But to achieve this, you need to heat them to the required temperature and then make several holes in the right places.
If you decide to use a needle, you can refuse to heat it, but the holes with it will be too small, which will certainly create a lot of trouble for you. In this case, you will have to make more holes, and in close proximity to each other, so that water can flow out freely after irrigation.
Before placing freshly prepared soil in a plastic container, it is highly recommended to place expanded clay or small pebbles at the very bottom as drainage.
As soon as the first leaves appear on the sprout, you need to start dive process. To do this, you need to prepare new containers, preferably with peat. Next, deepen the sprouts into the ground to the level of these leaves. If everything is done correctly, the plant will begin to sprout new roots, which will provide it with additional nutrition.
It is very important to prepare the sprouts for future transplantation by gradually hardening them. At first, the seedlings should be stored on the balcony or on the windowsill, where the sun's rays must fall.
At night, you can leave the seedlings in the corridor, but only if the air temperature is favorable.
To protect sprouts from excessive solar radiation, you can take an unnecessary sheet and cover the seedlings.
Watering should be done no more than twice a week. This way the sprouts will not suffer from drought and excessive moisture.
As soon as the seedlings germinate well, it is necessary to choose the optimal place for planting them in the ground. Since almost all varieties of tomatoes love light and warmth, planting near trees and large shrubs is highly discouraged because they will block direct sunlight.
Seedlings should be planted only after the hard frosts have completely passed.
If you are aiming for a good harvest, then you need to plant seedlings according to the scheme of 4 bushes per square meter. To avoid negative consequences from various pests, in place of each bush you should add several granules from the Colorado potato beetle and mole cricket.
Bush formation is an integral part proper cultivation tomatoes. If you have short and medium-sized plants, you can leave them without any changes. But if the plants are too tall, then they need to be tied to stakes. Usually tall plants are combined into two stems.
If you notice that the leaves of the bush have begun to block future fruits from the sun, they should be removed. In this case, you can achieve a more productive harvest.
The last important point is feeding tomatoes. Organic and mineral fertilizers are ideal for this purpose. To prepare organic fertilizer, you will need 500 ml of chicken manure, after which you need to dilute it in a bucket of water. For mineral fertilizer You can use ammonium nitrate. One bucket of water will be enough matchbox this supplement.
The first step is to prepare the beds in the greenhouse. The larger the greenhouse, the more beds can fit there. The width of each bed should not exceed 90 centimeters. It is very important not to forget to make one or more paths, depending on the area of the greenhouse.
How to properly plant seedlings in a greenhouse depends on what variety of tomatoes and the method of forming bushes you have chosen. For example, tall plants should be planted in a checkerboard pattern. It is necessary to take into account the optimal distance between bushes (up to 70 centimeters) and between rows (up to 80 centimeters).
Low-growing varieties of tomatoes, distinguished by their early ripening, can also be planted in a checkerboard pattern. It will be a huge plus if they are formed by 2-3 stems. In this case, the optimal distance between bushes should be no more than 40 centimeters, and between rows - no more than 60 centimeters.
It is recommended to plant standard and determinate varieties of tomatoes as densely as possible. The acceptable distance between bushes is 30 centimeters, and between rows – 50 centimeters.
Growing tomatoes in a diaper is an extremely popular and fairly simple method. Initially, you need to carefully prepare for this process. For this you will need plastic bag, which must be cut into small strips. Their width should be 10 centimeters, and the length will depend on the number of seeds used.
Additionally, you should cut the same strips from toilet paper, and then place them on top of each plastic strip. To get them wet, spray water with a spray bottle. After this, you can lay out the seeds at the rate of 1 seed per 3 centimeters. The next row should begin with an indent of 1 centimeter.
Once you have placed all the seeds, place the same strip of toilet paper and plastic on top. Thus, you form the same diaper in which the seeds will germinate.
Next, you need to roll up this diaper to make a kind of roll, and place it in a specially selected plastic container. A glass would be ideal. Add a small amount of water to it so that the toilet paper is constantly wet, and then place it on the windowsill or balcony. If you have a shadow side, it's okay.
You can take a solution of HB-101 and add two drops per liter of water. After 5 days you will notice how the first leaves begin to appear.
As soon as 3 leaves are formed, you can move on to the next stage. Unfold the diaper and gently drag it educated plants into pots with soil to make a dive.
What is better to plant after tomatoes?
Once you decide to plant something after the tomatoes, it's best to choose these vegetable crops, which can provide nitrogen to the soil.
