How and when to plant seedlings. When to plant seedlings of peppers, tomatoes and other vegetable crops? When to plant seedlings: basic rules

02/28/2016 02/23/2017 by MaLinK@

Timely planted seeds guarantee timely germination, good growth, development and high fruiting. Gardeners often make mistakes about when to plant seedlings, because such a procedure depends on the influence of many weather factors, light and temperature. We will talk about how, when and how to plant seedlings in today’s article.

Tomatoes are the most popular vegetable crop that is cultivated everywhere.

By planting nightshade seedlings yourself, you can be guaranteed to grow your favorite varieties adapted to the climate of a certain area, rather than playing the lottery by buying young plants in the store.

Soil preparation

In order to grow proper tomato seedlings, the soil must be prepared in advance, in the fall. It is kept in a ready-made state all winter, on the veranda or glassed balcony, before use, place in a warm room for a day. There are many recipes for soil mixtures for tomatoes, but the most optimal is the classic recipe, which always allows you to get good result:

Forest or garden soil (for tomato seedlings, soil with potato field) - 1 part.
Ready humus (should crumble in your hands) – 1 part.
Calcined river sand – 1 part.
Wood ash (except oak) – 100 g per 5 liters of substrate.
Crushed chalk – 50 g per 5 l.

All components are thoroughly mixed and sifted through a sieve. IN ready-made mixtures for seedlings sold in stores, the size of the lump does not exceed 8 mm. It is difficult to make such soil at home, and there is no point in trying to do so - even if there are larger lumps in it, they can be placed on the bottom of the seedling container while it is being filled.

Video soil for seedlings - recipes and tips

Seed preparation

The procedure for preparing seeds for planting tomato seedlings is mandatory; it helps to select the best seed material and disinfect it. To prevent sprouts from dying from blackleg or other fungal diseases, tomato seeds are disinfected using potassium permanganate, for this:

a teaspoon of granules is dissolved in 1 liter of warm water, and the seeds are placed in it. The water must be stirred, then the full-bodied, best seeds will sink to the bottom, and the empty ones will remain floating on the surface. All tomato seeds with good buoyancy must be collected from the surface of the water and discarded. They won't grow into seedlings. The remaining seeds are “pickled” in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes, then placed in a strainer and washed with running water.

Whether it is worth germinating seed material for tomato seedlings - opinions differ. Many gardeners claim that plants obtained by direct sowing of unsprouted seeds into the soil grow stronger and have greater resistance to various diseases. At the same time, when germinating seeds for tomato seedlings, you can get quick and reliable seedlings by selecting the very first of the hatched seeds for planting seedlings, since they have greater vitality. Germination is also used for seed material whose shelf life has come to an end.

Usually the seeds are soaked in plain water, but for better results the following solutions can be used:

Aloe juice. It acts as a natural biostimulant and has good disinfecting properties, so pre-soaking tomato seeds in potassium permanganate is not required.
Epin. This stimulant is diluted with water at room temperature in a proportion of 8 drops per 1 liter. Under its influence, tomato seedlings acquire powerful immunity and high resistance to negative factors environment.
Zircon. Recommended dosage – 4 drops per 1 liter. This drug helps plants form powerful root system, which is very important when growing tomato seedlings.

In all these solutions, the seeds are soaked for a day, after which they are placed in a damp cloth and wait for shoots to appear. Typically, the germination of tomato seeds at home lasts from 36 to 48 hours (the appearance of a root shoot), but if the seeds are old, it can take 3-4 days. The most important thing in the germination process is not to miss the moment of biting. As soon as the seed bursts and a white tail appears from it, plant it, placing it down the hole, with the seed facing up. The depth of the hole into which the sprouted tomato seed is placed should not exceed 2 cm.

The simplest and most effective way to prepare seeds for seedlings:

About a month before sowing, the seeds are soaked in melt water for 1-2 hours, then in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes, washed and wrapped in a damp linen napkin. Place in a plastic bag and put on the top shelf of the refrigerator. 2-3 days before sowing, we take out the seeds, dip them in a napkin in honey water (1 tsp per glass of boiled water) for 5-6 hours, then squeeze them lightly and leave them in a warm place. You need to make sure that the napkin does not dry out.

Growing tomato seedlings

The calendar for planting tomato seedlings depends on the region and variety. All information on growing times is usually placed on the seed packaging. It also indicates the time interval from the appearance of full shoots to the ripening of the first fruits. If a period of more than 110 days is specified, such varieties must be planted in mid-March. In colder regions - 10 -12 days earlier. Also, in the middle of the first spring month, seedlings of those tomatoes are planted, which are transplanted into a warm greenhouse at the end of April. Mid-ripening and early-ripening varieties with a growing season of 55-65 days should be sown in early April. This allows you to grow the right seedlings, which will not stretch out or turn yellow due to lack of space and light.

After the first shoots appear, homemade tomato seedlings begin to receive additional light. To do this, use fluorescent lamps, which are placed at a distance of 15-20 cm from the upper leaves of the plants. Hanging higher is not recommended, as this may cause young tomatoes to stretch out. It must be remembered that tomatoes grow quite quickly, so the height of the lamp should be adjusted almost every day so as not to burn the young leaves.

Feeding tomatoes

To grow healthy seedlings, they must be fed properly. In principle, if you have high-quality nutritious soil, you can get good results without fertilizing. But, additional nutrition for small tomatoes at an early stage will help to get a more abundant and high-quality harvest from them in the future. Therefore, there is a reason to spend time on this and feed the young plants several times.

The first fertilizing is done after the fully developed third leaf appears on the plant. Complex fertilizers with a predominant nitrogen content are used for it. At this stage, young tomatoes can be fed with preparations such as Agricola-Forward or Agricola No. 3.
The second feeding of tomatoes is carried out on the 12th day after picking. For it, use nitroammophoska, dissolving half a tablespoon of fertilizer in five liters of water. Consumption – 100 ml of solution per plant.
The third feeding of seedlings - after two weeks, it completely repeats the second feeding.
The fourth feeding of tomato seedlings is carried out when the plants reach two months of age. At this stage, they have already gained sufficient green mass, the need for nitrogen decreases, the need for phosphorus and potassium increases. To feed grown tomatoes at this stage, prepare the following cocktail: take 0.5 tbsp per 5 liters of water. spoons of simple superphosphate and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of wood ash. Plants are watered with this composition at the rate of 0.5 cups per plant.

Picking tomatoes

To increase the feeding area of tomato seedlings, they need picking, during which young plants from a common container are transplanted into separate pots. This procedure is carried out after the plant reaches the age of 14 days, but no later than a month after the appearance of full shoots. To prevent home seedlings from getting sick after transplanting, pots with soil are prepared in advance and the soil must settle. Two hours before picking, the soil in individual pots and in a common container is well watered. Then the young plants are carefully separated, and holding clods of soil in the root zone with their fingers, they are transferred to individual pots.

When replanting, the tomato root must be shortened by a third. In the future, this will help to form a stronger and more branched root system. Another feature of picking tomatoes is that the plant is planted in a new place deeper than it grew before. There should not be more than 1 cm from the level of growth of cotyledon leaves to the ground. This action is aimed at strengthening the root system, since additional roots are formed on the stem buried in the soil over time, providing additional nutrition to the plant.

Landing in the ground

Tomato seedlings begin to be transplanted into the greenhouse in April (depending on the region), in open ground, with a favorable weather forecast - from May 10. For soil, seedlings must first be hardened off by taking them outside with the onset of warm days.

At the end of the hardening period, young tomatoes should be left quietly outside all day. During the hardening period, you should take a close look at home seedlings. Changes in environmental conditions are a strong stress for plants, and if they lack nutrients during this period, this will immediately become noticeable in the changed appearance of young tomatoes.

For example, if the seedlings turn yellow, then most likely they were underfed with potassium. To eliminate the deficiency of this element, it is necessary to feed the seedlings with an ash solution - 1 glass of ash per 10 liters of water. One liter of solution is spent on two tomato bushes.

If, during the hardening stage, the tomato leaves turn violet-purple and begin to take on a lumpy shape, then most likely the plant does not have enough phosphorus. But there is no need to rush to feed tomato seedlings with this element. Most likely, hardening occurred too quickly, and young tomatoes did not have time to adapt to the uncomfortable temperature regime and stopped absorbing phosphorus from the soil.

In this case, they need to be allowed to rest for several days in their usual home conditions. If the leaves begin to turn green again, then everything is in order, and after a few days you can begin to progressively harden the plants. If the tomatoes do not “depart” and remain purple, then we can state a lack of phosphorus, which was revealed by lowering the ambient temperature. In this case, it is necessary to feed the tomatoes with superphosphate, and only then resume hardening.

