Tomatoes – from seed to harvest
Tomato is a record holder of usefulness.
Big berry, or better “golden apple of love”? Indoor plants and aphrodisiacs! Believe it or not, at one time its fruits were even considered poisonous and were afraid to try. Lots of face tomatoes …
The popularity of this vegetable is growing rapidly.
Today, more than 100 million tons of tomatoes are “produced” in the world every year!
And, presumably, there is no gardener who does not grow tomatoes. Is it possible to imagine rolling for the winter without their bright fruits? Did you know that tomatoes are high in the “happy hormone” serotonin?
How to grow a tomato in your garden? How to get a high quality crop and please your loved ones with delicious and healthy preparations? Read below for tips on growing tomatoes, time-tested and important ones!
Tomato seeds
Tomato seeds for seedlings
Your seed
I removed the healthy ripe fruits and wrinkled them. I put the mass in a glass or jar for three days and then I wash it well with water through a strainer. Then being dried.
Under no circumstances should seeds be dried in a radiator, frying pan, etc.! I put them evenly on paper or film on Windowsill for three days. Then I put it in a plastic bag and in a safe place for storage.
Pre-preparation of tomato seeds
Four days before planting, I soak the tomato seeds in an ash solution (for 1 liter of water – 1 wooden ash 6 tablespoons) for 8-20 hours. During this time, they will not only get wet, but will also absorb nutrients from the dissolved ash. Then, to sterilize, I soak the seeds in a dark solution of potassium permanganate for XNUMX minutes, wash them, put them in a bag, and keep them in the cooler place (but not in the fridge!) For three days to harden.
We select the soil
Sowing soil is best taken from places where cucumber or cabbage has grown. In any case from onions, potatoes, peppers: the soil can be infected with late blight. I mix individual purchased soils in equal proportions with “violet”.
I put 0,5 liters of wood ash in a bucket of mixture, 1-2 tbsp. Fill the box with superphosphate, mix and prepare. A good sapling (and in the end it is stronger for me) is half the battle. When it is time to harvest, I collect up to 15 kg of beautiful fruit from each shrub!
Tomato siding
Tomato planting and care
Tomatoes: Planting and care
Tanks for sowing tomato seedlings
The bottom is suitable for growing seedlings in any container with drainage holes. However, containers must be disinfected to get rid of pathogens. Old pots, wash plastic bottles in warm water, remove salt deposits from walls, then soak in potassium permanganate solution for 3-4 hours. Bake in a clay pot in the oven.
Harden the tomato seedlings
Sergey Shakurko from the village shares his experience of growing tomato seedlings. Belgorod region fiber.
At the end of February, tomato seeds are sown dry in grooved boxes 3 cm away from each other. Sprinkle with soil and cover the container with glass. I keep it at a temperature of +22 … +24 degrees.
The soil consists of garden soil and compost (1: 1).
As soon as the shoot appeared I moved the boxes to a cool window sill. And when the outside air temperature rises to + 10 … + 12 degrees I start to harden the seedlings (I take them to the porch), increasing the time by 1 hour per day. I fed the seedlings twice with the ash mixture (10 tablespoons in 2 liters of water).
Picking tomato seedlings “for” and “against”
What is tomato picking and what does it need at all? How to properly dip seedlings and when?
Some gardeners believe that pruning is an unnecessary concern for young plants, as it increases the likelihood of root system damage and seedling death. Others think that picking “train” plants makes them more stable and strong.
I would suggest you dive. The seedlings actually become more stocky, the plants grow better and as a result the chances of a good crop increase.
Pick a time
After the first pair of true leaves appear in the tomato seedlings, the seedlings dive into separate pots, deepening into cotyledons. In this case, the soil is tempered to remove excess air and is watered with warm water (+ 20 … + 25 degrees).
From the moment of picking and before planting in the ground I spray the seedlings once a week with the following mixture: for 1 liter of water – 1 tbsp. Serum and 5 drops of iodine. Seedlings are healthy and are not affected by black leg subtleties
Tomato seedlings at the age of 12 days of germination I dipped down. I replace the determining varieties for seed sowing in boxes but already deeper in the cotyledon leaves, according to the 10 × 10 cm scheme. And I dipped the seedlings indefinitely in separate pots without immediately adding soil at the edge of about 10 cm. I watered the seedlings moderately. So that it does not expand, I control the lighting of the room (not more than 14 hours a day) and the temperature (not more than +17 degrees).
2 weeks later, I picked a second. The prescribed varieties are “transferred” to the litter pot with drainage. I am indefinitely
Work separately with: I gently bend the growing twigs and place them in a spiral on the surface of the soil, then sprinkle them, leaving only the crown with 4 leaves. I put the pot in the pot 2 more times before planting in the greenhouse until the pot is topped with soil. Thanks to all these subtleties, the root system of tall tomatoes is very strong, which is the key to the proper development of plants, their abundant and long-term fruit.
I planted the seedlings in the greenhouse
I continue to grow tomato seedlings in unusual ways. I sow seeds in boxes. When the seedlings have 2-4 leaves, I take them to submerge in small greenhouses, which I cover with dense spanbonds. Then, as the seedlings grow, I periodically open the greenhouses and harden the trees in the fresh air. At the end of May, I plant seedlings in the open ground with a bunch of earth. Planting is carried out with a break between the trees 40 cm, and the row spacing is 70 cm.
How much light do tomato seedlings need?
For tomato seedlings, 14 hours of daylight is sufficient, but the light should be extremely intense. I install fluorescent, mercury and quartz lamps with a minimum capacity of 5 kW on a two-frame window!