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Every gardener wants to get a good harvest in large quantities. For such a result, you must follow certain rules. Tomatoes are a crop that loves warmth and is afraid of frost.
Hardening off seedlings is one of the main secrets in growing tomatoes. It starts around the first half of April. This procedure prevents the bush from being pulled out to form a strong and thick stem. Plants are slightly stunted in growth, but a powerful root system is formed. In the future, such a plant will be able to resist external unfavorable factors. Hardening off tomatoes at home before planting them in open ground requires the gardener's attentiveness and some effort. If you do not do this procedure, when transplanting, the tomato bush will take a long time to take root and hurt, become lethargic and may even fall. This is due to a sharp change in temperature, humidity and light indicators.
Buying hardened seedlings
Beginning gardeners often make the mistake of choosing tomatoes that are taller and brighter than others. Having planted such tomatoes in the garden, after a few hours you can see withered and yellowed leaves, and sometimes the stem will even lie on the ground. The error lies in the acquired seedlings, which were grown in violation of technology. Most likely, it was not hardened or thinned out. She will be sick for a long time after transplantation to a permanent place of growth.Before purchasing, you need to find out by what external indicators you can determine whether the bushes have been hardened or not.
The seedlings should stand steadily, without sagging stems. A bush that is too tall may have a weak root system, which will affect the condition of the tomato after transplantation. Hardened bushes are dark green with a lilac tint. The stem and leaves should be densely covered with fluffy hairs. The first cluster of ovaries is formed 3-4 days earlier than usual, located after the first leaf. Ovaries are formed through each leaf, in ordinary seedlings - after 3-4 leaves. These external indicators warn that the tomatoes were grown with all the standards for hardening and picking.
If there is a suspicion that the tomatoes have not been hardened, it is not recommended to plant them directly in the ground; you need to keep the tomato bushes in the shade or in a cool room for several days.
Hardening off your own seedlings
If confidence in purchased seedlings is low, you can grow them yourself and apply all the hardening rules for a good harvest. Hardening of tomato seedlings begins with seeds. With proper processing, they will be ready for cold, drought and various diseases.
You should take “not fresh” seeds, but those that were collected 2-3 years ago. It is better to store them in a dark and cool place, preferably in a closed jar in the refrigerator. A month before sowing, you should warm up the tomato seeds. Seeds of hybrid varieties do not need heating. If the seeds were collected last year, you can put them on the battery for about 20 days.Thus, their indications become similar to those collected much earlier. The largest samples should be selected and placed in water. Those that have surfaced should not be planted. Seeds must be disinfected. Can be used:
- 1% solution of potassium permanganate (place for 20 minutes);
- 2-3% hydrogen peroxide (hold for no more than 8 minutes).
You can prepare the seeds for sowing using an oxygen compressor from the aquarium. It is placed at the bottom of the jar in warm water, above 20°C, the seeds are poured in and left for 12 hours. Then they are dried to a free-flowing state and the hardening process begins.
Before hardening begins, it is necessary to place a cotton cloth in the container in such a way that a piece of it can cover the seeds and fill it with water to a level of 1 cm. You can add a few drops of the drug “Fitosporin” to the water. For several days it is necessary to alternate degrees: one day the seeds lie at room temperature, the next day - in the refrigerator, where the temperature is kept within + 2°C. The water should not freeze; a thin crust of ice is acceptable. You can harden the seeds using snow. Large samples are wrapped in cloth and placed in a deep bowl, sprinkled with snow on top. When it has completely melted, drain the water and repeat the procedure several more times.
Not all seeds will be able to undergo the hardening procedure, but the remaining ones guarantee 100% germination and will be ready for temperature changes. After all the procedures, the seeds are planted in the usual way in the prepared soil and hardening of the seedlings begins. When sown, such seeds germinate immediately with leaves after 2 days, without the formation of loops. Tomatoes grow strong and strong. This hardening method makes it possible to plant seedlings in open ground 2-3 weeks earlier than usual.Accordingly, the ripeness of the fruits will occur earlier, and the amount of harvest will almost double.
Tomato seedlings should be watered once every 5-7 days, when the leaves begin to fade a little, thus preparing the seedlings for a lack of moisture. When true leaves appear, the tomatoes begin to harden. Gradually, in the room where the seedlings grow, they reduce temperature, opening the window for several hours, preferably in the evening or early in the morning. Then the tomato seedlings should be placed on the balcony or taken out into the yard for several hours, carefully monitoring the reaction of the leaves to the change in environment. It is necessary to avoid direct sunlight on the seedlings to avoid burns of young leaves.
It is not recommended to water the soil before taking the seedlings out into the open air. With each subsequent procedure, the time spent outside is increased by 1-2 hours, depending on weather conditions. A few days before planting, the seedlings can be completely taken outside and left there for 2-3 days. The presence of wind is strictly prohibited. Typically, seedlings grow at a temperature of +25°C; during hardening it should not exceed 16-20°C during the day and 8-10°C at night.
Hardening is possible in a more “extreme” way. The air temperature is lowered to 0°C and the seedlings are kept for about an hour. A week later, repeat the procedure, lowering the temperature to -2°C and increasing the time to 3-4 hours. Seedlings can be hardened by wind. In bad weather, if it is not possible to take the seedlings outside, you can use a fan indoors.Here you need to act extremely carefully, because a plant, like a person, can react to drafts differently and even get sick.
Hardening off seedlings in a greenhouse
If seedlings grow in a greenhouse, the hardening method does not change much. 14 days before planting in open ground, watering is reduced, the greenhouse is ventilated daily, and then the film is completely removed. On the first day, this procedure takes 2-3 hours; you should ensure that the tomatoes are not in direct sunlight. The next day, the time is increased to 5-6 hours. If the seedlings begin to wilt, the greenhouse must be covered again with film. With a normal reaction of seedlings, at the end of hardening the film is not returned to its place even at night. The amount of watering is also reduced gradually, and a week before transplanting into open ground, watering is stopped altogether.
All procedures must be carried out systematically and regularly, then the hardened tomato bush will be completely ready for replanting, well adapted to climatic conditions and will not be afraid of night frosts. Tomato seedlings should be transplanted into open ground when they have 10-12 true leaves, 1-2 inflorescence ovaries and the plant is 20-30 cm in height. If the hardening procedure was carried out in the correct mode, the gardener receives strong tomato bushes and an early and abundant harvest.