By the time of planting in open ground, tomato seedlings should reach the age of 2-2.5 months. Younger tomatoes cannot be planted. Even if favorable weather conditions have established and night temperatures do not fall below 15 ° C, the plants have not yet acquired the necessary vital fluid to quickly adapt to replanting. Yes, most likely they will take root, but the acclimatization period will drag on for a long time, and the seedlings will not grow and develop during this time. As a result, the resistance of tomatoes to various negative external factors will decrease, and as a result, you may not expect a good harvest from this bush.

Good varieties of tomatoes for seedlings - proven

Name	Peculiarities	Description
Black Prince	Suitable for open ground and film greenhouses. Requires a garter or trellis. Fruiting is extended. It is advisable to form one stem. Rarely suffers from late blight	Tall (up to 2 m) mid-season productive variety salad purpose. The fruits are round, weighing 250-400 g, prone to cracking
Leopold F1	In protected soil they form into one stem, in open soil - into 2-3. Does not require pinching. Cold resistant. Resistant to tobacco mosaic, cladosporiosis and fusarium	Low-growing (70-80 cm), early-ripening, productive variety. Inflorescence contains 6-8 round red fruits weighing 80-100 g
Newbie pink	Suitable for open ground and film greenhouses. Does not require pinching. Resistant to root-knot nematode. The fruits do not overripe and can be stored for a long time	Low-growing (50-85 cm) mid-early productive variety. There are 5-6 oval pink fruits in a brush, weighing 70-100 g

Video: tomato seedlings - sowing seeds

Video: tomato seedlings - from germination to picking

Video: tomato seedlings - from picking to planting

Video: tomato seedlings - planting in a greenhouse

Soil for seedlings

Growing pepper seedlings is in many ways similar to growing tomato seedlings. Despite the fact that these plants belong to different classes (nightshade and pepper), their habits and needs are similar. Pepper also loves loose, nutritious soil, warmth and moderate humidity. In order to plant seeds for seedlings, you can use either purchased soil (Living Earth Terravita, Krepysh, Malyshok) or prepare soil for peppers with your own hands:

Garden soil (it is advisable to take soil that has rested under green manure) – 10 l;
Rotted dry compost – 5 l;
Lowland peat - 5 l;
Calcined sand – 5 l;
Wood ash – 150 g;
Azofoska – 40 g;

All components of the soil mixture must be thoroughly mixed, sifted through a sieve with large mesh (1-2 cm), distributed into containers for growing seedlings, and frozen for several days. Then the prepared soil can be brought indoors, after 2-3 days it is ready for replanting.

Seed preparation

It is advisable to germinate seeds for pepper seedlings before planting. Due to the dense outer layer, they are difficult to burst, which affects the timing of the appearance of the first seedlings. Sometimes the outer edge of a pepper seed is cut for faster germination, but inexperienced gardeners are better off not performing such manipulations, as there is a high risk of making a cut in the wrong place and damaging it. young plant. The best way to start the germination process is to gently heat the seeds. To do this, they are placed in a cloth moistened with warm water, covered with a small container on top, and placed in a warm place for a couple of hours. After this, the germination process is continued at room temperature.

Before planting, pepper seeds must be disinfected. This can be done using manganese, which is familiar to everyone, but if you can’t get it, you can use folk remedies, such as:

Grated horseradish. The rhizome of the plant must be crushed on a coarse grater, and the resulting pulp should be wrapped in gauze. Place the bundle at the bottom of a jar of water into which the pepper seeds are placed. Essential substances, which are contained in excess in horseradish, will qualitatively disinfect planting material. After completing the procedure, the seeds must be washed and dried.
A mixture of mineral fertilizers. To prepare the solution, take manganese sulfate (0.2 g), potassium nitrate (10 g) and superphosphate (10 g), and mix with a liter of water. Seeds for pepper seedlings are soaked in this solution for 15-20 minutes.

Timing for planting seedlings

IN different regions the pepper planting calendar differs depending on climatic conditions each specific region. But the basic rule that most gardeners adhere to is that peppers need to be planted two weeks before tomatoes. They are slower to germinate than tomatoes, and if you sow them without germination, you can wait 2-3 weeks for germination. And sometimes lingering seeds can appear from the ground even after a month, when they have already been forgotten about, and new seeds of another crop have been replanted into the pot.

Peppers grow slowly and occupy a small area, so they are planted early. Already in early February, pepper varieties with a long growing season begin to germinate in Siberia and the Urals. IN middle lane Peppers begin to be planted from February 15-20. Sowing varieties with a shorter growing season can be done in early and mid-March.

Care

There is an opinion that pepper seedlings are one of the most unpredictable to grow. Young plants, which just yesterday felt great and looked like a plus, suddenly become weaker, dry out and may even wither completely. This usually happens because the peppers don't have enough nutrition. If you urgently feed the seedlings, then in most cases they can be saved. But it is best to start fertilizing in advance and continue to apply them throughout the growing season.

Nitrogen-potassium fertilizing. Young plants are fed for the first time after the first full leaf appears on them. For cooking nutrient solution take a tablespoon of urea and dissolve it in 10 liters of water. Before watering, the soil in the pots is sprinkled with ash.
In order not to overfeed the peppers, the second feeding is done no earlier than three weeks later. Its composition is identical to that of the first.
The third feeding should be done a week before transplanting plants into a greenhouse or open ground. It contains double superphosphate, which will help the root system better tolerate replanting. The nitrogen requirement of pepper seedlings is also still high, so urea is also included in the mixture (can be replaced with any other nitrogen-containing fertilizer).

Pepper picking is done 10 days after the first feeding. The root is pinched off by a third, and the plant is placed in a new container, but the pepper seedling cannot be planted deeper than it grew before. It is worth considering that peppers do not need the same large feeding area as tomato seedlings, so it is not at all necessary to take a large pot for replanting; a 0.5 liter container will be enough.

Pepper seedlings can be grown without picking. To do this, the seeds of the plant must be immediately sown in separate containers, for example, in cut-off liter milk cartons with a capacity of 1 liter.

Landing in the ground

Pepper seedlings, like any other, must be prepared in advance for transplanting into open ground. To do this, it is hardened. At home, this should be done gradually. First, the pots with grown peppers are taken into the room after airing, then for short periods they are placed on a glassed-in loggia. The next stage may be snow hardening. To do this, a thin layer of melted snow is placed on the surface of the earth in a pot. On this day, the seedlings are no longer watered.

Before planting young peppers in open ground, they begin to take them outside, accustoming them not only to less comfortable temperature, but also to sun rays. Monitor the plants carefully, because under unusual exposure to the sun, home seedlings can wilt in a matter of minutes. If this happens, the stems droop, and the leaves hang like lifeless rags, you must urgently bring the young peppers indoors and water them with warm (but not hot) water - perhaps they will come to life. For the next few days, the hardening procedure should be canceled.

Peppers begin to be planted in a greenhouse, depending on the region, from the beginning of May. In open ground after transplantation, these plants feel comfortable if night temperatures remain consistently above 15°C. At temperatures below 10°C, peppers stop growing, so it is advisable to plant them in open ground after May 15th.

Video: pepper seedlings - sowing seeds

Video: pepper seedlings - from germination to picking

Video: pepper seedlings - from picking to planting

Eggplant

Soil for eggplant seedlings

Eggplants love loose soil, slightly acidified, well fertilized. Classic recipe The soil mixture for this crop looks like this:

Humus - 2 l;
Peat – 1 l;
Rotted sawdust – 0.5 l.

To sow eggplant seeds, you can also use soil filled with mineral fertilizers. It includes:

Garden soil – 10 l;
Simple superphosphate – 1 teaspoon;
Urea – 0.5 tablespoon;
Potassium sulfate – 0.5 tablespoon.

One of the main rules when preparing soil for planting eggplants is to disinfect it, since they are more susceptible to various types of rot than other plants, and they are difficult to grow at home. There are several ways to destroy harmful microorganisms that may be contained in any of the substrate components:

Freezing - the finished soil is taken outside and left for several days. Before use, keep in a warm room until completely warm.
Steaming is the fastest way to kill harmful microflora. The earth is placed in a large sieve placed on a bucket and poured with boiling water. The disadvantage of this method is that along with harmful organisms, all beneficial microflora die.
Calcination. This is a more gentle way of high-temperature exposure to microorganisms. In order to disinfect the soil, it is poured in a thin layer onto a baking sheet and placed in the oven for half an hour, which should be heated to 70-90 g °C.
Dressing is the fastest and least labor-intensive way to qualitatively disinfect soil for growing seedlings. The soil is shed with a solution of potassium permanganate diluted in water in a proportion of 1 tsp. per 5 liters of water - this is enough to destroy all pathogenic microflora.

