The video channel “Harvest Garden Tatyana” has a lot of interesting information on growing vegetable seedlings in a landless way: in vermiculite, in rolled-up paper papers. Such sowing should be mastered by those who grow many varieties of tomatoes. Pros of landless planting:
- saving space;
- rapid seed germination;
- minimal expenditure of money and effort;
- It is convenient to systematize seedlings by name and planting date.
Video review Harvest vegetable garden Tatyana - when to sow tomatoes
You can sow tomato seeds at different times.Gardeners who have unheated spring greenhouses can sow the first tomato seeds at the end of January. From the video you can learn how to grow strong seedlings tomatoes in bags.
When determining the sowing time, be sure to take into account such characteristics of tomatoes as the ripening period.
Early ripening species for open ground can be sown from late March to mid-April. The same early varieties for spring greenhouses should be sown in February-March, mid-late and late varieties - in March.
When determining the date, you don’t have to make any adjustments to the lunar calendar. All a busy person needs is a little free time, a good mood, seeds, water and available materials. The health of seedlings is influenced not by the phase of the moon during planting, but by good care: fertilizer applied on time, watering, creating a microclimate.
Vermiculite - healthy tomato seedlings
Vermiculite is an environmentally friendly, bulk material. Its main purpose is to loosen the soil; it is usually added to the soil when growing ornamental and vegetable plants. It turned out that tomato seeds germinate successfully in this material. Seedlings in granules grow until picking.
Hydrogel can be purchased at any gardening store. Preparing the hydrogel for planting is simple: pour the granules into a shallow tray, fill with water, and after 20-30 minutes the substrate is ready for planting. Sowing comes down to spreading the seeds over the surface of vermiculite.
All that remains is to indicate the name of the tomato on the tray, cover it with cellophane and set it for germination. At a temperature of 25–28 °C, sprouts will appear within 5–7 days.
After the first leaves appear, the seedlings are planted in separate containers. The advantage of this method is obvious - the absence of black legs in tomato seedlings.
Seedlings in paper rolls
Most summer residents begin sowing tomatoes in the Moscow region in early March. For one rolled-up cigarette you need a regular food bag measuring 24*31 cm and a roll of white or gray toilet paper.
Place the bag folded in half on the table and place 3 layers of toilet paper on top of it:
- first layer along the top edge;
- second along the bottom edge;
- the third is again at the top.
This is how the paper is laid with meaning: the roots, as they grow, will not fall between the layers, and the seedlings will be easier to pick. Moisten the paper with water using a rubber medical bulb. Add hydrogen peroxide (3%) to the water: 1 liter of water, 2 tbsp. l. facilities. This fertilizing stimulates seed germination.
Stepping back 10 mm from the top edge, spread out the seeds, maintaining a step of 1.5 - 2 cm. One rolled-up cigarette will contain up to 20 seeds. Roll the film into a loose roll and place it in a plastic glass with water. Pour a little water - 1 cm is enough. Place a bag on top of the rolling glass and remove it only after green sprouts appear. Pick up the seedlings after the appearance of 2 leaves.
We grow strong seedlings in bags
Planting seedlings in bags is convenient and practical. To get an early harvest, plant seedlings in strong, black bags with a volume of 10 liters. Prepare the substrate from garden soil, coconut fiber and vermicompost.
Tuck the bag up to a height of 15–20 cm and fill it with moist soil. First put a layer of eggshells (uncrushed) on the bottom. Shell - feeding and drainage at the same time. Pinch the roots of seedlings when transplanting.
Add substrate to bags as seedlings grow. Tomatoes grown in bags have a well-developed root system, they practically do not get sick when transplanted, they grow quickly, bloom and bear fruit earlier. It is worth planting early varieties in large bags.
You can learn a lot about growing tomatoes on the video channel “Tatyana’s Harvest Garden.” The information will be useful not only for beginners in gardening, but also for experienced vegetable growers.
