Why tomatoes don’t sprout and grow slowly, what to do

The timing of planting tomatoes is calculated based on the duration of the growing season of the variety and the harvest period. Therefore, the question of why tomato seedlings grow poorly is extremely relevant. Any delay in the development of plants during the seedling period affects their further productivity.

The germination of seeds and the growth rate of seedlings is influenced by a complex of factors that are not so easy to control at home. First of all, this is the quality of the seed, how the tomato seeds are prepared for planting. The main influence is exerted by the temperature of the air and soil, their humidity, and the level of illumination.

For nutrition and rapid formation of the root system in seedlings, the soil structure must be breathable, with the necessary set of chemical elements. Only an analysis of all the data will make it possible to figure out why tomato seedlings are not growing at home and what should be done.

Important! A delay in seedling development affects the final productivity of plants.

Reasons for slow seed germination

Sometimes problems begin immediately after sowing the seeds. If sprouts do not appear within a week, the question arises as to why the seeds do not sprout. It should be taken into account that the germination and appearance of seedlings is affected by soil moisture, temperature, and the depth of seeds during planting.

1. One of the reasons for poor seed germination may be their unsatisfactory quality. To avoid such an incident, simply place the seeds in a glass of plain water. Empty seeds will remain on the surface, they are discarded, and do not even try to germinate.
2. With a small number of seedlings, the seeds are germinated before sowing, placing them on a damp paper napkin. Sprouted seeds are planted in the ground, taking utmost care not to damage the sprout. This method has 100% germination, but requires care.
3. If all conditions are met, tomato seeds germinate quickly enough in 3-4 days, but in most cases it takes 7-14 days for germination. So there is no need to worry ahead of time why the tomatoes do not sprout. It is necessary to maintain the temperature in the range of 22-25 degrees, and keep the soil moist, which will help the seeds germinate.
4. If a box with seedlings is covered with film or glass and is placed on a window, then in the daytime under the sun's rays, the temperature under the film can increase significantly. This can cause steaming of seeds and death of the hatched sprout.At temperatures above 30 degrees, the film is removed. Until the seedlings have sprouted, the boxes should be in a dark place.
5. When planting seeds in the soil to a depth of more than 2 cm, and abundant watering, a layer of sticky soil can become the reason why the seedlings cannot sprout. It must be taken into account that the soil structure should be light, moisture-absorbing and breathable. Heavy, acidified soil can cause seeds to not germinate. This must be taken into account when preparing the soil substrate.
6. When planted deeply, the seedlings are weakened and have an overly elongated hypocotyledon. If the seeds are located too close to the surface, there is a danger of them drying out. In both cases, you will have to wait longer for germination, in a more extended period.

In preparation for sowing, seeds are disinfected, hardened and saturated with microelements, in the hope of obtaining healthy plants from tomato seedlings. Only clean soil is used, free from pests and weeds. All these measures are not unreasonable and can significantly affect the development of plants.

What retards the growth of seedlings

With the emergence of seedlings, the plant begins to develop intensively, growing the root system and forming the first true leaves. At this stage, it is necessary to reduce the temperature and provide the plant with adequate lighting.

Developmental delay due to lack of lighting

Newly hatched seedlings have a very limited supply of food. The emerging shoots receive only mineral substances from the soil, and must produce organic substances on their own.

With insufficient light, photosynthesis is so reduced that the bulk of organic matter is burned during respiration.Plants germinated in such conditions do not develop green mass well. They stretch out greatly, having used up the reserves of nutrients from the seed. Weakened, frail shoots are at risk of developing black stalk disease. Fungal diseases not only slow down growth, but can destroy a fragile plant.

Therefore, in the first days, 2-3 days, round-the-clock illumination is used, later the illumination remains up to 15-16 hours. With sufficient lighting, the process of photosynthesis accelerates. The plant produces an order of magnitude more organic matter than it spends on respiration. This allows the plant to actively develop. After 15-20 days, the tomato seedlings not only look stronger, but are also ready for picking.

Stunted growth after picking

The question of why seedlings do not recover well after picking arises quite often. Perhaps mistakes were made during the transplant, you did something wrong. This is a serious stress for a plant when up to 50% of the integrity of the roots is damaged.

Important! Simultaneously with the growth of the first leaf on the main root, root tubercles are actively formed, which are not damaged during transplantation.

1. Seedlings are planted in order to increase the feeding area of ​​the seedlings and to allow the plant's root system to fully develop. Picking should be done when the first leaf appears. At a later date, when the roots have already sprouted, the damage will be more significant.
2. When picking, growth stops due to the rooting process of seedlings, which can last 10-14 days. It seems that the tomato seedlings are not growing. But at this time, the lost roots are actively restored. This process occurs especially successfully in young plants.Within a day they form separate new roots.
3. Tomato seedlings grow slowly; they were picked at a later age, when the central and lateral roots had already grown. Their violation leads to an imbalance in the size of the plant’s root system and its above-ground part. Such seedlings take a long time to recover, which also affects the quality of the plant itself.
4. When picking, pay attention to the fact that it is more effective to grow seedlings in boxes, because it is in them that the root system does not encounter obstacles to growth for a long time. Tomatoes grown in containers up to 0.2 liters are of lower quality. The root system, not being able to fully develop, sends a signal to the plant that further growth is impossible. A program of low yields is established, and the plants take root less well.

Plants may have different rooting periods. If some tomato seedlings recover poorly, what to do, how to help them. You need to be patient and after a couple of weeks carry out individual feeding, taking into account the condition of the seedlings. In this case, it is necessary to strictly observe the light and temperature balance. Moderate watering should be combined with subsequent loosening of the soil.

If the plants have overcome the first, most difficult stages of development for them, then worries about why tomatoes don’t grow are over. With increasing daylight hours, stronger seedlings will require simpler care, which boils down to regular watering.