Dates for planting eggplant seedlings

Traditionally, in the middle zone, eggplants for seedlings must be sown at the end of February, and in the northern regions, for example, in Siberia, these heat-loving vegetables are often planted already in the middle last month winter. Seeds must be calibrated before planting, choosing the largest and heaviest ones, and pickled in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. It is better not to soak eggplant seeds in biostimulants, as they tend to stretch from excess macroelements at the initial stage of growth.

Eggplants are slow-growing plants, so the appearance of the first loops will have to wait. Some gardeners, in order to speed up the process of germination of eggplants from seeds, cover them with film and place them near the radiator. It is undesirable to do this, since this creates excellent conditions for the development of root rot. The best conditions for eggplant germination can be created by covering them with a glass mini-greenhouse and regular watering earthen coma, then after 10-14 days the first shoots will appear.

Caring for eggplant seedlings

Traditionally, caring for eggplant seedlings involves feeding, picking, loosening and timely watering. For eggplants, the optimal nutritional base is multi-component mineral fertilizers, which are applied at least five times during the growing of seedlings. In this case, it is advisable not to use natural fertilizers for young plants, as they can cause rotting of the stem of the young plant.

The first feeding can be carried out already in the cotyledon leaf stage. For it, take a complex fertilizer with a predominance of nitrogen, for example, “Uniflor-rost” for seedlings, and dilute it in accordance with the instructions.

The second feeding is carried out on the tenth day after the eggplant is picked. For it, liquid fertilizer “Living Force” is used, which helps the eggplant root system to develop well.

A few days before planting eggplant seedlings in open ground, they are watered with Agricola ecogel, which helps young plants take root well. It is used as follows - one sachet of gel is diluted in a liter of water, and the plants are watered with it, as with regular watering.

Landing in the ground

Many sources recommend growing eggplants only in peat pots, they say that these fastidious plants have too delicate a root system and do not tolerate transplantation well. In fact, this is far from the case. Healthy, proper eggplant seedlings easily tolerate transplantation, so they can be grown in any container. The most budget option is cropped plastic bottles from milk or carbonated water, in the bottom of which holes are made using a hot knitting needle. When transplanting tomatoes into open ground, plastic bottles are simply cut on both sides along the side walls and opened like a flower bud, pushing out a lump of earth without damaging the roots at all.

Trimmed kefir bags have also worked well as containers for growing seedlings - they are laminated on top, so they can retain their shape throughout the entire period of growing eggplants - from the moment the seedlings are planted until they are planted in open ground. Grown and hardened eggplant seedlings are planted in open ground on the twentieth of May. To ensure that young plants take root well, in the first week you can build a mini-greenhouse over them using agrotextiles stretched over arcs.

Video: eggplant seedlings, agricultural technology, features

Cucumber seedlings begin to be grown 3-4 weeks before they are planted in a greenhouse or open ground. To speed up the process, you can soak the seeds, but if you are not pressed for time, it is better to plant the seeds for seedlings in a container dry.

Dressing cucumber seeds is desirable, but not necessary. They are less susceptible various types rot than seedlings of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. To speed up germination, pots with seeds planted in them are watered with warm water and covered with plastic bags, which are opened slightly during the day for a few minutes for ventilation. As soon as the first green loops of cucumbers appear above the surface of the ground, the bags are immediately removed so that white mold does not form inside.

Cucumbers should be watered moderately, otherwise they will stretch out, and this is unacceptable. Home seedlings and so much weaker and thinner than grown in the ground, and with abundant watering, cucumber sprouts turn into thin threads, dry out and turn yellow.

Soil for seedlings

Cucumbers are a melon crop; they love warmth and thrive in soil rich in organic matter. To grow cucumber seedlings, it is best to use a soil mixture with natural ingredients, rich in well-rotted mullein. For the middle zone and northern regions It is recommended to use the following soil mixture:

Turf soil – 5 l;
Dry humus (mullein) – 5 l;
Wood ash – 1 cup.

This substrate does not have high acidity, which allows cucumbers to feel comfortable. But, before planting seeds, it is advisable to disinfect the soil, destroying harmful microorganisms. It is best to disinfect cucumbers using gentle agents, such as Fitosporin or Baikal M1, which are of natural origin and act on the soil at a structural level without polluting it with pesticides.

Care

Cucumber seedlings are quite unpretentious and patiently tolerate slight shading. The most dangerous thing for it is a lack of moisture, so seedlings of this melon crop are watered more often than seedlings of tomatoes or peppers. Due to frequent watering, the frequency of loosening also needs to be increased. Insufficient air supply to the roots is one of the reasons for stunted growth in young cucumbers.

It is necessary to fertilize cucumbers twice during the period of growing seedlings. The first feeding is done after the first true leaf appears on the vine. To carry it out, you can take any complex fertilizer with a predominant nitrogen content. The second feeding, which is carried out two weeks after the first, should include the following components:

Double superphosphate – 5 g;
Potassium nitrate – 10 g;
Wood ash – 3 tbsp. spoons;
Microfertilizer complex – 5 g;
Water – 1.5 l.

10 days after applying this fertilizer, cucumber seedlings are planted in a greenhouse or open ground. In the same soil you can grow zucchini seedlings.

Landing in the ground

Peat pots are considered the best container for cucumbers, since the plant can be planted in the soil without removing it from the container and without damaging the root system. When using peat pots, you should always maintain constant soil moisture in them, otherwise the dried lump will move away from the walls, and all the water when watering will go into this gap, practically not reaching the roots.

If time permits, then you don’t have to resort to this rather expensive method of growing cucumber seedlings. Ordinary plastic cups are also suitable, however, after transplantation, the cucumbers will take longer to take root.

At early stages When transplanting young cucumbers into open ground, they must be protected from the threat of return frost. This can be done using mini-greenhouses made of arcs with polyethylene or agrotextile stretched on top. But there is also a less labor-intensive method - at night, each young cucumber can be covered with a plastic or tin can. This method guarantees plant protection even with a slight minus, and is very economical, since cans can be used for many years, and agrotextiles and plastic film tear after a couple of seasons.

Video: growing cucumber seedlings at home

Video: sowing seeds and planting cucumber seedlings in a greenhouse

In many regions of our country, growing cabbage is possible only through seedlings, otherwise it does not have time to form heads of cabbage before the onset of frost. Can be used as soil for this crop garden soil fertilized with manure and wood ash. Under no circumstances should cabbage be planted in wooden containers - the soil in such containers begins to turn sour, and cabbage does not tolerate increased acidity. Plastic trays and pots are best suited for these seedlings.

You can grow cabbage with or without picking. In villages, cabbage seedlings are often planted in April-May in cucumber greenhouses, in a row, without being planted until transplantation. permanent place into open ground.

Cabbage has a taproot system, which allows young plants to be content with a small feeding area during the first stage of their life. But, in order to get high-quality seedlings at home, they need to be fed and the rows loosened. It is not necessary to add additional light to cabbage seedlings, and with the row growing method it is undesirable, as they will begin to stretch out.

The first feeding of cabbage seedlings is bird droppings diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20. The second is ash (2 tsp) with superphosphate (1 tsp) per 1 liter of water. Two days after the first feeding, cabbage seedlings begin to be hardened off by taking them outside. Healthy and hardened seedlings should withstand temperatures of 3-5 °C. 3-4 days after the second feeding, cabbage seedlings, which should already have 3-4 true leaves, are transplanted into open ground.

Video: growing cabbage - seeds

Video: growing cabbage - sowing seedlings

Video: growing cabbage - caring for seedlings

Video: growing cabbage - planting seedlings in the ground

Lunar sowing calendar for March 2016.

When to sow tomatoes for seedlings according to the growing season?

The soil for tomato seedlings should not be too acidic, that is, pure peat is absolutely not suitable for this plant. At home, the easiest way to clean soil for seedlings from diseases and pests is by freezing. To do this, a bag or box of soil is left in the open air, where frosts will quickly kill everything harmful to the seedlings. The container with soil must be covered from precipitation, which can wash nutrients from the soil.

