Every gardener, beginning or having many years of experience, wants to get a rich and tasty tomato crop. I would like to see large and ripe tomatoes on the branches of plants, and not small and for some reason absolutely tasteless tomatoes. If you have a greenhouse, it’s just not possible to grow magnificent tomatoes in it. As experienced gardeners say, there are many little things that often are not taken into account when planting and care, but in fact they are important. So let's see what experienced gardeners know the secrets of growing tomatoes and how to use them correctly to know how many days the tomatoes will grow.
Seed selection
It all starts with seeds. If you are just starting to deal with tomatoes, do not buy unique varieties that require special conditions for growing and care. Stay better on ordinary, unpretentious views. The latter also require attention, but ordinary tomatoes are not so capricious, and caring for them will allow you to better get acquainted with the technical side of planting and growing.
What types of tomatoes are better to buy? Carefully read the information on the packaging, see the date of manufacture and storage of planting material. Pay attention to the height of adult tomatoes, their resistance to disease.
Germination and planting of seeds
In order for it to reach the right size by the time the seedlings are planted in the greenhouse, it is advisable to know how many days the tomatoes planted by you will rise. There is no definite answer. Dry seeds planted directly in the soil can germinate up to ten days. If the seed is treated with potassium permanganate before planting and placed for several hours in warm water, then they will germinate faster.
Most often, novice gardeners ask a question about how many seeds of a tomato sprout. An important fact is the age of planting material. For example, seeds three years ago are likely to sprout no earlier than a week later, but a similar variety that was harvested a year ago will germinate in 3-4 days.
So, it is possible to calculate how many tomatoes sprout if you provide the best conditions for seed germination. After the seed material has been lying for several hours in water, be sure to place it in the prepared soil, cover with a film and place in a fairly warm place (the temperature of the air when the tomatoes sprout should be about 25 degrees).
Seedlings
Of course, seedlings can be purchased and finished. Before the planting season, many flower shops offer a variety of seeds. The purchase of ready-made seedlings allows you to avoid many troubles and issues related to when the tomatoes sprout. But for a good harvest, this option is hardly suitable. This seedlings often do not have good quality and high resistance to tomato diseases. Therefore, it is better to take the time and try to grow your own strong seedlings.
Healthy seedlings are possible only when the plants receive all the necessary elements. Therefore, to obtain strong and hardy seedlings, you need to properly prepare the soil and germinate the seeds in time. It is advisable to know at least approximately how long the tomatoes sprout to get strong seedlings for planting.
How to grow seedlings?
By the time it comes time to plant seedlings in a greenhouse or soil, it should reach a height of about 25 centimeters. Plants that are transplanted immediately before the flowering period are easier to tolerate the transplant and are easier to adapt to new conditions.
An important factor is the soil in which young plants will grow. If you are seriously thinking about when to plant tomatoes for seedlings and how to do it correctly, then first of all take care of the soil. Ideal - turf land, peat and humus. All components are taken in combination 2: 1: 1.
When young tomatoes acquire two or three real leaves, it is advisable to spray them with a solution of garlic (you can replace it with a solution of copper sulfate).
Soil preparation
Sowing tomatoes for seedlings should be carried out in a special soil. It can be purchased at the store or prepared independently. In general, the soil is best prepared in the fall. At this time, a large amount of wood ash and garden humus are introduced into the soil. If you did not succeed in preparing the soil in the fall, you can do it in the spring.
Before planting the plants in the wells prepared for them, pour peat mixed with humus (2: 1). Then the holes are filled with water and allowed to soak. Now you can plant seedlings.
By the way, some gardeners recommend planting young plants in deep holes so that the lower leaves touch the ground. This allows tomatoes to quickly develop a sufficiently strong root system.
Tomato Care
Even if you know how many days tomatoes grow, how to grow good seedlings and how to prepare the soil, this is not enough to get a rich harvest.
Different stages of plant growth require different care. So, during the period of adaptation of tomatoes, no procedures should be carried out with them, not even pinching. Removing the lateral shoots will only lead to weakening of the plants, since they have not yet managed to take root in a new place. Pasynkovka is best done 2-3 weeks after transplanting seedlings into the greenhouse.
During removal of the side shoots, a maximum of two trunks must be formed. For the formation of fruits, one crown that you leave will be enough for the plant.
A month after planting the tomatoes in the greenhouse, it is advisable to tie them up. Never allow plants to lie on the ground - this gives you a chance to all kinds of pests to spoil your future crop.
Watering
Without water, as you yourself understand, there can be no talk about any crop, but watering must also be done correctly. Tomatoes prefer dry air and slightly moist soil.
Excessive watering can only lead to the fact that plants located in a too humid environment can become ill with late blight. Water should be 1, maximum 2 times a week, only under the root.
Diseases and Pests
Tomatoes, like all plants, are prone to certain diseases and pests. The most common diseases that can affect the future harvest are vertex rot, late blight. In order to avoid diseases, preventive measures should be taken that will develop a certain immunity in plants.
In addition to late blight and apical rot, young tomatoes are also susceptible to fusarium. Therefore, one week after planting the tomatoes in a permanent place, it is advisable to spray the plants using special preparations to prevent the disease.
In order to prevent the appearance of vertex rot, which occurs due to a lack of minerals, plants should be fed a solution of wood ash (about once a month). By the way, if you know how many days the tomatoes sprout, then you can make an approximate schedule of all work on planting and caring for the whole season.
