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Experienced farmers know that for successful seedling growth Growing tomatoes requires not only regular watering and fertilizing, but also the presence of a favorable temperature regime. Depending on the stage of development, the recommended temperature for tomato seedlings differs. For example, using this adjustable indicator, you can harden tomatoes, speed up or slow down their growth, and prepare them for planting outdoors. priming. In this article you can find out detailed information about what temperatures are best suited for tomato seedlings and how you can regulate their values.
Seed treatment
Even before sowing tomato seeds in the soil, you can use the effect of temperature on the crop. So, many gardeners warm up and harden tomato seeds before sowing. Warmed seeds germinate quickly and evenly, forming strong, healthy sprouts. In addition, it has been noticed that when using heated seeds, the yield of tomatoes increases significantly.
There are several ways to warm up tomato seeds:
- In winter, regardless of when you plan to sow seeds in the soil, they can be warmed up with heat from a heating radiator. To do this, tomato grains should be collected in a cotton bag and hung near a heat source for 1.5-2 months.This method does not create much trouble and effectively warms up the tomato seeds.
- Tomato seeds can be heated using an ordinary table lamp. To do this, place a piece of paper on the lampshade turned up, and tomato seeds on it. The entire structure must be covered with a paper cap and left to warm up for 3 hours.
- You can warm up the tomato seeds in the oven by placing them on a baking sheet, which is placed in the oven, preheated to 600C. Such heating should last for at least 3 hours, provided that the temperature is stable and stirred regularly.
- Immediately before germination You can warm the tomato seeds with warm water. To do this, tomato grains must be wrapped in a cloth bag and placed in water heated to 600From for 3 hours. The water temperature can be adjusted by periodically adding boiling water.
- Long-term heating is carried out using the variable temperature method: tomato grains must be kept at a temperature of +30 for 2 days0C, then three days in conditions with a temperature of +500C and four days with temperatures up to +70-+800C. It is necessary to increase the temperature gradually during prolonged heating. It is worth noting that this method causes a lot of trouble for the gardener, but is highly effective. Plants grown from seeds heated in this way are highly resistant to drought.
It is recommended to warm up your own seeds and those purchased from sales networks. This procedure improves the sowing qualities of tomatoes and stimulates earlier fruiting.
Low temperatures can also be used to prepare tomato seeds for sowing.Thus, hardening the seeds makes tomatoes highly resistant to cold and gives the plants increased vitality. Seeds that have undergone hardening sprout quickly and evenly and allow seedlings to be planted in the ground earlier than without undergoing such heat treatment.
To harden, tomato seeds should be placed in a moist environment, for example, wrapped in a wet piece of cloth, and then in a plastic bag that will not allow the liquid to evaporate. The resulting package must be placed in a refrigerator, the temperature in the chamber of which is -1-00C. At such a low temperature, the seeds must be kept for 12 hours, after which they must be placed in conditions with a temperature of +15-+200From also at 12 o'clock. The given method of hardening with variable temperatures should be continued for 10-15 days. Seeds can sprout during hardening. In this case, their stay in conditions with elevated temperatures should be reduced by 3-4 hours. In the video below you can also find useful information about hardening tomato seeds:
It is worth noting that to harden tomato seeds during moistening, you can use biological products, growth stimulants, nutrient or disinfectant solutions, for example, ash decoction or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Temperature for germination
It is recommended to sow only germinated tomato seeds into the ground for seedlings. Thus, seed germination can begin already during hardening; otherwise, tomato grains should be additionally placed in humid conditions with elevated temperatures.
The optimal temperature for tomato seed germination is +25-+300WITH.Such a warm place can be found in the kitchen, not far from the gas stove, on the windowsill above a heated radiator, or in the pocket of your underwear. For example, some representatives of the fair sex claim that by placing a bag of seeds in a bra, the germination of tomato seeds occurs very quickly.
After sowing
Germinated tomato seeds can be sown in the ground for seedlings, but it is also necessary to carefully monitor the existing temperature conditions. So, it is especially important at the initial stage to place the crops in a warm place in order to get seedlings as quickly as possible. That is why, after sowing and watering, the pots with crops are covered with protective film or glass and placed on a surface with a temperature of +23-+250WITH.
After seedlings emerge, not only temperature, but also lighting is important for seedlings, so it is better to place containers with tomatoes on windowsills on the south side or under artificial lighting lamps. The temperature when growing tomato seedlings should be at +20-+220C. This indicator will ensure uniform, healthy plant growth. If the room temperature deviates significantly from the recommended parameter, you may encounter the following troubles:
- At temperature +25-+300As the stems of the seedlings stretch upward excessively, the trunk of the plant becomes thin and fragile. Tomato leaves may begin to turn yellow, which eventually leads to them falling off.
- Temperature below +160C does not allow the green mass of tomatoes to grow evenly, slowing down its growth. However, it is worth noting that at temperatures +14-+160The root system of tomatoes is actively developing.
- At temperatures below +100With the development of seedlings and their root system stops, and temperature readings are below +50C lead to the death of the plant as a whole. Therefore +100C is considered the minimum temperature for tomato seedlings.
