Tomatoes are a crop widely spread throughout Russia. Tomato seeds should be sown according to certain rules. They include preliminary preparation of material, soil, and selection of containers for seedlings. The depth of seed placement is also of great importance. It determines how strong the plants will be already in the first stages of growth.
At what depth to plant tomatoes for seedlings: sowing rules
Planting tomatoes as seedlings requires a number of knowledge and skills. Beginning gardeners are not always able to grow strong seedlings the first time, which will yield a bountiful harvest during the season.
Growing rules consist of several successive stages.
- Selection of seed material. Seeds for seedlings must be selected for germination. To do this, remove all dark seeds from the total mass. The rest are filled with water. Those that pop up are considered empty. They will not produce high-quality seedlings.
- Disinfection and hardening. Before planting, processing and hardening of tomato seeds is required. For pest control, a manganese solution is used. For hardening, the seed is first placed in a glass of warm water, then for 1-2 minutes in a container with ice water. It is also recommended to soak the seeds in a growth activator solution.
- Soil preparation. To sow tomatoes for seedlings, use a soil mixture based on turf and humus in equal proportions. The best option is a ready-made soil composition. It contains all the necessary components, but requires treatment with disinfectants or a manganese solution before planting tomato seeds. Recently, coconut substrate has been actively used. Tomatoes grown in it are distinguished by a powerful root system and rapid growth.
- Selection of containers. You can sow tomatoes in common containers or individual containers. The height of the boxes is at least 10 centimeters. This condition is necessary for the development of a good root system. In the first stages, pots measuring 5 by 5 centimeters are sufficient. After picking, the capacities can be increased.
- Rules for planting tomato seeds. The material is sown only on moist soil. Place no more than 2 tomato seeds per 1 square centimeter. If individual pots are used for seedlings, then 2 seeds are placed in one at a distance of 1 centimeter. It is also convenient to sow seeds tomato in peat tablets with a diameter of 35 mm. There are from 2 to 4 seeds per tablet.After germination, weak plants are removed. Only the 2 strongest remain. When choosing at what depth to plant tomato seeds, they start from the original size of the seed. On average, the height of the powder layer is from 0.5 to 1 centimeter. In the case of large seeds and the use of growth inhibitors, the powder is made thicker, up to 1 centimeter. If the seeds are small or are the Cherry variety, then they are covered with a layer of no more than 0.5 centimeters. When planting germinated material, the holes are prepared to the depth of the root, pushing the soil layer to the sides.
- Caring for seedlings. After tomato seeds are planted for seedlings, the containers are covered with glass or film until the first entries appear. It is important to maintain a temperature of at least 20 degrees during this period. Optimal conditions are considered to be between 22 and 25 degrees. After germination, the seedling containers are placed on a bright windowsill. For irrigation, the spraying method is used.
Rules for choosing the time for sowing seeds
It is important not only to plant seeds correctly, but also to be able to choose the right time. Depending on early maturity, seeds should be sown from the second half of February to the second half of March.
The timing of when to sow tomato seeds is influenced by two main factors.
- Planting method. You can sow tomatoes in open ground or protected greenhouses. When planting in open beds, seedling material begins to be harvested later. When planting in heated, protected greenhouses, tomatoes begin to be sown earlier. This is due to the fact that planting at a permanent place is carried out on average 2-3 weeks earlier. In protected greenhouses there is no need to protect plants from night frosts.You can safely plant tomatoes for seedlings at the end of February. But during this period additional lighting is required in the morning and evening hours.
- Variety ripening speed. All tomatoes are divided into early, mid-ripening and late varieties. Early maturity determines when we sow the material. For early ripening varieties planted in closed greenhouses, this period can be shifted to a later date. Sow late and mid-season varieties 1-2 weeks earlier. This will allow you to get the harvest faster.
Seedlings are considered ripe for planting in the ground if at the time of transplanting they have reached the age of 50-60 days from the moment of germination.
Another sign of readiness for transfer is the presence of 5-6 adult leaves on the bushes. When transplanting to a permanent place, it is important to choose the correct hole depth and planting pattern.
Negative effects of improper seed placement
Errors when choosing the depth of sowing tomatoes can negatively affect the growth of seedlings and yield. Experienced gardeners identify two main problems:
- planting depth is too deep;
- tomatoes are planted too close to the soil surface.
Both options lead to the development of frail seedlings, which in the future give a poor harvest. In cases where the seed is planted too deeply, there is a high probability of rotting and slow germination.
Seeds and sprouts may not be strong enough to break through the soil layer. In this case, the sprout dies already at the initial stages. If the seedling has enough strength, then it takes longer to germinate than with the correct choice of sowing depth for tomato seeds.
Longer germination leads to the fact that the plants are too small at the time of planting in open ground. They require more time for all stages of growth. The harvest from such bushes ripens later.
When sowing tomato seeds for seedlings too close to the soil surface, germination occurs in a shorter time. In this case, the plants have a weak root system. The situation can be corrected by diving with deepening of the stem of the sprout.
