Review of new ways to grow tomato seedlings without soil

Independently obtaining seedlings from seeds is a very responsible and important process, the importance of which cannot be downplayed. In this regard, the question arises: how to grow tomatoes healthy and strong? Modern and proven methods come to the rescue to achieve the desired result. A lot of material has been collected about this, videos have been shot and various experiments have been carried out.

general information

The landless method of sowing seeds is becoming increasingly popular. Its essence is simple - instead of soil, some available materials are used, and the seeds already contain a certain supply of nutrients necessary for germination.

Growing seedlings using the landless method has a number of significant advantages, thanks to which this method is becoming more and more widespread:

• can be used for all crops;
• the root system remains intact, which ensures rapid recovery and adaptation of the plant after picking;
• accessible means and inexpensive devices;
• convenience, especially when growing seedlings in apartment conditions;
• saving space on window sills;
• the seedlings will germinate healthy, since the causative agents of some diseases are in the ground;
• easy care, which boils down only to ensuring a certain level of humidity and heat;
• Tomatoes can be planted in stages as they grow.

A minor disadvantage is the short deadlines:

1. You need to sow the seeds as late as possible. Premature sowing will result in seedlings that will be overgrown and elongated, and the leaves will be yellowed and faded.
2. When the leaves first appear, the plants need soil, so they need to be replanted immediately.

Among the wide variety of options, there are several of the most common and affordable ones.

Seedlings in paper rolls

This method has earned its popularity mainly because it takes up little space. Regular toilet paper is used as a planting base. Any crop can be planted this way, including tomatoes. The only condition is to comply with the deadlines.

The entire procedure can be divided into the following stages:

1. We prepare strips of new polyethylene in advance about 10 centimeters wide and about 50 centimeters long.
2. Lay them out on a flat surface and put 1 layer of toilet paper on top.
3. Sprinkle it with water.
4. We place the seeds at a distance of about 5 centimeters from each other, making sure to step back from the edge.
5. Cover them with the same polyethylene as the first layer. We roll it all up into a roll and secure it.
6. There is no need to roll it tightly; free space is needed for the seeds to germinate.
7. We place the rolls in a plastic container with water about 4 centimeters high; plastic cups are well suited for this.
8. Glasses with rolls are covered with polyethylene with holes; water must be constantly added to the required level.
9. When sprouts appear on the grown seedlings, you can add a little mineral fertilizer to the water.
10. After the leaves appear, the seedlings need to be transplanted. To do this, carefully roll out the roll and remove the top layer of polyethylene. The seedling can be taken along with a piece of paper to preserve the root.

The procedure is very simple and does not require any special tools.

Peat tablets

In addition to directly available means, there are also special ones, for example, peat tablets. Several of their advantages can be highlighted:

• convenience and environmental friendliness;
• Almost anything can be grown in them;
• additional substances are included in the peat base - these are fertilizers and stimulants that help seedlings grow well;
• no picking is required, and the plants are replanted immediately with peat, which ensures the integrity of the root system.

Planting is simple and is done as follows.

1. The tablets are laid out in a tray with high sides so that the recess in them is at the top. A small amount of warm water is added there, in which they swell. If necessary, add more water.
2. After this, you need to drain the excess liquid from the pan and lightly squeeze out the tablets.
3. One or two seeds are placed in each tablet and covered with the same peat.
4. Create greenhouse conditions for seedlings by covering the container with film.
5. Water the seedlings and ventilate them at the necessary intervals. It is worth noting that peat dries out quickly, which should not be allowed.
6. As soon as the sprouts appear, the film is removed.
7. As soon as the planted plants have real leaves, they are planted in the ground after removing the net. The peat will soon dissolve in it.

These peat tablets have long won the love of many gardeners.

Seeds in sawdust

This method is most suitable if you need to grow seedlings that are difficult to tolerate picking. Due to the structure of sawdust, which simply crumbles, the root system of seedlings is not damaged.

Stages of sowing seeds for seedlings in sawdust:

1. We prepare a container about 10 centimeters deep, the bottom of which is lined with polyethylene. The sawdust must first be scalded with boiling water to get rid of dirt and resin. Then we pour them into a tray about 6-7 centimeters thick.
2. We create furrows on the sawdust with a distance of about 5 centimeters between them. We place seeds in the furrow every 2-3 centimeters. They are sprinkled with a small layer of wet sawdust and the container is covered with film.
3. Be sure to regularly water and ventilate the pan.
4. As soon as the first shoots appear, the polyethylene is removed and the tray is placed in the light.
5. After about 2 weeks, when the leaves appear, the seedlings need to be planted in the ground.

The emergence of new ways of growing tomato seedlings without soil is explained by the desire of gardeners to further simplify this process. Considering the many modern methods, everyone can choose the one that will be most convenient.