- Cabbage. White cabbage, red cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi and Brussels sprouts.
- Onion and garlic.
- Pumpkin. Pumpkin, cucumbers and zucchini.
- Legumes. Beans, beans and peas.
- Roots. Beets or carrots.
- Pepper
- Potato
- Eggplant
Growing tomatoes, although it requires a lot of effort, offers many benefits. You no longer need to spend money on buying quality tomatoes in markets and stores, and also worry about the amount of nitrates in them. In addition, this activity can easily turn into your hobby, which calms you down and gives you positive emotions.
What you need to do for a quick and easy start in growing tomatoes
- Ask professional gardeners for advice. Regular exchange of experience can significantly reduce the number of mistakes made, as in early stages growing and during harvesting. Moreover, after communication you can become good friends.
- Don't do your work in a hurry. By spending more time and effort preparing for sowing and caring for tomato bushes, you will protect yourself from failures with the harvest.
- Follow current methods grow and develop your own. In the process of growing different varieties tomatoes, you will certainly be able to see the advantages and disadvantages of the methods used. Improve them to achieve greater yields and save a lot of time.
Using the information received, you will know more about how to plant tomatoes correctly, and you will be able to surprise your loved ones with a rich harvest of ripe and juicy tomatoes!
Favorable days for planting seeds in cups are January 6, 10, 30, February - 14, 16, 18, 24. For planting sprouts under open sky favorable - 9,15, 19, 24, 25 of May. If the weather is cold, the best day to plant seeds is June - the 2nd, 7th or 11th.
Tomatoes love soil rich in mineral and organic fertilizers. In order for the grains to hatch faster and the stem to be strong, it is better to prepare the earthen mixture yourself. Mix some turf, soil, black soil, fine sand and humus (1:1), add a little vermicompost. Many gardeners mix coconut substrate; the main thing is to monitor the amount of hydrogen - its value should not exceed 5.5 - 6.0 pH.
Before filling the soil, it is calcined at a temperature of 180°C for about 15-20 minutes, or generously watered with a strong solution of manganese (you can use simple boiling water) to decontaminate it. Then the soil is left for 14 days (the container is covered with cellophane) - new beneficial bacteria are allowed to accumulate.
Preparing and planting seeds
Choose seeds from trusted manufacturers: “Gavrish” (they have their own institute of vegetable growing), “Semko Junior” ( Full description composition on the packaging), "Agros" ( high quality). The tested seed does not need to be soaked in disinfecting solutions. If you are not sure about the product, it is better to play it safe: the seeds are placed in a gauze cloth (damp, wrapped in several layers) and left on a saucer with a weak (1%) manganese solution for an hour. You can soak the seeds in aloe solution (buy ready-made extract, or remove from the stems with a spoon). Before processing, aloe juice (1:1) is kept in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Another disinfection option is water (200 ml) and 1 g baking soda(for quick shoots).
The prepared soil is poured into boxes, plastic cake containers or cups with holes for ventilation, and leveled. The soil should be moist, loose, and the grooves should be shallow (no more than 1 cm). The seedlings are placed at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other and sprinkled with earth on top. To create a greenhouse effect, boxes with future seedlings are covered with cling film or a plastic bag and placed on the windowsill. Optimal temperature for growing – 25 °C; if there is not enough heat, you can use phytolamps. After the first shoots appear, the film is removed.
Peat tablets, cassettes
The advantage of peat tablets is that they contain the necessary fertilizers that protect against the appearance of fungus or mold, and the grown sprouts do not require pinching (picking leaves is always stressful for plants). The tablets need to be soaked in water. The swollen rounds are placed in plastic glasses, grains are placed in special holes, which are sprinkled with earth on top. Cover the cups with glass or cling film until the first sprouts hatch.
Cassette. Seedlings using the cassette method are very convenient: watering is done using trays of water, a lot of space is saved, and the cassettes themselves can be used repeatedly. The sprouts do not require picking and are additionally protected from rotting and attack by harmful microbes. Cassettes differ in size, capacity, and have large or small cells. Larger sizes are suitable for tomatoes. In small cells, the soil quickly dries out and loses its nutritional properties. To avoid problems, prepare a mixture of agropelite and peat (moor), 1:3. Peat (10 buckets) is mixed in advance with chalk (1 kg), ammonium nitrate (50 g), magnesium sulfate (30 g), potassium nitrate (100 g) and superphosphate (150 g). Before applying fertilizers, the soil itself is calcined in the oven, or treated with manganese.
