How to properly transplant tomato seedlings so that it grows healthy and gives a plentiful harvest is one of the main questions of beginning summer residents. Growing tomatoes yourself from seeds, you should be aware of one important point of their growth - picking seedlings, in other words, planting sprouts in a larger container containing new soil.
Favorable time for landing
When to transplant seedlings into the ground? For a less painful process, seedlings are transplanted at an early stage of growth, when it is already overgrown with two or three real leaves. In the new soil there is enough space for the development of a strong root system of seedlings, which is an important element of healthy crop growth and abundant productivity.
When does the need for a dive arise?
In some cases, to enhance the growth of seedlings, its salvation from disease or, conversely, inhibition of too active growth, it may be necessary to transplant. How to transplant tomato seedlings, and in what cases?
- Transplanting the sprouts separately into a larger pot should be done so that the root system becomes strong and stable.
- If the seeds were planted not in separate pots, but in a common container, planting seedlings in individual containers will protect the roots from interweaving and provide an easier planting of the plant in the main place - in open ground or a greenhouse.
- If there were a lot of seedlings, when picking, you can select the most high-quality and healthy seedlings, and throw out the extra ones.
- If the plants become ill, picking can save still intact sprouts from fungal diseases, the causative agents of which could be contained in the soil.
- To slow down the growth of seedlings, adult seedlings can be dived, this is if there is a danger of its overgrowing. In case of transplant, the plant may linger a bit in development.
How to transplant tomato seedlings: methods
Dive seedlings in two ways:
1. By transplant. A few hours before a dive, plants are abundantly watered with water at room temperature so that the plants can be easily removed from the pot. A large container for transplantation is prepared by filling it with prepared soil and compacting it a little. In the finished land, you need to make small indentations the size of the root length of the transplanted seedling. Having taken out an earthen lump together with seedlings from the pot, you need to free the roots from excess soil, place the sprout in the hole and sprinkle it with earth, slightly crushing it with your fingers around the seedling itself. After transplanting, plants should be watered and placed in a shaded place for a couple of days.
2. By transshipment. The advantages of this method are that the roots of the plant are practically not affected by picking, after transplanting the plants do not need time to adapt, they also grow quickly, without slowing down. How to transplant tomato seedlings with this dive method? A few days before the moment of transplantation, watering of plants should be stopped so that an earthen lump with seedlings can be freely taken out of a pot or glass. The prepared large container should be 1/3 full of soil, then small containers with seedlings are turned upside down, holding the ground part of the plants between the fingers, so the seedlings with the earthen lump will be in the palm of your hand. The plant, together with the ground, is transplanted into a new pot. These manipulations are performed with all the sprouts, after which the formed voids are filled with soil, watered abundantly, and the container with the culture is placed in a shaded place.
When to transplant seedlings in a greenhouse?
Ready to transplant seedlings should have buds and a thick stem, the optimal height of which depends on the variety to which it belongs. Also, seedlings should have large leaves and strong roots. The period of planting tomatoes in the greenhouse is largely dependent on the weather. Under favorable conditions, seedlings can be planted in sheltered soil at the end of April. In case of unexpected frosts, the greenhouse should be covered with additional layers of film.
Soil preparation
Before transplanting the finished seedlings into the ground, 1 tbsp should be added to each prepared hole. spoon of superphosphate, pour a full hole of water, and after completely absorbing it, plant the plant. The place for seedlings should be slightly higher than the lump of land in the pot. When planting, tomatoes are buried and spud for more active development of the root system. Transplanted tomatoes should be abundantly moistened, then do not water them during the first week. This will serve as an incentive for root growth in search of moisture and nutrients. The easiest seedlings are transplanted in the afternoon. After carrying out all the manipulations for several days, the plant must be protected from direct sunlight. After the seedlings have taken root and began to give new leaves, it can begin to be fed with fertilizers.
Tomato transplant in open ground
How to transplant tomato seedlings into the ground? To do this, you need to know a few things:
1. An important condition for healthy plant growth and rich yield is the correct choice of planting location on the site. For healthy growth, tomatoes need a large amount of sunlight, therefore, the place must be chosen accordingly.
2. Watering plants should be carried out twice a week with the condition that the soil is moisture-resistant and can immediately accommodate a large amount of water. Tomatoes love a lot of moisture, so they should be watered abundantly.
3. Little is known about how to transplant tomato seedlings; you need to know when and how to fertilize them. Organic and mineral supplements are used already in the initial period of growth, then you should wait some time until the ovaries are found on the tomato bushes.
4. Soil preparation is also an important moment. For transplanting tomatoes, turf land, humus and peat are most suitable. If there is loamy soil on the site, sand can be added to it.
As the tomato grows, it is important to loosen the soil constantly, so that moisture and oxygen can more easily reach the roots, this is especially true after rains, when a crust may form on the ground.