Usually early tomatoes are a pleasant delicacy for the table after a long winter, mid-season tomatoes accompany food throughout the season, and late ones are used for canning and processing.
Tomato, or tomato, is a plant from the Solanaceae family, native to South America. Europeans became acquainted with it only after the discovery of the New World and the tomato, like everything new, “took root” quite difficult and for a long time. Despite this, the tomato is now one of the most popular and sought after vegetables all over the world. It is difficult to imagine at least one of the national cuisines where tomatoes would not be used. You can’t imagine some dishes without tomatoes - just remember Ukrainian borscht, Italian pizza, Mexican chili, American ketchup and much more.
I described in detail how to use packages in this question. (See my answer).

Tomato: seedling age – 45-50 days, period from sowing to germination – 7-8 days. Sowing occurs on April 1-8.

When is the best time to plant tomato seedlings?

early varieties - April 15 - May 1;

It is necessary to understand: when we plant plants in a permanent place, they must be provided with the most comfortable conditions. The slightest frost can destroy tomatoes and all your work. If the air temperature is below +5 degrees for several days, nightshades will stop growing and will continue to get sick.

Agrotechnics of sweet pepper

Pepper seedlings can be treated with any complex fertilizer; dilute according to instructions and water once a week. It is better if there is not only nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, but also a set of microelements. At least iron.
In general, to be honest, this entire previous long boring paragraph could not have been written. And just write that

Let's start from the very beginning 😉 .

How to properly plant tomato seedlings indoors?

Healthy seeds hatch and germinate very quickly and within 2-5 days, first “loops” appear from the soil, and then full-fledged cotyledon leaves. At this time, the room temperature should not fall below 25 degrees, and then it is gradually lowered slightly. Low temperatures are dangerous for this plant; serious damage begins already at 10 degrees - it turns yellow, buds and ovaries fall off, and growth stops.

For growing tomato seedlings on a windowsill, it is the early varieties that are most suitable, since they need to be sown as seedlings early in the spring, in order to be planted in the ground after the end of return frosts.

An important condition for obtaining a plentiful and high-quality harvest is correct landing tomato for seedlings. Only strong and healthy seedlings It will quickly and easily take root in the soil or in a greenhouse, begin to actively bloom and set large and tasty fruits.

And here I’ll add just a few photos.

Cucumber: planting in a greenhouse - after May 25, age - 25-27 days, period from sowing to germination - 3 days. Sowing occurs on April 25.

When determining the timing of planting seedlings in a permanent place, it is necessary to take into account the region where your garden is located, the equipment of the greenhouse and permanent residence in the country. For example, in Siberia and Leningrad region this time will vary. In the latter region, in order to plant tomatoes in unheated greenhouses, it is better to sow after March 15.

Recently, many excellent natural fertilizers have appeared in stores: granulated bird droppings, sapropel, vermicompost, etc. All this can be used when transferring from the initial 50-100 ml. cups in large ones. How much exactly should you add of each type of fertilizer if you have never done this before?.. It is better to underfeed than to overfeed, say in the case of vermicompost, it could be about a teaspoon per bush. Mix the fertilizer with soil at the bottom of the pot, then water it a little and place a bush with an earthen lump from a smaller container on top, add soil on the sides.

In the middle zone it will be normal to sow pepper seedlings in late February - early March.

Seeds

For tomato seedlings on the windowsill to be strong and green, they need a lot of light. In case of shortage natural light landings will have to be illuminated, sometimes this needs to be done around the clock. Tomatoes need to be provided with stable and uniform watering without waterlogging and drying out, which are equally detrimental to the plant.

If you plant tomatoes as seedlings too early, they will quickly grow and form, and weather conditions will not allow planting in the ground or under film. Such seedlings will stretch out, become fragile, pale and sickly, will have difficulty taking root in the soil and will bear fruit poorly. Sowing too late means getting small, unformed seedlings. The timing of planting seeds depends on weather conditions areas where it is planned to grow seedlings, it usually takes 1.5-2.5 months to grow tomato seedlings.

Growing tomato seedlings at home (video)

glav-dacha.ru

How to grow good pepper seedlings at home?

In order for tomato seedlings at home to be healthy and of high quality, you need to follow simple but very important rules:

This is how the bottom is trimmed.

Sweet peppers: planting in a greenhouse - June 5. Age – 70 days, period from sowing to germination – 12-14 days. Sowing occurs on March 10. Gardeners living in the central regions choose the following dates when they can plant tomato seedlings:If you have set a date for planting tomatoes, count 55-65 days ago from it. When you grow seedlings by picking, take away another seven days. The resulting number is the date when you need to sow tomatoes. For example, if the date of planting in a fixed place is June 1, then you need to plant in the last days of March. 1740 RepliesPepper seedlings do not like a draft on the windowsill, or a cold window sill in general. Touch your windowsill with your hand, or place a thermometer on it. Often the window sill is 5-10 degrees colder than the temperature in the room. In order not to create conditions for the development of “black leg”, place a layer of foam plastic on the windowsill under the pepper seedlings... or at least a board.

I sow before mid-March because I have large south-facing windows. And light greatly affects the growth rate of seedlings.

. We’ll talk about choosing pepper varieties separately, later. Pepper seeds differ from tomato seeds in having a shorter germination period. So, if tomato seeds germinate normally after 5 years, and even after 10, then in pepper about half of the seeds germinate after three years, and every year the number of those that hatch decreases. So, when buying pepper seeds, be sure to make sure that they are fresh, 1-2 years is normal, 3 years is also a chance that enough will sprout, but nothing may sprout. This depends on the storage conditions of the seeds. And you know what the storage conditions are... Grown tomato seedlings are picked for the first time, and after a pair of true leaves appear, a second picking is carried out into seedling cups. When performing this operation, young plants are carefully buried along the cotyledon leaves. There is no point in damaging or even cutting off the cotyledons - they are a source of nutrients for the plant that has begun to develop. Subsequently, they will fall off on their own when they are no longer needed.

According to the type of growth, all tomatoes are divided into two large groups: Correct timing for sowing tomato seeds for seedlings.If you constantly plant tomato seedlings, then buy special plastic cups with a tray; the bottom of these cups is detachable; the seedlings can be removed without damaging the lump of earth with roots. The tray protects the window sills if water leaks. The size of the cups is from 300 grams to 700. You can, of course, grow seedlings in milk cartons and other containers.
Eggplant: planting in a greenhouse - June 5, age - up to 50 days, period from sowing to germination - 12 days. Sowing occurs on April 1.
early plants - May 1-15;

Gardeners often focus on moon calendar to determine the time when tomato seedlings can be planted. The phases of the moon affect all areas of our lives. In such a calendar, everything is planned out for gardeners. Moon phases It is recommended to do the first sowings on February 20-22. It is better to choose varieties based on taste and for preservation: “Persimmon”, “De Barao”, “Yellow Giant”, hybrid “Zlatozar”.

Since we started talking about light... Let's continue about it. At the very beginning of the article I already wrote: “More light - better seedlings.” But, relative to tomatoes, peppers are quite shade-tolerant plants. They do not stretch and wither in the absence of sun for several days, so you can grow pepper seedlings even on a north-eastern or north-western window. The quality of seedlings, of course, will be better on a south-facing window. Suppose you have already purchased the treasured bags of pepper seeds and joyfully lay them out on long winter evenings, anticipating the moment of planting. And I can’t wait to plant it all as quickly as possible... I can’t wait...

Using picking, you can slightly reduce the effect of stretching the plant by early stages- by deepening the seedling and adding light, you can make the seedlings stronger and healthier. The part of the stem that, after picking, will be in the ground, will give roots and will additionally nourish the plant. In order for the picked seedlings to take root quickly and without loss, the soil must be warm enough and the watering must be uniform without flooding. If we plant tomato seedlings correctly, we end up with plants with strong, stable stems, lush green leaves and an overall healthy appearance.

Determinant (low-growing). Maintenance temperature regime. My wife plants tomato seedlings in disposable plastic cups or special plastic molds (they are sold in stores and are stored in special flat plastic boxes).

Early white cabbage: planting - after May 20, age - up to 50 days, period from sowing to germination - 5 days. Sowing occurs on March 15.

All chemical and biological processes in them are inhibited. The vegetable grower’s task is to awaken and give impetus to a long chain of natural transformations. Growing hot peppers in pots

Pepper seedlings should be planted as the soil dries out; there is no need to water them, but you also need to let them dry out. However, I didn’t have any problems with watering peppers (unlike tomatoes) even in my earliest growing experiences, so I concluded that peppers are unpretentious and easy to grow 😛 .Regarding the illumination of pepper seedlings, from the above we can conclude , that backlighting is not necessary, but desirable. You can’t wait, right? Well, don’t tolerate it - put it in prison!