Considering this ambiguous effect of temperatures on the growth of tomato seedlings, some experienced farmers recommend maintaining a temperature of +20-+22 during the daytime0C, and at night reduce it to levels equal to +14-+160C. This alternation of slightly lower and higher temperatures will allow the green mass and root system of tomatoes to develop harmoniously at the same time. In this case, the seedlings will be strong, strong, and moderately tall.
When observing temperatures, you should pay attention not only to the air temperature directly near the growing tomatoes, but also to the soil temperature. So, the optimal soil temperature is +16-+200C. With this indicator, the root system safely absorbs nitrogen and phosphorus from the soil. At temperatures below +160The roots of tomato seedlings shrink and stop absorbing moisture and nutrients in sufficient quantities.
Many gardeners sow tomato seeds in a single container and, when several true leaves appear, plant the tomatoes in separate containers. During transplantation, plant roots are damaged and stressed. That is why it is recommended to place tomato seedlings in conditions with a temperature of +16-+18 for several days before and after picking.0WITH.It is possible to regulate microclimatic conditions in a closed room by opening the windows, but it is imperative to exclude drafts that can destroy the seedlings.
Time to plant
It is time to prepare grown seedlings with 5-6 true leaves for planting at a “permanent place of residence” by hardening. You need to start the preparation procedure 2 weeks before the expected landing. To do this, take the tomato seedlings outside: first for 30 minutes, then gradually increasing the time spent outside until full daylight hours. When hardening, tomato seedlings adapt to the temperature, humidity and light conditions of open ground. More information about hardening of tomato seedlings can be found in the video:
Tomatoes should be planted in open ground no earlier than the end of May - beginning of June, when the threat of low temperatures has passed. At the same time, very high daytime temperatures can also negatively affect the survival rate of picked tomatoes. So, the temperature is below 00C is capable of completely destroying a plant in a few minutes. The upper temperature limit for planted tomato seedlings should not exceed +300C, however, adult tomatoes can tolerate temperatures up to +400WITH.
Greenhouse conditions are more suitable for growing tomatoes. When planting seedlings there, you don’t have to worry about night frosts, however, you should monitor daytime temperatures. In a closed greenhouse, microclimate indicators can exceed the upper limit temperature threshold.To reduce the temperature, you should ventilate the greenhouse without creating a draft.
You can also save tomatoes from the heat in a greenhouse by spraying. To do this, you need to prepare a urea solution: 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water. It is worth noting that such spraying will not only protect tomatoes from burning, but will also become a source of essential microelements.
Heat protection
Prolonged, sweltering heat deprives tomatoes of vitality, dries out the soil and slows down the development of the plant's root system. Sometimes a hot summer can be completely destructive for tomatoes, so gardeners offer some ways to protect plants from the heat:
- You can create an artificial shelter for tomatoes using spunbond. This material allows air and moisture to pass through well, allowing plants to breathe, but at the same time does not allow direct sunlight to pass through, which can burn tomato leaves.
- You can prevent the soil from drying out by mulching. To do this, mowed grass or sawdust must be placed in a thick layer (4-5 cm) near the trunk of the tomatoes. It is worth noting that mulching also protects the soil from overheating and promotes natural irrigation in the morning through the penetration of dew.
- Along the perimeter of growing tomatoes, you can create a natural screen of tall plants (corn, grapes). Such plants will create shade and provide additional protection from drafts.
The use of the above methods for protecting tomatoes from heat is especially relevant for open ground conditions during plant flowering and ovary formation, since the heat is above +300C can significantly damage plants, causing them to “drop” flowers and resulting fruits.Such exposure to high temperatures significantly reduces crop yields.
Rescue from frost
With the arrival of spring, you want to quickly try the fruits of your labors, which is why gardeners try to plant tomato seedlings in greenhouses, greenhouses, and sometimes in open ground as quickly as possible. However, even at the end of May, unexpected frosts can occur that can destroy young tomatoes. At the same time, by monitoring the weather forecast and anticipating serious cold snaps, negative consequences can be prevented. Thus, a temporary film shelter on arches will help save seedlings in open ground. Cut plastic bottles or large glass jars can be used as isolated, separate shelters for seedlings. In case of short frosts with relatively low humidity, you can use paper caps, the lower edges of which must be hermetically covered with soil.
During frosts, the best protection for tomatoes is shelter, as it will retain the heat given off by the soil. Thus, low greenhouses are really capable of preventing tomato seedlings from freezing even at a temperature of -50C. Greenhouses have fairly high walls with a large area, due to which the air cools very quickly. The paper caps or rags described above can provide additional protection for tomatoes in unheated greenhouses. So, some owners cover the greenhouse with old rugs or old clothes during frosts. This measure allows you to increase the thermal insulation coefficient.
In central Russia, only in mid-June can we say that the threat of frost has completely passed.Until this time, every gardener should carefully monitor the weather forecast and, if necessary, take measures to protect tomato seedlings from low temperatures.
Tomatoes are indigenous to South America, so they are quite difficult to grow in domestic climatic latitudes. The farmer tries to compensate for the discrepancy between natural humidity and temperature by additional heat treatment of the seed, the creation of artificial shelters, wind barriers and other methods. The tomato reacts very actively to temperature changes, so regulating this indicator allows not only to preserve the viability of tomatoes, but also to speed up and slow down their growth, and increase the volume of fruiting. That is why we can safely say that temperature is a tool that should always be in the capable hands of a master gardener.
