Growing seedlings is a rather difficult and painstaking task. After all, for this it is necessary to select the most suitable seeds and properly prepare the soil. They also prepare the containers in which new seedlings will grow in advance.
Quite often, tomatoes are planted in a snail. Not only tomatoes, but also peppers are planted in such a container. Growing seedlings using this method allows you to save a lot of free space indoors.
Benefits of snail
Planting seeds in such containers has recently begun to gain popularity and this is not surprising. This method of growing has a number of advantages:
- picking tomatoes grown in these containers takes much less time, since each seedling is located at an equal distance from each other;
- the root system of tomato seedlings develops much better;
- water young seedlings in snails less often, since the water in them evaporates longer;
- in such containers, seedlings form organically and do not stretch too much;
- with the snail planting method, you can save a lot of free space even in a small room;
- It is much easier to remove plants from a snail than from ordinary pots.
Preparatory work
Before sowing tomato seeds in a snail, you need to prepare the seeds and planting soil.
Preparation of planting material
In order for the sowing of tomatoes to be of high quality, it is necessary to select the best and most viable seeds. To do this, create a weak saline solution consisting of one liter of water and 100 grams of salt. Tomato seeds are added to it, which must immediately be thoroughly stirred. Within a few minutes, small and empty seeds that are not suitable for cultivation will float to the surface. All high-quality planting material remains at the bottom of the pan.
In order for seedlings to grow faster, the seed should be treated in advance in a special solution prepared from aloe juice, boric acid or copper sulfate.
There are also other methods of preparing young grains for planting. For example, you can simply soak the seeds in plain water. To do this, place 2-3 layers of fabric in a small saucer.Tomato seeds are placed between them and filled with settled water for several hours. Then it is drained, and the grains are placed in a plastic bag for a day.
Some people treat planting material with manganese solution. The young seed is placed in it for half an hour, after which it is dried and placed in an ash solution. Then the grains are placed in a soaked cloth for 2-3 hours, after which the seeds can be sown.
Soil preparation
Before sowing tomatoes in a snail, you need to prepare the planting soil. To grow tomato seedlings, it is recommended to use loose soil that can retain a sufficient amount of moisture for a long time. The soil must also meet the following requirements:
- contains river sand, perlite and other leavening agents;
- contains an optimal amount of vermicompost;
- has never been treated with chemical poisons or other drugs that can harm young seedlings;
- tested for the presence of pests and other pathogens;
- has a normal acidity level, which averages 6-7 pH.
When creating a soil mixture with your own hands, you need to add a large amount of peat, sand and sawdust to the soil. These components are necessary for rapid seed germination and further growth of young seedlings.
Making a snail
Having finished with the preparation, you can begin to create a snail into which the seeds are sown. This work is carried out in several successive stages.
Preparation of the workplace
To avoid any difficulties during work, it is necessary to prepare the work surface in advance. It needs to be cleaned of dirt and debris.You also need to place all the necessary tools at hand: seeds, water, soil, laminate substrate.
Working with laminate substrate
First, the material is cut into several long ribbons about 10-15 cm wide. Then one of the ribbons is taken and placed on the table so that one of its edges is directed towards the person. After this, pre-prepared soil is poured onto its surface. The height of the soil layer should not be more than one centimeter.
Quite often the soil begins to crumble. To prevent this, it is recommended to periodically compact it by hand.
After adding soil, tomatoes are sown in the snail. You can plant them using tweezers. Planting material is located along the entire length of the tape. The distance between seeds should be 3-4 cm in order to grow bushes without picking. If you plant tomatoes too close, you will have to pick them down in the future. Then the tape is carefully rolled up to a place where there is no soil yet. We also cover the new area with soil, plant tomatoes and wrap the tape in a roll.
When all the tape is used up, it will have to be fixed with an elastic band or some kind of adhesive material.
Features of care
After creating a snail, you should familiarize yourself with how to grow seedlings and how to care for them.
Addition of soil
Immediately after making a container for growing tomato seeds, you need to check the amount of soil. While rolling the tape, a small amount of earth may have crumbled around the edges. It is recommended to immediately fill this deficiency. The snail is filled with soil until it begins to protrude slightly from its upper edge.
Watering
Needed regularly water the tomatoesso that they germinate faster. In this case, you need to fill all the turns of the created landing structure with water. There is no need to spare water, as its excess will not harm the germination of seedlings.
Conclusion
Sowing different varieties of tomatoes for seedlings is quite simple. To do this, just read the recommendations and watch a video of planting tomatoes for seedlings in a snail.