The question often arises: how to feed tomato seedlings? During the growth period, plants need complex fertilizers with a predominance of nitrogen and a mandatory content of microelements. Grown-up seedlings need potassium more; with a lack of this element, the plant becomes covered in spots, stretches out, turns pale and gets sick. Indeterminate (vigorous).

Stable water balance.

When planting, the seedlings are easily removed and the cups with molds remain intact and ready for the next seedlings. Discussion of the publication

But before doing this, the embryos must be disinfected. To do this, they are placed for 20 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 gram per 0.5 cup of water). In order to speed up the ripening time of tomatoes, you can pre-soak the embryos in solutions of microelements or growth stimulants. You can use this method: soak in infusion wood ash(pour half a liter of water and add 1 tablespoon of ash). After stirring, leave the liquid for two days, stirring occasionally. Having wrapped the grains in a gauze bag, you need to lower the future tomatoes for 4-5 hours.

Properly grown tomato seedlings quickly take root in the soil, form a strong green plant, begin to bloom and bear fruit within the time limits established for this variety.

tomato-pomidor.com

What time should you plant tomato seedlings?

Author Alenusik « 1 2 3 … 29 »

Sowing time

2) how soon they will rise.

Almost everyone who grows tomato seedlings also grows pepper seedlings. It is not so important whether the pepper is sweet or hot, because in terms of their agricultural technology they are not much different.

Healthy calibrated seeds are selected for planting; puny and damaged ones are thrown away. There are two ways to sow seeds - in a common container, followed by picking, and directly into individual cups.

Proper planting of tomatoes in the ground.

It is better to plant seedlings in peat pots; when planting in the ground, the roots are not damaged, although there is one drawback: if the soil in the pots dries out very much, you have to water more often and mold may form, but this does not affect the seedlings.

Secrets of proper sowing

B last years I buy at the market in a stall with plastic containers disposable beer glasses of 0.5 liters. I use a drill to make a hole half a centimeter in diameter. And I plant seedlings there without enough sleep to the very edges, about 5 cm. Then you can add soil if the sprout stretches out and begins to bend. This happens if the specimen does not have enough light. It is convenient to label the variety on the glass with a marker. These glasses are for one year, but they cost 1 ruble apiece. Sometimes I come across strong ones that I can use in the second year.

Avid summer residents and gardeners begin preparing for seedlings of flowers and vegetables already in February. In order to correctly calculate the timing of sowing seedlings, you need to know the time it takes for them to reach maturity. You can learn how to plant seedlings correctly from our article. And in this article we will tell you in detail when it is better to start sowing and when to plant seedlings.

There are industrial methods for preparing embryos - panning, or granulation. They are covered containment from an organomineral nutrient mixture. If you purchased such grains, they do not need to be pre-soaked or processed. Dried grains are planted dry so as not to wash off the protective shell.

Successful varieties of sweet peppers and paprika

564 Replies

It’s not true that peppers don’t need much space

Both of these meanings are important, especially the one 2). Because pepper seeds can take anywhere from 5 to 30+ days to germinate at the same temperature. Of course, the old seeds will sprout within 30 days. But even for fresh crops, 2-3 weeks can be a completely “normal” period from sowing to germination.

Landing time

What do we need to grow good, strong seedlings pepper? First of all, of course, a sunny window. For growing

Since tomatoes tolerate picking and transplanting well, in order to save money and space, you can sow tomatoes in boxes or other suitable containers. Subsequently, the seedlings are planted for the first time, planted at a greater distance, and then transplanted into separate containers, where the seedlings remain until planted in the ground. In the second option, seeds are sown 2-3 in pots or cups; weaker plants are subsequently simply pulled out. This method is more expensive, plantings will take up a significant area, a large number of It will not be possible to grow seedlings in an apartment.

Tomatoes come in early, mid-ripening and late varieties. Between these three varieties there are intermediate ones with a difference in ripening of 5-15 days, but basically this division is competent and correct.
Now they sell convenient paper cups, but you can do it the old fashioned way in a large box with soil

You can use any jars for seedlings. It depends on how many seeds you plant. Mayonnaise jars will do just fine. I plant a lot in large boxes. But the tomatoes need to be picked and planted; boxes of milk and kefir are suitable for this. I cut large bags in half. I don’t plant seedlings in cups, they are very small. Tomatoes and the root system must grow and develop; there is much more space in bags. As the seedlings grow, I add soil. And it’s easier to get seedlings from milk bags. I take out the seedlings with a clod of earth, so that the roots are not damaged.

It should be taken into account that planting in open ground begins much later than in greenhouses. Thus, in greenhouses, seedlings are planted in mid-May, but in open beds, due to the possibility of frosts in early summer, seedlings usually begin to be planted no earlier than June 10. If you have heated greenhouses, you can start sowing tomatoes, peppers and eggplants in late February - early March. In this case, the transplant will take place at the end of April or beginning of May.
Grains that have received heat, moisture and oxygen begin to sprout within 2-3 days. This means it's time to sow them. Tomatoes are grown with or without picking, and the grains are planted directly in pots. When planting without picking, a large area is required. More often, seedlings are grown with picking. Pour the soil mixture into the prepared container. If you sow future seedlings in individual containers, the height from the ground to the edge should be at least 10 cm. If you plan to dive further, then a height of 6 cm is sufficient.

Video “When to plant tomatoes for seedlings”

for roots and 200 ml is enough to grow 2-month seedlings. It will grow somehow... But you won’t see the full harvest. You cannot create too cramped conditions for the root system. If possible, allocate 1 liter for each bush, or even better, a two-liter pot. Yes, this is a utopia, in apartment conditions. But we must strive for the best 😉 . The photo below shows 2 liters of pepper. pot, the most optimal size... Where can I put them?

plodovie.ru

Why is it important to know this? Because then you will be able to more accurately answer the question -

When is the best time to plant seedlings?

any

Almost any non-soaking container can be used as a container for planting seedlings. Amateur gardeners successfully use wooden and even cardboard boxes lined with plastic film, disposable plastic or paper cups, sour cream and yogurt containers, juice boxes or milk cartons for these purposes. For used containers, it is important to thoroughly clean the remaining contents, otherwise it can rot, contaminate the ground and destroy the seedlings.

Early tomato varieties have the shortest growing season from sowing to flowering, therefore, they bring the earliest and most valuable harvest. Early seedlings Tomato produces delicious fresh vegetables, but requires more attention and effort to grow.

Features of planting various crops

A good option is using peat tablets. When the seeds hatch and leaves appear (100% germination is never guaranteed, but in this way you will save yourself from unnecessary containers), place the tablets with sprouts in a container with the prepared soil mixture. The most convenient ones are the so-called peat pots, as in the photo of the author of the question. Although in reality they are made of cardboard. Then, when planting on the garden bed, the roots will not be injured, and this shell will quickly decompose. You just need to remove the bottom. Another option is plastic cups for yoghurt, sour cream, etc. It is easy to extract a plant with an earthen lump from them. And don’t feel sorry for this container; from spring to spring you can accumulate it in sufficient quantities.

First I sow the seeds in low polystyrene boxes. As soon as the first true leaf hatches, I drop the seedlings into disposable plastic cups.

Approximate dates for sowing and planting crops

The first shoots should appear within 3-15 days after planting. IN this issue You should also take into account the age that seedlings must reach before planting in a permanent place. In this case, the plant will need two or three days to take root.
Water the soil with warm water. You can make grooves every 3-4 cm, up to 1 cm deep, and spread the embryos in them every 1-2 cm. Then backfill and moisten the grooves. You can simply spread the embryos on the surface in rows, cover the top with a 1 cm layer of soil and water. For planting, choose sprouted grains, as they have more energy and will not lag behind in development.
1679 Replies
Hot pepper
Do I need to soak pepper seeds before planting?

When to sow pepper seedlings?

elhow.ru

What is the best way to plant tomato seedlings?

of nightshade crops (and most others) this rule works flawlessly.

Elena-Lily

When deciding how to properly grow tomato seedlings, you need to remember that this plant is very demanding on room temperature, lighting and watering. Wet air is harmful to tomatoes, therefore, when we plant tomato seedlings, it is important to regularly ventilate the room where they grow, avoiding strong temperature changes and drafts, which are detrimental to this plant. There is no need to spray crops with water; they can easily get sick and die.

Medium-bearing varieties produce fruits at the height of the season; they are the most delicious and healthy. The growing season is longer than that of early tomatoes.

