Hardened seedlings, like man, even in appearance differ from their counterparts who do not have this property. She is stocky, with a thick shaggy stalk. It has short internodes and a developed root. Hardening seedlings is a very important stage in the cultivation of tomatoes. The tomato crop largely depends on its proper conduct.
Errors in choosing seedlings
Beginner gardeners do not always know about such a stage in the life of crops grown in seedlings as hardening. Such an amateur will go to the market and choose plants higher and brighter. Bring home and let's land. In the evening, he will look at the garden, and there is already one herbarium left. All leaves turned yellow, curled up, the stems dried out. What is the reason? And who is to blame?
The easiest way to say: "The sun!" But the neighbor also has sun, but for some reason the tomatoes stand for themselves and do not dry out. True, not so long ago they were nondescript, violet-green. But a week or two passed, and they could not be recognized.
Who's guilty
The seller, of course, who brought unhardened seedlings to the market, is to blame. But the buyer is also wrong. When choosing seedlings, it is necessary first of all to assess the prospects laid in its stems and leaves.
Seedlings must be stable. The stem should not sag and fall under its own weight. His weakness suggests that the seedlings were not thinned, and she was not used to relying on her strength. Then what will the tomato rely on after the transplant? Moreover, he has a weak root, because only after diving (transplanting with a natural break of the tip) a strong root system begins to form in the plant .
The color of the stem and leaves says a lot. In hardened seedlings, it has a dark green color with a purple hue.
The presence of shaggy hairs on the stem also indicates the readiness of the tomato to accept all the hardships of life in the garden.
So it will become only after properly hardening. How to harden tomato seedlings? You need to start with the seeds. The hardened ones are not afraid not only of the cold, but also of drought and late blight.
Seed hardening
So you decided not to buy seedlings of tomatoes and peppers, but to grow yourself. How not to miss the important points of hardening? When to start hardening tomato seedlings? It is better to start even before it has become a seedling.
Spread the seeds in a bowl on a piece of cloth, one part of which will then have to cover the seeds. Water is poured into the bottom with a height of 1 cm. It is good to add a couple of drops of Fitosporin for disinfection.
The seeds stand in the room for a day, the next they hide them in the refrigerator. The water should undergo a little ice, but not freeze completely. Another two days alternate heat and cold. Then they are taken out of the water and planted in the ground.
Seeds treated in this way produce plants whose fruits ripen two weeks earlier than those grown from unhardened ones. Productivity of plants increases by 40%. More fruits will have time to ripen in the vine. After all, hardened seedlings can be planted two to three weeks earlier than unhardened.
The appearance of the first flower brush occurs four days earlier, and they are formed not through two or three sheets, as in unhardened, but through one sheet.
When sowing such seeds, seedlings appear on the second day, and not in the form of loops, but immediately with the leaves up.
It should be noted that the hardening of seedlings grown from unhardened seeds, brings less benefit.
Do not be afraid that some plants will not survive this procedure. But the rest will be able to courageously meet all the trials prepared by life.
Tomatoes by Vladimir Anderson
A person with a huge range of interests, a doctor and gardener Vladimir Anderson grows tomatoes that grow at a temperature of 8 ˚ and easily survive frosts of -5 ˚. He shares some secrets of how to harden tomato seedlings.
The secret lies in collecting seeds. He collects them from fruits ripened in the garden and suffered several frosts, and not from tomatoes lying for a long time on the window of the apartment.
He pays great attention to the selection of large and strong seeds. Indeed, a small plant will not grow a strong plant.
As a result of selection, he receives hardened seeds with 100% germination and good immunity. As evidence, Vladimir advises paying attention to self-growing plants, which are usually stronger than greenhouses.
He hardens seedlings with a temperature difference from 35 ° C during the day to 4 ° C at night. It is watered only with cold water.
There is another similar way. Dry seeds are wrapped in cotton cloth, the name of the variety is written, rolled up and placed in a stable dish. Sprinkle with snow on top and leave on a window or balcony. When the snow melts, the water is drained and again covered with snow. When it melts, the water is again drained, not reaching 20 ° C, the seeds are put on germination. This is two frosts in the garden. Seeds germinate quickly and grow strong.