Many chemical preparations effectively fight late blight. However, if the first fruits have already appeared, then you do not really want to poison the plant with chemicals. There are several popular ways to help deal with this "sore." For example, you can spray plants with infused garlic in water. To prepare the medicine, 500 g of garlic is poured with three liters of warm water. Garlic should be infused for three days.
The most dangerous pest for tomatoes is nematodes. They are so small that it is impossible to see them without a microscope. These pests live in the soil and contribute to the decay of the roots of the plant.
Growing problems
In addition to diseases and plant weaknesses, the first difficulties may arise even at the stage of germination, if you have acquired unimproved tomato seeds. Material for seedlings can be left by you from the largest and most beautiful tomatoes grown last year. Here, knowledge of what day the tomatoes come in is sure to come in handy so that if bad seeds are caught, others can be sown. In order for the seeds to be germinating, they must be correctly collected.
Many inexperienced gardeners make the typical mistake of collecting them on their own. After collecting planting material, they rinse it under running water, and then simply spread it on paper or fabric to dry. Such seeds are likely to lose germination in a few months.
The fact is that around each seed there is a sticky film. During washing with water, it does not collapse, and when dried, it simply dries with it. Subsequently, the film becomes dry and completely deprives the air of tomato seed. Seed material for seedlings, before rinsing it, must be fermented in order to destroy this same film.
Fermentation is an effective method, but proceed with caution. If the seed material is overexposed, the germination will also be lost. Ideal conditions for such a process is a temperature of 25 degrees, at which the seeds are kept in an acidic environment for about two days. Some varieties will have enough for a day, for example, cherry tomatoes. And for others, for example, black tomatoes, it takes 4 days for the film to collapse. A kind of indicator in this procedure is the destruction of the amniotic film. Having prepared the material for future plantings in this way, you will know exactly how many days the tomatoes will germinate, and you will be able to properly prepare young plants.
Temperature violation
Suppose you know exactly what day the tomatoes sprout, but time passes, but there are no sprouts. Take your time sending the seed to the trash. First check if the temperature conditions necessary for their germination are respected.
Sprouted seeds should not be on the windowsill, because there is not enough high temperature for this. A container should be placed in such a place only when shoots appear.
Browse the ground. It should be loose enough so that the sown tomatoes can breathe and they have the strength to break through the layer of earth.
Check humidity. Even seeds that give sprouts, but are in a constantly waterlogged soil, can rot and die. In addition, after how many days the tomatoes will rise, depends on the depth of sowing. The ideal option is to sprinkle them lightly with moist soil and cover with a film without sticking them into the ground.
Also, after how many days the tomatoes will rise, depends on the quality of the soil in which you planted the seeds. Not always purchased land mixture has good nutritional properties. Therefore, the ideal option is the soil mixture that you prepared yourself.
If you can not prepare the soil with your own hands, then with poor germination or poor seedling growth, be sure to feed young tomatoes.
When to collect seeds?
During spring planting, how many seeds the tomato sprouts, is affected by the fact when they were harvested. Ripe seed can only be found in ripe red tomatoes. But to wait until the tomato is overripe is also impossible. Very often in overripe tomatoes inside can be already sprouted seeds. Naturally, they are not suitable for planting.
How many own seeds are sprouted? It all depends on their proper removal from the fetus. For this, the ripened tomato is removed and allowed to lie in a cool place for three to four days. After that, the seeds are taken out.
If we talk about why there is no germination in seeds purchased in the store, then the main reason is the expired shelf life or improper storage of material for planting.
Useful Tips
For beginner gardeners, especially those who have never planted tomatoes, it is almost impossible to calculate the number of seedlings that will be needed for a greenhouse or greenhouse.
In principle, this is not necessary. If the opportunity allows, then you can sow as many seeds as possible, and immediately before planting in the greenhouse, select the strongest and greenest specimens.
If you throw seedlings out of pity, then it can be planted in open ground. Some small varieties of tomatoes feel quite good outdoors.
If it so happened that the seeds sprouted late, but you did not have time to sow new ones, do not despair. Even if your tomatoes do not have time to ripen on the vine, they may well reach maturity at home. To do this, green tomatoes are placed in paper bags and stored in a cool dark room.
Do not forget to carefully monitor adult plants. If you notice several diseased specimens, they should be dug up and destroyed until the rest of the bushes have time to become infected.
If you will not grow seedlings yourself, then, buying seedlings in the store, carefully inspect each bush, each leaf. Not being vigilant, you risk bringing to your summer cottage either pests or a disease that can destroy other crops.
It is advisable to keep the newly acquired seedlings in quarantine for some time, away from other vegetable crops. When you are sure that young tomatoes are healthy, you can put them in other plants.
Unwanted Tomato Neighbors
In addition to ideas about why tomatoes do not emerge, something else will not hurt to learn about this culture. Tomatoes do not like to be adjacent to some vegetable and ornamental crops. For example, the proximity to potatoes and daffodils adversely affects the fruiting of tomatoes.
But such plants as marigolds, not only decorate the garden, but also protect tomatoes from the invasion of pests (for example, nematodes). Garlic and basil planted next to tomatoes will also scare away unnecessary insects. Experienced gardeners recommend watering tomatoes every week with an infusion of garlic.