Content
Tomato is a very healthy vegetable for the body; you can cook a huge number of different dishes with it. With vast areas devoted to its cultivation all over the world, the tomato is the most widely cultivated vegetable.
In Russia, growing tomatoes begins with planting seeds for seedlings. The desire of gardeners to get the harvest as early as possible is quite understandable. So, the crop has a fairly long growing season.
Growing tomato seedlings involves certain difficulties. Which experienced gardeners can overcome quite successfully, but gardeners without experience may even be left without a harvest. Tomato seedlings stretch, becomes thin. One cannot expect a rich harvest from such plants. There is another extreme when tomato seedlings slow down in growth.
But, if you understand the reasons in time and take action, then young plants can be helped.
Tomato seedlings stretch
Reasons why tomato seedlings are stretched:
- Lack of lighting. If you planted the seeds for seedlings too early, when the daylight hours are still too short, or your windows face north;
- Temperature too high.Growing tomato seedlings in an apartment is quite a difficult task, since seeds require high temperatures for germination, and much lower temperatures for germination, and the air in the apartment is quite hot;
- Frequent feeding. Excessive care in the form of a desire to frequently feed tomato seedlings also does not lead to anything good. Excess nitrogen fertilizers, which cause the growth of green mass to the detriment of root formation, have an especially bad effect on young plants;
- Abundant watering leads not only to the stretching of tomato seedlings, but also to the threat of such a dangerous disease as blackleg;
- Thickening of plantings. There is not enough space to place tomato seedlings, but you want to plant more, which is why some gardeners often sow seeds. And as a result they emerge like a dense forest. And from the first days of life, the seedlings begin to fight for existence, for every ray of the sun, obscuring each other. As a result, we get elongated seedlings.
The lack of lighting is solved by additional illumination of young plants. For this, fluorescent lamps, special phytolamps, and LED lamps are used. Phytolamps are quite expensive and not affordable for all gardeners. But LED lamps are gaining popularity because they are affordable, save energy and are easy to use.
They do not have the spectrum necessary for plants. Therefore, supplementary lighting with them is completely useless for tomato seedlings.
If you do not have the opportunity to organize additional lighting for tomato seedlings, then be sure to make reflective screens.Place mirrors, foil screens, or just white paper around the plants. Sunlight will reflect off a shiny or white surface, and plants will receive more of it.
Observe temperature conditions to avoid stretching tomato seedlings. As soon as the shoots appear, reduce the temperature to +23 degrees. It is especially important to observe temperature conditions in low light conditions; reduce the temperature. The critical mark will be +15 degrees. Regulate the temperature by regularly ventilating the room. If you have the opportunity, then place the plants on the balcony or loggia. At low temperatures, the plants harden, never stretch, their stems are thick, the leaves are dark green, the bushes are squat and stocky.
Do not overfeed young plants. At first, they have enough nutrition, which is contained in the planting soil.
But, if you think that the soils are poor in microelements, then it is best feed tomato seedlings 10 days after the pick. Use complex mineral fertilizers for seedlings.
Do not delay picking, especially if the crops are planted densely. Otherwise, it is impossible to avoid pulling the seedlings. The small plant is separated from the main mass along with the earthen lump using a toothpick and placed in a new 0.5 liter container with drainage holes. Try to place the root system vertically, otherwise the development of seedlings will slow down for a week. Elongated plants need to be buried down to the cotyledons.
For watering, use warm water when the earthen ball is dry. High humidity will lead to diseases and stretching of seedlings. How to avoid pulling seedlings, watch the video:
If your actions do not lead to a slowdown in the development of tomato seedlings, you can treat the plants with the drug “Athlet”. This is a growth regulator. Slows down the development of the above-ground part of the plant due to the development of the root. The stem thickens, the leaves become wide. By following the instructions, you can adjust the growth of tomato seedlings. But observe the number of treatments.
Tomato seedlings are not growing
Another common problem that gardeners face is that the growth of tomato seedlings is slowing down. The reasons can be varied; to eliminate them, you need to figure out why the problem arose.
Improper care can lead to stunted development. Excess moisture or, conversely, lack of it. When there is a lot of moisture, the roots suffer from a lack of oxygen. It may be that the drain hole is clogged or missing. Clean out the drainage hole and gently loosen the top layer of soil. Do not strive to keep your plants in constantly moist soil. Tomatoes should be watered sparingly.
High soil moisture may persist if your plants are planted closely. Then the exit is in a speedy dive. Moreover, these are preventive measures to eliminate diseases of tomato seedlings.
Perhaps the soil in which they are located is not suitable for the tomatoes. Then the solution is to replant the plants.Unfortunately, buying ready-made soil is not at all a guarantee that everything will work out successfully. Here, depending on your luck. If you make up the soil mixture yourself, then pay attention to the following requirements for the composition of the soil for tomato seedlings.
- The soil should be light in structure and fertile;
- Should absorb moisture well and retain it;
- The soil should not contain worms, rotting parts of plants, which are a breeding ground for rot and pathogenic bacteria;
- When preparing the soil mixture, do not use clay, which significantly worsens the composition of the soil;
- There should be no fresh manure or bird droppings in the soil, only compost. Actively decomposing components lead to an increase in temperature and loss of nitrogen, which will not have the best effect on tomato seedlings;
- The best composition soil for tomato seedlings: turf soil, humus, sand. Take all the components one piece at a time. Instead of sand, you can use vermiculite or perlite. If you are not sure about the quality of garden soil, then collect it from a forest or grove.
If the picking is incorrect, the seedlings freeze in growth. The reason for this is damaged roots, or they are bent, or an air gap has been created as a result of the roots being poorly compressed.
Seedlings should not be overfed. Examine the plants carefully. By external signs you can determine which microelement the plants lack.
- When there is not enough nitrogen, plants become pale green, the stem becomes thinner, and the leaf blades become smaller. Fertilizing with urea will solve the problem (1 tbsp per bucket of water - 10 l);
- A lack of phosphorus is expressed in a purple tint of the leaves on the underside; phosphorus-containing fertilizers will be required;
- Yellowing of the leaves and their curling indicates a lack of potassium, use ash or potassium chloride - 1 tsp. per liter of water;
- A lack of magnesium is expressed in marbling of the leaves; they turn yellow, but red and purple colors appear through the yellowness. Spray with magnesium nitrate solution (1 teaspoon per bucket of water);
- Leaf chlorosis occurs when there is not enough iron. The leaves turn yellow, but the veins remain green. If the situation is not corrected, the leaves will fall off and the roots will begin to die. Spray the plants with the following preparations: “Ferovit”, “Micro-Fe”, “Antichlorosis”.
Pests love young plants. Carefully inspect your plantings, as some insects are located on the back of the leaves. Aphids, spider mites, and thrips pose a threat to seedlings because they suck out nutrients and are carriers of viruses, spores and pathogenic bacteria. Watch the video:
Lack of lighting or too low a temperature has a depressing effect on tomato seedlings. Especially temperatures below +20 degrees.
Growth stimulants
Apply growth stimulants to seedlings. They work on natural ingredients: growth hormones. They improve not only the health and immunity of plants, but also shape the future harvest, increase the resistance of plants to diseases and negative environmental manifestations: lack of lighting, temperature changes, replanting. Growth stimulator that can be used if tomato seedlings are stunted in growth: “Epin”, “Biostim”, “Kornevin” and others.
Conclusion
A problem detected in time and its timely solution will protect your crops from destruction.Follow agricultural techniques, especially do not overdo it with watering, harden the plants, feed and fertilize in a timely manner. And then your hopes for the harvest will come true.
