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Growing tomato seedlings for experienced gardeners is a familiar thing.
However, novice vegetable growers are not always confident in their abilities. The most crucial stage in caring for tomato seedlings is a pick. What is picking tomato seedlings? Why is this procedure carried out, which is so frightening for novice gardeners? Diving, otherwise, planting tomato seedlings in a larger container is done for specific purposes. A pick is carried out in order to help the root system develop well and gain strength before planting tomatoes for permanent residence.
According to the rules, diving is the removal of the lower part of the tap central root in order to ensure the development of the lateral roots.
Usually, tomato seedlings are dived once, but experienced summer residents know that for tall varieties, a repeated transplant of tomato seedlings is needed.
The optimal time for picking is the appearance of two or three true leaves on the seedlings. Why dive tomato seedlings? It allows you to:
- weed out diseased, damaged or weakened plants;
- select the strongest and healthiest seedlings;
- create optimal and comfortable conditions for development for them.
The third leaf appears on seedlings 10 days after the seed germinates. At the time of pecking and emergence of a tomato seedling, the root system is still very weak. Therefore, very little space is enough for small seedlings. Once the seedlings are growing, the plant will need optimal conditions to form a full-fledged root system and aerial part. These conditions are created by gardeners for their "wards". Some of the most necessary are the volume of land in which tomato seedlings will grow and shortening the stem so that the plant does not stretch.
When to transplant seedlings? Many summer residents check their dates with the recommendations of the lunar calendar in order to minimize injury to the plants. If the sowing of tomato seeds for seedlings was also carried out taking into account the lunar sowing calendar, then the picking time will coincide in all respects. Why do you need to meet deadlines? Up to 10 days of age, the seedling has one tiny root, which is very problematic to transplant without damage. Recovery will be delayed, and tomato seedlings will lag behind in development. At the age of over 15 days, the roots of densely sown plants will have time to intertwine with each other. Pulling out one seedling, we damage the roots of the neighboring ones, which also leads to an extension of the recovery period of the plant after the pick.
Preparing tomatoes for picking
What needs to be considered in order for picking tomato seedlings to bring her maximum benefit? Firstly, soil moistening.
Watering should be carried out four to ten hours before the pick. Transplanting tomato seedlings immediately after watering is undesirable for certain reasons.
- Too wet ground becomes heavy. At the time of transplantation, there is a risk of breaking the delicate stem of the tomato seedling or tearing the thin roots. And if you delay with the transplant, then the dry earth will crumble from the roots, leaving them bare and unprotected from damage. In addition, dry roots can bend upward when diving, which will even lead to the death of a tomato seedling.
- The second factor is the container for the dived seedlings. The volume of the planting pot must be sufficient for the normal development of the root system. Otherwise, when planting in the ground, damage cannot be avoided, which will affect the survival rate of seedlings and the timing of the harvest.Correct diving of tomato seedlings ensures that the seedling is shortened by 1/3 of its length and the plant is transplanted into a new large container.
How to dive tomato seedlings correctly? Let's dwell on the main stages and nuances of the procedure.
We dive tomatoes competently and without losses
At the very beginning of the process, we prepare everything you need:
- Taru... For picking, cups made of any material are suitable - paper, peat, plastic. An excellent option is a nursery.
You can buy ready-made or do it yourself. Many summer residents cut used plastic bottles to the desired height and dive tomato seedlings in them. Paper and peat cups are particularly popular. They do not require subsequent transplantation of tomato seedlings in open ground. Just place the seedling together with the container in the ground and add it in. The paper decomposes easily in the soil, and the root system does not suffer when the tomato is moved to its permanent residence. The plastic container is also easy to cut without removing the seedling, which keeps a clod of earth around the roots. It is good to provide the container with a drain or a hole for water drainage. - Priming... An excellent option if you prepare the soil mixture in large quantities in advance (at the time of sowing). In this case, you will already be diving into the prepared ground without wasting time on its preparation. Before planting seedlings, spill the ground with a disinfecting solution (potassium permanganate, "Fitosporin").
- Dive tool.
A comfortable peg, a teaspoon, or a wooden spatula will do. Some do well with a toothpick. These devices are needed to dig a seedling out of the ground.
How to dive tomato seedlings so that the seedlings grow healthy?
We check the degree of moisture in the soil in a pot of seedlings and proceed to the pick.
We fill a new container with prepared soil. Its temperature must be at least 20 ° C. The earth is poured into the pot by 2/3 of the volume. In the center, a recess is made with a pencil or stick, into which water is poured.
Then we remove the seedling from the ground along with the lump and place it in the hole made. You need to take a tomato seedling for the root ball. In this way, they protect the stem from damage.
Be careful not to bend the roots. The seedling is immersed in the soil up to the cotyledon leaves, but no more. This will lead to the rapid formation of new lateral roots. Then the soil is compacted around the stem.
One more nuance. Many gardeners are inclined to the need to pinch the root of the transplanted plant. And some consider this technique optional. In both cases, dived tomato seedlings grow lateral roots. Therefore, you can choose any option.
This leads to the formation of a crust and makes it difficult for air to reach the roots.
How to dive tomato seedlings into new containers? During the procedure, you should try to touch the tomato seedlings with your hands as little as possible. If you can't pick up a clod of earth, then use cloth gloves. In this case, take the seedling by the leaves. They are easier to recover than the edge of the stem.
The planting scheme for tomato seedlings when diving is maintained: for low-growing varieties 8x8, for tall ones - 10x10. In a large planting container, it is better to place the rows in a checkerboard pattern, then the seedlings will receive enough light. An excellent help for those who are doing this procedure for the first time will be a video with a detailed explanation of the process of diving tomatoes:
How to care for tomato seedlings after a pick
After an important procedure, the plants need to adapt. For the first 4-5 days, do not water the dived tomato seedlings.Just do not forget to turn the container around the axis a little once a day so that the seedlings grow evenly.
Then we resume regular watering. It is optimal to water the seedlings during this period no more than twice a week.
Dived tomato seedlings respond well to top dressing... Any complex fertilizer is suitable. Enough two dressings with a frequency:
- the first time 2 weeks after the pick;
- the second time 15 days after the first.
Tips for gardeners when picking tomato seedlings:
- Do not deepen seedlings above the growing point.
- Do not delay the dive. Small seedlings take root faster.
- Disinfect the soil to help the seedlings resist pathogenic bacteria.
- Do not rush to feed immediately after the pick. Wait for the required time.
Take into account the recommendations of experienced gardeners and specialists, watch videos, read specialized literature and apply the knowledge gained. Your seedlings will be the strongest and healthiest!
