One of the most important conditions for the successful cultivation of tomatoes is planting seedlings and further care for it. As experienced gardeners know, the tomato yield and the quality of the fruit depend on the quality of the grown seedlings, so special attention is paid to how the cultivation is done and how tomato seedlings are taken care of. Watering seedlings is done with warm (25 degrees) water rarely, but plentifully. Water consumption should be 10 liters per square. meter, the soil should be soaked to the full depth of the pots. Drying pots should not be allowed in any case.
Separately, we dwell on a noteworthy method of growing seedlings in film greenhouses. For this, the greenhouse is filled with manure (cow, horse or pork), if the manure is wet, then it should be mixed with chopped straw or sawdust. Then the manure is laid under the ridges 90-100 cm wide with a layer 20-30 cm thick and after leveling, the nutrient mixture is poured on it with a 10 cm layer.Even when the tomatoes are sown for seedlings, the seeds are checked for germination and prepared for sowing.
After germination, seedlings are fed tomato every 10 days with a solution of mineral fertilizers. Composition than fertilizing tomato seedlings in the first top dressing is: 10 g of ammonium sulfate, 10 g of potassium sulfate, 20 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of water. In subsequent feeding, fertilizer doses should already be doubled. In this case, pay attention to the state of seedlings. If it grows weakly, more nitrogen fertilizers are needed, if strongly - phosphorus-potash.
Caring for tomato seedlings in a greenhouse, the temperature should be maintained at 18-21 degrees until the first seedlings, after shoots 4-5 days 14-16 degrees, at night a temperature of 6-8 degrees is sufficient. And after five days there is already such a temperature regime: in sunny weather 20-22 degrees, in cloudy 16-18 degrees and at night 8-10 degrees. Nightly lowering the temperature is necessary, because this accelerates the formation of the first flower brush and seedlings, which are hardened in this way, after planting in open ground, tolerates small frosts well.
In addition, in the absence of light, plants begin to use on their vital processes those nutrients that they accumulate during the day. At a higher temperature at night, seedlings use more substances accumulated during the day. And there may come a moment when, with increased respiration of plants at night, the consumption of nutrients will exceed their daily intake. As a result, the plants stretch and weaken.
Also, when caring for tomato seedlings, it is necessary to pay attention to the enhanced ventilation of the greenhouse. An inflow of fresh air is necessary for the tomato so that the air humidity does not exceed 60%, otherwise the fungus and bacterial diseases can affect the plants . The timing of sowing seeds for seedlings usually depends on when it is planned to plant the seedlings in a permanent place in a greenhouse or open ground. Usually seedlings need to start to be prepared 40-50 days before planting. At the same time, it is important how tomato seedlings will be cared for and what the lighting conditions will be to prevent plants from stretching.
Already in mid-April, you can start planting in heated film greenhouses, and in late April and early May in greenhouses with natural solar heating. At the same time, it is possible to land under film shelters. After passing the second wave of cold weather in May, you can already plant seedlings in open ground, but have shelter ready in case of cold weather return. In order to prepare tomato seedlings for adverse weather conditions, it must be regularly tempered and grown in relatively harsh conditions, then you can safely count on a large and good crop.