Express method of hardening seeds
It is known that the best crop yield seeds a few years after they were harvested. But it is not always possible to know their age precisely. Seeds of unknown age or last year are placed in tissue bags and placed on the battery. After three weeks, they will “grow old”, that is, they will have the same characteristics as two or three year olds. Pour them with hot water, the temperature of which is about 50 degrees, for two hours. Then for a couple of minutes they are placed in cold water and sent for germination.
How to temper tomato seedlings at home
Shoots do not need to be filled with water. Water them every 5-7 days, only when the leaves begin to droop a little. Do not flood. This accustoms seedlings to a lack of moisture.
After the seeds have sprouted, and the plants have the beginnings of true leaflets, they begin to harden. Once every ten days, the boxes are taken out to the balcony. Before hardening tomato seedlings, it does not need to be watered.
Tomatoes sprout at a temperature of 25 degrees. Boxes with seedlings are taken out to a cooler place.
At what temperature does tomato seedlings temper
During the day it should be from 16 to 20 degrees, and at night even lower, from 8 to 15 degrees. But this is not enough. Gradually, the plants harden, opening the window. You can do this at night, three hours before morning.
Quenching occurs in a more extreme way. At a temperature of about 0 ° C, the plants are kept for one hour. They should not be allowed to be blown by the wind at this time. Water the day after the procedure. After a week, it is repeated, bringing the temperature to -2 ˚. This time, you can hold three-four hours. Before tempering tomato seedlings, Oktyabrina Ganichkina, a well-known TV presenter, agronomist, advises putting a thermometer near the box. And do not forget to glance at him.
Hardening slightly slows the growth of the plant, but it helps to actively form the root. It prevents the stretching of seedlings, which often affects young plants in many gardeners.
The effect of fertilizers and biostimulants
When applying nitrogen fertilizers, frost resistance of tomato seedlings decreases. Therefore, it is better not to use them at this stage of cultivation.
One of the elements of hardening can be called watering the planted plants "Energene". As the name implies, the plant will have more strength.
Hardening plants in greenhouses
How to temper tomato and pepper seedlings in a greenhouse? Two weeks before planting in the ground, watering is reduced, aired longer and finally the film is removed completely. At the same time, the amount of water poured remains the same, and the interval between waterings is increased. It is necessary to pour water until the earth is completely wetted with the plant and make sure that it does not dry out. If after opening the film you notice that the leaves begin to fade, quickly close the plants. Gradually, they will no longer react so painfully to sunlight. In the future they are not even covered at night. Before planting, the seedlings become strong, acquires a dark green color.
Hardening potted plants
How to harden seedlings of tomatoes planted in pots? Two weeks before landing, they are taken out to fresh air. It is more convenient to carry pots with seedlings by placing them in plastic boxes.
At what temperature can tomato seedlings be tempered? It should be at least 10-12 degrees. Seedlings are left first for a couple of hours. At first, the plants are obscured by direct sunlight. On the second day, you can increase the time spent in the fresh air to six hours, and on the third - leave it for the whole day. Increase the time of direct sunlight. But for the night it’s better to clean. Three days before planting, seedlings are no longer hidden.
All this time they monitor her condition, and with a significant deterioration, they enter the room faster.
It takes at least three days to harden the plant. But the longer this process lasts, the better.
How to harden tomato seedlings, if you bought seedlings, but are not sure about its seasonability? Do not rush to plant tomatoes in open ground. First put them in a cool room, then place them in the greenhouse, if any. You can put seedlings under a tree or in another shaded place. Cover the first couple of days with agrofibre.
Hardening of the root system helps reduce watering. They are completely discontinued a week before landing.
Wind hardening seedlings
It must be carried out very carefully. After all, plants, like people, react differently to the wind, and especially to drafts. They may even get sick from their effects. Therefore, at low temperatures, plants protect against wind.
Why temper
There are various sugars in the leaves and stem of hardened seedlings. A thick layer of the epidermis protects them from changes in temperature and wind. As a result, hardened seedlings give a much larger crop.