Disinfection is carried out only for reusable cassettes. The cassettes are distributed on pallets, moist soil is added, and small depressions are made in which the seed is planted.
Tomato care
It is necessary to water the growing sprouts carefully, without flooding the leaves, it is better to treat with a spray bottle (once a week, and when 3 uniform leaves appear, once every 4 days). The water should be settled and at room temperature.
For additional lighting, tomatoes are placed under lamps. Remember to ventilate the room, but do not create drafts.
Planting in open ground is carried out in warm, sunny weather: pay attention to the condition of the stem and leaves - it is better to fertilize stunted, yellowish or drooping sprouts (Agricola Vegeta - 1 tsp, Cornerost 1 tsp + liter of water). Plants are planted in the open sky, 30 cm high and with 5-6 mature, strong leaves.
To get tomatoes with excellent taste at the end of the season, the first thing you need to take care of is right choice varieties and purchasing seeds for planting. Because in order to get the desired result for the tomato harvest, gardeners prefer to plant seedlings themselves, rather than purchasing them ready-made on the market.
Growing tomatoes is not particularly difficult for gardeners. Main provide the necessary conditions and then in the end there will be a good harvest of this vegetable.
General rules:
- Seed selection;
- Sowing seeds;
- Growing seedlings;
- Planting in open ground;
How to plant from seeds
You can grow seedlings in various ways:
- Planting seeds into prepared containers- this is a method in which they are first planted in one box, and after diving they are seated in separate containers;
- Wrapping seeds in diapers- it is also called the Moscow method and they do it like this - they put a strip of cellophane, a piece of toilet paper on it, and wet it warm water, lay out the seeds in increments of 1 cm and 1.5 cm from the top edge, add another layer of paper on top, moisten it and put another cellophane tape. After all the manipulations, we roll everything up and put it in a container with water poured in so that the diapers touch it;
- Planting seeds in open ground under film– plant the seeds in heated soil and cover them with greenhouse film to protect against return frosts;
It is important to choose the appropriate option so that growing does not become a labor-intensive task.
How to plant seedlings
To understand how best to plant a tomato, we can give an example based on the Tretyakovsky F1 hybrid. The plant is determinate and suitable for growing in greenhouses. From the first shoots to the ripe fruit it takes 3.5 months, which means you can plant seeds until April 1.
It is best to plant each individual seed V peat tablet to reduce damage to the roots. Further care for seedling material will not differ from generally accepted rules.
Hybrids do not pass on their genetic data through seeds.
When and how to sow tomatoes
Sowing tomatoes for seedlings is carried out starting from the third ten days of February to April 1. You can learn the technology for sowing seeds by reading this article.
At home, tomatoes can be grown on a windowsill, glassed-in balcony, or on a table, if it is equipped with lighting so that the seedling material does not stretch out.
The gardener himself decides which method of planting tomato seeds for seedlings to choose. But first of all you need to buy good seeds and they are usually purchased in specialized garden centers from trusted manufacturers. This gives confidence in obtaining the desired harvest.
Selection of seed material
If tomatoes will be planted on the site for the first time, then you should select the variety that will suit the taste preferences of the gardener and be cultivated in a certain region.
Therefore there is certain rules, which should be followed when choosing tomato seeds:
- First of all this period of full ripening of fruits. Since in the northern regions, where the summer is long and warm, the gardener can afford later varieties.
- Also worth considering bush height, since if tomatoes are planted in a greenhouse, there, in connection with saving space, it is worth turning your attention to tall productive varieties. If the tomato planting area is large, then it is best to plant varieties with a height of 50-100 cm, since large areas It is not profitable to put up supports for tall tomatoes.
- The region where tomatoes grow - here you can see that some varieties zoned for a specific region, which means that it is in this region that it is possible to obtain a consistently large harvest of this variety.
- If the packaging says that this type of tomato can only grow in a greenhouse, then it should not be planted in open ground, since the tomato most likely will not survive there.
- The size of fully ripened fruits is important, since large tomatoes can only be used for cutting salads, and with a diameter of 5-6 cm. correct form good to use for preservation.
Small tomatoes are good for canning, large ones are good for salads When choosing a variety for yourself, read the data written on the packaging; this will help you decide how well the tomatoes correspond to the region and the taste preferences of the gardener.
Dishes for seedlings
Nowadays, many different specialized dishes for growing are sold. But it is worth considering that first the seeds are planted in a planting box with a height of about 12 cm, and then during the dive the seedlings are planted in separate containers of volume not less than 200 g.
