With the seedling method of growing tomatoes, summer residents struggle to allocate space for seedlings. There are not enough window sills for all the containers with planting material, which is why picking tomatoes in diapers has become popular. This method of transplanting seedlings has many advantages.
Features of picking in diapers, advantages of the method
Vegetable growers call diapers the soil wrapped in a bag of plastic film, where they plant tomato shoots. Usually they take dense material, which is used to cover greenhouses.Before the diving procedure, prepare a container for placing tomato seedlings in diapers into it. Choose a large container with high sides. The bottom is covered with a layer of sawdust so that tomato seedlings in diapers can be placed on it.
The advantages of this method of picking a vegetable plant include:
- convenience of the procedure;
- using less soil;
- protection of tomato seedlings from diseases and pests;
- saving space for seedlings.
But besides the advantages of growing tomatoes using the diaper method, there is also a significant drawback due to the fact that the plant’s root system will develop more slowly and the seedlings will not have enough light. And also, if the vegetable crop grows intensively, it will then have to be replanted into individual pots.
Swaddling tomato seedlings occurs in different ways. You can plant seedlings with two true leaves in a nutritious soil mixture or coconut substrate. You can also pack seeds for seedlings in film and then plant the seedlings in separate cups or pots.
Methods for planting seedlings in diapers
Summer residents love to experiment, coming up with new methods for growing vegetables. This happened with picking tomato seedlings.
Sprouted seeds in films
In order for tomato seedlings to be strong, seeds that were first germinated are placed in a diaper. Rectangles similar in size to the area of a notebook sheet are cut out of the film. Having laid out a sheet of film on the table, place a spoonful of nutrient soil, previously moistened, in the left corner. A sprout obtained from tomato seeds is placed on it.
The leaves of the plant should be above the level of the edge of the diaper.
After this, add the same amount of soil as was on the leaf.They begin to roll it carefully, holding the tender sprout. To prevent the roll from unrolling, tighten it with an elastic band or tie it with thread. The seedling wrapped in polyethylene is placed in a container.
After picking the seedlings has been successful, the container with the sprouts installed in it is placed in a well-lit place. To create a greenhouse effect, cover the plantings with a film with holes. Every day, for a few minutes, the covering material is removed to ventilate the seedlings.
In diapers from seeds to shoots
Growing tomato seedlings begins with planting seeds. So you can plant them immediately in film. Step-by-step actions consist of:
- cutting polyethylene into strips ten centimeters wide;
- laying a layer of toilet paper on it;
- moistening from a spray bottle with water mixed with drops of aloe juice;
- placement of seeds at intervals of three to four centimeters;
- covering with a layer of toilet paper and film;
- Roll it up and place it in a plastic cup filled with water.
Cover the top of the container with film and place it in a warm, well-lit place. After the sown grain sprouts, they are released from the film. Together with toilet paper, each one is separated and planted in nutritious soil. At the same time, the seedlings take root easily, since the root system remains intact and intact. If you sow tomatoes immediately in diapers, they will develop faster, ahead of regular seedlings by one to two weeks.
It is better, when planting tomatoes with seeds, to immediately add moistened soil or coconut substrate to the rolls. Then the seedlings will feel great before transplanting into separate pots or open ground. A plant picked in this way has a strong and tenacious root system.
Caring for seedlings in diapers
After the tomato picking has occurred, it is necessary to properly care for the vegetable seedlings:
- Water the tomato seedlings in diapers moderately, so that the water does not stagnate in the rolls.
- Twice a week it is necessary to feed tomato seedlings, reducing the usual concentration of the nutrient solution by half.
- To ensure an optimal level of light, additional illumination of the seedlings is organized using fluorescent lamps.
- To prevent the soil in the diapers from becoming moldy, regularly remove condensation from the film.
Repeated plant picking is carried out after the seedlings have run out of space and begin to stretch out. The roll is rolled out carefully, and the grown seedlings are separated from the film, planted in separate containers. At the same time, to stimulate root growth, the central root shoot is pinched. But if the plant lives in arid areas, then the root pinching operation is not carried out.
The opinion of gardeners about picking in diapers
Only those who have used this method of growing tomato seedlings know what it gives and how to plant tomatoes in a diaper. Reviews about the method are different. Many people sowed vegetables in film, but then said that it was better to grow tomatoes in the usual way. And some vegetable growers were proud of the tomatoes they planted in the diaper, noting their resistance to disease.
The seedlings are stronger and can be easily transplanted into open ground. During the procedure, the roots do not break; they are accustomed to a small amount of soil and have learned to obtain food and moisture for themselves.
Many people talk about taking the plunge and immediately placing the containers in greenhouses, where the plants thrive. During transplantation into greenhouse conditions, none of them die, and then the tomatoes produce good yields.
And yet, the method of picking a vegetable plant into diapers is preferred because it saves space for seedlings when there is so little of it on the windowsills. An advantage for this method of growing is that cucumbers, peppers, and eggplants can be picked in the same way. Some people use the diaper growing method for flower crops.