Nataniy

It is better to grow seedlings in a pot. Of course, a seedling box is more convenient and saves space, but when the plant grows, it will become cramped. a transplant will be required. Not all plants tolerate transplantation easily; the plant is injured. So it's still better separate glass or a pot. The best option is peat humus pots. They can be easily found in gardening stores.

OlgaY

It’s convenient that each plant is separate, you can add soil, and taking it out with a lump of soil is also convenient. In my opinion disposable cups this is the most best option. Just don’t take transparent ones, it’s bad for the roots.

If you would like the crop to germinate by a certain date, you should take into account the time that the plant will require for the growing season, that is, the duration of the period from planting to the appearance of the first fruits. Typically, such information is indicated on the packaging in which the seeds are sold.

KlimUshkin

Pack the container with sifted sprouts in a plastic bag. If the seed boxes are large, you can cover them with glass. This is done to keep the soil mass constantly moist. Place in a warm place with a temperature of 25-27 degrees. The tomatoes will remain in this state until the first shoots. Afterwards the plant needs to be transferred to the light.

Unlike tomatoes, which I don’t soak, considering it unnecessary fuss, I can’t say so definitely with peppers. Soaking, especially in various growth stimulants, can really help to get more shoots and, most importantly, earlier shoots. On the other hand, if the seeds are fresh, you checked their germination rate and it was approximately 100%, then again there is no point in soaking.

So... when?

angren

More light means better seedlings, everything else is secondary.

perec

Tomatoes are sown in trays or boxes, lightly sprinkled with sifted nutrient mixture and sprayed generously, covering with film. Air humidity is needed only until the seeds germinate, and then the film is removed.

Late tomatoes bear fruit from the second half of summer until late autumn; in warm weather, tomatoes remain fresh on the bushes until frost. These tomatoes have the longest growing season.

Nowadays there is a very large assortment of containers for seedlings for summer residents. But it's best to choose for this natural material. Clay pots, which unfortunately is not very convenient. A wooden box is a decent option, but may not be very convenient for transplanting.

chacha777

For many years now I have been using boxes of milk, kefir, fermented baked milk or sour cream to grow seedlings. I use tall bags for tomatoes and peppers, low ones for cucumbers.

Elena1807

The growing season for early tomatoes is 100 days. The optimal age of seedlings for moving to a permanent place is 45-50 days, and already about a week after planting the first shoots sprout. In greenhouses, seedlings are planted in early June. Thus, in order to get a harvest of young tomatoes by July 20, the seeds need to be sown 107-108 days before, plus a few days for adaptation. As a result, the optimal sowing time is the first week of April.

Chris32

The time when you can plant tomato seedlings is the beginning of June. It is impossible to give exact recommendations here, because in each climatic zone its own characteristics. Climate change and sudden changes in weather conditions force vegetable growers to plant vegetables when constant warmth is established. This temperature is not lower than 20 degrees during the day and 12 degrees at night. Focus on the lunar calendar. You should look at the condition of the plants - it is better to plant them when the stem height has reached 25-30 cm. If the soil is well heated, after planting the vegetables will set fruit in a week.

bolshoyvopros.ru

What is the best way to grow seedlings?

Konnova

Timely planted seeds guarantee timely germination, good growth, development and high fruiting. Gardeners often make mistakes about when to plant tomatoes as seedlings, because such a procedure depends on the influence of many weather factors, light and temperature. How, when and how to plant tomatoes, we will talk in today's article.

nata-s

1787 Replies

Olechkaa

Pepper seeds germinate at a temperature of 17-18-19 degrees, but very slowly, and many will not hatch at all. It is best to place them in a warm place, where it will be +30 degrees, where they will sprout quickly and thickly. At + 25 germination is also normal.

How to properly plant tomatoes for seedlings How to plant asters for seedlings video

The arrival of spring introduces some nervousness into the behavior of novice and experienced gardeners in terms of choosing the optimal time for planting seedlings in open ground. Nobody knows the exact dates; they simply do not exist. Every year the weather brings surprises, warming the soil and stopping the spring temperature drop at different times. These rules cannot be understood by either weather forecasters, specialists involved in the preparation of seed material, or “forecasters.”

Required temperature conditions

Don’t forget about the geographical component, when at the same time Belgorod residents wear T-shirts and Perm residents wrap themselves in scarves. This is why the planting dates indicated on seed packets and in various sowing calendars are rather vague. They do not allow you to unambiguously draw up a schedule for growing seedlings and determine the day when it is best to move them to a garden bed or flower garden. However, by selecting the correct age of seedlings and knowing their requirements for soil temperature, it is possible to create conditions for plant growth.

An ordinary alcohol thermometer, which is buried at the planting site to a depth of 10-12 cm, will help to plant seedlings in the ground in compliance with the temperature regime. After a quarter of an hour, you can read the temperature readings. Planting plants in insufficiently warmed soil will delay their development for a long time, prolong the adaptation period, and shift the time of flowering and fruiting.

For most plants, the soil temperature should not fall below +15°C at night. These conditions must be observed for seedlings of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and eggplants. To make it easier to navigate the actual timing of planting in open ground, you can use the following tables.

Flower seedlings

Vegetable seedlings

Before planting, the seedlings must be hardened off: for several days in a row, the sprouts are exposed to the open air for 3-4 hours. A couple of days before planting, stop watering. These harsh measures will allow plants to painlessly adapt to open ground. Before planting, the seedlings are watered abundantly, which ensures a tightly bonded earthen ball that protects the root system. If it does not fall apart, the roots are not damaged.

It is important to reduce to a minimum the time between selecting seedlings from containers and planting them in the ground, maintaining the previous growth depth.

Seedling size

It doesn’t matter whether the seedlings are purchased externally or whether the planting material is self-grown plants. It is necessary to plant plants of a certain age in the garden, those most adapted to further development in open ground. The optimal age of seedlings can be determined by certain parameters (table below).

A common situation is when it is too early to plant, but the seedlings are already approaching or have reached the desired size and continue to grow. Overgrown seedlings do not tolerate transplantation well, have difficulty taking root, get sick and may even die. Therefore, immediate measures must be taken to slow down the stretching of the plant. Most effective means to curb growth are considered:

reducing the frequency and volume of watering, avoiding drying out of the earthen coma;
creating a cooler temperature for seedlings;
the use of the growth regulator "Athlete", which promotes the effective formation of the root system, shortening and thickening of the stems of both vegetables and flower crops.

Timing for planting seedlings

Three vegetables - crispy cucumber, juicy tomato, sweet bell pepper - are permanent inhabitants of the garden. Let's consider the question of how and when to plant these seedlings.

When to plant bell peppers

This is a rather whimsical vegetable crop. In her regard, the rule fully justifies itself: it is better to be late than to rush. You can plant pepper seedlings in open ground only after carefully weighing all the pros and cons. The main criterion is the complete absence of the likelihood of night frosts that will destroy the plant.

Such conditions occur at an average daily temperature of +13-15°C in the period from late May to mid-June. It is necessary to plant peppers in the ground with already formed top tier leaves.

To saturate the roots with moisture and oxygen, as well as to protect them from large burrowing insects, a small handful of wood ash or crushed wood is placed in the planting hole. eggshells. Pepper has a superficial root system, so it is necessary to loosen the soil very carefully for better aeration and moisture penetration. By applying mulch made from straw, leaves or sawdust, you can minimize the problem of soil compaction during irrigation.

When to plant cucumber seedlings

These plants require well-warmed soil (at least +15°C). Depending on the region, favorable conditions and timing of planting in the garden can form from late May to mid-June. Mostly, cucumbers are planted in early summer, on a cloudy day.

At the initial stage of being in open ground, cucumber seedlings develop only during the day, and therefore often cause groundless concern among gardeners due to their slow growth. But by the deadline abundant flowering the plants have time to actively grow and increase the fruiting area many times over.

Now is a busy period for gardeners: we are planting seedlings...

How? Where? What? The Internet is colorful different offers. some seem interesting. others are unusual. I will share my opinion on what is better to plant seedlings in.

Method 1: Plant seedlings in food trays

pros:

free (you can collect money over the winter by buying cookies and cakes)
have a transparent lid (it’s convenient to germinate seeds, creating a “greenhouse”)

Minuses :

fragile (breaks quickly)
shallow (suitable only for growing up to the picking stage)

conclusions: Such trays are good for germinating seeds - they accommodate many plants at once and create a greenhouse for germination. I don't mind throwing it away after it grows out. I am happy to use them for small seeds and for germinating seedlings of peppers, tomatoes and eggplants. The tray is not suitable for those. who does not use picking or is afraid to do so.