Therefore, the following can be adapted for placement boxes:
- Milk and juice boxes;
- Trimmed 5 l. plastic bottles;
- Wooden boxes.
For the container into which the sprouts are transplanted, disposable ones are well suited. cups with a volume of 200 and 500 g.
It is necessary that the dishes have holes to drain excess water.
Required soil composition
After choosing the pots, you should choose the right soil where you can plant the seeds. First of all, he must be nutritious and fluffy. Therefore, you can purchase soil at the appropriate store.
Or you can compose it yourself, taking everything in equal proportions:
- Peat.
- Garden soil.
- Sand.
Any land purchased or prepared with your own hands must be disinfected. Suitable for this freezing or calcination– the main thing is that various microorganisms die.
Preparing seeds at home
To find out whether seeds are suitable for sowing in the ground, you need to determine viability. This can be found out in two ways:
- A salty solution is made and seeds are poured into it; those that float up can be safely thrown away, the rest are suitable for growing.
- Seeds sprouted on wet wipe , and as soon as the sprout’s nose bent, it is planted in a cup with soil.
Seeds purchased from well-known companies have already been tested for germination and treated with growth stimulants, so they should not be soaked.
How to sow seeds in the ground correctly
The prepared soil is poured into containers and moistened using bottom watering. After the excess water has drained, small trenches with a depth of less than 5 mm, it’s convenient to do this with a ruler, so the rows turn out evenly. Seeds are placed in trenches in 2.5 cm increments and covered with earth. Leave 4 cm between trenches.
After sowing the seeds, you need to cover the containers with glass or place them in a plastic bag. This will protect the soil from drying out and create greenhouse conditions with the help of which friendly tomato shoots will appear.
Dive
Tomato picking is done when the seedling has two true leaf blades. To do this, soak the soil well and carefully remove one seedling at a time and transplant it into a separate container according to the root system. It is most convenient to do this at home or in an apartment.
When picking seedlings, you need to plant them quickly and carefully without interrupting the process, so as not to destroy the seedlings.
Care
Further care will consist of watering, which must be regular, but prevent waterlogging of the soil. Also, the seedlings should be placed on a warm and sunny windowsill to avoid excessive stretching of the sprouts. Once a week it is turned with different sides to the light source so that it does not grow one-sided.
There is no need to fertilize, since the soil does not age in 1.5 months. Before planting in open ground or a greenhouse, seedlings are gradually accustomed to open air- hardening is carried out.
Good seedlings have a vigorous appearance, green foliage, have 6 leaf blades and height does not exceed 15-20 cm.
Errors during cultivation
The main mistakes novice gardeners make when growing seedlings:
- Incorrectly selected seeds.
- Bad land in growing boxes.
- Inappropriate temperature and bad light.
- Overfeeding seedlings with fertilizers in poor lighting.
Shelf life
Seedlings cannot be stored without soil for a long time no more than two hours, provided that it is wrapped in a wet cloth and does not lie in the sun.
Tomato planting dates
Since tomato seedlings are ready for planting in the main growing place after 2 months, the seedlings are sown 60 days plus five days for seed germination.
Sowing in the ground
If this Krasnodar region Russia, then seedlings begin to be planted in open ground in early May, and in the greenhouse you can 2 weeks earlier.
Based on these dates, we count back 65 days and get the date:
- For open ground– planting seeds for seedlings begins on February 25 and not earlier because it is difficult for overgrown seedlings to take root in a new place;
- For greenhouses, seeds for seedlings begin to be sown on February 20.
You need to sow on time to get healthy seedlings.
Seeds for seedlings are sown before April 1, since if planted later, the tomato bushes will grow only in decorative purposes, the tomatoes will wither on them, but will not have time to ripen. This period especially applies northern regions Russia.
When can you plant seed of large-fruited varieties?
First of all, tomatoes and tomatoes are the same name for the plant. Large-fruited tomatoes are grown quite often by planting them in a greenhouse. To grow seedlings of such tomatoes, they begin to sow seeds already. in the third ten days of February.
Harm from early planting
Seeds planted early result in too elongated tomato seedlings, not only with flowers, but also with fruit ovaries. After planting in the main place, such seedlings get sick for a long time and drop both flowers and fruits.
It is necessary to plant seeds at a certain time in order to obtain healthy seedlings. By adhering to all the rules for growing seedlings, you will get a good harvest of tomatoes of the desired variety.