Method 2: Plant seedlings in snails (roll-your-own)

pros :

low cost - consumables - backing for laminate, toilet paper, eraser for money :)
compact: almost all plantings fit on one windowsill
One snail can hold a lot of sprouts (I got up to 40)

Minuses :

So far I haven’t found any cons for myself

conclusions: I became acquainted with snails/roll-your-own cigarettes (they are called differently on the Internet) quite recently, but I really liked the method. They are convenient for germinating both large and small seeds. The biggest plus is saving space.

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Method 3: Plant seedlings in egg containers

pros :

free
with lid

Minuses:

very small volume

conclusions: Actually, this is not a place for seedlings, but a germinator. very convenient to use for super-small seeds. As you can see in the photo, I don’t even use soil, but rather sprout it on toilet paper, watering it with water and nutritious fertilizer. This is how I grow herbs for greens. For example, in the photo - thyme. it comes up with a brush, you grow it up to 2-3 cm and then plant it in separate containers, simply splitting the wet paper into pieces with your hands. I will show you in a separate article. By the way, if you fill it with soil, it is convenient to drive out cucumber seedlings. Until the seeds have sprouted, you can stack one container on top of another in several rows. Use only plastic containers - cardboard ones will float.

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Method 4: Plant seedlings in eggshells

pros :

free packaging
natural material
the roots do not deteriorate when transplanted

Minuses :

very small volume
fragility

conclusions: In my opinion, this is a troublesome matter. you need to properly beat the eggs, store the shells somewhere until planting, etc. But nevertheless, there is a way. Many plant and praise.

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Method 5: Plant seedlings in peat tablets

pros :

compact
available (sold everywhere)
no need to think about the composition of the soil - wet it with water and go ahead
the roots are not injured during transplantation

Minuses :

high percentage of counterfeit
due to the fact that there are no walls, they dry out very quickly

conclusions : When peat tablets first appeared, I considered them the best alternative for cups. but then, unfortunately, low-quality tablets began to come across, they either do not soak, or have a very strong shell (and the roots do not grow through them), or are unevenly filled (and the seeds fall through them and cannot germinate). and they dry out all the time. so I personally stopped using them. But if you are lucky enough to buy quality ones and you like using them, then use them with pleasure.

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Method 6: Plant seedlings in cups

pros :

"classics of the genre"
availability
sufficient volume for cultivation before planting in the ground

Minuses :

It’s not always convenient to get it out, you can damage the roots
take up a lot of space

conclusions : Cups are an excellent container for seedlings. Just remember to poke holes at the bottom with a hot needle or awl to allow water to drain. otherwise you will get mold and a black leg. The minus about the inconvenience of getting it out can also be resolved - after some time of use, you can get used to getting it out with jewelry. So for me there is only one minus - they require a lot of space. but on two window sills you can’t really turn around... You can use sour cream cups, milk and juice cartons, etc.

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Method 7: Planting seedlings in cassettes

pros :

suitable for large volume, industrial use
can be cut into the required number of cassettes

Minuses :

It’s not convenient to take it out, because you need to turn the entire cassette over at once
They take up a lot of space, you can’t just put them on the windowsill
inconvenient to select pallets
inconvenient to store - need to buy every year

conclusions : Cassettes are still more convenient to use. if you plant seedlings in very large volumes and have large areas for cultivation. If you noticed. Seedlings are always sold in cassettes. To the manufacturer, essentially. it doesn’t matter how exactly you get the plants. I stopped using them for myself...

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Method 8: Plant seedlings in boxes with cups

pros :

hard bottom of the tray, easy to carry
Each cup has a removable bottom - it’s convenient to remove the plant along with a lump of earth by simply pressing your finger on the bottom
aesthetics - beautiful
sufficient volume for the plant
long term of use (one-time investment)

Minuses :

not cheap
Over time, plastic bottoms from cups get lost (well, for me personally)
lots of space

conclusions: Perhaps the most beautiful way growing seedlings. I have 10 trays of these, each with 14 cups. Everything has been thought out. Convenient for everyone, except for the size. I, however, have adapted to place them on the window not along the windowsill, but across it. If you don't touch them, they don't fall, etc. I can fit 6 pallets per window, i.e. 84 plants. I use them for seedlings of eggplants, peppers and tomatoes after picking (I have already said that I am not afraid to pick peppers and eggplants and only grow them through picking). Thanks to the durable pallet, it is convenient to carry (remember, after all, these wonderful moments when seedlings need to be transported from the apartment to the dacha and the whole family drags and balances bags and boxes in their hands and teeth, moving in small dashes from the door through the elevator to the car)

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Method 9: Plant seedlings in boxes

pros :

sufficient volume of soil - the roots have room to grow sideways
rigidity (comfortable to carry)
high sides
long lifespan

Minuses :

take up space
repeated injury to roots when planting in the ground

conclusions: I like these boxes, but they take up a lot of space... I recommend using them for tomatoes - they won’t mind the extra picking. It is also good to use for planting without replanting, for example, for growing vegetables on a windowsill - you can plant salads, dill and flowers. It seems to me that they are good to use if you live outside the city - you grabbed them in the morning, took them out into the sun, and brought them back into the house in the evening.

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You can argue with me, because everyone defends their own point of view. But you don't have to argue. Everyone has their own truth anyway)

I told you about my experience and my preferences. Try, use different methods. Don't be afraid to use one method or another. After all, gardening should be fun for your plants to grow healthy and strong.

If you have any questions, ask, I will definitely answer.

Always yours, Erica.

For a gardener, spring begins much earlier than for the average person. Because he, like no one else, carefully follows the calendar and waits for the moment when he can carefully lower the first seed into the still sleepy soil...

In the beginning there was... a seed

Did you like the flower on the packaging in the store? Great, pick up the bag and look on the back for “sell by...”. It is desirable that there be an imprint of the date of the end of this year, or even better, of the future. It is very important! Otherwise, if the seeds are “expired,” all efforts will go to waste. Having made sure that everything is in order with the expiration date, it would be a good idea to also study what conditions the flower you have chosen needs. And compare them with those that you can offer him on your plot of land.

For example, if your flowerbed is in shaded parts of the plot - take a closer look at balsam, gillyflower, lobelia, mignonette, tobacco, etc. If you do not have the opportunity to water the plantings every day, give preference drought-resistant pilots These are amaranth, marigolds, verbena, helichrysum, gomphrena, kochia, lobelia, nasturtium, petunia, salvia, scabiosa, statice, tobacco, phlox, celosia, zinnia, etc.

What work equipment will you need?

Container for seedlings and picks
The soil
Drainage
Scoop
Watering can
Sprayer
Fertilizer
Labels
And, naturally, seeds of annual flowers.

Where to sow?

You will need seedling boxes 8 cm deep. Now in various stores there is a huge selection of containers for seedlings (plastic cassettes, peat pots, tablet containers, mini-greenhouses, etc.) for every taste, color and budget.

If you don’t want to spend money on purchasing special containers, you can use food containers (ice cream, cakes, confectionery, and even juice and milk cartons). Yogurt cups are great for growing seedlings without subsequent picking. Important detail: containers containing dairy products must be thoroughly rinsed with soda solution before use. Then you need to make drainage holes in it. With a sharp object(for example, with a knife or screwdriver) make several holes. Now the homemade container for seedlings is ready and can be filled.

What to sow into?

The same store where you bought the container probably sells soil. There are many packages, but we carefully read the names on the packages. We find a package marked “For seedlings of vegetable and flower crops.” It contains a mixture based on peat with humus and sand. This is what we need.

How to prepare the soil?

It is advisable, although not necessary, to treat the purchased soil before sowing. To do this, prepare a hot, strong solution of potassium permanganate: pour potassium permanganate crystals into a two-liter bottle of hot water. Let them dissolve completely. The solution should be thick purple. Pour the soil into the seedling boxes and pour it with the solution you just made there. Let the water drain and the soil cool and dry.

But before you deal with the soil directly, add a 10 mm layer of fine expanded clay to the bottom of the container with a drainage hole. Please note that the soil should not be poured to the very edges of the container, but in such a way that you can sprinkle the planted seeds and water them. The soil must be compacted (squeezed) along the edges of the container so that the soil, when drying, does not lag behind the walls of the container.

Lunar calendar for planting seedlings

Experienced flower growers, before starting work, be sure to look at the lunar calendar. And, having made sure that today is the right day, they begin sowing or other manipulations with plants. Experienced people confirm that when taking into account the phases of the moon, the seedlings turn out to be friendly, the seedlings do not suffer from diseases, the seedlings are well accepted after transplantation, and the flowering is unusually lush and spectacular.

How does the calendar work? On the day of the new moon, a few days before and after, planting is not carried out. Everything that grows upward (if the purpose of planting is the above-ground parts of the plant - this also applies to flowers) is planted during the waxing moon, immediately after the new moon. And everything that grows downwards is planted during the waning Moon (suddenly you want to plant carrots or other root vegetables). In fact, it’s easier to buy a lunar calendar (it costs about 20 rubles) and follow its recommendations.

How to sow seeds for seedlings?

Usually, seeds are sown scattered from a bag. Very small seeds are not covered with soil, but larger ones are covered with a layer of soil approximately equal to the thickness of the seed. Then the container with the sown seeds is irrigated with a spray bottle to prevent soil erosion.

It is more convenient to sow lobelia, petunia and other very small seeds if you mix the flower seeds with dry, clean fine river sand 1:6 or the contents of a drunk tea bag.

Seeds do not require light to germinate. Therefore, until seedlings emerge, it is not necessary to keep the crops on the windowsill. The exception is purslane, kochia, lobelia and the seeds of some other plants that germinate in the light. At this crucial moment, the seeds require moisture. To achieve a greenhouse effect, cover containers with crops with cling film or pack the container in a plastic bag. When condensation forms, remove the covering, shake off the drops (at this time the substrate is ventilated) and cover again.

With the emergence of seedlings, we move the crops to the light, preferably on a windowsill. But make sure that there are no sudden changes in temperature - the seedlings suffer greatly from this.

Even if you plant plants of only two or three types, do not rely on memory; write on the container or on special labels the names of the flowers sown in this container.

For prevention purposes, it is important:

do not sow seeds too thickly,
periodically ventilate the seedlings,
do not flood: the substrate must be constantly moist, but not wet,
provide good lighting,
maintain the room temperature no more than 15-20 degrees Celsius.

Compliance with these simple agrotechnical conditions contributes to the full development and formation of seedlings. In the event of a disease, knowledgeable gardeners recommend treating seedlings with phytosporin. For those who want to avoid “chemicals” in everything, you can use eggshell powder. Among experienced gardeners it is famous for its unique ability to fight this scourge of seedlings - blackleg. It’s easy to prepare the powder: grind the washed and well-dried shells into powder. Then completely cover the area affected by blackleg. Crushed shells can also be sprinkled on top of crops to prevent disease.

What kind of water should I use?

Seedlings should be watered in the first half of the day and under no circumstances at night. With “night” watering, it will stretch out, grow weaker and be more susceptible to disease.

Some gardeners prefer settled water at room temperature. Others water the seedlings with cooled water drawn from a “hot” tap, believing that in hot water less chlorine. There are also those who buy water to water their seedlings. But flower growers do not have a consensus on this, at first glance, simple question.

The following crops require a “dry” growing regime: aster, marigold, gillyflower, snapdragon, petunia, purslane, Drummond phlox and zinnia. They tolerate dry air and some drying out of the substrate. They need to be watered in the morning on sunny days only when the top layer of soil has dried out, but with deep soaking of the entire top layer.

Dahlia, lobelia, nasturtium, and fragrant tobacco require wet growing conditions. Dry air and drying out of the earthen coma have a detrimental effect on them.

How to feed the seedlings?

When the sprout has a second pair of true leaves, you can begin to “feed” the seedlings. It is necessary to water with fertilizing once a week. Knowledgeable gardeners dilute complete mineral fertilizer at least twice as weak as recommended in the instructions. It's not that simple with fertilizers. By and large, seedlings of unpretentious summer plants will grow well without additional feeding. “Feed” plants that require additional mineral and organic fertilizers strictly taking into account the specific agricultural technology of a particular type.

When and how to plant in separate pots?

Transplanting seedlings during growth from one container to another with cutting off the root tip is called picking. Its purpose is to provide plants large area nutrition and get a more powerful root system. When picking, you should separate some of the seedlings from the rest with a lump of earth, then separate one seedling and cut off the too long root. Next, make a depression in the soil of the picking pot and, pushing the root of the seedling deep into the soil, sprinkle the root with soil, compacting it. It is important to support the sprouts from falling during the first watering. And be sure to keep the picked seedlings cool for the first couple of days, avoiding direct sunlight.

When are seedlings planted in open ground?

Until a certain point, the seedlings were in greenhouse conditions, literally and figuratively. It is clear that the seedlings, “spoiled” by such care and attention, are not adapted to survive in the harsh conditions of unprotected soil. We'll have to harden it. 10-12 days before the expected date for the flowers to move into open ground, limit watering. If possible, place pots with seedlings “outside” - on an open balcony, outside the window. And one fine day you will have to completely leave them to “sleep on the street.” Don't worry, these Spartan tests will only benefit the young and early. Let's not forget that return frosts in the middle zone may occur until June 10. It is not advisable to plant seedlings of heat-loving flowers until this day. We don't want all our work to go down the drain overnight!

But some cold-resistant crops can still be planted in May. For example, violas. Remember, they are the first to appear in city flower beds back in April. Also withstands frosts down to -4? C carnation Shabot, sweet peas, leftover, cinerraria.

And one more “but”: seedlings cannot be planted in the ground in a flower bed, but you can put it in hanging baskets. Therefore, petunia, lobelia and verbena can be released into the wild before their neighbors on the windowsill.

It is advisable to plant seedlings in cloudy weather or in the evening. Why? So that the bright summer sun does not burn plants that are hardened, but still not sufficiently adapted to full daylight.

Planting seedlings in the ground. Operating procedure

Prepare the soil in your flowerbed or garden bed in advance: dig it up, free it from the roots of the weeds, and water it. If the soil is poor, add fertilizer. On acidic soils, it is necessary to add lime (200-300 g/m2).

If the seedlings are in picking cups, moderately moisten the soil in them before moving them. Then use a scoop to make a hole in the soil of the future flower bed. Take the plant with the earthen lump out of the glass (being careful not to destroy it!) and place it in the hole. Compress the soil well around the frightened “migrant” and water it. It is advisable to create a shade for the seedlings in the first days - for example, cover it with lutrasil. This will promote better plant survival.

Some crops can be buried 2-5 cm when transplanted. This is especially true for those that have stretched out due to lack of light or improper watering seedlings. So, feel free to immerse overgrown marigolds, amaranths and zinnias 5 cm into the ground. But there are plants that cannot stand being buried. For example, fragrant tobacco, which forms a rosette of leaves.

Each plant has a lot of its own agrotechnical subtleties, nuances and cultivation features. But I really hope that this scheme for growing seedlings will help beginning flower growers, like the author several years ago, to take their first steps more confidently. The table provides brief data on annual crops, which are usually sown in March.

Table No. 1

Names of annual plants	Sowing time for seedlings	Timing of emergence	Picking time	Time for planting in the ground	Peculiarities
Lobelia	February – early March	In 10-15 days	—	Late May – early June	At the seedling stage, susceptibility to blackleg disease. Long flowering
Petunia	February – early March	In 10-15 days		In May	At the seedling stage, susceptibility to blackleg disease. Long flowering, aroma
Viola	Early March	In 10-15 days	In the phase of two true leaves	In May	Frost-resistant, prefers moist soils, easily tolerates replanting even in flowering state
Decorative cabbage	March	In 4-7 days	When 5-6 true leaves appear	In May	Cold-resistant, “kachan” forms by the end of August
Castor bean	March	After 8-14 days	In the phase of two true leaves	Late May – early June	Afraid of return frosts and windy locations
Phlox Drummond	March	In 8-15 days	When the first pair of true leaves appear	At the end of May
Aster	March – early April	In 7-14 days	In the phase of two true leaves	The end of May	At the seedling stage, susceptibility to blackleg disease
Marigold	Early April	In 4-7 days	In 2 weeks		Heat-loving. Afraid of frost. Tolerates transplantation well
Zinnia	Early April	In 4-7 days		In early June, when the threat of return frosts has passed	Heat-loving. Afraid of frost. Doesn't like transplants
Dahlia	End of March - beginning of April	In 5-7 days	With sparse sowing, you can do without picking	In early June, when the threat of return frosts has passed	Heat-loving. Long flowering from July until frost

I am confident that the efforts of newly minted flower growers this season will be crowned with success. And the beauty in the flowerbed will delight everyone who sees it!